A flurry of kunai erupted from Ren's hands, hurtling towards Danzō in an instant.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Danzō swiftly deflected one of the kunai, infused with Wind Release chakra. Hmph, your ninja tools are nothing special, he thought, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. Just as that thought settled, a faint breath of wind brushed past his ear from behind.
Not good!
Shimura Danzō's long-held position in Konoha's upper echelons wasn't solely due to his cunning strategies; his personal strength was formidable. He was, after all, a disciple of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and like the current Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, he had survived the chaos of battlefields alongside Tobirama. The kunai he had just dodged attacked him again, and Danzō sensed the danger in the critical moment.
Spinning with startling speed, Danzō blocked the relentless kunai, his movements quick and precise. Yet, the kunai Ren had thrown… turned once more, continuing its relentless pursuit, as if it would never give up until it struck its target. Danzō was secretly aghast. This kunai… why is it so cursed?! For a moment, he, a veteran who had survived the First Great Ninja War, found himself completely entangled by a mere handful of kunai!
At the same time, Ren was far from idle.
"Lord Danzō, why are you gathering so many people here?" Ren's voice boomed, clear and melodious, seemingly designed to carry across the entire village. "You know the Scroll of Seals was stolen. Are you truly calling so many people to help Konoha retrieve it?"
He paused for emphasis, his gaze piercing. "The thief fled to the south, so why have you come here, attacking me?!"
Hearing Ren's deliberate shouts, Danzō's entire face darkened. He couldn't allow Ren to continue bellowing like this. But the cursed kunai continued its relentless pursuit. Gritting his teeth, Danzō made a critical decision.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The ringing clash of metal reverberated as Danzō, at the cost of two more scratches on his arm, finally struck the weird, tracking kunai to the ground. That irritating kunai… finally ceased its impossible movements!
Gazing at the seemingly frivolous Ren before him, Danzō yearned to tear him limb from limb. This brat was so utterly rude! Danzō longed to retaliate with venomous words, the kind that had driven Konoha's White Fang to take his own life, but he couldn't! After several deafening shouts from Ren, countless Konoha residents must have noticed the disturbance. If Danzō spoke up now, he would only expose more of his clandestine dealings. His immediate priority was to silence this hateful boy, to behead him swiftly before more Konoha villagers arrived!
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
Having dispatched the annoying tracking kunai, Danzō let out a low growl. Instantly, the kunai in his hand glowed, infused with a high concentration of chakra, transforming into a razor-sharp blade. With a burst of Body Flicker Technique, Danzō's figure abruptly appeared beside Ren, his hands moving not to lift, but to thrust, delivering a swift, deadly strike.
"Breath of Water, Second Form – Water Wheel!"
Danzō's attack was easily parried by Ren. Danzō's time was urgent; he had to eliminate Ren in the shortest possible time, meaning he couldn't afford to be frugal with his chakra! In a single powerful strike, Danzō distanced himself again with the Body Flicker Technique, his hands weaving seals in a continuous motion: "Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Several concentrated spheres of wind chakra erupted from his mouth, rushing forward. Even as the wind spheres tore through the air, Danzō unleashed another burst of chakra, using the Body Flicker Technique to reappear by Ren's side, launching a supplementary Vacuum Blade attack! Danzō's speed was incredible. He attacked from close range even as his Vacuum Spheres spread out, showing no fear that his own jutsu would hit him! This only proved that Shimura Danzō truly hadn't attained his high position in Konoha for no reason. Shimura Danzō's strength… it was undeniably potent!
Danzō is a very strong individual, Ren acknowledged. But… Danzō's strength is, at most, on par with Kakuzu.And Kakuzu… is Ren's defeated general! And a human with five hearts; how many times can you die, Danzō-sama?
Oh… you have a Sharingan eye on one arm. That's fine. Then you might truly have the strength of Kakuzu… But so what?! As early as his confrontation with the three Root Jōnin, Ren had already activated the Eight Inner Gates Formation. Danzō was strong, yes… but Ren was stronger!
"Breath of Water, Third Form – Flowing Dance!"
With the Eight Inner Gates Formation activated, Ren's speed was already prodigious. Combined with the blessing of the Breath of Water, his speed soared even higher! Azure-blue water effects shimmered everywhere in a single breath, and Ren's figure seemed to appear simultaneously in multiple locations!
Shu! Shu! Shu!
Danzō's highly concentrated Wind Release: Vacuum Spheres were effortlessly shattered by the Nichirin Blade in Ren's hand. The high-pressure wind spheres disintegrated, sending powerful gusts spreading outwards from the impact points. Ren's movements remained unbroken. Unaffected by the intense winds, he slashed directly at Shimura Danzō, who was still beside him.
Chichichichi—
Danzō's kunai, its sharp blade infused with Wind Release ninjutsu, clashed with the equally sharp Nichirin Blade. The incredibly harsh sound of metal on metal seemed to tear at the eardrums! The blow still missed. Danzō's strength proved formidable, and he managed to avoid Ren's strike.
In an instant, Danzō launched his next attack. The sharp chakra blade on his kunai flashed across the rooftop, creating ripples of water-like energy in the deep night. The figures of the two flickered back and forth across the wide rooftop. In a short span, they had exchanged more than ten blows. Danzō was strong, but Ren was stronger… However, their battle had not lasted long enough for either to gain a definitive advantage; neither side had sustained any injury during their fierce exchange.
The night stretched long. Danzō clenched his fist. This can't go on! He didn't have much time to waste here! Ren… he had to die by Danzō's hand! But he found himself unable to gain the upper hand… This brat's power was simply too absurd. He truly didn't know how this little devil trained!
"Everyone, obey my order! Use Fire Release and Wind Release, and focus your attacks on the enemy!" Danzō roared from the rooftop. He was issuing commands to the Root members who had followed him and now lurked, hidden under his orders. He, Shimura Danzō, alone, couldn't subdue Ren, so he would use the entire group! Danzō sneered. He refused to believe that a combined assault by an entire squad wouldn't overwhelm Ren!
"Yes!"
The Root ninjas, hidden in the shadows, obeyed, one by one forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Impatiens Lotus!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
"Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere!"
One after another, ninjutsu converged from all directions. The Wind Release ninjutsu met the Fire Release ninjutsu, the wind fueling the flames… making them even more violent! Approximately twenty ninjas unleashed their ninjutsu in unison. The resulting spectacle… was immense! Under the blessing of Wind Release, the already powerful Fire Release ninjutsu merged with a variety of other techniques… The overwhelming flames brightened the night!
Above, a massive wave of fire gnawed at the air, like a burning sea. The combined ninjutsu of twenty or so ninjas… created a blaze so enormous that it could completely engulf the entire street where Ren stood! Such a vast area… it seemed like there was no way to escape.
And Danzō… sneered. He wasn't worried at all about being affected by his subordinates' ninjutsu; after all, his arm hadn't been transplanted in vain! Shimura Danzō looked at Ren with gloomy eyes, a subtle sneer playing on his lips. He searched for a flicker of fear or surprise on Ren's face. But… he was disappointed.
Facing the inferno, no trace of panic marred Ren's features. Instead, he chuckled lightly. He shifted the Nichirin Blade to his left hand and drew another weapon from his storage ring…
It was a katana!
A katana that looked utterly unassuming…
The sea of fire descended, drawing closer and closer to Ren. But Ren remained unhurried. He raised the unpretentious knife, pointing it directly at the endless sea of fire in the sky.
Ren's lips parted lightly: "Sitting on the frosty sky…"