A sharp, sizzling sound filled the air, like a pressure cooker venting steam, echoing through the sealed chamber with a crackling intensity.
Hikari, having dispelled her barrier, stood in front of Ryoma. Though slightly shorter than him, she exuded a terrifying aura, like a predator at the top of the food chain.
They were close—close enough to feel each other's breath. But instead of any romantic tension, the air between them carried a torturous weight that would break most people.
"Cough—argh!" Ryoma groaned, his voice laced with pain.
He had no time to notice the striking face inches from his own. A spear of overwhelming fear seemed to pierce through his skull, drowning him in agony.
The pain and terror were like two heavy stones clogging his mind.
His face, scalded by the steam from Hikari's breath, turned a sickly red and black, covered in blisters that spread across his cheeks and neck. In a matter of minutes, his entire head might be cooked through.
Tilting her head, Hikari stared into Ryoma's trembling, fear-filled eyes behind his dark sunglasses.
"You've been with the Root since its founding, one of Danzo's most trusted men, and you're telling me you know nothing about the secret passages in this chamber?"
Truthfully, she didn't care much whether Danzo had escaped. In fact, if he fled the Root or even the Hidden Leaf Village, it would make her job easier—no need to worry about him dragging her and the Root down with him.
What did enrage her was Ryoma's betrayal. He'd deliberately let Danzo escape, an act so egregious it bordered on unforgivable.
"I know I was wrong! Punish me as you see fit!" Ryoma closed his eyes, surrendering to his fate, letting Hikari's steam slowly roast him inch by inch.
He had no excuses for his actions.
As Hikari had pointed out, this wasn't some careless mistake. He'd intentionally let Danzo go and stalled for seven days. That was more than enough time for Danzo to escape the Land of Fire's reach if he wanted to.
For such a grave mistake, even death at Hikari's hands would be justified.
He had no complaints.
Whoosh.
A strange sound rippled through the air. The heart-stopping fear began to fade, and the scalding steam in front of him dissipated, leaving only a stinging, needle-like pain across his face.
Trembling, Ryoma opened his eyes. His face was a mess of blisters, lumpy and grotesque like a toad's back. His once-sharp features had melted like wax, unrecognizable except for the purple eyes hidden behind his sunglasses.
A vibrant red barrier enveloped Hikari once more, lowering the room's temperature by a couple of degrees.
"You were the one who contacted me about killing Danzo, and now you're the one who let him go. I don't even know what to say to you!" Hikari said, her voice heavy with frustration.
She'd heard Ryoma's story about his past with Danzo and understood that, despite everything, this melted-wax man couldn't bring himself to abandon his "sun."
Thud.
Ignoring the searing pain on his face, Ryoma dropped to his knees before Hikari. He swept aside the scattered insect corpses on the floor and pressed his forehead to the ground with a heavy thunk.
"The Root has a new leader now. Danzo can no longer harm the Leaf's ninja. He once saved my life, costing him an arm and an eye. I've now repaid that debt by letting him go. Whatever the consequences, I owe him nothing more. I'll accept any punishment you deem fit!"
Looking down at Ryoma's genuine display of remorse, Hikari gently touched her forehead, her fingertips tracing an arc over the seal on her brow.
Danzo was a monster, and Ryoma had betrayed the Root. Yet somehow, in this moment, it felt like she was the villain.
"Danzo saved you once, but I've saved you more than once. Is this how you repay me?" Her tone dripped with disappointment, making Ryoma bow his head in shame.
If she hadn't driven off that mysterious attacker at Thunder Drum Mountain, he'd be dead. When Danzo inexplicably turned on him during their deal, it was Hikari who intervened, saving him again. And in the operating room, when Danzo's resurrection nearly led to his execution, Hikari had stopped it.
His actions now had undeniably betrayed her trust.
"I'll serve as your blade to repay my debt. Please—trust me one more time!" Ryoma pressed his forehead harder against the ground, the rough stone breaking his blisters. Blood trickled down from his brow.
Hikari watched him coldly, showing no trace of pity.
Trust was the rarest thing in the world—hard to earn and even harder to regain once lost.
"And if Danzo comes back to oppose me? Will you let him go again?"
"I've inscribed the Reverse Four Symbols Seal on my body. If Danzo dares return, I'll take him down with me. I won't let him harm the Leaf!" His voice was low but resolute.
If Danzo stayed away and lived out his days quietly, that would be ideal. But if he returned, Ryoma was prepared to atone for his mistake.
Using her Byakugan, Hikari scanned his body, seeing the countless insect eggs nestled within him like a beehive. Sure enough, she spotted a black, square-shaped seal near his heart.
Her cold eyes softened slightly as she recalled details about the technique.
The Reverse Four Symbols Seal was the same forbidden jutsu Danzo had tried to use to take down Sasuke and the others. By reversing the Four Symbols Seal, it spread the user's blood through the air, creating a sealing technique capable of imprisoning everything within a few hundred meters into their body.
This S-rank forbidden technique was nearly unstoppable. Most crucially, due to the unique nature of sealing jutsu, not even Izanagi could counter it.
That's right—despite Izanagi's ability to rewrite reality, its one weakness was high-level sealing techniques.
Through years of studying the mechanics of the Mangekyo Sharingan and techniques like Beppu, Hikari had delved deeply into the nature of ocular powers. She'd come to a simple yet profound conclusion: ocular powers were essentially miracles fueled by sheer force.
It might sound crude, but it was true.
All abilities of the Otsutsuki clan stemmed from chakra. Only with enough chakra could they manifest their mysterious powers.
Her research into the Sharingan and Yin Release revealed why Yin techniques were so enigmatic: mental energy didn't follow the rules of the physical world.
For example, anyone could imagine crossing a galaxy or universe in half a second, their thoughts outpacing even the theoretical speed of light. For ordinary people, this was mere fantasy, lacking the power to sustain it. But the Otsutsuki were different.
By harvesting a planet's natural energy, they gained near-infinite chakra, allowing their will to become reality. This manifested as the extraordinary abilities known as ocular powers, which were rooted in Yin Release—intangible and untouchable unless countered by similar Yin-based techniques.
Sealing techniques, however, were the exception.
For reasons unknown, techniques like the Eight Trigrams or Four Symbols Seals could counter Yin Release, including not just Izanagi but nearly all seemingly invincible abilities. Even Hikari's indestructible ash bones were powerless against high-level seals.
So when Ryoma said he'd take Danzo down with him, it wasn't empty bravado.
If Danzo grew careless, relying on Izanagi's invincibility, Ryoma could seal him away, atoning for his mistake as promised.
"Please, give me one more chance!" Ryoma slammed his forehead against the ground again, his voice muffled as if smothered by a blanket. His loyalty shone like a blinding light.
The chamber fell into a chilling silence.
Looking down at the kneeling Ryoma, Hikari's fingertips sparked with lightning, cycling with a strange chirping sound.
Ryoma remained still, like a stone awaiting judgment.
The lightning flickered, then slowly faded.
"Remember what you've said today. If something like this happens again, I'll make sure you wish you were dead."
With those icy words, she stepped past him and headed for the door.
Tap, tap.
As Hikari's footsteps faded, Ryoma's low voice echoed through the corridor: "I owe you four lives now."
Still kneeling on the insect-strewn floor, his ruined face streaked with blood and tears, Ryoma didn't move. It was as if he'd died alongside the bugs—or perhaps been reborn, cleansed of his past sins.
---
The Root's efficiency was unmatched.
That same night, all of Danzo's personal belongings and related information were sealed away. His chakra signature was erased from the barrier records, ensuring he couldn't even enter the Root's bathroom freely.
All secret passages leading to the village were sealed and rigged with alarm traps. With Hikari's Byakugan and supersonic speed, Danzo wouldn't escape if he showed his face again.
Meanwhile, Ryoma, as the Root's captain, was sent to the training division for punishment due to his mistake. According to those in the division, his face was completely disfigured, drenched in blood, and he now wore a thick purple-patterned mask.
The Root ninja moved swiftly, and Hikari didn't idle either.
The next morning, she took the evidence Ryoma had compiled and, under the watchful eyes of countless Leaf ninja and clients, ascended to the third floor of the Hokage Tower.
At the door, Suzaku saw her approach and quickly stepped aside, bowing slightly in greeting.
The matter with the Land of Waves had been settled the previous night. Thanks to Hikari's dry comment—"nice location, good food"—the Hokage had approved a ten-year village residency deal, with profits measured in billions.
According to the Land of Waves' leader, they planned to erect a statue of Hikari in their plaza to honor her contributions.
This was a major political achievement.
Noticing Hikari nod back at him, Suzaku silently considered her a strong contender for the next Hokage. If not for her aloof demeanor, he might've tried to strike up a conversation.
To his surprise, Hikari didn't head straight into the office. Instead, she spoke to him.
"Why're you standing guard outside?"
"Uh—the Hokage said there were confidential Anbu files, so I'm staying out here," Suzaku replied, caught off guard and stumbling over his words.
"I see."
Holding a scroll, Hikari nodded politely. Her Byakugan had already pierced through the door, revealing the scene inside: the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, with a nosebleed, staring at his crystal ball, his aged cheeks flushed. Hearing her voice, he jolted and hurriedly wiped the blood away with a tissue.
That old pervert, spying on the women's bathhouse with his Telescope Technique.
Once Sarutobi had cleaned himself up, Hikari ended her chat with Suzaku and pushed open the office door.
The moment she entered, she caught a strange scent in the air.
Click.
Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe, the acrid smoke masking the odd smell. He picked up a mission scroll, his eyes sharp and expression stern, his wrinkles carved like stone. His demeanor suggested the scroll in his hand held the fate of the ninja world for the next century.
Of course, this was all undermined by the fact that Hikari could see the scroll's contents: a D-rank mission about postpartum care for a sow.
"Hm? Hikari, you're here!" Sarutobi said, feigning surprise as he set the scroll down. His usual kind smile appeared, though a trace of blood under his nose ruined the effect, leaving only a sleazy impression.
"Mm."
In less than three seconds, Hikari tossed a scroll marked "Danzo" onto his desk.
Though this was about the serious matter of Danzo's defection, she couldn't muster any gravity, only feeling deep embarrassment.
Unaware his secret had been exposed, Sarutobi wiped his hands and picked up the scroll. Seeing Danzo's name, he knew what was coming. As he unrolled it, his face grew heavier with each line.
"These are Danzo's crimes over the years: conducting human experiments with Orochimaru using the First Hokage's cells, preventing Uchiha support during the Nine-Tails' attack, leading to the Fourth Hokage's death, assassinating Uchiha Shisui, and inciting hatred within the Uchiha clan. All testimonies and evidence come from Root members who witnessed these events."
Hikari laid out the prepared evidence impassively, declaring her victory in this battle.
"Yesterday, Danzo fled out of fear of his crimes, defecting from the Leaf without permission. I request that the Third issue an S-rank wanted order and organize a team to capture him."
Thud.
Sarutobi slammed the scroll onto the desk, enraged by the listed crimes, but he fell silent after hearing Hikari's words.
Seeing the struggle in his eyes, Hikari didn't press him.
She knew this was a tough call for Sarutobi. Even if he resisted issuing the wanted order, she wouldn't be surprised.
"The Chunin Exams are a month away. The Leaf can't spare enough manpower to hunt Danzo right now," Sarutobi said, nodding as if convincing himself. He glanced at Hikari's expression, clearly torn.
He didn't want to alienate Hikari over Danzo, but he also didn't want to abandon his old comrade outright. While he claimed he wouldn't interfere in their conflict, he still wanted to leave room for reconciliation.
"How about this: we'll issue the wanted order after the Chunin Exams."
Hikari wasn't surprised. She'd even predicted this excuse. Sarutobi's indecision never failed to disappoint.
Perhaps it was time for the old man to retire and enjoy his twilight years.
With Danzo's matter settled for now, Hikari turned to leave.
The Root was officially under new leadership, and she had much to do—reorganizing the structure, reallocating personnel, and dealing with issues like the Earth Grudge Fear and Hidan.
"Wait!" Sarutobi's aged voice interrupted her thoughts.
Puzzled, she turned back to see him pull two scrolls—one large, one small—from his drawer and place them on the desk.
"What's this?" Hikari asked, her eyes locked on the vibrant, oversized scroll, unable to look away.