Hearing Rinjin's flippant remark, Danzo Shimura's face instantly darkened.
"Rinjin Sakuho, what's the meaning of this?" Danzo asked coldly, his voice low and dangerous.
In response, Rinjin spread his hands in mock innocence, his expression almost comical.
"What meaning? If you can beat me, we'll talk about cooperation. Otherwise, you're just spouting nonsense."
The moment the words left his mouth, a sharp gust of wind sliced through the air, hurtling straight toward Rinjin's neck.
Oh, this sly old bastard.
Rinjin smirked inwardly. With a quick bend of his knees, he ducked low, narrowly avoiding the razor-sharp wind projectile.
Whoosh! The wind blade didn't slow down, slicing cleanly through the heavy doors of the underground chamber behind him.
Seeing the perfectly smooth cut on the door, Rinjin couldn't help but clap his hands in exaggerated admiration.
"Impressive! Truly impressive Wind Release."
Before his words had fully settled, another sharp and rapid wind projectile shot toward his knees.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
In that instant, Rinjin's hands moved swiftly, forming a series of seals. With a low shout, he called out:
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wall!"
A mass of pitch-black iron sand rose from the ground, quickly solidifying into a sturdy barrier under the control of his chakra.
The sharp sound of impact echoed as the Vacuum Bullets struck the iron sand, scattering harmlessly into the air.
"Not bad, Magnet Release," Danzo remarked calmly as he stood up from his seat, his tone carrying a hint of approval.
"But how about this? Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Try my ass! Rinjin cursed inwardly, his body suddenly surging with physical energy.
In an instant, blue lightning crackled around his body, accompanied by the piercing sound of thunder.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode, activate!"
With a low shout, Rinjin's figure vanished from behind the iron sand wall just as the Vacuum Great Sphere hurtled toward it, missing its target entirely.
"So fast!" one of the Root members standing beside Danzo exclaimed, his hands moving in a blur as he formed seals.
Moments later, he spat a glob of mud onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A thick, solid earthen wall rose rapidly, shielding Danzo and another Root member.
However, just as the Earth-Style Wall finished forming, a large hole exploded in its center.
A lightning-clad hand pierced through the wall as if it were paper, grabbing the Root member by the neck.
Take out the support first! To hell with your tanky Brom bullshit!
Lightning crackled violently as Rinjin's hand sparked and sizzled, the electricity surging into the Root member's body.
The unfortunate ninja now sported a hairstyle that could only be described as "Rinjin's signature explosion cut."
A moment later, Rinjin released his grip, letting the Root member collapse to the ground, unconscious, his hair still smoking.
Just then, a transparent, wind-imbued shuriken spun through the air, its attack range encompassing both Rinjin and the fallen Root member.
With a soft chuckle, Rinjin raised his arm, allowing the heavy iron bracer on his forearm to absorb the wind-enhanced shuriken's impact.
Screech! Sparks flew as the sharp wind chakra began cutting into the bracer.
However, when the shuriken came into contact with Rinjin's lightning-clad skin, its rotation slowed significantly, as though it had encountered an immense resistance.
"Get lost!" Rinjin shouted, swinging his arm and deflecting the wind-imbued shuriken away.
Witnessing this, Danzo, standing behind another Root member, furrowed his brows deeply.
As someone who had fought on the battlefield and faced Kumogakure's ninjas, he knew exactly what this was.
The legendary Lightning Release Chakra Mode. At its peak, it was said to be like wearing an indestructible suit of armor, also known as the Lightning Armor.
The Lightning Armor was a unique taijutsu technique of Kumogakure, and Danzo had experienced firsthand how troublesome it could be.
When did this brat become so formidable?
Danzo's frustration mounted as he realized Rinjin had not only blocked his Wind Release but had also gained such a powerful ability.
It seems I still need more strength. Much more strength.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Danzo made up his mind. Without hesitation, he signaled for reinforcements.
This was his territory, after all. If he didn't make full use of his resources, how could he justify his authority?
A sharp whistle echoed through the chamber.
Within three seconds, a line of Root ninjas armed with swords appeared at the entrance to the underground chamber.
"Advance! Protect Lord Danzo!" one of them ordered.
Despite the reinforcements, Rinjin remained utterly unfazed.
I've fought the Two-Tails' jinchūriki before. You think I'd be scared of a few Root ninjas?
Besides, with his newly mastered Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Rinjin felt invincible—unstoppably hard, in every sense of the word.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Rinjin ignored the approaching ninjas and clasped his hands together.
"Sword Fifteen!"
In an instant, the iron sand on the ground disassembled and reformed into dozens of razor-sharp blades, swirling rapidly around Rinjin's body.
Lightning surged from his body, connecting to each blade and making them crackle with electricity.
From a distance, Rinjin looked like a glowing blue meat grinder.
"Let's go!" he shouted, his figure vanishing in a flash of lightning as he charged toward the Root ninjas.
Chakra coursed through his body in a continuous stream, manifesting as both electric arcs and spinning blades.
In mere moments, the Root ninjas were reduced to a bloody mess, their severed limbs and shattered weapons scattering across the chamber.
The razor-sharp blades cut through every enemy who dared approach, leaving a trail of carnage.
Watching his subordinates fall one by one, Danzo showed no signs of distress. Instead, his eyes burned with a fervent intensity as he stared at Rinjin.
Rinjin Sakuho… you're perfect. You're nothing short of a divine weapon!
In peacetime, his cunning and strategies would make him an invaluable ally.
In wartime, his strength alone could protect Danzo and annihilate his enemies.
At that moment, Danzo's desire to control Rinjin reached its peak. He had to wield this weapon—no matter the cost.
Unable to contain himself, Danzo signaled to a Root ninja who had yet to act.
The ninja nodded respectfully, forming a peculiar triangular hand sign beneath his sleeve.
Now was the time. While Rinjin's back was turned, the Root ninja locked eyes with him.
"Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch Jutsu!"
As the words fell, the Root ninja's body slumped to the ground.
The next second, Rinjin's body froze mid-action, the swirling blades around him clattering to the ground.
It worked!
Danzo's heart leapt with joy as he immediately signaled the remaining ninjas to cease their attack.
But just as he began to celebrate, the fallen Root ninja let out a bloodcurdling scream, his body convulsing violently.
Foam frothed at his mouth as blood poured from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
Completely unaware of his condition, the ninja thrashed on the ground like a fish out of water, his bulging eyes nearly popping from their sockets.
His body twisted into unnatural angles, his fingernails clawing at his own face.
Most horrifying of all, he was laughing silently, his face contorted into a grotesque grin.
Everyone present, including Danzo, was paralyzed with shock, their sanity slipping away as they watched the horrifying scene unfold.
Rinjin scratched the back of his head sheepishly, offering an awkward smile.
"Uh, sorry about that. Guess he saw… 'him.'"
Rinjin knew what had happened. This unfortunate ninja must have encountered the "other" presence lurking within his mind.
Honestly, the guy was just unlucky.
Even Rinjin himself, with his unyielding willpower, relied on a mental "anchor" to suppress his secondary personality. For anyone else, it was simply too much to handle.
The scars left by the Jashin Cult—the pain, the torment, the suffering—had given birth to a monster within him.
But it was precisely because of this monster that Rinjin could see through people so clearly.
Of course, he usually kept that monster well-hidden.
Hearing Rinjin's explanation, everyone in the room, including Danzo, broke out in a cold sweat, their skin crawling with unease.
"So… shall we continue?" Rinjin asked innocently, his tone lighthearted.
Without waiting for an answer, his figure vanished again.
When he reappeared, he was standing behind Danzo, his arm draped casually around the man's shoulders.
"So fast!" the remaining ninjas gasped in unison.
This speed was beyond the realm of the Body Flicker Technique.
Danzo, now caught in Rinjin's grip, felt cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
He finally understood—this entire time, Rinjin had been toying with him.
With his abilities, Rinjin could easily subdue even elite jonin in an instant. Perhaps only Hiruzen or Kagami could stand a chance against him.
Realizing this, the young Danzo couldn't stop his body from trembling slightly.
"R-Rinjin, I'm part of the village's leadership. You… you can't kill me!" Danzo stammered.
In response, Rinjin nodded matter-of-factly.
"Of course not. I'd never harm Lord Danzo."
With that, Rinjin withdrew his arm, patting Danzo on the shoulder. Leaning in close, he whispered:
"Lord Danzo, it seems you're not strong enough yet.
If you want to wield this weapon and conquer your enemies, you'll need to grow much stronger.
Oh, by the way, my training weights are broken. You owe me compensation."
As he spoke, Rinjin reached into Danzo's robe and pulled out a bulging money pouch.
Opening it, Rinjin let out a sharp gasp.
Holy crap! This guy's loaded!
The pouch easily held 400,000 or 500,000 ryō—and this was just pocket change!
Grinning greedily, Rinjin slung his arm around Danzo's shoulders again, his voice suddenly warm and friendly.
"Lord Danzo, assassinations start at one million ryō~"
By now, Danzo had regained his composure. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he asked in a low voice:
"What about Kagami Uchiha?"
Hearing this, Rinjin froze, staring at Danzo in disbelief.
"My lord, Kagami Uchiha is my dearest brother, my closest friend!"
He paused dramatically before breaking into a sly grin.
"That'll cost you extra!"