"Aarrgh!" Danzo's scream halted the Root ninjas and they immediately turned their attention to their leader.
Then they saw a Root ninja with a bloody sword grabbing the severed arm up in the air. The arm instantly vanished from the Root ninja's hand upon making contact.
"My task is done. Try and finish things on your end." The Root ninja addressed the disguised Daichi and next second it vanished in a puff of smoke.
Dragon nodded with a smirk that the others couldn't see.
The leader of the Root was down on his knees with one arm trying to support his body. Without the power of the Sharingan, Hashirama's cells inside Danzo's body started going out of control.
A large tree suddenly sprouted from Danzo's severed shoulder, growing and breaking through the ceiling. Danzo gritted his teeth and forcefully cut himself off from the tree protruding from his body.
Two Root ninjas capable of Medic jutsu went to assist Danzo. They healed his injury and helped their master get back on his feet.
[You have sensed killing intent.]
Danzo's eyes held hatred and rage as they fell on the masked enemy. "You bastard… To think you had someone on the inside… Or was that a clone in disguise?"
"Guess." Dragon chuckled in mirth. "You were careless Danzo. You look down on others and believe yourself to be the mastermind puppeteering everyone. That's why you didn't see this coming." Dragon replied as he tightened the grip on the sword he took from a nearby dead ninja."Where is that arm?"
Dragon laughed mockingly. "Gone. That jutsu is far too dangerous and unpredictable. It's best to destroy it." The disguised Daichi lied.
The one eyed war hawk gritted his teeth and was about to speak when one of his agents whispered. "Lord Danzo. The Hokage and Jiraiya are making their way here. What should we do?"
Danzo held in his anger and looked at the mysterious enemy. 'Maybe I can get Hiruzen to fight and kill him for me.'
Having made a decision the leader of the Root gave his order. "Hotaru. Kill him. Four of you back him up. The rest of you are with me."
Immediately the reanimated Hotaru and 4 Root ninjas surrounded Daichi while the rest escaped the room with Danzo.
Once the old war-hawk was away from the battlefield he looked at the nearby 3 ninjas. "You three. Lead Jiraiya down here. Make sure Jiraiya believes that man is the enemy of the Leaf."
The Root ninjas assigned with the task nodded their heads and vanished. The one eyed old ninja made his way to a secret escape tunnel. 'Hiruzen's attack so soon was completely unexpected. To think he would make such an aggressive move without wasting any time. I thought I made sure his spy didn't find anything and yet… To think I've been reduced to running like a rat.'
Danzo could only tighten his fist in anger and move forward under the protection of the ninjas besides him. After the attack just now Danzo was wary of his agents. He had his guard up and was on high alert.
His team had come across a few Anbu and some of his ninjas stayed behind to let their wounded leader escape.
—-
As Danzo was fleeing, Hiruzen and a few masked ninjas were examining some of the bodies of the Root ninjas they discovered. Anbu had come across the corpses as they were making their way down the hideout.
"They were assassinated. Swift and lethal strikes. But it wasn't us." One of the masked ninjas in Anbu gear spoke.
"Could it be infighting?" Another Anbu speculated.
"No. Danzo has trained them well. This is something else." Hiruzen shook his head and replied. "It seems there is someone else here in this base. Most probably using our raid as cover to achieve whatever it is they came here to do."
"We need to find Danzo before he escapes. He might have our answer." The Hokage gave his order and the teams vanished.
—-
[Mental intrusion detected]
[Gamer's Mind has neutralized the attack.]
Meanwhile, Daichi(Dragon) was defending against the onslaught of five strong ninjas. He defended against their various Genjutsu and analyzed their fighting style, countering every trap.
'The four of them are trying to immobilize me while Hotaru goes for a double suicide jutsu. That reanimated body is becoming a real pain in the ass.'
But the five enemies in front of him were not Daichi's main concern. It was the man hidden in the shadows watching their battle. 'If I can tag Obito with a Mana tracker skill then I'll be able to find his hideouts. But I'm not sure if Black Zetsu can sense Mana energy up close. It's a huge risk.'
[You have sensed killing intent.]
'Now that my Sense stat and killing intent skill have gone up so many levels it's almost like having a spider sense.'
'Dragon' raised his left hand and blocked the punch aimed for his head. He gripped the fist of the enemy and held the sword in his right hand in reverse grip and quickly slashed.
The root ninja leaned back but Daichi sent lightning chakra through the blade and extended its range allowing the sharp weapon to pierce through the root ninja's body.
But as Daichi attacked he sensed Hotaru coming, aiming to sever his right arm. He immediately used his left arm to form multiple hand seals with the enemy. He inhaled a large amount of air and turned his head towards the oncoming enemy.
'Wind style - Air Cannon.'
A powerful blast of wind blew Hotaru to the other side of the room while inflicting several wounds. But dust and debris quickly swirled around his body and the wounds were healed.
'Dragon' sensed a fireball jutsu coming from behind and he jumped high as quickly as he could. The second he was upside down near the ceiling two root ninjas appeared with swords poised to decapitate him.
The two Root ninjas moved forward to attack and successfully pierced the masked ninja's heart and cut off his head. But the next second two bodies fell to the floor. It was the two root shinobi. Instead of Daichi, they attacked each other. Unfortunate victims of a meticulous Genjutsu.
'Dragon' landed a few feet away and suddenly a new notification appeared.
[Dangerous Poison Detected…]
[Gamer's body is neutralizing the foreign compound.]
The shadow clone was immediately on guard and swiftly found the source of the poison. It was one of the two root ninjas he had just killed. The ninja's dead body released a strong colorless, odorless airborne toxin. Daichi noticed the only living Root ninja in the room inject his body with a small vial. He immediately realized what just happened.
'A delayed kill tactic. Even if they die they'll use their corpse to weaken or kill the enemy. These guys are indeed ruthless.'
Instantly the masked shadow clone formed a seal and powerful gusts of wind formed and blew the surrounding air away in all directions.
[Gamer's body has neutralized the foreign compound.]
The message came indicating that his system was clean from the poison. But the masked Daichi suddenly stumbled. He was down on one knee and breathing hard.
'My chakra is running low. I won't be able to hold on much longer. That Genjutsu attack used up a chunk of my chakra.'
The disguised Daichi used 'Genjutsu - Reverse Reality technique'. It makes a shinobi believe their friend is their enemy all the while completely erasing the presence of their true target from their senses. A powerful A rank Genjutsu of Daichi's own design.
"You weaved the hand seals for that Genjutsu in the split second between avoiding the fireball jutsu and reaching the ceiling." A cold emotionless voice spoke.
Daichi looked forward and saw Hotaru walking towards him.
"The instant those two appeared near you, you caught them in your trap. That Genjutsu caught them at the last moment when they were about to attack and that didn't give them time to sense if there was anything wrong. A flawless jutsu execution that made them kill each other."
Daichi let out a deep breath of air and stood. 'He figured out my technique so quickly. His observation skills are good.'
The masked ninja turned his gaze to the other ninja who was standing near Hotaru but wary. '3 down. 2 more to go.'
"Who are you? How do you know me?" Hotaru suddenly asked.
Daichi kept silent as he looked at the reanimated ninja. 'Hmph. If Danzo thinks I'll divulge information that easily, he's even more of a fool than I thought.'
The gamer ninja remembered what his observe skill had shown him. 'Danzo can see and hear through him. If I let slip anything that points to my identity it's not just Danzo who'll be after me. The Hokage might become aware, not to mention that bastard Obito…'
Seeing no reply from the masked man, Hotaru didn't bother wasting time and gave the order to attack. The last Root ninja with him followed the command and rushed at the disguised shadow clone.
Daichi stood his ground and braced himself. 'They're counting on the fact that I'm almost out of chakra and can only use Taijutsu skills.'
'Dragon' fought and countered the root ninja while keeping an eye on Hotaru. The reanimated puppet was keeping a close watch on the masked ninja and was looking for an opportunity. He didn't have to wait long for one to appear.
The masked ninja's right leg tripped on a jagged piece of rock sticking out of the floor and momentarily shifted his balance. Hotaru instantly went forward to attack.
The root ninja also saw the mistake and wanted to capitalize on it. But neither knew that it was all part of the disguised Genin's strategy. The instant Hotaru came close, smoke bombs instantly appeared in Daichi's arms and it fell all around them. They exploded, momentarily covering the three ninjas from the hidden Obito's view.
Daichi used his speed skills and increased his agility. In less than a fraction of a second multiple lethal strikes landed on the root ninja's body killing him. Hotaru was close and didn't expect his enemy to move at such greater speeds.
Daichi suddenly vanished from his eyes and the next instant a palm grabbed the back of his head and slammed him into the floor face first.
'So fast'. Hotaru wanted to retaliate but Daichi didn't give him the chance.
A powerful Mana energy tore through his mind and Daichi forcefully broke through the seals and defense barriers Danzo placed on Hotaru's mind.
'There are three ways to stop a Reanimation ninja. One. The user himself undoes the jutsu. Second. Use sealing jutsu to trap the reanimation. Third, trigger a strong mental or emotional fluctuation and the soul of the reanimation will become free.' Daichi held the ninja down and sent the last chunk of his Mana into his Mana shock attack.
Seeing the reanimation ninja temporarily disabled, Daichi went through several hand seals and immediately placed his palms on Hotaru's back. A strong Yin and Yang chakra was emitted into Hotaru's body disrupting his chakra completely and temporarily halting the movements of his body..
The shadow clone used the last few chunks of his chakra and now his chakra bar was down to double digits. Something that hadn't happened in a long time. 'I've attacked your Mind and your Body. The soul part will be up to you. I've removed the blocks Danzo placed on your mind. Let's see if you can free yourself.'
Daichi took a few steps back and sat on the ground breathing hard. 'I'm going to dispel anytime now. But before that… I have to know… If this worked.'
A minute went by and slowly Hotaru was beginning to regenerate his body. He slowly stood on one leg and turned to look at the masked ninja while the rest of his body repaired itself.
"What did.. you do to me?" Hotaru asked, this time there were several emotions in his voice.
"I've given you a fighting chance. The rest is up to you." 'Dragon' replied.
"I don't know if I can break free." Hotaru said as he looked at the arms that were slowly regenerating. Even at that moment he was getting mental orders from Danzo to attack. Just as his body was about to move and follow that command, the mask ninja spoke.
"Think about your mother. She wouldn't want to see you like this."
"Where is she?" Hotaru asked the mysterious ninja.
"She's dead. She has been for several years. The pain of losing you was too much for her."
Hotaru's eyes widened and a tear escaped from the corner of his eyes. Suddenly his body glowed white and his soul began to separate from his body.
The ethereal soul looked at the unknown ninja and there was gratitude on his face. "Who are you?"
"I'm afraid I can't say."
Hotaru looked at the man and nodded. "Thank you."
The masked ninja merely nodded and Hotaru's soul vanished into the ether. The masked Daichi let out several deep breaths of air and had a small smile under his mask.
"I'm impressed." A cold voice suddenly came from the shadows.
The voice didn't startle Daichi as he was waiting for the man to appear. From the dark shadows of the room a man wearing a spiral mask slowly walked towards the man wearing the Dragon mask.
Obito looked at the masked ninja and crossed his arms. "I was right. You sensed me long before now, didn't you. That's impressive."
"Are you going to kill me?" 'Dragon' asked.
Obito chuckled. "Why would I waste my energy on a shadow clone?"
That statement surprised Daichi a little.
As if expecting such a response, Obito replied to the unasked question. "Throughout your battle from the very beginning, you were careful not to let a single strike land on your body. Even when it would have been convenient. You either dodged or redirected the attacks or used defensive ninjutsu. It's certainly impressive that a shadow clone was able to kill so many capable Root."
"What do you want?" Dragon's rude attitude was ignored by Obito.
"What I want? Not who I am?" Obito replied with his own question.
"I can sense Sharingan and Wood style chakra coming from your body. You're either an Uchiha who got his hands on the First Hokage's cells or a Senju who got his hands on a pair of Sharingan and the First Hokage's blood. Either way, you're going to be a problem for me." Daichi mixed some truth with lies and gave out some false hypotheses so as to not reveal all his cards.
"A problem for you huh." Obito chuckled. "If you get in my way, then yes, most certainly."
Obito slowly released his killing intent and the masked Daichi stood up facing him. The gamer ninja thought back to the night he lost his friend and he clenched his fists.
Chakra and murderous intent rose in the air as the masked Daichi looked at Obito. 'It's still too soon for our fight. But even so… I really wanna take a crack at you right now.'
"Where is Shisui Uchiha's Sharingan?" Obito asked in a chilling voice.
"Gone. Kotoamatsukami is far too dangerous."
"I don't believe that for a second." Obito chuckled at that poor lie.
"You're right. What I meant to say was… you won't ever get the chance to use that eye."
The smug tone in the masked ninja's reply angered Obito. "You bastard… You know quite a lot of secrets don't you? Who are you?"
Daichi was about to give a sarcastic retort but stopped himself. He decided it was time to send Obito and Zetsu on a wild goose chase. A few seconds of silence later he answered. "Dragon.. You can consider me as a revolutionary."
"A revolutionary huh. Tell me. What are you revolting against?" Hearing the word revolutionary was unexpected for Obito.
"This whole broken system."
That answer surprised Obito. "If it's the shinobi system you're fighting against, then why don't you join my organization?" The masked Madara gave an offer out of mere interest.
"Not interested. I work alone. Besides, you and I have a score to settle." The Genin hadn't let go of the grudge formed on that fateful day.
"You have no idea who you're up against. I will find out who you really are and then we'll talk again. I'm curious to see if you'll have the same bravado then." The light from the Sharingan in the eyehole gave a menacing aura to the masked ninja.
No more words were exchanged. Killing intent rose from the two deadly masked ninjas as they stared each other down. The floor around them cracked due to the might of their power.
Just then a message came from the Daichi's shadow clone who was raiding the sealing scrolls. 'Hey guys. Not to alarm you but someone extremely strong just entered the base. I sense high level chakra and higher than average Mana reserves. A high kage level ninja. Definitely not the third Hokage.'
Immediately a new message came from the original Daichi who was keeping an eye on everything. 'Dispel yourselves. We got what we wanted.'
The other shadow clone immediately let go of the jutsu and vanished into smoke.
Several notifications popped up in Dragon's view but he ignored all of them and gazed directly at Obito. 'He's vigilant. If I try to place a Mana tracker on him, something might go wrong. And I don't have any Mana reserves left to implant the higher level tracker seals. It's best to retreat for now.'
Just as the clone gave a warning, both Obito and the masked Daichi sensed an extremely powerful chakra coming towards them.
"Next time." With those words Dragon vanished into a puff of smoke.
Obito was silent and slowly vanished in a swirl. A masked ninja appeared just as the last few bits of Obito were sucked through his space time ninjutsu.
The masked shinobi was covered from head to toe in protective and concealing clothes. He looked at the disturbance in space and inwardly frowned. He placed his index finger on the floor and sighed after a few moments.
'Gone. I was just a couple seconds late… How did they escape? Who were they?'
—-----------------
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