Chapter 235: The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal of Root
Uchiha Kei's Susanoo, under the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan, had already reached its second stage.
The problem was, he'd never truly had the chance to use it.
Without worthy opponents, it was difficult to measure its full potential. Its destructive power was undeniable, but Kei wasn't chasing raw destruction—what he needed to evaluate was its overall combat effectiveness.
Now, this Root operative from the Aburame clan had given him exactly that opportunity.
Kei knew perfectly well this man couldn't have been sent by Minato. That left only one possibility—the Third Hokage and his council. They wanted information about Uchiha Fugaku, and since Kei was seen as Fugaku's proxy, tailing him was the safer choice.
After all, the "agent" wouldn't have the same safeguards as the clan head himself.
Under normal circumstances, this reasoning would've been correct. Unfortunately for them, they had picked the wrong "agent." Kei wasn't just Fugaku's mouthpiece—he was a Uchiha with Mangekyō Sharingan.
---
Aburame Ryoma stared at the massive black giant before him.
The Susanoo's features were sharp and dreadful, like a wrathful guardian carved into the walls of some hellish temple. Its aura radiated despair: cold, destructive chakra that made the air heavy, suffocating.
Ryoma knew he was in deep trouble. Yet retreat wasn't an option. If he was going to die here, he had to ensure his gathered intelligence was transmitted back to Root.
Just as he prepared his insects to relay the information, Kei's voice cut through the silence.
"Still thinking of passing information along?" Kei's tone was calm, almost amused. "With your bugs? Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
Ryoma froze, then straightened. "…You're strong. Terrifying, even." His posture lowered into a fighting stance.
Kei tilted his head slightly. "So that's your last statement?" His eyes glinted with a mocking smile.
"I was given twenty minutes to play, but perhaps it's better to send you on your way early. On the road to the underworld, I hope you won't be lonely."
The instant his words faded, Susanoo's scarlet eyes flared like twin stars.
Its massive arm moved in a blur, drawing the long blade from its back. The slash tore through the air with cataclysmic force—trees splintered and toppled in its wake, and the very earth was gouged into a long, deep scar.
Ryoma's instincts screamed. He tried to dodge—but then the sword's speed suddenly spiked, accelerating beyond anything imaginable.
"What—?!" His mind blanked. The blade's edge reached him before the thought could form.
A cold sensation washed over his body. His world spun as he was lifted by the force of the strike. In that instant, he understood—he hadn't been fighting an enemy shinobi. He had stood before a god of death.
---
Kei stood motionless as the towering Susanoo faded into nothingness. A line of blood trickled from his left eye.
"As I thought… a bit too much strain." He rubbed at his eye, his expression calm. "Overlaying my Chrono Leap ability on Susanoo's strike… the chakra drain is monstrous."
Yes—he had deliberately combined his left eye's temporal jutsu with Susanoo's blade. The slash alone would've been unavoidable, but Kei refused to leave even a one-in-ten-thousand chance for Ryoma to escape.
The experiment worked. But his eyes were paying the price.
Susanoo's second form was already near a half-complete stage: skeletal frame, muscles, chakra armor—all but the legs and outer plating. The leap in power was massive. Naturally, so was the cost.
Wiping the blood from his eye, Kei stepped forward. The remains of Ryoma were a grotesque mess, torn apart by Susanoo's chakra slash. Insects writhed amidst blood and shredded organs.
"The Aburame clan's insects really are resilient," Kei muttered with a faint grimace. "Even after this, so many still alive."
Suppressing his revulsion, Kei searched the body. He'd seen Ryoma write something earlier—likely a report.
The Aburame in ANBU wasn't surprising. Their detached personalities, habit of hiding behind cloaks and sunglasses, and their unparalleled skill in surveillance made them natural choices for such roles.
Finally, with fire release and careful use of his Sharingan, Kei recovered a slip of paper from the mess.
But it was useless—nothing but shredded fragments.
"Tch. A waste." With a sigh, Kei incinerated the corpse, insects and all, until nothing remained but ash. Leaving a body here would only invite unnecessary complications.
No one could've survived a blow from Susanoo's blade. Not Tsunade, not even Hashirama himself. And if it had been Hashirama… Kei admitted he wouldn't have lasted a single counterattack.
---
On his way back to the lab, Fugaku's stationed Uchiha patrols gathered, drawn by the earlier disturbance. Kei gave them a cold rundown of the incident before dismissing them.
He didn't need to issue detailed orders. These men were competent—they knew what had to be done. From their tense expressions, they also understood the gravity of the situation.
They moved quickly to erase all traces.
Uchiha Kei ignored the patrols outside and walked straight back into the lab.
Ayaka had already disinfected all the experimental blood samples and laid out the necessary tools in neat order.
"Let's see the results," Kei said curtly, rolling up his sleeve to reveal the patch of skin where the test injection had been made.
"It looks fine so far," Ayaka examined it carefully before glancing up. "By the way… just now, that technique—"
"That was my eye's power. A forbidden technique," Kei replied casually.
If Ayaka hadn't been peeking with her Byakugan, Kei would never have believed it. The woman clearly knew this too, which was why she asked so directly.
She nodded slightly. That towering chakra giant had shaken Aburame Ryoma to the core, but it had shaken her as well.
Chakra solidified into a terrifying avatar, a single swing splitting the earth itself… Ayaka was convinced: if such a strike landed on anyone unprepared, death would be inevitable.
But such a jutsu must come with heavy restrictions. The cost was obvious—she had seen with her own eyes the line of blood trickling from Kei's left eye.
Why he chose to reveal the technique didn't surprise her. It was only natural Kei would want to test the limits of his new power. Still, the sheer scale of it left her rattled.
It was too terrifying. Too overwhelming. Any stray thoughts she might've entertained about Kei were instantly extinguished.
And yet, somewhere deep inside, Ayaka felt a spark of excitement. If the Uchiha eyes could unleash such power… then what of the Hyūga's "greater eyes" that Kei spoke of? What unimaginable heights could those reach?
"The ANBU from earlier… he was unusual," Ayaka said at last, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. Her work was only beginning; she needed to keep following the path Kei had pointed her toward. There was still so much to study.
"Unusual?" Kei looked at her with mild curiosity. "How so? And—can we begin the experiment?"
"The experiment's ready. I can try, but as I've told you, I can't be certain whether using blood for a skin test is effective." She paused, then added, "As for that ANBU… I noticed something. There was a seal etched on his tongue. This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing."
"A seal on his tongue?" Kei's brows knitted.
The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal of Root…?
That would mean the man was from Root.
So Danzo was targeting him now?
Kei mulled it over, recalling fragments of memory. When Danzo orchestrated Yakushi Nono's return, he had two escorts: one was Orochimaru, the other seemed to have been an Aburame. The name escaped him, but now it all fit together.
A cold smile tugged at his lips. "Interesting. Skipping over Fugaku and coming straight for me? …Fine. I'll settle accounts with him eventually."
Revenge could wait. But when the time came, Kei swore Danzo wouldn't die easily.
With that thought in mind, he gestured for Ayaka to proceed. The trial experiment could begin—so long as it stayed within her ability to contain any risks.