Chapter 151: Wood Release Ninja
"What terrible taste!"
The surrounding Uchiha clan members looked at Asuka walking toward them, then at the child standing frozen in place. One after another, they shook their heads.
What an idiot!
He had actually believed such deceptive nonsense.
There were only a handful of Uchiha who could join Danzo's ranks.
And Asuka would never be one of them.
The Second Hokage and Danzo had locked this guy's "Grandpa Setsuna" in prison together.
Just how deep could that grudge possibly be?
"Stop teasing him."
Hearing Uchiha Fugaku's voice from ahead, Asuka shrugged. He turned back toward the motionless "Yamato" and said, "I only wanted to know his codename. I didn't expect this kid to be so tight-lipped."
Hearing that, "Yamato" pressed his right hand against his pounding heart and glared furiously at Asuka's back, wishing he could punch him.
Just a minute ago, he had been trembling in fear, wondering whether this man's joining Lord Danzo's team meant that he harbored ulterior motives.
But then he had thought about Lord Danzo's wisdom. Surely Lord Danzo would have a way to control such a powerful Uchiha.
The thought had filled him with joy.
Lord Danzo had gained a powerful subordinate!
He had never expected that everything would turn out to be nothing more than a mirage, vanishing in an instant.
Then "Yamato" pointed at Asuka's back and stammered, "You—"
Seeing the child's displeased expression, Asuka scratched his head and apologized.
"I'm sorry!"
Asuka's apology was so sincere that the child felt as though he had punched a cotton ball. His anger didn't dissipate in the slightest. Instead, it burned even more fiercely.
"Hmph!"
He snorted and turned his head away.
That night, after Danzo returned from the village, he learned everything that had happened from "Yamato."
His brows furrowed slightly before relaxing again.
These things aren't important right now. The old man has more pressing matters to deal with.
After saying nothing more, he quietly leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling overhead.
Kushina was due to give birth the day after tomorrow.
The main members of the Uchiha clan were also under the old man's surveillance.
Konoha's highest level of defense had been activated. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the old man were overseeing the village and managing the overall situation. His son and daughter-in-law had personally taken command of the ANBU's defensive duties, while Minato Namikaze was protecting Kushina.
Stable.
Danzo looked at the two characters, Inn, written on the wall. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, while his aged face grew increasingly gloomy.
He had failed to become Hokage.
Minato was still young. There was no chance for this old man to become Hokage in this lifetime.
Not being able to see his own portrait carved into the Hokage Rock before his death was even more painful than when his teacher had announced Hiruzen Sarutobi as the Third Hokage.
He had struggled all his life.
Shimura Danzo stood up and walked to the window. Through the glass, he looked out at the dark base. He breathed in the damp night air and murmured,
"Living in the shadows for my entire life, never seeing the Hokage."
The chair had never been occupied. Now, his life felt just as empty.
He could only silently watch the world and peacefully spend the remainder of his life.
Although he had never tasted glory, he had his own form of satisfaction.
"..."
"Yamato," who was kneeling on the floor, suddenly had his eyes light up.
He looked admiringly at the old man by the window and couldn't help sighing inwardly.
There are many admirable heroes in Konoha, but the person I admire most is this mysterious and fascinating Lord Danzo.
His life was filled with countless stories, and every one of them demonstrated his deep love for Konoha and his unwavering dedication to the village.
"Ugh—"
A sudden sound of vomiting came from outside.
Immediately afterward, there was a tremendous crash from the ceiling of the office.
"Who the hell took a shit in the dormitory?!"
"If you've got the guts, come out and do it in front of me! What kind of skill is it to do it while I'm sleeping?!"
"Who was it? Come out if you dare!"
Several black lines appeared on Danzo's forehead.
With his back to the kneeling "Yamato," he ordered, "Make that noisy ninja quiet."
"Yes."
"Yamato" nodded, and his figure instantly disappeared.
"Hmph!"
Danzo calmly snorted. Then he turned around, pushed open the office door, and headed toward the village.
For the next few days, he needed to remain stationed in Konoha.
When "Yamato" arrived upstairs, he discovered Uchiha Asuka arguing with someone from the Kurama clan.
The ninjas from both sides were pointing fingers at each other.
These two clans...
Among Konoha's various clans, the relationship between the Uchiha and the others couldn't exactly be called close. Yet there was still a strange mixture of superiority and inferiority between them.
The Uchiha and Hyuga clans—one of Konoha's prominent clans specializing in visual ninjutsu—had an especially terrible relationship. Their children frequently got into group fights.
The Uchiha's relationship with the Kurama clan, a clan specializing in genjutsu, wasn't much better either.
Because the Kurama clan had fewer members, they were often at a disadvantage whenever group fights broke out.
At this moment, Uchiha Asuka pointed at someone from the Kurama clan and said,
"Kurama Unkai, your clan's genjutsu controls the five senses of others, not your own. You actually managed to smell food as feces! You're the first person in the Kurama clan to achieve something like this."
"No wonder your clan has declined. Your genjutsu isn't very effective."
Kurama Unkai's face flushed bright red.
He stretched out his neck and shouted, "Uchiha Asuka, are you sure what you're eating is actually food? Does real food smell like this?!"
"Why wouldn't it be food?"
As he spoke, Asuka took out another bowl of luosifen and stirred the noodles with his chopsticks.
"Look, Kurama Unkai. See for yourself. Isn't this food?"
The strange smell filling the air made "Yamato" frown.
He walked over to the two of them, looked at the noodles being continuously stirred, and nodded.
"It certainly looks like food."
Kurama Unkai immediately became dissatisfied.
Although the Kurama clan had declined somewhat, they were still a prestigious clan of Konoha. Even if they couldn't defeat the Uchiha, they still possessed the dignity of one of Konoha's great clans.
He stepped closer, dipped a finger into the broth, then held it in front of "Yamato's" mask with an excited expression.
"Hey, hey! I'm from the Kurama clan, one of Konoha's great clans!"
"Have some backbone, will you? Don't take his side just because he's an Uchiha."
"Can't you smell this?"
"Hmm... Hmm."
"Yamato" nodded again.
"It doesn't smell anything like food."
The moment those words left his mouth, Asuka rushed in front of "Yamato," grabbed a piece of pickled bamboo shoot from the bowl, tore off Yamato's mask, and shoved the bamboo shoot into his mouth.
Everything happened in an instant.
Thud!
The sound of the mask hitting the ground reached all three of their ears.
"Yamato" instinctively bit down on the pickled bamboo shoot.
The next moment, an overwhelmingly pungent flavor exploded directly into his mind.
This thing smells terrible, but it's a pickled bamboo shoot, not feces—
After hearing his explanation, Kurama Unkai looked at the child rolling his eyes, then gave Asuka a thumbs-up.
"Asuka, you actually shoved feces into someone else's mouth. You're truly something else."
"Don't come to my house next time. I really hate you."
"Yamato" didn't hear Asuka's explanation, but he clearly heard Kurama Unkai's words.
He had been fed feces.
The next moment—
Several wooden vines suddenly appeared above the two men and shot toward them at incredible speed.
Boom!
Kurama Unkai and Uchiha Asuka simultaneously took a step backward, staring in shock at the dust cloud rising before them.
Creak! Creak!
The sharp sound of wood grinding against wood echoed through the area.
Several wooden vines slowly retracted into someone's arm.
What?
The two men took another step backward and exchanged a stunned glance.
"Asuka! Did you cast a genjutsu on me?!"
"Unkai! Did you cast a genjutsu on me?!"
"???"
The moment they spoke, Asuka noticed that Kurama Unkai's expression of shock was even more intense than his own.
He immediately realized that this guy probably hadn't done anything to him.
With that thought, he turned toward the child standing before them, whose entire body radiated murderous intent.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Earlier that day, he had kept wondering why this person seemed vaguely familiar.
Now he understood.
He was the owner of Yamato Real Estate Company—Yamato.
"Hey, Unkai. That's Wood Release. Anything you want to say?"
Hearing Asuka's voice beside him, Kurama Unkai swallowed.
Then, somewhat excitedly, he said, "Should we secretly take him home and use him as breeding stock? Our two clans can take turns raising him. One month each."
"Aren't you afraid Danzo and Tsunade will beat you to death?"
"Then what are you planning to do?"
"I plan to report this to the Hokage."
Hearing the conversation between the two men, "Yamato's" heart suddenly lurched.
Remembering Lord Danzo's repeated warnings, he angrily smacked himself on the head.
During the day, Uchiha Asuka had deceived him, leaving him with nowhere to vent his anger.
Then, at night, the same guy had fed him feces.
His rage finally erupted.
The Wood Release plan had actually been exposed.
"How about..."
When "Yamato" looked toward Asuka and the others, a cold glint flashed through his eyes.
At that moment, he caught sight of a figure suddenly appearing on his left.
When did he get there?
Then he saw Uchiha Asuka raise his leg to kick him.
"Yamato's" pupils contracted sharply.
So fast.
The next moment, Asuka's instep slammed directly into Yamato's head.
Boom!
Yamato's feet instantly left the ground.
He flew backward like a cannonball fired from a cannon and crashed violently into the stone wall on the right, leaving a human-shaped depression in the stone cavern.
"Heh heh~"
Kurama Unkai, who had witnessed the Wood Release ninja being sent flying, leaned against the railing with his arms crossed over his chest and sneered.
"Until you possess sufficient strength, even if you really know Wood Release, don't casually reveal your killing intent in front of a Jonin."
"Besides, your opponent is from the Uchiha clan. He has been using Wood Release techniques for a long time. Who knows how many Uchiha have wanted to fight using Wood Release? You have to observe your opponent before entering a battle."
Asuka dusted off his hands and turned toward Kurama Unkai.
"Unkai, do you want to go over there and kick him a few times too? That kid is way too arrogant."
"I think we'll just forget about it."
Kurama Unkai shook his head.
Since Asuka had already taught him a lesson, there was no need for him to interfere.
The real question now was whether the higher-ups in the village already knew about the Wood Release leak.
With that thought, he immediately walked over to the wall and pried open the wooden lock.
A ninja emerged from inside the wall and asked,
"Is your existence a secret?"
"Yamato" swallowed.
Realizing that the two Jonin had already blocked off every possible escape route—and noticing that they intended to use genjutsu—he remained silent for a moment before reluctantly nodding.
"Fine. We'll keep your secret. Shut your mouth. As shinobi who possess the Will of Fire, we absolutely won't stand by and watch a Wood Release ninja who is still growing die prematurely."
After saying that, Kurama Unkai put him down.
Then he walked over to Asuka and whispered,
"Danzo's people are here."
The moment he finished speaking, several figures appeared before the three of them.
They looked around, glanced at Asuka and Unkai, and finally turned their eyes toward "Yamato."
"What happened?"
Asuka stepped forward and explained,
"I fed him a small piece of sour bamboo shoot. He mistook it for feces, and we had a little disagreement because of it."
After hearing Asuka's explanation, everyone's eyes fell on "Yamato."
He hesitated for a moment.
Then he walked over to one of the Root ninjas, jumped up, and blew into the ninja's face.
"Phew!"
Sniff, sniff.
The Root ninja who had spoken earlier immediately inhaled the breath into his lungs.
Then he turned around and left.
It really stinks.
Watching the departing figure, Kurama Unkai said,
"I'll notify the Fourth Hokage through the proper channels later."
"Remember to include my name. We discovered him together."
With that, Asuka weighed the piece of wood in his hand again.
It was a piece of wood he had cut off when Yamato used Wood Release earlier.
Hashirama Senju's cells.
Freshly manifested Wood Release.
If that didn't count as proof, then this trash mission hadn't been worth doing in the first place.