Danzo's expression shifted drastically upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Sarutobi Hiruzen to suddenly bring this up, let alone that his secret actions had already been exposed. Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's sharp, piercing gaze, he had no choice but to admit it.
Danzo's voice was forceful as he tried to use the excuse of "for the sake of Konoha" to cover his greed and ambition.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger erupted like a volcano. As the Hokage of Konoha, the leader of the strongest ninja village, he had been completely unaware of something as significant as the Rinnegan.
"Are you doing this for Konoha, or for your own selfish desires?"
"Danzo, since you possessed such critical information, why didn't you report it to me, the Hokage? Do you still have Konoha in your heart?"
Faced with the Hokage's interrogation, Danzo not only refused to back down but retorted sharply, "Hiruzen, you are too weak! In this turbulent era, only I can eliminate those potential threats. Your so-called peaceful methods will only plunge the village into greater crisis."
For a moment, the tension between the two reached its peak.
The power struggle between the Hokage and the leader of the Root was on full display.
Yet, after a fierce exchange, it ultimately ended with Danzo's retreat.
He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Fine, I admit I acted without authorization. But it was also for the village's good. Now, I am willing to share all the intelligence I have."
As Danzo finished speaking, he revealed quite a bit of hidden information.
Although Sarutobi Hiruzen still harbored resentment towards Danzo's actions, he knew this old friend and comrade was not someone to hold accountable at this moment.
Thus, he coldly relayed the information about Roy.
"The leader of the Akatsuki has set his sights on Konoha. We must prepare."
Hearing this, Danzo's brows furrowed tightly, clearly finding the threat of the Akatsuki quite troublesome.
However, the differences and conflicts between the two were not completely resolved, and they eventually parted ways on bad terms.
...
Meanwhile, Roy's attention was locked onto the forbidden technique scroll in his mind, a smug smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
By pretending to be Uchiha Itachi, he had indeed obtained this item.
"Wood Release, and even Impure World Reincarnation… I've got it all!"
Roy muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
But considering the current situation, he planned to temporarily leave the Ninja World and return to the world of One Piece.
After all, there was still some time before Orochimaru's attack on Konoha, and using the chat group to travel between worlds consumed points daily, so he naturally wanted to save where he could.
Thus, after confirming everything was ready, Roy activated the teleportation function without hesitation.
With a flash of light, his figure vanished from the Ninja World, instantly crossing space and time to return to the One Piece world.
Upon arriving, he realized it was still a while before his shift ended.
But for a slacker like him, skipping work was no big deal.
He transformed into a trail of light and quickly arrived at a deserted island far from Marine Headquarters.
Roy couldn't wait to test the power of Wood Release.
He descended into a spacious and relatively flat area.
Roy slowly closed his eyes, recalling the details of Wood Release from the forbidden technique scroll and the sequence of chakra flow.
As he studied the ninjutsu, his understanding of Wood Release deepened, and the surrounding air seemed to undergo a subtle change.
Finally, when he snapped his eyes open, he let out a low shout: "Descent of the Tree Forest!"
With a light clap of his hands, waves of energy brimming with powerful life force surged from deep underground, rapidly spreading out.
Guided by Roy's will, towering trees shot up one after another, majestic and lush, bursting with vitality.
"Success!"
When the last tree took root in the barren land, Roy opened his eyes.
This sprawling, vast forest proved that his Wood Release was no mere facade; at the very least, it surpassed Yamato's Wood Release abilities.
Of course, while his Wood Release had achieved notable results, it still seemed far inferior to Senju Hashirama's.
The power he had obtained from the Divine Tree fragment remained insufficient.
He took out the activated Divine Tree fragment and observed it closely. Even in the One Piece world, the fragment retained its vigorous vitality, as if it had its own rhythm of breath.
Roy slowly infused his chakra into it, and the Divine Tree fragment became more active, even conveying an urgent need to him—it required more life force to nourish itself.
Faced with the Divine Tree fragment's demand, Roy felt somewhat helpless but had already formed a plan.
He headed to the shore, where Sea Kings roamed.
As he pondered, a massive Sea King suddenly leaped out of the water, its gaping maw aimed at Roy.
Without any panic, Roy simply waved his hand. A searing laser shot across the sky, accurately striking the Sea King down.
He then dragged the Sea King's corpse near the Divine Tree fragment, allowing it to absorb the life force.
As it absorbed the life force, the Divine Tree fragment gradually underwent subtle changes.
Its branches seemed to grow sturdier and more robust, and its leaves became increasingly verdant.
However, Roy, standing by and observing quietly, vaguely sensed something indescribable from the Divine Tree fragment.
It was an instinctual displeasure—the Divine Tree seemed dissatisfied with the flesh and life force forcibly absorbed into it.
The Divine Tree fragment appeared to have faint traces of consciousness, expressing discontent.
But given the circumstances, since Roy had only provided the Sea King's flesh, the Divine Tree branch reluctantly absorbed it.
Yet the efficiency of this process was not as high as expected, as if the Sea King's flesh was not entirely compatible with it.
"Quite picky," Roy frowned.
With such limited time, the only viable source of sufficient, high-quality life force were Sea Kings.
Over the next few days, Roy continuously attracted Sea Kings, hunted them, and constantly transmitted his chakra into the Divine Tree fragment.
Bored during this time, Roy fed the Divine Tree while browsing the chat group's messages.
[Group member Historia Reiss starts a livestream.]
Curious, Roy clicked in. He had been busy in other worlds lately and hadn't paid much attention to the Titan World.
But he remembered that Historia Reiss seemed to have become queen several years ago.
However, Roy quickly curled his lips. The screen showed several airships flying in the sky.
And emblazoned on them were the words "Stark Industries."
???
That was Roy's reaction at this moment.
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