"Yakushi Nonō."
"Come with us."
Taking a deep breath, Chiyu spoke in a low voice.
Yakushi Nonō's body trembled at once. Her hands tightly gripped the hem of her clothes, yet she did not dare give any response.
She knew, of course, the famed name of Uchiha Chiyu, whose renown shook the entire ninja world. His reputation soared to the heavens, commanding awe from all!
But…
She also knew how terrifying the Root organization was!
Even if she wanted to rescue those children, even if she wanted to tell Uchiha Chiyu the entire truth as he had said—become a witness for this shocking crime—how could she guarantee the children's safety?
There were dozens, if not hundreds, of innocent orphan children's lives on the line, behind her…
Aburame Tatsuma cast a glance at her, as though perceiving the hesitation in her heart.
He sneered:
"Uchiha Chiyu, you cannot take her away."
"Though Yakushi Nonō is nominally the Dean of Konoha's orphanage, she is also a member of my Root. If you want to take her by force, you must first obtain Lord Danzo's and the Hokage's permission!"
"Otherwise…
"You'll have to step over my corpse!"
Aoki and Yamakaze simultaneously snorted coldly.
"You think we wouldn't dare?!"
Chiyu nearly found it laughable.
"Aburame Tatsuma, where did you get the idea…"
"…that I wouldn't kill you?"
"Or that I couldn't kill you?"
Aburame Tatsuma gave a harsh laugh:
"Uchiha Chiyu, I'm well aware you're unscrupulous and fear nothing, nor do I think you can't kill me. Only…"
"You don't truly know how Root operates."
"Even if you killed me, you still wouldn't accomplish your aims."
"Don't think you can take Yakushi Nonō away. And even if you could, you'd never extract any intel about Root from her—much less from me."
"My life is bound up with countless secrets. Once I'm dead, many matters would remain forever hidden in the dark, and more importantly…"
"A great number of lives would die with me as well, accompanying me to the grave!"
In that instant, Yakushi Nonō's face turned ashen!
Aoki and Yamakaze gleaned his meaning, fury raging in their eyes—sparks of wrath practically spewing forth!
Aburame Tatsuma likely tied his own life to those orphanage children with some form of secret art or curse, so that if he died, those children would perish too!
It was inhuman.
Yet thinking about how he was Danzo's partner, along with Orochimaru, it wasn't surprising at all.
Aoki and Yamakaze shook with rage, but in the end didn't dare act rashly. They could only turn to their captain.
Kill Aburame Tatsuma, and all those children would die.
Don't kill him, and he remained confident they'd never glean any Root secrets.
Yakushi Nonō looked even more pale, like a candle in the wind. She seemed near collapse, staring blankly at Chiyu, her heart lost in confusion, as though a mere husk.
Chiyu took a long, steady breath.
"Threatening me, eh."
"Well, Aburame Tatsuma, you're the first to try that."
"You've no desire to live, and yet you can't die either. Then let me grant you a condition where you can neither live nor die."
As he spoke, Chiyu subtly operated his true move.
He had already begun, in the midst of speaking:
Mangekyō Sharingan… open!
In the blink of an eye, his right eye took on the blood-red six-pointed-star shape, gently revolving while releasing a brutal, terrifying chakra aura that was reflected in Aburame Tatsuma's eyes!
Aburame Tatsuma had guarded against this. Yet Chiyu's action proved swifter, more sudden and flawlessly hidden—absolutely irresistible!
Magatsuhi no Kami!
All at once—
Aburame Tatsuma hadn't time to react before he plunged into the Mangekyō Sharingan illusion space…
He became like a puppet, soul stripped away, blank and lifeless.
Even Orochimaru facing Uchiha Itachi would succumb instantly to the Mangekyō's power.
How could Aburame Tatsuma resist?
At that moment, Aburame Tatsuma felt himself descending into Hell's domain, enveloped by infinite crimson flames that spread throughout heaven and earth—consuming even his every inch of flesh!
Such was a pure inferno of karmic sin—burning both body and soul.
He let out a blood-curdling scream.
From the vantage of Root's ninja, all they saw was Mangekyō's ocular power bursting forth—Tatsuma howling in utter misery, jaws stretched wide as if about to puke out his very soul.
"Tatsuma-sama—!"
"What… what is…?"
Chiyu controlled his Mangekyō's might—Magatsuhi no Kami—not unleashing its full strength. Otherwise Aburame Tatsuma would be burned to nothing on the spot.
He had said he wouldn't let him live nor die, and that was exactly what he intended.
Under the raging flames of that malevolent god's illusions, Chiyu's ocular power forcibly shattered all the seals Danzo had placed upon Aburame Tatsuma's body.
The most crucial among them, of course, was the "Tongue Curse Seal."
But that wasn't all; in his mind were multiple layered barriers, curses, seals…
Every one of them, scorched into cinders by the illusory flames!
In this way, Chiyu also saw the entire truth—
Including the forbidden jutsu Aburame Tatsuma was tasked with researching this time:
Edo Tensei—the Impure World Reincarnation!
Chiyu spoke heavily:
"So those children were divided among three of Root's secret strongholds."
"This is just one of them right here."
"Aoki, Yamakaze—everyone here must die."
"Yes, Captain!"
In an instant, Chiyu's body surged with lightning, flashing among the Root shinobi. Within a moment, seven or eight Root ninja had fallen beneath his blows.
Next, he became a bolt of lightning once more, crashing into the secret lair's interior.
Aoki and Yamakaze roared, darting forward to battle the last three or four Root members.
Yakushi Nonō hesitated a moment—then she, too, turned, and followed Chiyu into the stronghold…
As for Aburame Tatsuma, his soul was still trapped in the inexorable agony of that malevolent karmic blaze—unable to break free, never again able to break free:
He could neither live nor die.
~~~
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