Chapter 21 – The Wrath of Shadows
"Anger is a blade that cuts through all illusions."
The underground complex of the Root of Ash stretched before Sasuke like a tomb. Its walls were lined with ancient runes, designed to suppress chakra, and traps that could kill a careless ninja in an instant. Yet for Sasuke, it was nothing more than a playground.
He moved silently, his Sharingan scanning every corner, every shadow. Each step, each breath was precise. He sensed Karin immediately—a thread of Uzumaki chakra, fierce and alive, trapped behind a seal.
"They thought they could use her," he murmured. "They thought they could use me."
The first guards appeared, stepping into the corridor. Before they could shout, the world twisted. Genjutsu wrapped around their minds, revealing every fear, every regret, every betrayal. Screams echoed, echoing off the stone walls, as some of the soldiers turned on each other in terror.
Sasuke's taijutsu flowed like water and steel, a deadly dance. He struck, countered, spun, each move enhanced with Chidori at the tip of his blade. Flesh and armor parted effortlessly. The walls of the tunnel shivered under the force of his strikes, but he did not falter.
The deeper he went, the more the Root's members fell. Their plans, their traps, their confidence—all meaningless before the Eye of the Night.
Finally, he reached the inner chamber. Karin lay at the center, her arms bound by golden chakra chains, a seal carved into her chest glowing faintly. The Root's leaders stood around her, chanting, trying to draw out her power to merge with their Senju techniques.
"Release her!" Sasuke roared.
The air seemed to freeze. He struck, moving faster than sight, every enemy struck before they could react. His Chidori-laced blade tore through chains and armor alike. Genjutsu crippled the minds of the remaining leaders, forcing them to see their ancestors' failures.
Karin's eyes met his. Something in her stirred—a roaring, blazing energy within her Uzumaki bloodline. Her chakra erupted outward like a tidal wave, forcing the remaining seals apart and annihilating the chamber's defenses. The ground cracked, stone splintered, and the Root's last soldiers fell screaming.
Sasuke extended a hand, slicing through the last binding chains with a precise flick of his blade. Karin collapsed into his arms, breathing heavily. Their eyes met—intense, unspoken, the air between them charged with relief, fury, and something more.
The underground complex lay in ruins, silent except for the sound of Sasuke and Karin's synchronized breathing. Outside, the forest trembled under the aftershock of their combined power—an Uzumaki heart and an Uchiha will, united.
Sasuke whispered, almost to himself:"No one will ever touch you again."