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Hokage Building.
Danzō Shimura, utterly dismissed by Qianyu, seethed with a rage that had nowhere to go.
He never expected Qianyu to show him such blatant disrespect, right in front of Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
In the end, Danzō could only leave, fuming.
Back home, Qianyu found Kushina Uzumaki had already finished her meal. He smiled. "Full? Want anything else?"
Kushina shook her head. "Nope. I'm stuffed. So, how did the meeting go?"
At the mention of the meeting, Qianyu couldn't help but grumble. "I was just there to listen. My presence changed absolutely nothing. They really have too much time on their hands."
Kushina burst out laughing, offering comfort. "Alright, alright. You went, that's that. So, it's settled about Miyuki?"
Qianyu nodded. "Yeah. When it's time for the delivery, it'll be outside the village. Heavy security. Don't worry about her, Kushina. I placed a Transcription Seal: All-Rejection in her eye. Plus, I made a deal with the Nine-Tails a while back. Miyuki's safety… shouldn't be a major issue."
Kushina's eyes widened. "A deal? With the Nine-Tails? You can actually talk to it?"
"Of course," Qianyu replied. "Summons can communicate. Why wouldn't Tailed Beasts? It's just that almost all of them hold a fierce grudge against humans. Makes conversation difficult."
Kushina let out a relieved sigh. "As long as Miyuki is safe."
Qianyu grinned. "Relax. I'll do everything I can."
The Next Day.
Qianyu really didn't want to go see Danzō. Right now, he'd prefer to spend every single one of the day's twenty-four hours with Kushina.
But after some thought, he decided a visit was necessary.
Danzō had clearly stopped trusting him. Better to make some things crystal clear now. Prevent Danzō from getting any stupid ideas and causing trouble later.
"Kushina, heading out for a bit. Be right back. Be good and stay home, okay?"
Kushina didn't even blink, her eyes glued to the TV. "Got it. Go on, don't worry."
Qianyu left home and made his way to the Root base.
The place that had once granted him unimpeded access now stopped him at the gate. A Root ninja blocked his path, stating he needed to report to Danzō before Qianyu could enter.
Qianyu chuckled inwardly. So petty, Danzō. Guarding against me already?
Looks like I'll need to swing by the Leaf Village Defense Force later, collect the earnings from Kakashi. A few months' worth.
Danzō might just throw a fit later, try to snatch the Defense Force from me.
Doesn't matter. Only a few months left anyway. After the Nine-Tails incident, the Defense Force won't be necessary.
By then, the entire Uchiha clan will be isolated. Danzō will target them completely. The Uchiha will be on high alert. Making money off them then? Nearly impossible.
The Root ninja entered Danzō's office to report Qianyu's arrival.
Danzō's face was cold. He snorted. "Bring him in."
Qianyu followed the ninja into the familiar, gloomy depths of the Root base, arriving at Danzō's office.
Danzō stared at him, features dark with displeasure. "I am disappointed, Qianyu! You were gone for months. The arrest efficiency of the Leaf Village Defense Force against Uchiha plummeted in your absence. Now you're back, and you're even more negligent! What is truly beyond reason is your defiance of my direct orders! Qianyu, do you intend to betray me?!"
Qianyu gave a careless smile. "Disappointed? I'm quite pleased with myself. And 'betrayal'… that doesn't really apply, does it? I'm still a Leaf ninja. Still serving the village. Besides, I told you yesterday, Lord Danzō, I'd come explain myself."
His smile turned sharp. "But now, I can't even get past the front gate. Strictly speaking, isn't it you who has betrayed me, Lord Danzō?"
SLAM!
Danzō's palm crashed onto the desk. "You dare to overstep your place?!"
"'Overstep my place'?"
Qianyu stuck out his tongue. Right before Danzō's eyes, the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal—already an empty shell—slowly dissolved into nothingness.
"I am no longer a Root ninja. I am no longer your subordinate. Does that still count as 'overstepping'?"
Danzō's pupils contracted violently.
The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. Unbreakable. No one had ever broken it.
Yet Qianyu had just dissolved it like mist.
The look in Danzō's eyes now held naked killing intent. "So. You've come to lay your cards on the table."
Qianyu shrugged. "If you wanted the status quo, I wouldn't have ripped the mask off. We still share a common goal regarding the Uchiha. But your actions today… they tell me you no longer wish to cooperate. If we're not cooperating, why bother with the pretense?"
He met Danzō's murderous gaze without flinching. "Spare me the look. All these years as your tool, you've reaped more than enough benefits. Yet you seem to have misjudged the situation."
His voice dropped, calm and utterly cold. "It was never that I, Qianyu, needed to cling to Root, to cling to you. It was that you, and your Root, needed me. You've confused who holds the leverage."
Danzō's voice was a low snarl. "It is you who misunderstands the situation. Within Konoha, my authority is greater than yours! Your strength means nothing if you refuse to follow orders!"
Qianyu looked at him with a faint, almost pitying smile. "Greater authority? Your strength can't match mine, so you resort to wielding your position? How impressive. Go ahead. Try it. See if I care."
His tone turned mocking, laced with a dangerous edge. "Lord Danzō… you know I went to Ryūchi Cave to train. But do you know what I trained there?"
At the question, Danzō's pupils trembled.
Ryūchi Cave. One of the three great hermitages, alongside Mount Myōboku and the Shikkotsu Forest.
And the most famous thing associated with them… was Sage Art.
Jiraiya learned an imperfect Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku. His power skyrocketed.
Orochimaru once attempted to learn Sage Art at Ryūchi Cave. He failed.
And the most famous of all… was Hashirama Senju's Sage Mode.
It could be said that Sage Mode was a cornerstone of Hashirama's title as the God of Shinobi.
Before Danzō could form a response, Qianyu moved.
Boom.
A wave of energy erupted. Dragon horns sprouted from Qianyu's forehead. Scales patterned his skin. A cloak of vibrant, cyan Sage chakra enveloped his form.
Simultaneously, his eyes swirled into the Mangekyō Sharingan. And within their crimson depths, the tomoe shifted, coalescing into a single, vertical pupil.
The sheer, oppressive pressure of his presence slammed into Danzō.
Danzō shot to his feet, his body instinctively falling into a defensive stance.
Qianyu's voice cut through the heavy air, every word a promise of violence. "Danzō. I suggest you accept reality. If you do anything… anything… that crosses my line, I will lose my mind. A lot of people might die. Who knows?"
He leaned forward slightly, the Sage energy crackling around him. "You think you might be among them?"
The threat hung in the air, thick and suffocating.
Then, Qianyu simply… released it. The horns, the scales, the cyan chakra—all vanished. The Mangekyō Sharingan faded back to black.
He offered Danzō one last, mocking smirk.
Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out of the Root base, leaving Danzō standing alone in the sudden, heavy silence of his office.
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