This Danzo Is Weird!

"Take care of Konan. You must strive to survive!"

Yahiko and Nagato exchanged glances, speaking their final words.

"What a boring scene."

Watching from the side, Danzo sighed. If he didn't act now, these naïve kids would really die.

He hadn't even gained their favor yet—letting them die now was not an option.

"Ryoma, give me the mask."

It was more of a grab than a request.

Danzo roughly snatched Ryoma's mask and placed it on his face. Forming hand seals, he unleashed the newly obtained Body Flicker Technique.

Water Body Flicker Technique!

Though it was his first time using it, the system's support made it effortless for Danzo.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared at Hanzō's side, wearing the mask.

The kunai, enhanced by Wind Release chakra, became razor-sharp and tore through the air with a terrifying sound, aiming straight at Hanzō.

Startled by the sudden attack, Hanzō instinctively threw the hostage in his arms to block the strike.

This was exactly what Danzo had anticipated.

Prepared, Danzo flipped the kunai and used his other hand to catch Konan before leaping toward the valley below.

Hanzō's face darkened, realizing he'd been tricked.

He was used to deceiving others, yet today, he was the one deceived.

Burning with rage, he activated another trap he had prepared.

"Fire Release: Explosive Flame Array!"

With a series of hand seals, black seals appeared beneath Yahiko and Nagato's feet.

"Die!"

In the next moment, a fiery explosion engulfed them completely.

Meanwhile, Danzo used the Body Flicker Technique again to evade the blast, the smoke from the explosion trailing like threads around him.

"Yahiko! Nagato!"

Safe for the moment, Konan cried out in despair toward the explosion's center.

Fortunately, a shadow soon emerged from the smoke—actually, two shadows.

Yahiko was lying in Nagato's arms, his body charred and lifeless.

Nagato, on the other hand, appeared unharmed.

"Nagato, what happened?" Konan asked anxiously.

Nagato quickly explained, "Yahiko shielded me from the explosion!"

Before they could process this, numerous Ame-nin surrounded them, cutting off all escape routes.

Above them, Hanzō stood high and mighty, radiating authority.

His gaze fell on Danzo's mask, and he asked with dissatisfaction, "You're from Root?"

Danzo, mimicking Ryoma's voice, replied, "That's right! The name's Maro of the Root Division—clear and straightforward!"

His bold admission left Hanzō suspicious.

Why would Danzo do something like this? If he wasn't targeting the Akatsuki, there was no reason for him to intervene in this operation.

"Well, it doesn't matter..."

Hanzō slowly drew his signature weapon—a chain scythe.

The weapon resembled a scythe but was connected to a heavy iron weight with a chain, a hybrid between a kusarigama and a flail.

"No matter who you are, I'll just kill you and deliver your head to Danzo for confirmation."

His raspy voice carried a cold finality.

"All units, attack!"

At his command, a flood of Ame-nin poured into the valley and swarmed the group.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"

"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"

Countless Water Release techniques surged forth, transforming into a massive flood aimed at the four of them.

Seeing this, Nagato, filled with rage, handed Yahiko to Konan and stepped forward.

Slamming his hands onto the ground, he shouted:

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

The ground trembled as a massive, sturdy wall of earth rose, blocking the oncoming flood entirely.

　　The powerful airflow generated by the collision between the water current and the earth wall lifted Nagato's red hair, revealing the majestic Rinnegan beneath.

Standing on the sidelines, observing the battle, Hanzō's eyes flickered as he watched Nagato's display.

As someone who revered strength above all else, he realized he might have made a mistake. This child with the Rinnegan was likely the true leader of the Akatsuki!

Even though the flood had been blocked, the Rain-nin's offensive did not stop there.

Using the water currents as cover, several Amegakure Ninja quickly climbed onto the earth wall, wielding their blades and charging at Nagato.

"I'll cover the rear. You must leave now!"

Danzo stepped forward decisively, forming hand seals and gathering chakra.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A violent gust of wind erupted from his mouth, forming a hurricane that blew away the approaching Amegakure Ninja.

"It's too dangerous for you to stay behind alone!" Nagato immediately rejected the idea.

After all, it was they who had ignored Danzo's goodwill and walked into this trap. Now, they couldn't let someone from Root sacrifice themselves to protect them. Nagato couldn't accept such a thing.

Danzo wasn't surprised by Nagato's reaction.

Infusing his kunai with Wind Release chakra, he used the Body Flicker Technique to close the distance, effortlessly taking down two Amegakure Ninja attacking Yahiko.

He then shouted sternly, "By the order of Lord Danzo, no matter the cost, your safety must be ensured! Stop wasting time and go now!"

Nagato, using Violent Wind Palm to send another Amegakure Ninja flying, looked conflicted.

As the Amegakure Ninja's relentless attacks continued, Nagato's chakra was rapidly depleting. With so many enemies, there was no way they could hold out for long.

Someone had to stay behind to hold the enemy back.

Nagato's purple eyes grew resolute as he turned to Konan, speaking in a tone that left no room for argument.

"Konan, use your jutsu to take Yahiko and leave!"

"No!"

Konan instinctively tried to refuse, but Nagato immediately reprimanded her.

"If you and Yahiko stay, you'll only drag us down! And only your jutsu can take Yahiko to safety!"

"Go, and trust me!"

Konan knew that staying behind with Yahiko, who was gravely injured, would do no good. Gritting her teeth, she nodded reluctantly.

"We'll wait for you to come back!"

With that, her clothing began to split into countless pieces of paper.

The paper quickly formed a pair of pure white angelic wings on her back. Carrying Yahiko, she took off into the sky.

"I'll cover them!"

Without hesitation, Danzo gathered a massive amount of chakra.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

Compressed air in his chest formed a giant high-pressure projectile, which he spat out with a deafening roar, sending it hurtling toward the Amegakure Ninja.

Nagato quickly followed up with his own technique.

Thanks to his Rinnegan, Nagato had mastered all nature transformations by the age of ten, allowing him to perfectly complement Danzo's Wind Release.

In this case, the ideal choice was Fire Release.

Without hesitation, Nagato spewed a blazing flame from his mouth, a fiery line that quickly merged with Danzo's Vacuum Great Sphere.

Wind fueled the fire, and the two techniques combined to produce an effect far greater than the sum of their parts.

A massive fireball crashed into the Amegakure Ninja's formation, triggering a devastating explosion.

Flames erupted, accompanied by thick smoke that spread rapidly.

Amid the Amegakure Ninja's panic, Konan carried Yahiko and flew at full speed through the smoke, heading for the valley's exit.

Nagato, watching the anonymous Root ninja who stayed behind with him, felt a surge of gratitude and guilt.

Who said Root was evil?

Clearly, their kindness was as profound as the ocean!