Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh…
Inside the dense forest,
figures leapt rapidly from branch to branch across towering trees.
"Lord Danzō, that brat is catching up!"
"Mm…"
Danzō's eyes were dark and cold.
A sinister smile appeared on his lips.
"I was worried he wouldn't catch up."
"The Wood Release he used… its power is far beyond that traitor Tenzo's."
"It wasn't a wasted trip for me to come personally."
Earlier,
when Chiye Ren used the Impalement Technique,
combined with that impossible-to-defend genjutsu,
he instantly killed several Root members.
That performance had shocked Danzō.
And it made him even more eager to bring such a genius under his command.
Clack… clack…
As he ran,
he began unwrapping the bandages on his right arm.
Beneath them was a metal device tightly sealing the limb.
It was covered in special sealing techniques
designed to prevent ocular powers like the Byakugan or Sharingan from seeing through it.
"Alright… right here…"
Just as Danzō felt they had drawn Ren far enough away—
Rustle!
Without warning—
the massive tree beneath his feet suddenly seemed to come alive.
Thick vines burst out instantly.
"What?!"
Danzō's pupils shrank.
Without hesitation,
he jumped into the air.
He barely dodged the vines shooting toward him from every direction.
Landing on the ground, he kicked up a cloud of dust.
But his subordinates weren't so lucky.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Damn it!"
"Watch out!"
"Cut them!"
Green vines shot out like lightning.
They instantly bound the Root operatives' legs.
Before they could slash them apart—
more vines appeared.
They wrapped around their entire bodies.
"Impossible!"
"It's absorbing our chakra!"
"Lord Danzō—save me!"
Panic filled their voices.
Their chakra was being drained rapidly.
Their bodies visibly shriveled.
"AAAAAAH—!"
Their screams echoed through the forest.
Soon—
only terrified, dried corpses hung among the vines.
The sight was chilling.
"Absorbing chakra… just like the First Hokage's Wood Release?"
Danzō stared at the horrifying scene.
Shock filled his eyes.
"He's only eight years old… yet he's already reached this level?"
He had thought he had overestimated Ren.
But now he realized—
he had still underestimated him.
Such power could no longer be judged by normal standards.
Yet Danzō's expression remained cold.
He ignored the desperate cries of his subordinates.
Instead,
while maintaining vigilance,
he calmly removed the heavy metal sealing device from his arm.
He watched indifferently
as the Root ninjas were drained of chakra and died in despair.
At that moment—
a voice echoed from above.
"Oh? Isn't this the respected member of Konoha's famous Four Elders—"
"The legendary scapegoat Hokage, Shimura Danzō?"
Ren's figure suddenly emerged from the trunk of a nearby tree.
He looked down at Danzō mockingly.
"So why are you here instead of hiding in Konoha doing shady things?"
"Chiye Ren… you know who I am?"
Danzō frowned.
His expression darkened.
He rarely appeared publicly.
Most of his work was done in the shadows due to Hiruzen Sarutobi's restrictions.
Ordinarily, Ren shouldn't recognize him.
Had Tsunade told the boy?
"No, I don't know you."
Ren smirked sarcastically.
Looking down from the tree, he shouted loudly:
"Who are you really?"
"Why are you impersonating Konoha elder Shimura Danzō?"
"Disguising yourselves as Root ninjas and attempting to assassinate one of the Legendary Sannin—Princess Tsunade of Konoha!"
"Trying to frame the leader of Root?"
"What kind of conspiracy are you plotting?!"
"You sharp-tongued brat…"
Danzō remained expressionless.
But his eyes glowed with killing intent.
"However…"
"If you're saying that…"
"I can rest easy."
Clang!
He removed the metal sealing device.
His right shoulder revealed the grotesque face of the First Hokage.
His right arm—
embedded with multiple crimson Sharingan—
looked horrifying.
Danzō didn't attack immediately.
Instead,
he calmly formed hand seals.
"You turned yourself into this disgusting half-human monster just for power."
Ren looked at the arm full of Sharingan and the Hashirama face.
He mocked mercilessly.
"Pathetic."
Ren didn't stop him.
He didn't even plan to use his Sharingan yet.
After finally encountering a worthy opponent,
his blood was boiling.
"You brat who grew up in peace, knowing nothing about war…"
Danzō's face remained calm.
He pulled off the bandage covering his right eye.
A three-tomoe Sharingan was revealed.
"You can't possibly understand the despair of being powerless."
"Chiye Ren…"
"Your power will belong to me."
His eyes burned with ambition.
Clenching his fist, he shouted:
"I will guide you!"
"I will end the chaos of this world and bring peace to the ninja world!"
"I will create a new era!"
"Oh?"
Ren smiled lightly.
"So that's your dream?"
"Too bad…"
"You'll never see Infinite Tsukuyomi."
As he spoke,
he raised his right hand toward Danzō.
Under Danzō's vigilant gaze—
Ren suddenly clenched his fist.
SHING! SHING!
Without warning—
sharp wooden spikes burst violently from the ground.
They stabbed upward from every direction.
"What?!"
Everything happened in an instant.
Danzō's expression changed drastically.
He had no time to dodge.
The spikes pierced straight through him.
His body was riddled with holes.
Blood poured everywhere.
Danzō coughed up blood.
He stared at Ren in disbelief.
"You…"
But before he could finish—
life left his body.
He collapsed onto the ground.
Motionless.
…
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