A certain forest in Konoha.
The sun shone through the dense leaves, casting mottled light and shadows.
A breeze rustled the leaves, making a gentle sound.
Sasuke suddenly stopped and turned to look behind him.
His eyes were cold and firm, as if they could see through any obstacle.
"Come out. You've been following me for so long—aren't you tired?" Sasuke said calmly, his voice tinged with disdain and challenge.
The person hiding in the shadows was slightly startled but soon emerged from behind Sasuke.
They were dressed in black, with masks covering their faces, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.
"Uchiha Sasuke, Lord Danzo requests your presence," one of them said in a stiff tone.
Sasuke turned to face the Root ninja, his eyes indifferent, as if he had expected this.
*So, Danzo is finally making his move,* Sasuke thought, sneering inwardly. This old fox couldn't resist any longer.
But with his current strength, Sasuke wasn't afraid of Danzo at all.
Meanwhile, Danzo was sitting in a dark room, flipping through a document quietly, frowning slightly.
The document detailed the strength Uchiha Sasuke had shown so far, including his ninjutsu, taijutsu, and Sharingan abilities.
However, since Sasuke rarely revealed his true strength in public, most of his battles were fought in secret, leaving the intelligence about him limited.
Danzo closed the document gently, his eyes flashing with contemplation.
Even though he didn't know everything about Sasuke's strength, he wasn't worried.
As an experienced politician and conspirator, Danzo believed he had the means and wisdom to handle any situation. He was confident that he could control Sasuke.
"Hmph, Uchiha Sasuke, you will contribute your strength to Konoha," Danzo muttered with a smirk, his single exposed eye gleaming with excitement.
"Sir, we've brought him here," a Root member reported respectfully as he entered the room.
Danzo nodded with satisfaction and said, "You may leave."
"Yes, sir!"
After the Root member brought Sasuke in, he immediately disappeared.
"Hiding in this dark underground, doing shameful things—how typical of you, Danzo," Sasuke remarked as he walked in slowly, a mocking expression on his face.
Danzo raised his head slightly, sneering. "Uchiha Sasuke, I've heard that you recently developed a technique that accelerates physical growth. Is it true?"
Although it was phrased as a question, Danzo's tone was full of certainty.
"So what if it is? What does it have to do with you, an old dog hiding in the shadows?" Sasuke scoffed disdainfully.
Danzo wasn't angered by Sasuke's words. After all, in the face of that technique, insults meant nothing.
"Since you admit it, then hand over the ninjutsu. Otherwise, I have reason to suspect you developed it through human experiments," Danzo threatened.
The air around them seemed to grow colder.
"Danzo, do you intend to do something to me?" Sasuke asked, his face cold.
"Hahaha, with my ROOT operatives, do you really think anyone can protect you?" Danzo's expression turned ferocious, his eyes filled with greed and malice, as if he wanted to devour Sasuke whole.
Danzo was determined to obtain the technique. The strategic value of this ninjutsu was immense, and the fact that Uchiha Sasuke had created it made it even more valuable.
If he could acquire this ninjutsu, it would be a huge advantage for Konoha.
"Need protection? Do you really think I need anyone's protection?" Sasuke laughed disdainfully.
Whoosh! In the next moment, Sasuke's figure disappeared, moving like a ghost towards Danzo.
Danzo was shocked. He hadn't expected Sasuke's speed to be so fast—far beyond that of an ordinary ninja.
But Danzo was an old fox with vast experience. He quickly assumed a defensive stance, forming hand seals to block Sasuke's attack.
However, Sasuke's assault was as fierce as a storm, leaving Danzo overwhelmed.
"You seem confident in your strength," Danzo said through gritted teeth as he struggled to fend off Sasuke's attacks.
Realizing his initial strike didn't land, Sasuke distanced himself, using it as a test to gauge Danzo's strength.
"You are also a genius, so let me see what you can do," Danzo said, quickly forming hand seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
A wind blade instantly formed and swept towards Sasuke.
Faced with the oncoming wind blade, Sasuke didn't dodge. Instead, he activated his Lightning Release Armor.
Blue armor formed around Sasuke, and when Danzo's wind blade struck him, it felt like a gentle breeze—harmless.
"What?!" Danzo stared at Sasuke in disbelief. His attack had done nothing.
*As expected, even though Danzo's Wind Release is formidable, it's no match for my Lightning Release Armor,* Sasuke thought. The cutting ability of Wind Release was the strongest among the five elemental natures, but not even Danzo's could break through his defense.
Seeing that his ninjutsu had no effect, Danzo became impatient.
"Looks like I'll have to get serious," Danzo muttered. He quickly launched several shuriken to restrict Sasuke's movement. Then, he removed the bandage wrapped around his face, revealing a scarlet eye—it was the Sharingan.
"You're the first to make me use this," Danzo said, revealing his three-tomoe Sharingan.
Sasuke recognized it immediately as Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, the eye known for its powerful genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami.
Seeing Danzo's intent to use Kotoamatsukami to control him, Sasuke didn't hesitate. He quickly activated his own Mangekyō Sharingan.
"What?!" Danzo was shocked to see Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan. At such a young age, Sasuke had unlocked a power even more terrifying than Uchiha Shisui's.
"Your talent is indeed terrifying, but let me finish you off today!" Danzo moved much faster than before, but even with his speed, he was no match for Sasuke.
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