The laboratory was a chaotic mess of noise, but if you listened closely, it all came from a single source.
On the operating table, all that remained of Hidan was a mouth, yet he was still chanting praises to his evil god. Hikari, observing with her Byakugan for nearly an hour, couldn't figure out how he was still alive.
There was no trace of chakra or ninjutsu, no detectable energy at all, yet he kept on living. Even with his brain practically turned to mush, he could still think clearly, as if everything happening to his body was irrelevant to him.
Thud!
A clone in a lab coat "gently" slapped Hidan's face, the force of several tons crushing him like a hydraulic press, turning him into a pile of mush. The clone didn't stop, hammering away relentlessly until Hidan was flattened into a human pancake on the table.
Even so, Hikari's keen eyes noticed his cells were still functioning normally. Some of the smashed cells even began to regenerate naturally—absolutely bizarre!
"His immortality doesn't seem tied to the chakra system!" Yang-Release Hikari said slowly, staring down at the meaty mess, stating her conclusion.
Hikari nodded in agreement—she'd been thinking the same thing.
The ninja world's extraordinary powers weren't limited to ninjutsu. Long before Kaguya Otsutsuki arrived, this planet was home to countless strange creatures: the Three Great Sage Regions, shrine maidens, evil gods, death gods, and more.
Their power systems, rooted in the planet's natural energy, were vastly different from the chakra system the Otsutsuki brought. The Byakugan was incredibly sensitive to chakra but completely blind to natural energy. Hidan's bizarre immortality likely stemmed from his evil god, whose power was entirely based on natural energy, with no chakra involved. That's why it was impossible to detect.
She hadn't learned Sage Mode yet, nor did she have the ability to sense natural energy. Without expert guidance, no matter how skilled she was in chakra and ninjutsu, she couldn't just figure out a natural energy system that had developed in the ninja world for centuries.
As for the Earth Grudge Fear…
Hikari turned her head and saw it scuttling around the lab with its eight tentacle-like appendages, a heart perched on top, and she felt a headache coming on.
It was just as troublesome.
The Yin-Yang Release techniques on it were merely a fusion of different human tissues. The Earth Grudge Fear's abilities—devouring chakra for infinite growth, stealing hearts, flying—were all bloodline limit traits from the poor soul who'd been skinned and dissected.
It wasn't completely useless, but Hikari couldn't think of a way to make use of it yet.
"Teacher Sarutobi's given me a ton of work, so I'm leaving these to you!" Hikari said.
"Talk about slacking off, huh, Original?" the Yang-Release clone grumbled, unaware that Hikari had been appointed the proctor for the Chunin Exams, thinking it was just an excuse.
Just then, urgent footsteps echoed from outside.
A moment later—
Knock knock!
The knocking stopped after two taps. The visitor knew Hikari hated being disturbed during experiments, so even their knocks were cautious.
"Come in," Hikari said.
The door opened, and a figure in a black hooded cloak stepped into the lab. Their mask was a fiery red fox face—it was Firefox, whom Hikari had ordered to keep an eye on Danzo.
Firefox froze at the sight of the Earth Grudge Fear crawling across the floor. Then, seeing the room filled with multiple identical Hikaris, a flicker of unease passed through their eyes.
Hikari spoke first. "What's up?"
"Lady Hikari, Lord Ryoma sent me to ask you to come over—" Firefox said quickly, spotting the original Hikari, their tone brimming with barely concealed tension and urgency.
"What, is Danzo stirring up trouble?" Hikari asked, waving her Yang-Release clone to keep working. She stepped out of the lab, and Firefox, casting one last uncertain glance at the Earth Grudge Fear, hurried after her, explaining with a grimace.
"No trouble, exactly. Danzo's been super quiet these past few days, holed up in his secret chamber."
"He hasn't come out at all?"
"Nope. Lord Ryoma thinks something's off, but he didn't dare barge in, worried it'd mess up your plans if he spooked the snake."
In the flickering candlelight of the dark underground corridor, shadows danced across the walls, mingling with intricate patterns. Every so often, ghost-like ninjas passed by, bowing before vanishing swiftly.
Hikari, dressed in white, moved leisurely toward the deepest part of the base, standing out starkly against the Root's grim atmosphere. Firefox and the Nara brothers, hidden in the walls, were anxious but didn't dare rush her, trailing behind as bodyguards.
The Root base was highly secure, spacious, and well-equipped, but it had one flaw—it was fragile!
Hikari's steps were light, her shoes scraping bits of debris from the stone floor. She channeled chakra to reinforce the base, her anticipation for Onoki's arrival growing stronger.
Though she moved slowly, the lab wasn't far from Danzo's meditation chamber. In moments, she reached the second underground level.
As she climbed the stairs, Hikari's eyes landed on Danzo's quarters.
It was an unremarkable chamber on the right side of the corridor. The door was pitch-black, marked only with a "Restricted" symbol, nothing particularly special about it.
The door, frame, and surrounding walls were etched with seals for the Concealed Door Technique, a red barrier flickering to block her Byakugan's vision.
In the corridor outside, torches embedded in the stone walls cast an orange glow, partially obscured by the figures standing there.
Ryoma Aburame and his subordinates filled the narrow space, anxiously waiting. The moment they saw Hikari, the Root ninjas parted, pressing their backs against the walls to clear a path for her.
"Lady Hikari!" Ryoma greeted.
"No need to panic. What's going on?" Hikari asked, studying Ryoma's perpetually stoic face. Through the faint glow above his head, she could sense the intense emotions he was hiding.
Few people could rattle the Root captain like this, especially to the point of nearly losing his cool. Danzo's influence on him was still too strong—he needed to be dealt with!
"Sorry, it was my oversight!" Ryoma said, his anxious heart calming slightly at Hikari's composed demeanor, though he felt a pang of regret.
To eliminate Danzo's hidden allies in the Anbu and protect the Root base and the Senju Tree from being destroyed by the Four Symbols Seal, Hikari had assigned Ryoma and Firefox to monitor Danzo. If he tried to leave the base, they were to report to her immediately so she could take him out.
The surveillance had been ongoing, but aside from asking Ryoma to contact a few Anbu members, Danzo had stayed in his chamber, not stepping out once.
It wasn't until a week passed that Ryoma realized something was wrong.
"Danzo never had me contact those people before. He must have another, more secretive way of communicating. Having me reach out was likely a test," Ryoma said, his face grim. "I had some of our people tail those Anbu members. If they noticed, the fact that you've taken over Root might—might already be exposed!"
Hikari's expression turned icy. A top-tier elite Jonin, skilled in intelligence and reconnaissance, had been outplayed by such a basic trick? It was almost laughable!
She knew about the surveillance on those Anbu members. When she'd come to Root for the bloodline fusion, the intelligence team had reported it, but they only mentioned Danzo contacting Anbu, not how it was discovered. Turns out, Danzo had told Ryoma directly—it was practically bait on a hook!
"Go to Iwakuma for your punishment later," Hikari ordered, not sparing the Root captain any face in front of everyone.
"Yes, ma'am!" Ryoma bowed deeply, clearly remorseful, with no objections.
The watching Root members felt a chill. Iwakuma, the training instructor, was notorious for his brutal punishments. Those who'd experienced them firsthand shivered involuntarily.
Initially, they'd submitted to Hikari because of her overwhelming strength and their resentment toward Danzo. Since she took over, her much gentler management style had won them over, but they didn't exactly fear their young leader. Now, seeing her punish even Ryoma without hesitation, any lingering doubts vanished, and they stood a little straighter.
With steady steps and her white robe fluttering, Hikari walked down the path cleared by the crowd toward the chamber. Her Byakugan scanned the Root members' heads, finding no negative emotions beyond fear, before shifting her focus to the chamber door.
Betrayed by his most trusted Ryoma, losing control of the Root he'd built over years, yet Danzo hid in his chamber, pretending ignorance. This cowardice wasn't like him at all.
He was definitely plotting something big!
Scrape!
Her ninja boots sparked against the reinforced stone floor as Hikari stopped abruptly. With a low hum, the familiar pale red barrier materialized, blocking her path.
The Concealed Door Technique!
The Root ninjas all recognized the jutsu. A multifunctional B-rank barrier technique combining defense, identification, stealth, and self-repair, it was used in all of Root and Anbu's critical facilities. Rumor had it, the technique came from the extinct Uzumaki clan, once the protective barrier of the Whirlpool Village.
The pale red chakra barrier was incredibly tough, nearly impossible for even elite Jonin to break quickly. Even if breached, it could absorb chakra to repair itself. Paired with the Uzumaki's massive chakra reserves, it was said to be an unbreakable wall.
Of course, with the Uzumaki clan gone, that "unbreakable" title was debunked, but the technique's defensive prowess was undeniable.
What jutsu would Lady Hikari use?
The Root ninjas watched with bated breath, eyes glued to her graceful figure.
Hikari rarely fought, and the few times she led missions, no one could clearly see her combat style or ninjutsu. According to those who'd gone on missions with her, once the fighting started, a thick fog would fill the air, obscuring everything. Then came an overwhelming sense of dread.
Red, willow-like wisps would appear in the fog, carrying a choking smell of blood. When the fog cleared, only the enemies' heads remained scattered on the ground—no screams, no visible combat.
Those who went with her only had to identify the heads, seal them, and deliver them to Yamanaka Fuu for intelligence extraction. If the enemies were just Genin or Chunin, it'd be one thing, but anyone worthy of Hikari's personal attention was at least Jonin-level. To be taken out without a sound was mind-boggling.
Newer Root members, who hadn't endured the grueling training of Danzo's era and were curious about Hikari, had asked Yamanaka Fuu about her. His response only deepened the mystery: "Sorry, I searched their memories, but there's no trace of fighting Lady Hikari. The enemies didn't even know how they died!"
Shocked, the Root members cemented Hikari's enigmatic, powerful image in their minds, leading them to choose her as their new leader when Danzo's actions pushed them too far.
Now, they were finally about to see her abilities unveiled, and their anticipation skyrocketed.
Feeling the burning gazes behind her, Hikari frowned, unsure what they were so excited about.
Facing the all-too-familiar pale red barrier, she raised her right hand, her slender index finger curling slightly, her thumb pressing against the tip.
What kind of hand seal was this?
The Root ninjas exchanged puzzled looks, but what happened next made their eyes widen in shock.
Snap!
With a sound like a bowstring snapping, Hikari flicked her finger at the barrier.
Buzz—Crack!
The pale red barrier trembled violently, flickering wildly. Countless cracks spread from the point her finger touched, radiating outward. In less than two seconds, the so-called unbreakable barrier shattered into fragments and vanished!
It… broke?
The Root ninjas, ready to see Hikari's ninjutsu, were stunned.
That was an Uzumaki clan barrier technique, shattered with a single flick?
Ryoma's face was a mask of shock, his throat bobbing. As the head of the barrier division, no one knew better than him how strong that barrier was. That flick was more devastating than many A-rank jutsu!
Crack, crack…
As the outer barrier collapsed, cracks spread across the seal-covered walls and door.
Though stunned, the Root ninjas didn't forget their purpose. Gripping their kunai, they stared at the crumbling chamber door, muscles tensed.
As the barrier faded, Hikari's Byakugan glowed brightly. A terrifying surge of chakra erupted from within the chamber!
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!" a hoarse, murderous voice roared. A vacuum cannon, like a rocket launcher, blasted through the door, hurtling straight at Hikari's face!