Chapter 80: Root Laboratory
"Forty thousand reward points."
Looking at his son's resolute expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi found himself dazed for a moment.
In the end, he could only sigh helplessly.
He really didn't want to see Asuma standing in opposition to the ninja clans. Back when he successfully became Hokage, he had relied heavily on the support of clans like the Ino-Shika-Chō.
At Ichiraku Ramen—
Sasuke had already pooled money together with Naruto to purchase two Trial Tokens, which they gave to Sakura and Kakashi.
They didn't wait for Asuma to return, leaving Naruto behind to watch over the two teammates beginning their trial.
After buying a Mission Scroll, a line of black text popped up in front of Sasuke.
[Mission Scroll]
Mission Objective: Destroy a hidden underground laboratory located in the northeast of the Forest of Death.
Mission Reward: Soul Scroll Lv.15 (Purple) ×1
No penalty for failure. The mission can be declined.
However, declining will forfeit one mission attempt—four remaining.
"A Soul Scroll as a reward?"
Sasuke's face lit up with joy.
To soul-bind purple equipment—even a relatively cheap five-piece armor set—normally required 5,000 reward points.
But a Soul Scroll allowed you to bind a piece of equipment of equal rarity for free.
And this was only the first of five missions from the scroll.
This was one of the rare chances to actually gain something back from the Reincarnation Game. He couldn't waste it—he had to take the opportunity.
Fang Yi glanced at Sasuke, who left in high spirits with a "profit face," but said nothing.
You might make a small gain—but I never lose.
"The Forest of Death is currently sealed for the Chunin Exams. Unauthorized personnel are forbidden to enter."
A gatekeeper wearing standard chunin armor stopped Sasuke outside a barbed wire fence.
"Got it."
Sasuke nodded and chose to circle around.
The vast Forest of Death had far too much terrain to monitor every inch. Even with fencing in place, to someone like Sasuke, it was meaningless.
With a swing of his blade,
he cut open a gap in a hidden corner of the fence.
He stepped into the shadowy forest, where massive tree canopies blocked out the sky, casting the entire interior in a dim gloom.
Following his mission marker, Sasuke quickly arrived at the designated location.
"Nothing here?"
He looked around. No sign of the lab mentioned in the mission.
Just fallen leaves, twisted roots, and towering tree trunks—no different from anywhere else.
Curse of Black Flame.
A concentrated surge of black fire ignited, forming a dark talisman that hovered at his fingertips.
Sasuke knelt, placing two fingers to the ground. The flames flowed out like ink in water, spreading in every direction.
This was the skill he had used while pursuing Itachi.
[Curse of Black Flame (Purple) Lv.5]: After activation, marks five enemy units within 500 meters with Black Flame. Attacks against marked enemies deal bonus damage.
He could sense the approximate location of marked targets.
The farther they were, the fuzzier the sense. But unless broken, the Curse would last for two days.
"Got it!"
Sasuke's eyes snapped open and locked onto a moss-covered boulder.
He drew his sword and slashed straight down.
Boom.
Dust exploded everywhere—but it didn't feel like stone. It sounded like chains and gears.
The boulder crumbled to reveal hinges and gears—an elevator platform cleverly concealed beneath it.
"A hidden lab in the Forest of Death? That's suspicious."
Sasuke felt something was off.
He had been too blinded by the Soul Scroll earlier and rushed in without thinking.
Now that he had a moment to consider, he realized this was still the real world.
A secret lab hidden in the Forest of Death? That had to be tied to the village.
Damn.
A sense of unease rose in his chest. He hesitated, considering whether to abandon the mission.
But before he could decide,
figures burst out from the platform below.
"Sasuke Uchiha. The Forest of Death is closed. What's your intention in trespassing?"
A masked shinobi with a painted face asked coldly.
"ANBU?"
Sasuke took two steps back, studying them closely.
ANBU was the Hokage's personal force. Did that mean the lab marked by his mission belonged to Hiruzen Sarutobi?
No...
If it were truly under the Hokage, why hide it so deeply? The construction costs alone for an underground facility like this were enormous.
Unless the intent was secrecy.
Sasuke suddenly remembered what Kabuto had once told him.
Root.
A secret division under the control of senior advisor Danzo Shimura.
If that theory held true, then this lab was Danzo's doing?
He thought back to that unexplained ambush he suffered not long ago.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and remained silent.
A subtle but oppressive aura began to rise from him.
"Sasuke Uchiha, are you planning to attack ANBU?"
The masked shinobi immediately became tense as they sensed the shift in his presence.
[Black Flame Binding (Blue) Lv.8]: Conjures seals of black flame that immobilize targets within a set area.
Sasuke acted without warning, swinging his sword in a wide arc.
Black flame talismans shot out like beads, striking the area and forming a prison-like field.
"What is this?!"
The Root shinobi, unfamiliar with this technique, were caught completely off guard.
The rising wall of black flames encircled them tightly.
Any movement triggered the flames, which lunged like venomous serpents.
Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique.
The lead Root shinobi formed hand seals, puffed out his cheeks, and spewed a massive torrent of water.
Zzzz!
The water slammed into the black flame barrier—only to evaporate instantly. Dense steam filled the area, obscuring vision.
"Stop! Don't go any further!"
The ANBU roared.
But before they could act, they realized the flames hadn't been extinguished. Their eyes widened in shock.
Even Water Style couldn't put out this fire? What kind of terrifying power was this?
Sasuke ignored them and charged into the now-open elevator shaft.
With a single strike, he broke through the rusted floor and dropped rapidly downward.
"Report to Lord Danzo immediately! Uchiha Sasuke has breached Lab No. 9 in the Forest of Death!"
"Damn it! How did he find it?!"
Trapped within the barrier, the Root members panicked.
Their faces darkened.
The secrets within this lab must never be exposed. If word got out, even Danzo wouldn't escape consequences.
And they—as its guardians—would face unspeakable punishment.
One of them pulled out a brush from their ninja pouch.
Using Root encryption, he wrote a top-priority warning message and stamped it with a seal.
Summoning Jutsu.
A puff of smoke rose, and the scroll vanished—delivered directly to the desk of senior advisor Danzo Shimura.
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