NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32: Chapter 32 : Intel
Seeing Kazemaru's move, Uchiha Shin smirked.
The lightning arc that was originally aimed at Kazemaru suddenly veered and struck the Sand ninja behind him instead.
These three Sand shinobi were puppet users, and with their puppets destroyed, their combat capabilities were far weaker than even a standard Chūnin.
They stood no chance against Uchiha Shin's attack. The three were struck simultaneously, sent flying over ten meters by the sheer impact.
Of course, Uchiha Shin controlled his power. He wasn't going to kill them all—he needed at least one of them alive to extract information.
"Soru."
In the blink of an eye, Uchiha Shin vanished and reappeared before the retreating Kazemaru, giving him no chance to mourn his fallen comrades.
"Wind Style—"
"Kazemaru!"
Kazemaru tried to retreat while forming hand seals for a jutsu.
But Uchiha Shin wouldn't allow it. In close quarters, letting an enemy complete hand seals was out of the question.
All Kazemaru saw was a flash of lightning.
Before he could even react, a blade crackling with electricity severed both his hands at the wrists, sending them flying into the air. The next moment, his entire body convulsed as the same electric charge coursed through him.
Thud.
Kazemaru collapsed, his body stiff and paralyzed from the surge of lightning. His wrists gushed blood, yet apart from his eyes, he couldn't move an inch.
"It's over already?"
The Konoha shinobi, who had scattered to engage the Sand forces, were stunned at how quickly the battle had ended.
Uchiha Shin turned to them, flicking the blood from his blade before speaking in a commanding tone. "Clean up this mess. I'll handle the interrogation."
His tone was that of a superior giving orders—firm, absolute, unquestionable.
The two Konoha shinobi who had been gloating earlier felt a chill run down their spines when his Sharingan swept over them. It was as if Uchiha Shin had seen through every thought they'd harbored just moments ago.
None of them dared to question him now.
Even though he was speaking in such an overbearing manner, they no longer found it unreasonable.
Uchiha Shin discreetly activated a fire-based absorption technique to consume the life force and chakra of the two Sand ninja he had killed.
The sensation of siphoning another shinobi's chakra was far more satisfying than feeding on wild animals.
As the squad regrouped, Tsunade exhaled and glanced at Uchiha Shin. "Damn kid, when did you get this strong behind my back? Feels like you could already give me a run for my money."
Uchiha Shin internally scoffed. Compete with her? He had already surpassed her. What kind of self-delusion was she living in?
Still, in front of so many people, he didn't bother mocking her.
"That's all thanks to your training," he said flatly, his tone mechanical and insincere.
The other Konoha shinobi looked at Tsunade with newfound admiration. Seeing their gazes, Tsunade grinned smugly.
At that moment, Uchiha Shin leaned in close and whispered, "It'd be unfair if I didn't give you a reward later."
"Whatever it is, just say it," Tsunade said, confidently patting her chest.
Uchiha Shin's eyes flickered as he looked at the ample view before him, his smirk turning mischievous. "I'd like you to use that sharp tongue of yours to mock me next time."
"..."
Tsunade's expression froze. She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.
She hadn't expected him to turn his 'reward' into something so depraved.
But after a moment's hesitation, her face flushed red, and she nodded ever so slightly.
"After we get back. Don't even think about asking for it now."
"Got it, I know my limits."
Uchiha Shin chuckled and rejoined the group.
They returned to their temporary base, dragging the immobilized Sand ninjas along. Seeing this, the other Konoha shinobi regarded Uchiha Shin with a mixture of awe and fear. The sensory ninjas, who had previously doubted him, lowered their heads and kept quiet, as if trying to make themselves invisible.
Kazemaru remained conscious, his gaze steely despite his condition. It was clear that a simple interrogation wouldn't make him talk.
"We're on a tight schedule. Should we just kill them?" someone suggested.
"I think we should take them back to Konoha for questioning."
"Or maybe hand them over at the front lines?"
The group debated their next move.
Tsunade, growing impatient, turned to Uchiha Shin. "What do you think?"
Seeing her 'I'll follow your lead' expression, Uchiha Shin sighed. She was pushing all responsibility onto him.
But by now, the Konoha shinobi had stopped resisting his leadership.
All eyes were on him, waiting for his decision.
Noticing their shift in attitude, Uchiha Shin gave a small nod.
He enjoyed being respected. Admired, even. But above all, he refused to be underestimated.
There was no point in hiding his strength—he wasn't the type to 'play the fool to catch the tiger.'
Standing at the center, he raised his voice. "Take these Sand ninjas to the front lines. I'll handle the interrogation personally."
There were no objections.
The group cleared a path for Uchiha Shin as he approached the captives.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
Grabbing the restrained Kazemaru, Uchiha Shin forced him to meet his gaze.
The moment their eyes locked, Kazemaru's resistance crumbled, and the hypnotic pattern of the Sharingan reflected in his pupils.
This technique—one of the many unique abilities of the Uchiha—had never failed him.
With Kazemaru's will completely subjugated, Uchiha Shin began his questioning.
Nearby, Uchiha Mikoto pulled out a scroll and started taking notes.
The intel they extracted wasn't just about the Sand Village's plans—it also revealed the purpose of Kazemaru's team.
Besides them, there were five other squads operating similarly.
Their mission was to intercept Konoha's forces heading toward the Land of Rain.
The Sand Village wanted to delay Konoha's reinforcements, forcing the war between Konoha and the Rain Village into a stalemate.
If Konoha became bogged down in the Rain Village, they would have to fight on two fronts, giving the Sand Village a strategic advantage.
The Third Hokage's strategy was a swift blitzkrieg to eliminate the Rain Village forces, then focus on crushing the Sand.
But if the Sand's plan succeeded, the war's outcome would become uncertain.
"This information needs to reach Konoha immediately," Tsunade said, her expression serious.
She quickly dispatched a messenger to relay the intel.
As for Kazemaru and the remaining Sand ninjas, they were still taken to the front lines, just as Uchiha Shin had commanded.
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Bonus Chapter -250 Power Stones