Danzo's order for a full-scale attack, laced with fury, was instantly transmitted to every corner through Root's unique command system. The Root elites, who had been held back as reserves, were all committed to the battlefield.

The lurking black tide began to surge. Abandoning all techniques of concealment and infiltration, they launched a fierce assault from the front, the flanks, and multiple other directions against the seemingly fragile defenses of the Uchiha Clan Compound. There was no more probing in their eyes, only the pure intent to kill while executing orders.

However, what awaited them was a killing trap that operated with even greater efficiency.

"Second combat echelon, initiate the'Scorched Earth' protocol!"

Uchiha Kenji's voice, carried by a simple Chakra amplification device, rang out clearly across the entire front line.

Along the path of the Root Ninjas' charge, dozens of devices disguised as stone lanterns, rockeries, and even drain covers silently opened their valves simultaneously. Streams of black, oily liquid gushed out from underground pipes, rapidly soaking the streets for hundreds of meters around.

It was kerosene, with a pungent odor.

Atop the high tower, Danzo's eyelids twitched violently.

Before the Root Ninjas could react to what this greasy ground signified, dozens of arrows—already nocked to strings, their tips wrapped in explosive tags—were fired from the arrow towers deep within the Uchiha Clan Compound, tracing precise parabolic arcs over the forward fortifications and into the oil-slicked area.

There was no time for anyone to dodge.

The arrows were detonated remotely while still in mid-air.

Boom!

Flames shot into the sky. The earth seemed to transform into a burning lake. The black kerosene provided excellent fuel, allowing the temperature and the speed of the flames' spread to reach a terrifying level. The dozens of Root Ninjas rushing at the very front were instantly engulfed by this sudden sea of fire, turning into charred remains in the high heat without even a chance to let out a cry.

Aided by the wind, the fire formed a wall of flames, completely separating the vanguard from the trailing forces.

"Bypass the fire wall! Push through the side alleys!"

A Root squad leader issued a hoarse command, and the remaining forces immediately swarmed like a well-trained ant colony toward the narrow alleys that appeared untouched.

Inside the alleys, another desperate trap awaited.

As a team of Root Ninjas charged into a deep alley, the ground at both the entrance and exit suddenly rose up without warning. Two thick walls of earth shot up, completely sealing the alley and forming a closed cage.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

"It's a trap!"

Alarm bells rang in the hearts of the Root members, and they immediately prepared to leap onto the rooftops on either side.

But it was already too late.

The roofs of the houses flanking the alley flipped open like trapdoors. Dozens of pre-prepared pipes, as thick as bowls, extended from hidden compartments in the roofs.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"

This was not a hastily performed hand seal, but a Ninjutsu already sealed within scrolls, requiring only an injection of Chakra to be released instantly. A violent torrent of water, like a breached flood peak, descended from the sky, instantly filling the entire sealed alley.

Caught off guard, the Root Ninjas trapped inside were knocked off balance by the immense water pressure, their formation completely shattered. Their refined Taijutsu found no purchase in the rushing water; they were like landlubbers fallen overboard.

Immediately following, a cold murderous intent descended.

"Lightning Release: Ground Flash!"

Blinding electrical light spread along the water; in an instant, the entire alley turned into a high-voltage cage.

"Zzzzt—!"

Amidst the harsh crackling of electricity, there were the muffled sounds of muscle spasms caused by electrocution. On the surface of the water, only charred corpses remained, floating with the waves.

Similar scenes played out on every defensive line of the Uchiha Clan Compound. Earth Style created traps, Water Style formed kill zones, and Lightning Release delivered the fatal blow. Or, Wind Style altered the trajectory of Fire Style, creating unavoidable fire tornadoes.

The Uchiha Ninjas were no longer individuals fighting on their own. Operating in units of five, strictly following the tactical manual distributed by Uchiha Kei, they cooperated with tacit understanding, like operating a precision war machine. One person was responsible for control, one for the main attack, and the others for finishing blows and defense. This standardized mode of coordinated combat completely overturned the traditional fighting style of Ninjas that relied on individual ability and experience.

The individual strength, bizarre secret techniques, and rich assassination experience that the Root Ninjas prided themselves on were proven ineffective in the face of such tight, coordinated strikes. Their advances were fragmented, surrounded, and overwhelmed by combined attacks of multiple Ninjutsu. They were like a pack of wolves accustomed to fighting alone, suddenly charging into a meat grinder made of countless precision-meshing gears.

This was not a battle. This was a one-sided, efficient slaughter.

Atop the high tower, the hand with which Danzo leaned on his cane was trembling uncontrollably. The muscles on his face were twisted by extreme shock and rage, and his exposed right eye stared fixedly at the battlefield below, illuminated by fire, electricity, and water, his eyes bloodshot.

A rout. A complete and utter rout.

From the moment he ordered the full-scale attack, only ten short minutes had passed. Of the nearly three hundred Root elites deployed to the battlefield, more than half had already been lost. And this number was climbing rapidly at a speed that made his heart ache.

Those were the cornerstones of Root! They were death warriors, cultivated over decades of painstaking effort using the most brutal methods, loyal only to one person. Each one of them was capable of stirring up storms of blood in a small nation. But now, they were falling in droves, like harvested wheat. Many of them didn't even manage to get within thirty meters of an Uchiha Ninja before dying.

"Lord Danzo!" A Root Ninja responsible for casualty statistics knelt behind him, his voice distorted by fear. "The east side... the east side's third and fifth squads have been wiped out! The west side assault team has lost contact, and it is highly probable... they have also..."

"Shut up!" A suppressed roar erupted, and he slammed his cane down hard. A shallow pit was smashed into the hard roof of the tower.

How could this be? This was impossible! How could the Uchiha, a clan dominated by emotion, execute such tight, emotionless tactics? This tactical proficiency even surpassed his own "Root," which he prided himself on!

Uchiha Kei. This name, like a steel needle, pierced through Danzo's chaotic thoughts.

A terrifying realization formed in his mind: he had been wrong from the very beginning. Wrong to an outrageous degree.

He had thought he was the hunter and the Uchiha were the trapped beasts in a cage. But now it seemed that this prison called the "Uchiha Clan Compound" had been prepared specifically for his "Root."

The "Silent Barrier" had cut off information from the inside and outside, turning this place into a land of the blind and deaf, where they could only passively accept the bloody reality before them.

And the fires burning everywhere in the village were not meant to support the Uchiha's "rebellion," but to pin that old fox Hiruzen Sarutobi and all possible reinforcements firmly in place, forcing them to "peacefully" remain as spectators.

What an open scheme! Well played, Uchiha Kei!

A chill climbed from the soles of his feet, up his spine, and straight to the top of his head. Goosebumps broke out on his skin, and his breathing became short. This was an experience he had never had in his decades of life.

This was not a battle against a clan. This was a game of chess against an invisible opponent who had calculated everything. And from the very first step he took into this place, he had already lost.

If things continued this way, "Root" would be wiped out here. His life's work of several decades, his greatest asset for grasping the position of Hokage, would all be completely buried in this one night!

No! Absolutely not!

The fear in his eyes was quickly replaced by an even more insane viciousness.

Conventional troops had lost their meaning. The killing trap laid by the Uchiha could not be filled by numbers alone.

The only way to break the situation was to use absolute, unconventional power to completely destroy the core of this trap from within! To catch the bandits, one must first catch the ringleader!

As long as Uchiha Kei was killed, this would instantly collapse!

Danzo slowly raised his right arm, which was wrapped in thick bandages and metal guards. This was his greatest trump card and his last hope. That new arm, obtained from Orochimaru at a huge price, was now sending a stinging sensation of excessive Chakra surge.

"I admit, you have won this game, Uchiha brat."

He hissed toward the dark depths of the Uchiha Clan Compound below, as if declaring it to himself, and also to that opponent he had never met.

"But, war is never won just by playing chess!"

Under the bandages, the new arm—with more than a dozen Sharingan forcibly transplanted onto it—seemed to sense its master's murderous intent, spinning wildly beneath the skin.

Danzo's figure leaped down from the high tower like a predatory goshawk, charging straight toward the core area of the Uchiha Clan Compound. He was going to take action himself.