Chapter 14: Purgatory

"To the side."

"Hokage-sama."

However, Kakashi still reacted, calling out warnings to the surrounding ninjas while his hands rapidly formed seals to release defensive ninjutsu.

He directly summoned an [Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall] to the side of Sarutobi Hiruzen, attempting to block Yami's attack route.

"[Water Release: Water Formation Wall]."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was equally quick to respond.

As the earthen wall formed, he also activated defensive ninjutsu to protect himself.

But the earth-style barrier was shattered completely by Yami's lightning-enhanced punch.

The nearby ANBU were sent flying in all directions as if struck by a speeding meteor.

Surrounded by his water barrier, Sarutobi Hiruzen sensed immediate danger and attempted to use an earth clone to hide himself underground.

But his reaction came a moment too late.

"[Purgatory]"

Yami activated his Mangekyō’s eye technique without hesitation.

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind blazed with anger and he attempted to resist, he was still caught within the technique's grasp.

His consciousness was instantly severed from reality.

Simultaneously, more ANBU operatives surrounded Yami's position, forming a tightening circle.

‘I've known all along that you've been wary of Shisui's [Kotoamatsukami]. While my eye technique doesn't require direct eye contact, its effective range is limited to ten meters.’

Then Yami spoke.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen… Experience the torment of hell itself."

"Kakashi, if this old man isn't treated immediately, his mental strength will suffer permanent damage. He'll likely develop dementia in the future."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood frozen in place, completely motionless, while Kakashi and the other ANBU instantly moved to shield him.

On his side, Yami faced down nearly thirty opponents with the ferocity of a wild beast, his presence alone intimidating the entire assembled force.

They were all shaken by their Hokage's sudden collapse into unconsciousness.

After all, this was the leader they were sworn to protect.

If something happened to him, their entire mission would become meaningless.

Leaving those words behind, Yami charged directly toward Shisui's location.

Although he truly wanted to eliminate the hypocritical Sarutobi Hiruzen, rescuing Shisui took higher priority.

But if he attacked Sarutobi now, all those here would attack him in rage…

He couldn’t afford to stay here and fight all these people. He would lose completely.

As such, he had chosen to use his technique to intimidate everyone present, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had been the ideal target for maximum psychological impact.

Moreover, this technique couldn't inflict truly fatal damage against a Kage-level powerhouse.

Kakashi's condition had allowed him to survive a [Tsukuyomi] attack, after all.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's current mental state was resilient enough that a single technique wouldn't be sufficient to destroy him completely.

Saving Shisui remained the more important objective.

"Captain Kakashi."

The surrounding ANBU focused their attention on Kakashi for leadership.

When the highest-ranking officer fell, command naturally passed to the person with the next-highest authority on the field.

Kakashi hesitated for less than three seconds before making his decision.

He placed his hand on the hokage.

"Cough... cough... cough."

Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly regained consciousness, though his recovery came with obvious difficulty.

His face bore an extremely haggard expression, and he appeared utterly drained of vitality.

"Kakashi… hah… lead a pursuit team after him…"

"Leave ten people here… to extinguish the fires and arrange for a medical ninja to arrive immediately…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen issued his orders with visible effort.

He could clearly see that the enemy wouldn't attack Kakashi directly, so he had to dispatch Kakashi to lead the chase.

At the same time, he recognized that his own combat effectiveness had been too severely compromised.

In his current condition, attempting to capture such a dangerous opponent would be virtually impossible.

He felt deep regret and was no longer prepared to take unnecessary risks.

He would have to rely on superior numbers and careful strategy to eventually capture this individual, though he privately acknowledged that even that approach had a frustratingly low probability of success.

"Yes, sir."

The surrounding ANBU immediately obeyed the command without question.

Kakashi's emotions remained conflicted, but he still led his assigned team in pursuit of their target.

"More than half of my chakra has been consumed, and the mental strain is becoming severe."

"The side effects of an ordinary Mangekyō are indeed too overwhelming. If there's an opportunity, I'll need to acquire Orochimaru's perfected First Hokage cells to eliminate these limitations."

Yami relied on his extreme speed enhancement to easily break through multiple layers of encirclement.

Ordinary ninjas couldn't hope to stop him at all.

Combined with the superior dynamic vision granted by his Sharingan and the rapid improvement in body control after opening the Eight Gates, he was operating at the absolute peak of his physical condition.

In less than thirty seconds, Yami arrived at Shisui's battlefield location.

The scene was absolutely devastating.

Shisui's body bore numerous wounds from kunai and shuriken attacks, blood staining his clothing in multiple places.

"Danzo..."

"Show yourself, you coward!"

Shisui roared with unrestrained anger.

His blood-red eyes searched desperately among the fallen bodies around him, seeking any trace of Danzo's true form.

The Root operatives who had been surrounding Shisui were supposedly emotionless killing machines, ruthless weapons without human feelings.

Yet even they were visibly shaken by Shisui's current state, and genuine fear of death flickered in their eyes.

"[Leaf Whirlwind]."

Seeing that Shisui was still alive, Yami didn't hesitate to launch Might Guy's signature opening technique.

Of the seven Root agents still standing around the perimeter, only two managed to escape using the [Substitution Technique].

The other five were directly kicked away by Yami's devastating assault, sent flying through the air like launched projectiles.

"Yami has arrived, Danzo-sama."

"There are also ANBU pursuers approaching our position."

Danzo remained hidden underground in a location similar to Root's base.

He had positioned himself more than three hundred meters away from the battle, concealed beneath the surface.

Even the Sharingan’s vision couldn't penetrate to such depths, which naturally prevented Shisui from discovering Danzo's cowardly hiding place.

"What is that fool Sarutobi doing?"

"Has he actually allowed these accursed Uchiha to escape, and how do they still possess enough strength left to mount a rescue operation for Uchiha Shisui?"

"Don't hold back any longer. Since this Yami also possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan, there's no longer any need for Shisui to continue living. Attack with everything you have."

Danzo's expression darkened with an ugly expression.

He refused to allow his carefully laid plans to be exposed, so he wanted to act quickly to eliminate both of these troublesome Uchiha.

"Yes, sir."

The four elite Root operatives who remained with Danzo immediately emerged from concealment, preparing to destroy the Uchiha completely.

"Shisui, prepare for immediate evacuation."

Yami positioned himself beside Shisui's wounded form.

"Where's Danzo? I'm going to kill him!"

But Shisui appeared to have fallen into complete madness.

His face had become cold and emotionless, and he paid no attention whatsoever to what Yami was saying.

Yami sensed that Shisui might attack him at any moment, as if he had lost all rational control.

Therefore, Yami was not prepared to handle Shisui with kid gloves.

Before Shisui could focus his attention properly, Yami stepped forward and delivered a powerful punch directly to his stomach.

Shisui stared at Yami with complete disbelief, his expression seemingly trying to say:

'I never expected you would betray me too.'

"We'll discuss this after you wake up."

Yami spoke with mild exasperation, simultaneously adding a precise chop to the back of the neck.

Shisui was struck hard, leaving him no time to mount any resistance.

He immediately lost consciousness and collapsed at Yami's feet.

"[Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld]."

Although everyone else on the battlefield was also shocked by this display of apparent Uchiha infighting, the elite operatives rushing in from Danzo's position remained coldly decisive.

They directly deployed restraining ninjutsu, intending to trap both Uchiha before they could escape.

Yami hooked his right foot under Shisui's unconscious form, lifted him effortlessly, and positioned him across his shoulder.

"[Lightning Release: Lightning Flash]."

"[Wind Release: Blade Wind]."

"[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]."

At the same moment, several approaching ANBU also released their ninjutsu techniques in coordinated attack patterns aimed at Yami.

The ground beneath his feet instantly transformed into a treacherous swamp, attempting to trap Yami's legs and prevent his escape.

"Boom."

The dark red Susanoo skeleton directly enveloped Yami in its protective embrace, deflecting all incoming ninjutsu attacks with ease.

Kakashi also arrived at the scene with more than a dozen additional ANBU reinforcements, surrounding the area completely.