Chapter 9: Mission Objective Changed: Kill the Jinchuriki
Yamanaka Fu circled to Susanoo's front and exchanged glances with Aburame Ryoma. Ryoma immediately lunged forward, sweeping both sleeves to release all his destruction beetles simultaneously. They swarmed onto Susanoo's body, completely obscuring "Uchiha Itachi's" line of sight.
Another Root shinobi hidden in the visual blind spot rapidly formed seals.
"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"
Yamanaka Fu simultaneously formed hand seals rapidly.
"Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch Jutsu!"
But this time, his secret technique only took effect for an instant, merely making "Uchiha Itachi's" head swim briefly before being expelled. He coughed blood violently as his companion grabbed him and rapidly retreated.
However, that moment had been enough. The Earth Release user had already passed through Susanoo's defense underground, bursting from the earth. The short blade in his hand gleamed coldly, already reaching "Uchiha Itachi's" neck.
"Got him!"
Despite the blood gushing from his mouth, Yamanaka Fu's eyes locked onto his Earth Release comrade, waiting for that blade to sever "Uchiha Itachi's" head.
But "Uchiha Itachi" merely glanced down casually with his eyes. His Earth Release comrade froze in place, maintaining his striking posture, motionless.
"Heh..." Yasushi smiled coldly. "No enemy dares raise their head before an Uchiha!"
Finishing those words, he casually drew the short blade at his waist and struck with an effortless swing, severing the Earth Release shinobi's head.
Under the powerful pressure from the carotid artery, the Earth Release shinobi's head was propelled skyward by blood jets, tumbling through the air as it flew out of Susanoo's ribcage area, heading toward Aburame Ryoma.
Ryoma instinctively reached out, catching his comrade's head. As his eyes lowered to meet his comrade's dying gaze, he only saw a pair of blood-red Sharingan.
"Damn! It's Sharingan genjutsu!"
Ryoma hastily mobilized the insects within his body to break the illusion while throwing his hands outward to discard his comrade's head that had become the enemy's genjutsu medium. But unfortunately, it was too late.
Just that momentary delay meant Susanoo's attack had already arrived.
The overwhelming energy palm descended with devastating force, encompassing both head and insects, slamming down on Aburame Ryoma.
With a muffled "splat," Ryoma was crushed into meat paste. Blood splattered everywhere, painting the ground crimson for several feet around.
"Ryoma!" Seeing Ryoma's gruesome death, Yamanaka Fu couldn't help but cry out.
Within Root, Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune were Danzo's most valued right and left hands. Though Aburame Ryoma wasn't as powerful as Torune, his loyalty had been tested repeatedly. He would inevitably have become a Root elite shinobi.
But now the rising star he'd valued most had fallen here, causing Yamanaka Fu unbearable heartache.
"Haha..." Watching Yamanaka Fu's agonized, regretful expression, Uchiha Yasushi felt immense satisfaction. He couldn't help but cover his face with one hand again, laughing wildly.
"Susanoo has defensive vulnerabilities at its feet. You could see that—did you think I wouldn't know?"
"You damned maggots! In direct combat, killing you wouldn't have been so easy."
"I don't have time to slowly grind you down. The best method is naturally to dig a pit and wait for you to jump in yourselves!"
"Yamanaka Fu, you formulated this battle plan, didn't you?"
"When making your strategy, didn't you consider it might be a trap?"
"How does losing comrades feel?"
"Eh?"
"Haha..."
"Damn you!" Yamanaka Fu listened with eyes splitting with rage. In his fury and anger, he couldn't help but cough up several more mouthfuls of blood.
His sole remaining companion behind him hurriedly consoled him in a low voice:
"Yamanaka-sama, all Root shinobi will face this day eventually. We've long been psychologically prepared to die and will absolutely have no complaints."
"This matter isn't Yamanaka-sama's fault. Please don't lose your composure."
"We still have a mission to complete. Please formulate a new battle plan, Yamanaka-sama. I don't mind being used as bait."
"Everything is for Danzo-sama!"
Yamanaka Fu took several deep breaths, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. His mind raced, and he immediately realized that with just the two of them, completing the mission to recapture the Nine-Tails jinchuriki was impossible.
Therefore, after brief consideration, Yamanaka Fu decisively changed the mission parameters.
"Recapturing the jinchuriki has become too difficult. Perhaps we can modify the mission—kill the jinchuriki and release the Nine-Tails."
"Even if the Nine-Tails causes some damage to the Land of Fire, as long as it remains within the country, the sealing squad arriving later can always seal it again."
"In that case, the battle plan changes."
"Feint attacks on Uchiha Itachi, find an opportunity, kill the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, and release the Tailed Beast!"
Root always held mission completion as their highest principle. The enormous costs incurred were never within their consideration.
So after hearing this, the Root shinobi didn't hesitate for a moment, immediately agreeing.
"Understood. I'll use Earth Release to break through again."
"An unconscious Nine-Tails jinchuriki is easy to kill—just one blade strike is needed."
"Please continue buying me some time, Yamanaka-sama. Don't let Uchiha Itachi interfere with me."
Yamanaka Fu wiped his blood-soaked mouth with his sleeve and nodded heavily.
"Focus on the killing. Even if I stake my life, I absolutely won't give Uchiha Itachi a chance to stop you."
One after the other, they began circling Susanoo again.
This time without Aburame Ryoma to draw attention, they simply attacked head-on.
Yamanaka Fu moved to Susanoo's front, leading with Fire Release.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Though he specialized most in Yin Release, he could actually use other release types—just not as proficiently.
Under the covering flames, his companion circled behind Susanoo, beginning to execute Earth Release for an underground assault.
"Heh, boring tricks!"
After integrating all of the Uchiha's memories and emotions, the Uchiha clan's arrogance had also merged into Uchiha Yasushi's soul.
Though he knew the enemy's renewed assault must have ulterior motives, he remained utterly confident.
Shinobi combat was, to some extent, intelligence warfare. Knowing the enemy inside and out, Uchiha Yasushi had no reason to lose.
He didn't believe these two had any qualification to harm him!
However, the enemy's target wasn't him at all.
When he saw the Earth Release user burst from the ground, charging toward the prone Uzumaki Naruto while swinging his blade, Yasushi realized his miscalculation.
"How dare you!" He roared furiously, about to rush forward in rescue, when his head suddenly swam. That annoying Yamanaka Fu was interfering again.
Staking his very life, Yamanaka Fu's interference this time was unprecedentedly powerful. Though Yasushi quickly expelled his chakra from his body, it was already too late. When he looked up again, he saw the Earth Release shinobi's blade had already struck heavily into Naruto's neck.