Chapter 025: Ruthlessly Severing the Root

In a mere instant, hundreds of mechanical insects surged toward the six Root shinobi, their wings buzzing ominously.

“Ambush!”
“We’re under attack!”
The Root operatives swiftly shifted into formation, preparing to retaliate.

“They’re insects. Is the enemy from the Aburame clan?”

Having made their assessment, the Root squad moved according to their meticulously rehearsed contingency plans, ready to strike back. But to their surprise, none of their prearranged countermeasures had any effect on these mechanical insects.

These creatures were impervious to fire, unaffected by secret toxins, unscathed by blades, and unbroken by hammers. Every technique they had for subduing insects proved utterly useless.

Instead, caught off guard, they lost two members in the very first clash.

Dog and Monkey fell first—their foreheads pierced straight through by the high-velocity mechanical insects.

“What in the world are these things?”

The squad leader could no longer withstand the pressure. Forming hand seals, a black mist rose from his body.

He too commanded insects—parasitic beetles.

Clearly, this Root shinobi was conscripted from the Aburame clan.

“These insects aren’t Aburame techniques! Could this be the work of infiltrators from another village? Or perhaps a rogue missing-nin?”

His mind raced as he directed his parasitic beetles into battle against the mechanical swarm.

His particular breed specialized in poison and biting, though their resilience was lacking. Normally, resilience was unnecessary—their job was to rush the enemy and inflict as much destruction as possible.

But today, these usually unstoppable beetles were utterly routed in their clash with the machines, wiped out in the blink of an eye.

A piercing scream rang out as another Root shinobi was struck.

Moments later, his body erupted with searing flames from within, reducing him to ashes in an instant.

Of the original six, only three remained, and among them, only the Aburame still retained any semblance of resistance. The other two were already battered and torn, their demise but a matter of time.

“No, if this continues, we’ll all die here without a trace. Lord Danzo must receive information about these intruders!”

The Aburame quickly unfurled a scroll, scribbling down every detail at lightning speed before shaking his sleeve. A parasitic beetle dropped to the ground; with a loud crack, it swelled to the size of a grown man's head.

No sooner had it transformed than the beetle clamped the scroll in its jaws and sped off toward the edge of the forest.

A victorious smile touched the Aburame’s lips before he finally closed his eyes and died.

But none of them saw what happened next: the giant beetle made it barely two hundred meters before a mechanical insect pierced it through, reducing it to ash.

All six Root shinobi perished, their bodies turning to dust. It was as if they had never existed, vanishing without a sound.

Having finished, Naruto did not recall his mechanical insects. Instead, he dispatched even more, scattering them throughout the forest to continue hunting for Root operatives.

He needed to confirm exactly how much Root had learned about him.

Meanwhile, the Uchiha brothers were gleefully testing their new weapons.

Sasuke was the first to put on the steam-powered gauntlets and pick up the steam crossbow.

He had expected the weapon to be heavy, that he’d be unable to lift his arm at all. But to his amazement, the gauntlets granted such immense strength that the crossbow felt weightless in his grip.

Sasuke scrutinized the crossbow carefully.

Its design was extraordinarily intricate, difficult to manufacture even for an experienced combat engineer like Naruto, who would be hard-pressed to assemble it by hand without specialized tools.

Many of its components were minute and delicate, requiring meticulous precision to fit in the springs and pressure valves. Even with spirit machinery assisting, the “I suppose” effect of spirit machinery could only compensate so much; assembly could still fail.

The weapon was costly to produce, but its advantage was clear: even those without spirit machinery could wield it and unleash its full potential.

Moreover, the crossbow featured a universal interface, allowing Naruto to mount it on any machine he wished.

Originally, Naruto had intended to attempt assembly only after crafting high-precision machine tools and a large universal core.

However, with the recent upgrades to his mechanical hand—thanks to the Aburame clan’s help—Naruto was able to bring his assembly plans forward.

Following Naruto’s instructions, Sasuke used the proper stance and loosed a bolt, while Itachi watched intently from the side.

With a resounding crack, the bolt shot forth, blazing like a streak of light, piercing not only the target but also two massive trees, each thick enough that it would take two people to encircle them.

“What incredible power!”

Sasuke was left gaping in astonishment.

Even Itachi’s eyes widened.

For a shinobi, such destructive force was not unheard of when enhanced by ninjutsu. In fact, many elite shinobi could unleash attacks far stronger than this with a mere gesture.

But the problem was, that level of shinobi were seasoned jōnin at the very least—or specialists in destructive techniques, or perhaps prodigious chūnin or genin.

Never would one expect such might from someone like Sasuke—a mere child, not even a full-fledged shinobi, just admitted to the academy.

At that moment, Naruto spoke up:

“All right, you’ve tested the regular bolts. Now try the explosive and enchanted bolts.”

On the table lay several bolts with exotic arrowheads, their surfaces etched with intricate patterns that shimmered with strange, colorful light.

Just as Sasuke reached for them, Itachi snatched the crossbow from his hands.

“My turn.”

Ignoring Sasuke’s disgruntled expression, Itachi nocked a bolt and fired into a clearing in the forest.

This demonstration revealed not only immense penetrating power, but also a host of devastating effects: violent explosions, sudden sprawling swamps, corrosive acid that turned swathes of forest to blackened sludge, and clouds of powder that instantly sent countless animals into hallucinations.

Itachi calculated: if he prepared the right bolts beforehand and used his agile movements to fire them in sequence at the enemy, a single set of twelve could wipe out a hundred chūnin-level adversaries.

All the while, he might expend no more chakra than what was needed for a single Body Flicker. And he still possessed the pride of the Uchiha—the Sharingan.

“The design philosophy behind this tool is truly advanced. It fires with remarkable speed, capable of launching sudden and nearly indefensible attacks.”

Yet Itachi’s tone was tinged with regret, “But it’s not without limitations. The noise is loud, each shot requires reloading, and you have to wait for the steam to recharge. In battle, that could create dangerous openings and expose your position. If your movements aren’t agile enough, this tool might turn its user into a one-time consumable.”

“Is there a way to improve it?” Itachi looked to Naruto, rare eagerness gleaming in his eyes.