"Danzō-sama is in the old base of Root, about five kilometers to the west!"
"You… you're right. Danzō-sama's target for us was indeed your parents…" The sole surviving ninja stammered, his voice laced with terror. "Please spare my life!"
A faint smile touched Ren's lips as he listened. "Truly a creature of… self-preservation." Ren gazed at the trembling Root Jōnin and offered a chilling compliment, "You're not bad. You're very good."
Seeing that Ren seemed to be in a good mood, the Root ninja's eyes lit up with desperate hope. "Then, Lord, you…"
Before he could finish, Ren was suddenly beside him, as if he had simply appeared from thin air.
Suddenly, the Jōnin felt his gaze shift, his vision spiraling upwards.
"You… you can't kill me, but I…" The ninja's eyes widened in extreme terror, and he shrieked, his words cut short.
Zheng——
The azure-blue glow of the Nichirin Blade flashed once more. Ren had cleanly severed the head of the man before him.
Just let him go after telling Danzō's location? Ren scoffed. This group of people had targeted his family; how could Ren possibly allow them to escape unscathed?
"Danzō… the old base of the Root…" Ren murmured softly, his mind already calculating his next move.
Just then, the mechanical mouse in Ren's hand buzzed, relaying a piece of urgent information: nearly twenty individuals were rapidly approaching his location.
---
A Few Minutes Earlier, At the Old Root Base Stronghold…
Danzō stood amidst the gathered remnants of his Root ninjas, bolstered by some of the manpower provided by Shimura Egawa. He was patiently waiting, poised to intercept whoever managed to secure the Scroll of Seals. But fate, it seemed, was not on his side.
Not long after he dispatched the team to kidnap Ren's parents, an incredibly potent surge of chakra erupted nearby. Danzō knew this could only mean one thing: Ren had returned.
Danzō gritted his teeth, a scowl deepening on his face. He couldn't fathom how Ren had discovered their plot against his parents, but now was not the time to dwell on it. Since Ren had rushed back, the Anbu ninjas Sarutobi Hiruzen had dispatched to pursue the Scroll of Seals would surely diminish their strength. The Scroll of Seals… that should be secure now. Unaware that Tsunade had been integrated into Ren's Anbu team, Danzō made his grim assessment.
As for the initial plan to kidnap Ren's parents and use them as leverage… that operation was undeniably exposed. For Danzō, who always sought stability above all, it was best to cease hostilities immediately, lest further actions reveal more of his vulnerabilities. Since his initial attempt had failed, Danzō had no desire to take further risks.
However, among the ninja team sent to kidnap Ren's parents, there was one individual Danzō absolutely had to save: Shimura Egawa's own son! His father had lost almost half his family's fortune to Ren in a casino, and he himself… had suffered a broken arm at the training ground at the hands of Tsunade and Tenten (Ren's sister). Father and son united in hatred, he couldn't possibly endure this insult!
When Danzō first released this mission, Shimura Egawa's son had actively volunteered, insisting he join the kidnapping of Ren's parents, swearing to exact his revenge with his own hands. Shimura Danzō, indebted to Egawa for his support, found himself unable to refuse the request of Egawa's own son. Thus, he had been incorporated into the team that was to kidnap Ren's parents, even being made the leader of the operation.
Now, the unusually powerful chakra that had flared not far away… the only logical possibility Danzō could consider was that Ren, somehow knowing their plans, had rushed back. If Danzō didn't go to the rescue, Shimura Egawa would undoubtedly confront him afterward! It was even possible that Egawa would expose their machinations to Sarutobi Hiruzen, dragging Danzō down with him!
"Hmph…" Shimura Danzō sighed, a frustrated sound echoing in the old Root base. The man… he must be saved!
"Everyone, prepare to move!" Shimura Danzō bellowed, addressing the remnants of the Root ninjas assembled in the desolate stronghold.
Immediately, they sprang into action, rushing towards Ren's detected location. The plan to use Ren's parents as hostages was clearly impossible now. But the imperative to rescue Shimura Egawa's son remained. And now that things had escalated to this level, perhaps it was time to simply go out and personally eliminate Ren! A grim smile twisted Shimura Danzō's lips. Directly obliterating Ren's prodigious talent… it certainly wouldn't be a loss for Shimura Danzō!
After all… just a few days ago, he had received news from the Akatsuki organization. If he helped Akatsuki eliminate Ren, they promised to assist him with one critical task… a task equivalent to utterly destroying the Uchiha clan!
Ninjas move with incredible speed. Furthermore, the distance between the two parties was only five kilometers, which was practically negligible. Moving swiftly would take barely any time at all. Shimura Danzō's speed was formidable, but Ren's actions were even faster!
Facing the three Root Jōnin, Ren's attacks had been utterly decisive. In their very first encounter, he had wounded all three with his specially crafted kunai with a tracking ability, then, after a few chilling words, beheaded two of them, forcing the last one to break down and confirm their Root affiliation and Danzō's involvement!
When Danzō finally arrived at the scene, the corpses of the three Root Jōnin… were already cold!
"You!" Seeing Ren and the bodies at his feet, Danzō's fury erupted.
"With so many people here, will they look at me too highly?" Perched on a nearby rooftop, Ren smiled, his gaze sweeping over the Root ninjas below. "Are you here to rescue? Or are you here to kill me?"
"If it's rescue," Ren continued, a mocking edge to his voice, "then I can only regretfully inform you: you are too late!"
Facing twenty enemies, Ren showed no sign of nervousness. He paused. "Is that old thing, Danzō, here?" After speaking, Ren deliberately raised his voice, letting it carry far and wide: "Danzō, Shimura Danzō-sama, are you among this group of people?! Are you here to kill me?"
His clear voice echoed loudly through the night sky. This wasn't some remote wilderness; this was Konoha! Ren's voice reached the ears of thousands of Konoha residents!
When his words reverberated, the Root operatives below were instantly stunned.
"Ca-Captain… what do we do!"
Operating within Konoha, Danzō himself was wearing a mask. When venturing out, his Root ninjas naturally couldn't call him "Danzō-sama," nor could they reveal his name.
"Disperse and hide first, so as not to be discovered by the Konoha residents. I will deal with him!" Danzō, his masked face grim, ordered his subordinates. With a powerful leap, he ascended to the rooftop, launching himself directly at Ren.
"Wind Release: Shuriken!"
Several shuriken, infused with powerful Wind Release chakra, making them incredibly sharp and able to cut through nearly anything, were hurled from Danzō's hands, rocketing straight for Ren's neck.
Ding, ding!
Ren calmly drew his Grass Cutter Sword (Kusanagi no Tsurugi), deflecting the incomparably sharp kunai.
"Tsk… Even infused with Wind Release chakra, your ninja tools are still crude." Ren scoffed. "Let me show you what a real ninja tool is!"
Shhhhh—
Ejecting the kunai Danzō had just fired, Ren then retrieved the tracking kunai he had used to injure the three Root Jōnin earlier, and flung it back!