"Mind Transfer Jutsu!" A sharp voice pierced directly into Shin's mind like an arrow.
Shin's expression changed instantly. 'Damn it… I got caught… There are still more Root ninja?!'
The victorious grin on his face froze abruptly.
His charging body suddenly came to a complete stop, as though invisible chains had wrapped around him and locked every muscle in place.
The Rasengan spinning violently in his right hand lost its chakra control, destabilized for an instant, and then dispersed into nothingness.
His entire body stiffened like a statue, frozen mid-charge.
The remaining Chunin stared in shock at Shin, who stood motionless only a few steps away.
Then he quickly looked past him. Three figures stood in the distance. At the center was Fu Yamanaka.
His eyes were tightly shut, his body trembling slightly as he knelt on one knee, supported by two Root ninja on either side.
The Mind Transfer Jutsu had successfully connected.
Fu's consciousness had already invaded Shin's body.
The two Root ninja supporting him looked horrified beneath their masks as their eyes swept across the battlefield.
The entire area had been reduced to ruins. The ground was flooded and shattered from large-scale ninjutsu.
A headless corpse lay twisted in the mud nearby.
And farther away... the powerful Jonin, Tanuki, was collapsed in a pool of blood with a massive hole blasted through his chest.
Everything around them screamed of destruction. And all of it… had been caused by this black-haired teenager now under Fu's control.
One Genin… against a Jonin and four Chunin. And he had nearly wiped them all out by himself.
No—If they had arrived even slightly later… then all five of them really might have died here.
'This is supposed to be a newly graduated Genin?!' A chill crawled up both Root ninja's spines.
Even an experienced Jonin could die against such a lineup with one mistake. Yet this boy had nearly turned the battle around and slaughtered them instead.
The danger level of Kagutsuchi Shin had already far exceeded Root's original assessment.
Just as shock filled their minds, another change suddenly occurred.
Shin's previously blank expression twisted violently, his face contorted with fierce resistance.
"Ghh… ahhh…"
A beast-like growl escaped his throat as though he were desperately fighting against the foreign consciousness invading his body.
At the same time, a distorted voice was forcibly squeezed out from Shin's mouth:
"Hurry… do it…!"
"I can't… hold him for long…!"
"His chakra is insane… and his mental strength… is abnormally strong…!"
"Quick… use the seal…!"
The warning instantly snapped the Chunin out of his shock. He immediately understood the situation.
Yamanaka Fu was struggling to maintain control and could be thrown out at any moment.
Without hesitation, the Chunin's eyes sharpened viciously as he reached for the sealing scroll attached to his waist.
The instant his fingertips were about to touch it—
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!" A furious shout exploded from the forest.
Countless thick wooden vines erupted violently from Yamato's hands, surging forward at incredible speed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Massive wooden pillars instantly burst from the earth, forming a solid barrier between Shin and the Root ninja.
At the same time, several wooden branches twisted like giant serpents and lashed directly toward the Chunin.
The sudden attack forced him to abandon the sealing scroll and retreat frantically.
Almost simultaneously, Shin's body trembled violently.
The blankness in his eyes shattered instantly, replaced by clarity once more.
Relying on his overwhelming chakra reserves and powerful mental strength, Shin had forcibly expelled Fu's consciousness from his body.
In the distance, Fu suddenly opened his eyes wide.
Fear and disbelief flashed through them. Ignoring the backlash from the technique, he immediately barked an order: "Mission failed! Retreat immediately!"
The moment the command was given, the three Root ninja moved in perfect sync and threw several smoke bombs onto the battlefield.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dense smoke exploded outward and rapidly spread across the area, obscuring everything from sight.
Yamato instantly flashed forward and positioned himself protectively in front of Shin.
He did not recklessly charge into the smoke. Instead, he stared at it vigilantly while asking in a low voice: "Shin, are you alright?"
Shin breathed heavily.
The mental backlash left his head throbbing painfully, but the rage in his eyes burned fiercely enough to feel tangible.
He glared toward the smoke-covered area and spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm not dead yet. Yamato-sensei… chase them. I want to kill every last one of them."
"Calm down." Yamato frowned deeply.
He could clearly sense that Shin's mental state was unstable after the Mind Transfer attack.
"They retreated too cleanly. There may still be reinforcements nearby. We can't pursue recklessly."
As the smoke slowly dispersed, the battlefield finally became visible again.
The Root ninja were already gone. Only the severely wounded Tanuki Jonin and a single corpse remained behind.
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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (30+ Advanced Chapters)