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"How is this possible? Isn't he just a useless Chunin? How could he awaken the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan!" Torune's expression changed drastically.
He and Yamanaka Fu, as Danzo's confidants, were also the top operatives of the Root. They were naturally aware of some of the Uchiha clan's secrets. The pair of Sharingan before them, beyond common sense, could only be explained by this.
"Fu!" Torune and Yamanaka Fu exchanged glances. "Take action!"
"Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Yamanaka Fu was the first to spring into action, pressing his hands together in the air, directly using the Yamanaka clan's secret technique. At the same time, Torune's mouth bulged as he spewed out a cloud of black mist.
"Secret Technique - Poison Dust Jutsu!"
The sudden outburst shook everyone's nerves. Shizune's face changed, and she shouted urgently, "Kaito, be careful! This black mist contains nano-sized poisonous insects. If inhaled, it's certain death!"
"Don't worry!" Kaito suddenly looked up, his Nine Tomoe Rinnegan spinning wildly. The chakra filled with a sense of calamity surged back towards Kaito like a tidal wave.
"Kid, you're too arrogant. As long as the poison dust gets within a meter of you..." Torune's smile froze. The poison dust rushing towards him was stopped three feet away by an invisible crimson aura. In the next moment, the swirling ocular power transformed into a terrifying skeleton. The originally narrow cave was immediately filled. A pair of eyes flickering with blood-red flames emitted an aura that captivated the soul.
Whoosh! The oncoming poisonous insects were instantly incinerated by the flames. They turned into dust and scattered on the ground.
A disagreement unleashes Susanoo! Looking at the eerie skeleton, with its blood-red energy ribs and the flames dancing in its hollow eye sockets, just looking at it sent chills down one's spine.
"Impossible, you should have been controlled by Fu's secret technique!" Torune's expression changed drastically. It wasn't just because Kaito had manifested Susanoo, but also because their unbeatable combination attack with Yamanaka Fu had somehow been broken.
"Heh, did you forget? Besides Fire Release, the Uchiha clan excels in genjutsu," Kaito sneered.
"What!" Torune's expression changed again, and as he hurriedly tried to move, he found his entire body seemingly bound by invisible shackles.
"I-I can't move my body. When did you cast a genjutsu on me!"
"What's wrong, scared now?" Kaito sneered, "It's too late!"
Roar!
Susanoo let out a roar, and its skeletal right hand struck towards the two like lightning.
"No! If you want me dead, then you die too!" Torune's face twisted in a grimace. Unlike Yamanaka Fu, his body was restrained, but he could still command his parasitic insects.
"Secret Technique - Insect Explosion Jutsu!"
The poisonous insects throughout his body began to stir, causing bulges to rapidly form on Torune's skin.
Boom!
The insects exploded instantly, unleashing a powerful shockwave as the dark green poison gas spread with the wind.
"Everyone be careful, don't inhale the poison gas!" Shizune exclaimed.
But soon they saw the entire world spinning, and when they came to their senses, they were still inside the cave. However, this time the cave showed no signs of battle or insect explosions. They quickly looked towards Kaito and found Torune and Yamanaka Fu kneeling on the ground, grinning foolishly as if in a daze. Their bizarre appearance clearly indicated they were still trapped in a genjutsu.
"What... what kind of genjutsu is this, that can instantly control all our minds? The battle just now was all an illusion."
"Two Jonin were unknowingly pulled into an illusion, and they still can't escape. This is terrifying..." Some sharp-eyed individuals immediately noticed the clues. However, seeing Yamanaka Fu and Torune grinning like fools, a chill ran down their spines, leaving them with lingering fear. They knew very well that if Kaito had been in a bad mood earlier, he could have easily killed them all. That would not have been a problem at all!
They had already mentally prepared themselves for the battlefield. However, they preferred to die gloriously rather than in such an unclear manner. This was something they couldn't accept!
"Alright, those who kill will be killed. They wanted to kill me, so I killed them. That should be normal, right?" Kaito said as if he had done something trivial, casting a scrutinizing gaze over the crowd. He then slowly walked towards Yamanaka Fu and Torune.
"Yes, Kaito is right. The Root's people are too indifferent, daring to kill their comrades. Even if word gets back to Konoha, they won't escape punishment."
"Rather than letting these two stay in the team like a fishbone stuck in the throat, it's better to deal with them!"
"Now that Torune and Yamanaka Fu have lost their authority, the team is leaderless. Kaito, your strength is outstanding, please lead the team." The ninjas in the field all chimed in agreement.
Kaito couldn't help but smile. There are always fence-sitters everywhere. But what satisfied him was that these people never suggested abandoning their comrades or attacking him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have minded dealing with them as well.
"Kaito, you can't kill them!" Shizune suddenly advised, "Danzo holds grudges. If Yamanaka Fu and Torune are killed, you'll definitely be labeled a rogue ninja. I don't want anything to happen to you..."
As soon as these words were spoken, many people's expressions changed drastically. They had all heard, to some extent, about the Root's way of doing things. However, because of Danzo's status, many dared not speak out even if they were angry. Moreover, Danzo's hostility towards the Uchiha clan was something many had noticed.
"You don't want anything to happen to me?" Kaito smiled as he looked at Shizune. Shizune's expression froze, a blush appeared on her cheeks, and she finally nodded, "I don't want anything to happen to anyone."
"So that's how it is, I must have misunderstood," Kaito chuckled dryly. "Since you've spoken, Shizune, I'll spare them for now. But while they can escape death, they can't escape punishment. Let's detain them first. Since everyone holds me in high regard, I won't refuse. We'll rest here for three days, and then we'll take the initiative to attack," Kaito said, looking at Shizune. "In my eyes, comrades must never be abandoned. Unless you step over my dead body!"
"Someone, take them away first."
His calm words sent a sudden shock through everyone present. Originally, in their eyes, Kaito was a shy and timid person. But now, because of everything that had happened, this label was completely overturned. Whether it was using genjutsu to instantly defeat Yamanaka Fu and Torune, or now taking the initiative to attack. In their eyes, Kaito was standing up for his comrades. This gave them, as his comrades, an inexplicable sense of security.