Dozens of meters high, the giant tree kept growing wildly, yet Aozora stopped ascending atop his sword.
He faintly sensed that as wooden tendrils spiraled upward, the chakra contained within them gradually diminished. Although their material remained tougher than regular wooden ones, in his eyes they had already become as fragile as paper.
[Fire Release - Great Fire Annihilation Technique!]
Blazing flames surged forth from Aozora's mouth, instantly turning the sky into a sea of orange and yellow, as if the sun itself had fallen down.
Boom——!
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!——!
The crown of the massive tree was immediately engulfed by the roaring inferno. Not even black smoke could rise before being crushed downward by the raging flames.
The towering branches turned to ash in an instant, leaving only the trunk still stubbornly growing. Yet even this, under the merciless blaze, slowly crumbled into charred remains and smoke.
When the orange fire reached the middle and lower sections of the great tree, its spread finally halted.
A fierce tug-of-war began between the aggressively spreading vines and the unrelenting flames.
However, the descending might of the firestorm hadn't finished yet—it crashed into the Swamp below.
Witnessing this, Yamato had no choice but to channel massive amounts of chakra, constructing several Wooden Shelters for the injured Anbu.
Upon touching the ground, the sea of flames instantly vaporized all moisture, unleashing a scorching heatwave radiating outward in every direction.
Aozora stared at the cracked earth and the tree still locked in battle against the orange fire, his face turning serious.
"I knew it—its strongest point is near the roots. Even a Kage-level ninja wouldn't stand a chance if caught. But the higher up you go, the weaker these trees become—with slower regeneration—they burn easily."
"The strength of Wood Release near ground level rivals my Fire Release. One look's enough to tell—the First's Wood Release must be as strong as my Fire Release!"
Farther away, Yamato let the searing heatwave pass over him.
Feeling the burning air, watching the half-destroyed giant tree and the cracked land, it finally clicked for him.
Earlier, the Swamp posed no real threat to Aozora at all. And the reason Aozora placed himself in apparent danger was merely to lure him into believing there existed a chance to kill him—thus convincing him to stay behind.
The searing heatwave bore down on the surrounding grass, flattening it to the ground, when suddenly Yamato heard a cold voice cut through the air.
"Jonin Yamato, why did you attack Aozora?"
Before the final word faded, a bone-chilling chill already approached from behind.
Yamato dropped low just in time, narrowly avoiding Shisui's slashing blade as it whistled overhead.
The razor-edged blade sheared away clumps of his hair, carving a bald streak across the crown of his head.
"The Teleporting Flash Shisui, huh? You're indeed fast!"
No sooner had he passed Yamato than Shisui exploded with chakra mid-air, twisting his body for another slash.
Yamato now held a kunai in hand, hastily raising it to block.
Clang! Clang! Clang!——
In an instant, the two engaged in the fiercest close-quarters combat imaginable. Their incredible speed rendered their figures invisible to onlookers, leaving only flashes of white and gray light constantly colliding in midair.
Bang——!
After a violent metallic clang, both fighters leaped apart.
Although Shisui's clothing bore several slashes, not a single drop of blood stained his body. In contrast, Yamato was covered in bleeding wounds.
It was obvious—Shisui the Body Flicker Master clearly surpassed Wood Release Tenzo in close combat.
By this time, Aozora had already landed on the ground. The Drinking Blood Sword returned to its normal size and was now gripped in his hand.
Standing a short distance from Yamato, Aozora and Shisui surrounded him from front and back.
Aozora's gaze fell upon Yamato's wounds, which were visibly writhing and healing at an astonishing speed. He recalled a post he had read in his past life—there had been speculation that Yamato might be a descendant of the Senju clan. Thinking about it now, that seemed highly plausible. Otherwise, how could an ordinary person absorb Hashirama's Cells so effectively?
Surrounded by Aozora and Shisui, more Uchiha reinforcements continued to arrive from a distance.
Even though he possessed the Wood Release technique unique to the First Hokage, Yamato still felt immense pressure.
He looked at Shisui and said, "Shisui, did you know your own brother has defected from the village?"
Hearing Yamato's divisive words, Shisui snorted coldly.
"Would Aozora really defect?"
"He's slain multiple enemy jonin for the village and completed countless dangerous missions. Are you seriously accusing him of defection?"
"He loves Konoha more than any of you!"
"He resisted Orochimaru to protect Konoha—can any of you say the same?"
"He lost his right eye for the sake of the village—can any of you say the same?"
"Even if Aozora did defect, it would have been forced by people like you—by Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
As Aozora listened to Shisui speak, especially when he directly named the Third Hokage, he felt a rush of exhilaration inside.
My older brother has finally found his voice!
Yamato remained speechless before Shisui's relentless accusations, shock evident in his eyes.
Although Shisui had never been part of Anbu, Yamato still understood him quite well.
After leaving the Police Force, he dedicated himself completely to protecting the village. He even joined the Shadow Guard Team and completed one perilous mission after another.
All these actions had proven that Shisui had long since transcended clan loyalty, dedicating himself fully to serving the Hokage. Yet what was happening to him now?
Unable to believe his ears, Yamato asked, "Shisui, what's wrong with you? How can you abandon reason just because Uchiha Aozora is your younger brother?"
Upon hearing Yamato's question, Aozora couldn't help but laugh.
"Mister Yamato, could it be that your head is also made of wood?"
Yamato replied coldly, "What are you implying?"
After finally managing to suppress his laughter, Aozora asked, "You accuse me of defecting from the village? Do you have any proof?"
Yamato answered, "The Hokage must have evidence. Our role in Anbu is merely to carry out orders."
Shaking his head, Aozora said, "Anbu has no authority to make arrests, and jonin have no right to harm civilians without cause. If I were guilty, the Interrogation Unit and the Police Force should handle my case instead. For the Third Hokage to act like this is breaking the law knowingly and encouraging crime!"
Then he added, "I'd like to ask the Third why he framed me for treason! Was falsely accusing me of slaughtering villagers not enough?"
By then, more Uchiha had arrived.
The squad leader, Hachidai, scanned the scene and asked, "Who started this fight here?"
Aozora wore an expression of grievance as he spoke, "This lowly civilian, Uchiha Aozora, has been falsely accused of Defection Village by Jonin Yamato and more than a dozen Anbu. They even attempted to capture me, leaving me no choice but to resist. I beg the Police Force to deliver justice on behalf of this humble citizen!"
When Aozora said "lowly civilian," Hachidai's usual blank expression nearly faltered.
After a deep breath, Hachidai demanded sharply, "Jonins and Anbu do not have the authority to arrest villagers. Who gave you the nerve to act this way?"
Yamato remained speechless. He began channeling chakra, preparing to break through.
Aozora warned, "Are you truly planning to persist in error? If you attempt to escape now, it would be no different from defecting from the village!"
Upon hearing these words, Hachidai and others immediately activated their [Sharingan].
At this moment, Shisui's eyes also flashed coldly. Earlier, out of consideration for being fellow village ninja, he had held back. But if Yamato truly tried to escape, he would not hesitate this time.
Collective gazes bore down on Yamato with crushing intensity. Shisui and Aozora's stares in particular pierced through him like needles in his spine.
After a long while, Yamato sighed and raised his hands, allowing the Police Force to come forward and seal his chakra, binding him with ropes.
Hachidai waved his hand and rescued the other injured Anbu from the battlefield, detaining them as well.
After finishing up at the scene, Aozora appeared furious, "I want to head straight to the Hokage Tower and ask The Third why he keeps framing me! Is my death really what it takes for him to be at peace?"
Hachidai chimed in, "I also want to ask The Third why he encouraged the Anbu to mistreat innocent villagers!"
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