"Damn it!"
Aburame Kenpei roared, his fury boiling over.
When Uchiha Yoru had stormed the prison earlier and slaughtered his men, Kenpei hadn't been present—he could at least justify that as bad timing.
But now? Right under his nose…
Not only had the thugs he'd planted been wiped out, but even his own subordinates—
Four more, dead in an instant.
This was unforgivable.
He didn't know how Uchiha Yoru had broken the seal.
But right now, that didn't matter.
Only one thing did—
Kill him.
Uchiha Yoru had to die.
If he failed, not only would his fallen comrades' deaths be in vain, but he wouldn't escape punishment either.
Even if Yoru didn't kill him, the Hokage had already been promised—this man would not see tomorrow's sun.
If the mission failed, if the ANBU suffered heavy losses, if the Hokage's authority was humiliated…
What awaited him would be worse than death.
So—
Kenpei unleashed his chakra in an instant.
"Secret Technique: Insect Jade!"
Bzzz…
BZZZZZZ!
A sharp, piercing hum tore through the darkness, a sudden storm of sound—ominous, suffocating.
"T-That's the captain's—!"
"The Kikaichū secret technique?!"
"W-Watch out—!"
"Even among the Aburame, this technique is feared! It's uncontrollable—it'll kill anyone in its path, even us!"
"FALL BACK!"
The ANBU guards scrambled away in panic.
Yoru had left only one of the thugs alive.
But instead of finishing him off immediately, he turned his gaze toward Kenpei.
"An Aburame secret technique, huh?"
"And not just ordinary Kikaichū…"
"Invisible to the naked eye."
"But—"
His three-tomoe Sharingan flared crimson.
To these eyes, even the tiniest chakra-eating insects were as clear as fireflies in the dark.
Yet Yoru didn't let his guard down.
Kenpei was an ANBU squad leader for a reason—overseeing the entire prison wasn't a job for just anyone.
Yoru exhaled sharply, and flames erupted from his lips.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
The blaze roared like a furious dragon, claws of fire tearing through the air, scorching everything in its path.
Most of the invisible Kikaichū were incinerated instantly.
But some survived—scattering, regrouping, swarming toward Yoru from all directions.
"Hmph. Impressive for an Aburame."
A genuine compliment.
Then—
To Kenpei and the ANBU's shock—
Yoru let the remaining insects cover his body.
Kenpei's eyes widened—then he smirked.
"If you're eager to die, I'll oblige!"
"Secret Technique: Insect Devourment!"
The Kikaichū surged, ravenously consuming flesh and chakra alike.
The last surviving thug wasn't spared either—his screams echoed as the insects feasted.
"AAAAAGH!"
Kenpei scoffed. "Good. Saves me the trouble of cleaning up."
But then—
From the depths of the dark, damp prison—
A bolt of lightning exploded outward.
CRACKLE—ZZZT!
A blinding, thunderous flash illuminated the entire chamber.
"W-What the—?!"
Kenpei and the ANBU froze.
Before them stood Yoru—his body wreathed in lightning.
This was—
His newly awakened power:
Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
By flooding every cell with Lightning Release chakra, he achieved speed, strength, and defense beyond human limits.
And now?
He was only using its most basic form.
A single pulse of electricity surged through him—
And every last Kikaichū vaporized into nothing.
Like melting snowflakes.
Effortless.
Kenpei's blood ran cold.
"T-That power… Is it—?!"
Ignoring him, Yoru glanced at the writhing thug.
A cold smirk curled his lips.
"Did you really think I'd let you die by someone else's hand?"
With a flick of his wrist, the rusted kunai in his hand crackled with lightning—
"False Darkness Blade."
It pierced the thug's chest—then detonated in a burst of electricity, leaving a gaping hole where half his torso had been.
Thud.
All targets—
Eliminated.
Ding!
[You have slain an evildoer. Upholding justice, delivering retribution—Good. +60 Virtue Points.]
"Huh?"
"Only sixty?"
Yoru had noticed—the system's rewards depended on the target's strength, sins, and other factors.
This one just hadn't been worth much.
Kenpei finally understood—things had spiraled beyond control.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stay calm.
"Send word to the Hokage!"
"And the new ANBU Commander!"
"YES, SIR!"
Yoru's interest piqued.
The new ANBU Commander?
After Sarutobi Shinnosuke's death, who had taken over?
In the original timeline, it would've been Hatake Kakashi—but thanks to him, history had already changed.
He couldn't predict the future anymore.
Yoru didn't stop them.
In fact—he wanted them to call for backup.
Amused, he turned to Kenpei.
"You're not running?"
Sweat dripped down Kenpei's face, but his voice was steady.
"I am the warden of this prison."
"I won't abandon my duty… or my men."
Yoru nodded. "Commendable loyalty. Pity it's wasted on evil."
"Aburame Kenpei—abusing authority, colluding with spies, framing fellow shinobi, conspiring with criminals to assassinate me. Your sins are unforgivable."
"Sentence: Death."
Lightning Release Chakra Mode—activated!
Yoru vanished—reappearing in a flash of lightning, his speed unmatched.
Before Kenpei could react—
THUNK.
The False Darkness Blade pierced his heart, guided by the Sharingan's flawless precision.
Sharingan. Lightning Release Chakra Mode. False Darkness Blade.
With this trio of powers—
Uchiha Yoru cut through men like grass.
(◕‿◕)