CHAPTER 10 — I Won't Kill My Fellow Villager (Part 2)
The two masked Root operatives struck without hesitation, their short swords flashing in a synchronized arc.
Asuka's smile vanished.
He lifted a single kunai and caught the blade with a sharp clang, twisting his wrist to deflect the second strike coming from his right.
"Twenty seconds," he muttered flatly.
He kicked the first attacker square in the chest, knocking him back several meters, then flickered away in a blur of motion, creating distance.
"Fire Release!"
He inhaled deeply. His eyes sharpened, turning the color of smoldering embers.
"Great Fire Annihilation!"
A rolling wall of flame erupted forward, devouring the air as it surged toward the two Root ninjas. The waterfall's mist turned orange from the reflected blaze.
The operatives froze for a fraction of a second, pupils contracting.
"Water Release! Water Pillar Formation!"
Moisture in the air spiraled wildly, forming two towering water columns around them just as the inferno crashed down.
SSSHHHHHHHH!
The explosion of steam swallowed the entire cliffside. The roar of fire and the hiss of vapor became a single deafening note.
Inside the thick fog, the two Root operatives ripped off their melting masks. Heat battered them from every direction.
"This steam is—!"
"Damn it… where is he?!"
They couldn't see anything.
Pah.
A small sound echoed from somewhere above.
Then—
A pebble whistled through the steam.
Bang! Bang!
Two clean impacts struck both masked operatives right in the forehead.
"Tch. Good heads," Asuka said casually from outside the steam, rubbing the cracked stone between his fingers. "Didn't even knock you out."
Before the steam could thin, he slipped inside, hands glowing with green chakra.
Chakra Scalpel.
Precise. Surgical. Ruthless.
He slashed the tendons of both operatives' arms and legs in perfect arcs, disabling them instantly without going anywhere near a fatal point.
They collapsed like puppets whose strings had been cut.
Asuka exhaled lightly. "This works fast."
He then dislocated both their jaws—just in case—and leapt off the cliff into the water below.
"Alright, now to get those idiots before they drown."
He retrieved all three kids in under ten seconds. The little brats had taken in so much water their eyeballs were practically rolling around like loose marbles.
Once they'd vomited half the river and recovered, Asuka returned to the disabled Root ninjas.
He knelt beside the female operative first, tilted her head, and simply stuck his fingers into her mouth.
She made a muffled panic sound.
Asuka yanked her tongue out and studied it with a doctor's seriousness.
"Yep. Tongue Curse Seal," he confirmed. "Danzo's people really are declining in quality. Who attacks immediately without speaking?"
He shoved her tongue back in and wiped his hand on the male ninja's chest armor with zero guilt.
Both operatives gave him a horrified look, assuming he'd kill them next.
Asuka waved casually. "Relax. I don't kill fellow villagers. Even if you attacked me, wasting village manpower is stupid."
They blinked.
Was he… a good person?
In the Uchiha clan?
What kind of rare animal was this?
Asuka reattached one of their dislocated arms, propped them up so they sat facing each other, then called the three soaked Uchiha children over.
"Alright, listen carefully," he said, activating his Sharingan. "What you're about to learn is something no academy teacher will ever teach you."
One kid sniffed pitifully.
"Then why did you kick me?"
"I didn't want distractions during my fight," Asuka said simply.
Thump!
He flicked the child's forehead without warning, making him topple backward.
Then Asuka turned to the Root operatives.
"I can see you both have a strong will to live. Good. So let's settle this like civilized people."
The female operative narrowed her eyes. "We won't reveal anything. No matter what you do."
"I don't want information."
Both Root ninjas froze.
Then why were they tied up ritual-style, facing each other like they were about to participate in some ancient Uchiha sacrificial ceremony?
Asuka pulled out a notebook and pen.
"You attacked me, so I'm annoyed. The punishment is simple:
You two will play rock-paper-scissors.
One hundred rounds.
Winner slaps the loser."
The three Uchiha children stared with their mouths hanging open.
"Just… slapping?" one of the Root ninjas whispered.
"That's it," Asuka confirmed.
"But if the winner's slap is too soft, I'll slap the loser instead."
The Root operatives immediately stiffened.
The three kids immediately pulled out the fried chicken Asuka summoned and sat in a line, enjoying the show like it was prime-time theater.
Asuka raised his right hand.
"I swear on the honor of the Uchiha clan. I won't kill you. Go on."
Both operatives exchanged a shaky glance.
The female ninja took charge.
"I'll count to three."
"Agreed."
"1… 2… 3!"
Scissors.
Paper.
SLAP!
A beautifully crisp sound echoed across the valley. The male ninja reeled sideways, a perfect handprint blooming across his cheek.
Asuka handed him a cup of sake like a considerate bartender.
"Drink. It'll keep your face from going numb."
The man sniffed the cup.
"You're… actually kind of nice."
Asuka nodded proudly.
He summoned more wasabi-honey fried chicken and handed it to the kids, who continued munching while watching the ninjas slap each other senseless.
Slap!
Slap!
Slap!
One of the kids leaned toward the other.
"What are they doing?"
The other shook his head. "I don't know. But the chicken is good."
Then—
WHACK!
A louder slap rang out.
The male ninja clutched his cheek, eyes wide with betrayal.
"Why did you hit me so hard?!"
"My hand slipped!" the woman hissed.
"Phew…"
The man took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
Then turned to Asuka.
"How… how many rounds are left…?"
78, still a long way to go!"
"Okay!"
He swung his arm and joined the game again.
As time passed...
*Slap!
* The female ninja's head tilted to the left. She touched her numb face, looking at her companion with disbelief and a questioning gaze.
"You already got that Uchiha's approval with your strength just now, why are you suddenly increasing it?"
"Cough cough... My body is a little out of control."
"Heh~"
The female ninja's lips twitched, then she suppressed her anger, snatched the bottle from Asuka's hand, took a big gulp, and gritted her teeth.
"Again!"
Slap. Slap.
As the number of slaps between the two increased, the two who had initially tried to control their strength became increasingly careless, often sending their opponent rolling on the ground several times with a single slap.
Later, Asuka looked down at the teeth the two had spat on the ground, waved to the three little ones behind him, pointed to the two still slapping each other in the distance, and asked,
"Do you understand?"
"No!"
The three shook their heads; they really didn't understand.
However, they did notice one thing: the two were getting more and more aggressive.
Seeing the three little ones' blank eyes, Asuka stood up, dusted off the dirt on his backside, pulled the three children away, and explained in a low voice.
"They are loyal Konoha and loyal Danzo, good ninjas. Expecting to gather intelligence from them is almost impossible.
But almost doesn't mean certain.
Sometimes, a rift in the heart is fatal.
These people won't reveal information about their superiors, but they can reveal information about Root's enemies.
Besides, I'm paying for their enemies' information.
If outsiders buy our villagers' information, they're guilty of treason.
The pressure of treason is immense.
But who are we?
We are the Uchiha, a powerful clan of Konoha, the Konoha Guard.
The pressure is much less when they sell us intelligence.
When we look at Root's intelligence, it's not even reconnaissance, it's inspection."
Seeing the three children's blank eyes gradually turn to admiration, Asuka put his hands on his hips, looking incredibly smug.
He couldn't tell his clan members this secret, or they'd be terrified.
Gathering intelligence on "Root"...
what's the difference between that and gathering intelligence on the Anbu?
Next, he would combine the intelligence he had to actively infiltrate the hearts of Danzo's subordinates.
Danzo's confidence stems 50% from his subordinate ninjas, 30% from the Third Hokage, and 20% from his own strength.
Once he has all the information on the enemy's personnel and has infiltrated their hearts, he'll know exactly what kind of underwear someone in Root is wearing today.
**
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