A dense blanket of white steam covered the battlefield.
Only the crystal beneath their feet continued to spread, assimilating everything it touched. Water, earth—none of it could resist the creeping crystallization.
"Damn it! I can't find him!"
"Yanagi Yamanaka, locate him, quick!"
Yanagi was the only Yamanaka among the thirty Root operatives, an elite sensor-nin. But no matter how his comrades called, there was no response.
That was because Kazuyama Gekkō now stood right in front of him—and Yanagi was already encased in crystal.
"Hmph. Always trying to sneak up on me, huh? I'll deal with you properly later."
With the nuisance from the Yamanaka Clan neutralized, Kazuyama was about to move again when a sudden gust of wind scattered the mist.
"Tsk, tsk. A Wind Release: Great Breakthrough just to blow away the steam? Not bad."
Kazuyama clicked his tongue in amusement. He had to admit, Root's reaction speed was impressive. That was the essence of ninjutsu—not every technique was for attack. True skill was applying them to the situation at hand.
But once the smoke cleared, everyone finally saw the figure they'd been looking for—Yanagi Yamanaka.
Or rather, they saw the crystalline statue he had become.
"Yanagi Yamanaka! Damn it!"
"Keep pressing him! Don't give him a chance to breathe!"
"We've got the numbers advantage!"
Kazuyama could only shake his head at their words.
Numbers advantage? What a joke.
"You've already wasted enough of my time."
"What's inside that base is what I really came for."
"So I'll have to leave you all here."
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu."
White smoke erupted once more, but this time, it marked the end of suspense.
Hundreds of Kazuyama clones materialized, overwhelming the Root shinobi in an instant.
No fancy techniques were needed. The clones simply swarmed, and with the power of Crystal Release, any enemy they touched was finished.
Turning them to crystal was Kazuyama's mercy—since the transformation could be undone later, it wasn't truly fatal.
With his clones tying up the Root forces, Kazuyama turned toward the base entrance.
The Four Purple Flames Formation still burned strong.
"Hmph. This barrier shouldn't be touched. Even if—"
"What?!"
The Root captain's confidence shattered the moment he saw what came next.
Kazuyama casually pressed one hand to the ground.
Crystals spread like wildfire across the earth, creeping up and consuming the Four Purple Flames Formation itself.
"Let me explain something to you."
"My Crystal Release is a Kekkei Genkai capable of crystallizing even chakra itself."
"Your barrier doesn't hold enough chakra density to resist crystallization. So naturally, it gets absorbed."
"Understand now?"
Crack!
The crystallized barrier shattered with a single tap, exposing the four shinobi inside.
"Damn it! Our intel was wrong—his power exceeds that of a normal Kage!"
"Team Ten!"
The captain's face darkened, but he placed his last hope on the three operatives who had yet to move.
Team Ten finally stepped forward.
Three pairs of lifeless eyes locked onto Kazuyama, sending an uncomfortable chill down his spine.
"Team Ten, huh?"
"What do you—"
"The hell?!"
Kazuyama's curiosity flipped to shock. The sight before him made him curse aloud.
The three Root shinobi stripped off their cloaks, revealing muscular bodies etched with sealing scripts.
It was the Four Symbols Seal. But not the standard version—this was the Reverse Four Symbols Seal.
A suicidal fūinjutsu that transformed the user's own blood into sealing medium. The caster's body swelled, forming a sphere that swallowed everything nearby into the underworld with them.
A technique designed to drag the enemy into death together.
"You maniacs!"
"Is that bastard Danzō worth dying for?!"
"Unbelievable!"
Kazuyama didn't object to the spirit of sacrifice itself—but throwing their lives away for Danzō? That was something he couldn't fathom.
The first seal was already underway.
One of the shinobi rushed him, blood turning into black ink as it splattered outward, forming the seal's lines.
"Tch!"
"Too late to stop him?"
"Damn it."
"Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique!"
Kazuyama had many ways to fly—Chōmei's wings, Sage Mode—but this time he chose another method. A jutsu from the Tsuchikage Ōnoki: Light-Weight Rock Technique. By drastically reducing his weight, he floated into the air.
Below him, the Reverse Four Symbols Seal activated.
A crater dozens of meters wide opened in his vision.
"Damn you, Danzō..."
Ordinary shinobi could never learn such a jutsu. Only Danzō himself could have taught them. Clearly, he had cultivated an entire suicide squad.
"One down. The other two aren't getting the chance."
"Crystal Release: One-Sided Heaven and Earth!"
This time, Kazuyama unleashed his full might. The explosion of power far outstripped anything he had shown earlier.
A flood of chakra surged outward, turning the entire world into crystal.
Trees, earth, Root shinobi—everything froze in gleaming crystal.
"Yeah... Minato can handle the cleanup on this one."
With all Root forces subdued, Kazuyama finally entered the base.
The scene inside was chaotic, a mess of scattered documents and overturned desks.
Kazuyama's brow twitched.
"Well, well. You were quick."
"Too bad—not quick enough."
Despite the short time since the battle began, three operatives inside were still burning through documents.
They had no idea what was happening outside, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter. Their mission was to destroy everything.
Swish!
The next second, they too were crystallized, with no chance to react.
Kazuyama stepped forward, glancing down at the pile of half-burned documents. He picked one up casually.
"Tsk tsk... Danzō, this time you're in trouble."
Then he began gathering up the rest of Root's research materials.