The piercing alarm sound echoed wildly within the narrow underground space.
Sora's hands quickly formed seals, and the vast Dragon Vein chakra within his body surged out.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!
Six puffs of white smoke flashed, and six shadow clones identical to him instantly appeared.
"Clear out the foot soldiers, make it quick and decisive." Sora's main body coldly issued the order.
"Understood." x6
The six shadow clones immediately transformed into six blurs of azure light, pouncing towards the locations of the three remaining Chunin-level Root members inside the base.
Meanwhile, Sora's main body pushed off with his feet, his figure shooting out like a cannonball, heading straight for the core control room where the two strongest Jonin were located according to his perception.
Inside the control room, the two Root officers wearing a bird-type and a salamander mask had obviously discovered the intruder belatedly.
Their reaction was extremely fast, entering combat mode the instant the alarm sounded.
"Enemy attack. Highest alert."
The bird mask growled in a low voice, his hands swiftly forming seals, chakra surging around him.
The salamander mask remained silent, directly drawing the short sword from his back.
However, they were fast, but Sora was faster.
Boom.
The metal door of the control room was directly smashed into twisted fragments by a tremendous force. A figure shrouded in faint azure scales crashed in like a demon god.
"Super Strength."
Sora gave them no chance to complete their seals at all. The moment he broke in, his fist covered with azure scales, carrying a terrifying gust of wind, blasted straight at the bird mask's chest.
A flash of terror passed through the bird mask's eyes. He had no time to react at all.
Crack.
The bird mask's chest caved in. The entire person was sent flying backward, smashing hard into the metal wall behind him, deeply embedded into it. Blood also gushed from beneath his mask. However, because they needed to be kept as "experimental materials," Sora held back a bit of force, not killing him on the spot.
One strike to take down one person.
The salamander mask beside him was greatly shocked in his heart, but he was a Jonin after all. His poisoned short sword shot out like a venomous snake striking, aimed straight at Sora's vital neck. The speed was extremely fast, the angle tricky.
"Too slow."
There was no fluctuation in Sora's cold vertical pupils.
Under the dual enhancement of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and semi-beast transformation, his dynamic vision captured the other's movements as if in slow motion.
His arm covered with dragon scales shot out like lightning, striking later but arriving first, accurately seizing the other's wrist holding the knife.
The salamander mask only felt his wrist as if clamped by iron pliers, his bones seeming about to be crushed.
A flash of vicious determination crossed his mind. His other hand quickly reached for the explosive tag behind his waist.
But Sora obviously would not give him the chance.
The arm gripping the other's wrist suddenly exerted force, violently slamming him (like a sack) towards the ground like Hulk smashing Loki.
Boom.
The entire control room shook.
The salamander mask was smashed heavily onto the floor. The sturdy stone slabs shattered inch by inch. He groaned, countless bones broken all over his body. After struggling a couple of times, he completely lost consciousness.
From breaking down the door to resolving the two Jonin-level officers, the entire process took only a few short seconds.
Clean, efficient, a crushing victory.
At the same time, a few brief sounds of fighting came from outside, then quickly fell silent.
Six shadow clones dealing with three Chunin naturally posed no problem.
Sora dispelled the semi-beast transformation state, returning to human form. His perception quickly swept through the entire base.
All ten Root members, including the five he had initially knocked out, had now been subdued, unconscious.
After confirming there were no escaped fish, Sora calmed his breathing.
He then walked to the control console, quickly flipping through the scrolls and experimental records left there.
The more he read, the more his brows relaxed, and even a flash of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes.
'It really is cloning experiments. And the technology looks quite mature.'
The scrolls detailed how to use First Hokage's cells fused with other cells to attempt cultivating cloned tissues with life activity. Although most experiments failed, they accumulated a large amount of data and experience.
This data would play a crucial role in his future plans for "Kekkei Mora."
Sora carefully packed up all relevant scrolls, experimental data, and notes.
Then, he walked around the base again, focusing on inspecting the laboratory with the glass containers.
Looking at those pieces of flesh and tissue slightly pulsating in the nutrient solution, Sora confirmed that only the most basic cloning and cell fusion experiments were conducted here.
'No traces of Wood Release...'
Sora stroked his chin, then felt relieved. 'That's right. Danzo values Wood Release immensely. The related experimental subjects and data must be hidden in more core, more heavily guarded bases. This place obviously isn't qualified.'
Although it was somewhat regrettable not to directly obtain Wood Release data and Senju Hashirama's cells, obtaining this relatively mature cloning experimental system and data was already an unexpected boon.
One shouldn't be too greedy.
After carefully cleaning up all traces he left behind, Sora pointed at the ten unconscious Root members on the ground.
"Take them out."
The six shadow clones nodded, shouldering the ten "Root" shinobi, and quickly headed towards the base exit.
Sora's main body made a final check, confirming nothing of value was left behind, and then calmly walked out of this underground base.
...
In the valley, the night wind was slightly cool.
The ten Root shinobi were piled haphazardly in the clearing, like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
The six shadow clones stood guard to the side.
Sora looked at the deep cave entrance, his eyes calm.
This place had no reason to exist.
He took a deep breath. The power of the Azure Dragon Fruit within his body began to surge.
"Boro Breath."
A concentrated, searing hot line of fire, emitting terrifying high temperatures, shot out from his mouth like a laser beam, accurately plunging into the base entrance.
Boom rumble.
The moment the fire line entered, continuous explosions sounded from underground.
Immediately after, the entire valley began to shake violently. The base entrance suddenly spewed out surging flames and thick smoke. Rocks melted, soil churned, as if a fire dragon was roaring and rolling beneath the earth.
After a mere ten or so seconds, the shaking stopped.
Where the base entrance originally was, only a huge crater remained, billowing with thick smoke and a pungent smell. All traces, all sins, were turned into scorched earth and ashes under that blast of searing dragon breath.
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