Chapter 207: Prisoners

Finally, Shikamaru reached a hidden door in what looked like an abandoned laboratory. Having dealt with the annoying security, he went on. He was met by a good barrier technique in which Shikamaru was able to distinguish some familiar features.

`` Kaito ... '' Shikamaru nodded glumly as he passed his hand over the unremarkable stone wall.

“It looks like someone was able to get him to make this hideout ... Impressive.” Among the Uzumaki and their masters, Shikamaru especially respected a few, Kaito was one of the first. Excellent master of barriers, creator of the special style of Barrier Ninjutsu and Jutsu for sealing living beings. But all this faded before his main invention - teleportation formations and the very technique of teleportation of the Second Hokage. Of course, Tobirama changed it for himself, but it would not be a mistake to say that Kaito created the basis. Moreover, he did all this at an age not inferior to the Second Hokage. By Uzumaki's standards, he was extremely young. Even without being the patriarch of the clan, but only one of his children, he showed a genius that surpassed any of his generation. Unfortunately, Kaito died during one of his own experiments with space barriers. He did not want to be satisfied with what has already been achieved, wanting to find a way to move freely around the world and, perhaps, even in different dimensions. Once, he simply disappeared almost without a trace, leaving behind only a couple of severed legs. We can say that he died striving for his dream, worthy of a shinobi. Perhaps it was his death that allowed the enemies to grow bolder and attack the Maelstrom ...

Shikamaru folded a row of seals, pulled out a scroll, poured chakra into it and leaned it against the barrier. In fact, he could pass without these manipulations, but in that case, he could lose a lot of time inside Kaito's barrier ninjutsu. It was always possible to enter his barriers, but to leave ... Shikamaru did not really want to break through by force, it would definitely attract attention or could harm the territory on which he laid eyes.

*

Meanwhile, Hiruzen had already penetrated the Root and finally reached the body of his slain comrade. The picture he saw simply could not but amaze even such an experienced shinobi as the Third Hokage.

Danz was decapitated, but there was not a drop of blood at the place where the head was cut, just something dark and strange, but the blood was noticeably oozing from the old man's head, his skull had a distinct hole in his forehead, ending at the very back of his head.

"How is this possible ..." - Hiruzen was amazed that there was not even any special destruction in the area, only a few stones, probably from a minor collision, were out of place. The bodies of the still living Anbu Root were scattered around. Which Hiruzen ordered to dissolve a long time ago. Several of them had similar wounds like those near Danzo's neck, they seemed to have been cut with some unknown weapon ... The only one who was killed was the elder, all the rest did not seem to bother the newcomer, judging by the traces on the wall, they were simply scattered like ants and deprived chakras.

The Hokage darkened sharply, the exam was approaching, and then someone so strong appeared in their village and so simply got rid of the elder. Although Hiruzen was stronger than his old comrade, but even he did not believe that he could kill him so quickly and clearly, and even surrounded by Anbu, each of whom is an experienced Jonin. How to deal with this situation is not entirely clear ...

With a grim expression, Hiruzen quickly realized that it was possible that the enemy was still at Root. If not, he should have checked!

*

At the same time, Shikamaru opened the protected fuin door and entered the unknown area of ​​the Root. Then he nodded again in admiration. Danz definitely couldn’t do something like that. This barrier hid many people that even an experienced sensor or owner of the Byakugan could not find, no matter how hard he tried. Yes, there was darkness under the Root, in which dozens of people imprisoned in steel cages were kept. Even in the air, there was a concentrated gas of an unknown substance. Shikamaru first encountered this, but already on the first breath he quickly realized the property of this gas: hallucinations, introduction to a psychedelic state. All this led to rather sad consequences, even with chakra, emaciated people could not resist a quick intoxication. Their chakra control naturally left much to be desired, in other words, they became ordinary people, moreover, pumped up with this drug.

For all this, Shikamaru could only breathe, especially when he examined these people in chains. Not only gas, but all other limbs were blocked with special chains. All the prisoners here were truly helpless.

This dim hall was illuminated by the faint lights of two capsules, only a faint emerald glow emanated from them. When Shikamaru focused on these two capsules, he was seriously surprised:

- Old rascal ... What a surprise! - with a quick step, the guy got close to these two capsules and touched one of them:

- What should I do with this ... - Shikamaru's reaction can be understood, yet not some useless things were stored in this luminous liquid - they were Sharingans and Byakugan. The two capsules contained dozens of different pairs of eyes, some of the Hyuga dojutsu looking dimmer than others, some darker. As for the Sharingans, they also differed, ranging from the weakest with one Tomoe, ending with the eyes with three.

Chuckling enough at this finding, Shikamaru looked around. On both sides of the exit there were only cells with prisoners, there were twenty-three of them in total, none of them even paid attention to the suddenly arrived guest. Due to the gas, their consciousness most likely could have collapsed long ago. He hadn't built too much hopes, but since Danz had made them here, all these people might not be so simple. Especially the girl with disheveled hair at the very edge. Shikamaru could see everyone here perfectly, even in this dim light. Of all those present there were only three girls, and only one of them had a blindfold over her eyes, and in general, among all people, she was the only one who possessed it.

Shikamaru frowned.

“Dark hair, pale skin ... A bandage that might hide the Dojutsu. Danz didn't rip out his eyes? Could it be ... "- Shikamaru did not hesitate, but simply went to the cage and with force tore it from its hinges, then finally, for the first time, several people reacted. They all lay on the cold floor like lifeless zombies. But as soon as a loud sound was heard, some twitched and tried to get up, especially the one closest to the sound - a brunette, with a bandage over her eyes. She was sitting at the edge of the bars, her legs bent at the knees, her skin and bare feet were not in their best condition, covered with mud and even dried blood. Greasy hair hid her face, except for a large brown bandage speckled with fuin symbols, exactly the same fabric, like a straitjacket, wrapped her body up to the waist, while her legs were fastened by two large steel chains mounted on the floor.

There were no markings on the clothes, but Shikamaru did not feel any danger from this girl. Her chakra was weakly expressed, so he could not guess where she was from, but as soon as his hand touched the girl's hair, he immediately pulled his hand in shock:

- Uchiha! - the guy immediately narrowed his eyes: - Old bastard, and you are not as simple as I can see ... I dare to assume that the only Uchiha woman who is honored with such an attitude is ...

With a sharp movement, Shikamaru grabbed the bandage and tore it apart, then tossed the girl's impressively long hair over her shoulder and immediately peered into her face, into her dim eyes. Danz didn’t rip them out ... Shikamaru was enough to understand who was in front of him. Even the dirt and dust, dried blood on the lips and eyes, could not hide her attractive features:

- Mikoto ...