Chapter 55: Conflict Escalates, Things Spiral Out of Control
Watching as Shimura Danzo once again suffered a silent loss under the overwhelming pressure of his Conqueror's Haki, Uchiha Dali seized the opportunity, pressing his advantage relentlessly.
"Lord Danzo, have you ever heard this saying?"
"When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
"No matter how proud and arrogant the Uchiha clan may be, no matter how highly we think of ourselves, at the very least, we are still a noble clan of Konoha. At the very least, when Konoha faces trouble, we step up, we contribute, we fight, and we sacrifice without fear."
"Today, we came to talk things out peacefully precisely because of this. So why must you be so aggressive?"
"Out of respect, I call you Lord Danzo. But if one day we decide to stop showing that respect, I'll just call you an old dog!"
"Insolence!"
No matter how deep his scheming ran, Shimura Danzo could no longer endure Uchiha Dali's repeated provocations.
His opponent was now pushing the limits, trampling on his authority without restraint.
Finally, Danzo could no longer hold back.
With a furious shout, he struck.
Utilizing the Body Flicker Technique, he instantly vanished from behind his desk, reappearing in front of Uchiha Dali in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, his left hand shot out like lightning, a pale white chakra energy surging from his palm as he aimed directly for Uchiha Dali's eyes.
"Wind Release!"
Uchiha Dali's pupils contracted slightly.
His mind flashed back to the moment when Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan was stolen by Shimura Danzo using the exact same technique.
Instinctively, he activated the advanced version of the Flying Thunder God Technique, instantly vanishing from Danzo's attack range.
Simultaneously, a system notification echoed in his mind:
[Ding! You have witnessed your opponent use an advanced Wind Release jutsu. You have comprehended the entire series of Wind Release jutsu!]
[The full series of Wind Release jutsu includes techniques ranging from D-rank to S-rank!]
Before the system's voice had even faded completely, Uchiha Dali reappeared behind Shimura Danzo in a ghostly manner.
"This is the third time you've attacked me. Three strikes and you're out! If you want to die, don't blame me!"
Uchiha Dali's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Hearing his words, Uchiha Shisui, who was standing just two meters away, was utterly stunned.
He saw Uchiha Dali conjure a rapidly rotating chakra sphere entirely composed of Wind Release chakra in his palm, and he was about to drive it straight into Danzo's back.
Uchiha Shisui quickly shouted, "Dali-senpai!! Stop!"
"Lord Danzo, watch out!"
Shisui was drenched in cold sweat as he called out in warning, simultaneously moving to intervene and stop Uchiha Dali.
However, before he could take action, Danzo had already evaded Uchiha Dali's attack on his own.
With a thunderous explosion, the Rasengan unleashed by Uchiha Dali blasted a hole over three meters wide into the office floor.
The impact extended several floors below, causing the entire Hokage building to tremble as if on the verge of collapse.
The sheer destructive power of the Wind Release technique left Uchiha Shisui in shock, and even Shimura Danzo's pupils contracted violently.
Despite displaying strength and reaction speed on par with Kage-level shinobi, Danzo had barely escaped with his life, breaking out into a cold sweat.
As a skilled Wind Release user himself, Danzo stared at the destroyed floor with deep shock in his eyes.
"Minato's Rasengan... When did you learn this?"
Danzo's expression was dark as he asked coldly, feigning composure.
But internally, he was shaken to his core.
A Wind Release technique of this caliber, potent enough to serve as any jōnin's trump card, could not have been easily taught, even by Namikaze Minato himself, unless their relationship was extraordinarily close.
This suggested that Uchiha Dali and Namikaze Minato had an unusual connection.
More importantly, this brat had genuinely intended to kill him just now.
This realization ignited a murderous intent within Danzo as well.
"You dodged pretty fast. Not bad."
Uchiha Dali ignored Danzo's question, merely scoffing in response.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of the Anbu guards stationed outside the Hokage building.
In an instant, they appeared in the office, positioning themselves protectively around Danzo.
"Uchiha Dali! How dare you attack the Hokage's advisor? Are you attempting a rebellion?"
Several Anbu members glared at Uchiha Dali with hostility.
"Dali-senpai, please calm down..."
Uchiha Shisui quickly composed himself, standing in front of Uchiha Dali with a tense expression.
"Calm down?"
Uchiha Dali pointed at himself. "Who attacked first? Did you not see?"
"But..."
Uchiha Shisui was left speechless.
It was indeed Danzo who had attacked first, but the whole confrontation had stemmed from Dali-senpai's provocations.
He felt torn.
"Dali-senpai, please, let's end this here... If this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable."
"If you insist on fighting, then I will have no choice but to side with them against you."
Shisui, overwhelmed by the tension, suddenly blurted out.
"What did you just say?"
Uchiha Dali froze slightly, looking at him in disbelief.
"Please stand down, Dali-senpai."
Shisui had regained his composure, staring seriously into Dali's eyes.
"Uchiha Shisui, whose side are you on?"
Uchiha Dali's voice turned cold, his expression filled with disappointment.
Meanwhile, Danzo had regained his usual composure and coldly ordered, "Uchiha Dali has defied authority and attempted treason. Uchiha Shisui, I order you to assist the Anbu in capturing the criminal!"
Hearing the command, Shisui's body trembled slightly.
The next second, his gaze towards Uchiha Dali turned serious, his eyes gradually growing resolute.
It was clear that he had decided to carry out Danzo's orders.
"You all heard that."
"Now tell me, who is really escalating the situation?"
Uchiha Dali spread his arms, glancing from Shisui to the Anbu, completely disregarding Danzo's presence.
"Seize him!"
Danzo roared.
By this point, he had lost all sense of reason.
He no longer cared about the current delicate situation, or whether completely falling out with the Uchiha clan was unwise.
All that mattered was subduing Uchiha Dali first.
Upon receiving the order, both Uchiha Shisui and the Anbu immediately launched their attack, encircling Uchiha Dali.
"Forgive me, Dali-senpai."
"Once you've calmed down, I'll apologize properly..."
As Shisui spoke, he brushed a hand over his eyes.
Instantly, his pupils transformed into the shape of the Mangekyō Sharingan.