"You damn madman!"
Shimura Danzō couldn't help but curse loudly. Immediately after, he quickly formed hand seals and inhaled sharply.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
A sharp wind blade with terrifying cutting power shot straight toward the boy standing atop the dragon's head.
Uchiha Ryun leaped backward to evade the attack. The wind blade struck the Black Dragon's horn, producing a metallic clanging sound.
The dragon's horns were the hardest part of its body. The wind blade was effortlessly blocked, leaving not even a scratch.
"Since you're asking for death, I'll send you on your way!"
Ryun had just landed on the dragon's back after his backward leap. Now, lightning surged violently in his palm, accompanied by the piercing cries of thunderbirds.
Amid the murky floodwaters, the dazzling blue lightning illuminated the dark night.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A barrage of shuriken shot toward the boy on the dragon's back. However, with a flash of lightning, Ryun's figure abruptly vanished.
"Stop!"
A loud shout suddenly rang out at this moment. But Ryun's jutsu had already been activated, and he was in no mood to listen to anyone else.
After dodging the shuriken and jumping off the dragon's back, he immediately used the Lightning Body Flicker Technique. His entire body seemed to transform into a bolt of lightning as he rushed toward Danzō in the blink of an eye.
Just as the Chidori in Ryun's hand was about to slam into Danzō's head, a figure with equally terrifying speed appeared beside him. A large hand reached out and firmly gripped his wrist.
"!!!"
Ryun's attack was forcibly stopped at the critical moment. The person who had performed this miraculous feat was none other than Konoha's Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen!
His full-power killing move had been completely neutralized, showcasing Hiruzen's terrifying strength.
"What the hell are you all doing?!"
Hiruzen roared angrily before violently flinging Ryun away.
Ryun flipped several times midair to disperse most of the force before skidding to a stop on the ground.
"Make him hand over my mother!" Ryun was the first to shout furiously.
"Hiruzen, this brat destroyed the Root base! Tonight, he must be executed!"
Shimura Danzō had been startled by the lightning blade aimed straight at his face, but after regaining his composure, he immediately demanded that Hiruzen join him in eliminating this menace.
Looking at the Root base, now reduced to a deep pool of water, Hiruzen's expression darkened. However, upon hearing Ryun's words, he quickly realized what was going on.
"You kidnapped his mother?"
Hiruzen glared at Danzō with a sharp gaze. If this were true, Danzō's position as Root leader would come to an end!
"I have no idea what this damn brat is talking about! He just started raving at me to hand someone over. I don't even know what his mother looks like!"
Though Danzō was furious, he still explained with a dark expression to prevent further misunderstandings.
Hearing this, Hiruzen instinctively turned to Ryun.
"If it wasn't you, then who was it? She was at home when I left for Konoha, and by the time I returned, she was gone. In all of Konoha, you're the only one who has a grudge against me, the only one with a motive to kidnap her. If not you, then who?"
Ryun spoke with murderous intent.
Right now, the Kumo envoy was under strict surveillance by Konoha's Anbu, making it impossible for them to sneak away and kidnap Asuka. So, looking at the entire village, only Danzō could have done this.
Ryun suspected he wanted to use Asuka to control him.
"Bullshit!"
Danzō rarely swore, but his rigid face was now flushed red with anger.
"Did you see me kidnap her? Or see me order her kidnapping? You destroyed my Root base based on a mere guess? Hiruzen, is this your precious disciple's student? Are you going to handle this or not?"
Danzō wanted nothing more than to kill this brat himself, but with Hiruzen standing in his way, he couldn't act against the Hokage's will.
"Too cowardly to admit it? If you don't hand her over today, I'll show you what real madness looks like!"
Ryun used the Body Flicker Technique to leap onto the Black Dragon's head. Sensing his intent, the dragon let out an earth-shaking roar.
The deafening dragon's cry instantly spread throughout Konoha, waking many villagers from their sleep.
Feeling the terrifying chakra fluctuations within this summoned beast, as well as the overwhelming pressure it exuded, many instinctively stepped back, not daring to face its draconic might.
Hiruzen and Danzō both paled upon hearing the roar.
This dragon possessed an immense energy reserve. In terms of pure chakra, it was comparable to a tailed beast!
If such a creature were allowed to rampage unchecked, even if Konoha could subdue it, countless lives would be lost…
"Enough! Send it back! I'll send people to help you find Asuka. I'll also investigate whether Danzō was involved. If he really did this, I won't let him off!"
Hiruzen's face was dark as he shouted.
Hearing Hiruzen's personal guarantee, Ryun calmed down somewhat.
Right now, he still needed the Hokage's help to find Asuka quickly. Going on a killing spree would be meaningless and only complicate things further.
"What?! He destroyed the Root base tonight! Root members are dead and injured! Hiruzen, don't tell me you're just going to let this slide!!!"
Danzō's voice was loud, his entire demeanor frantic with anger.
"I'll handle it! You don't need to remind me!" Hiruzen couldn't help but roar back.
Tonight had been nothing but trouble for him. His head felt like it was about to explode, and his mood was utterly foul.
"You! Fine! I'll see how you handle this. If you don't follow Konoha's laws, don't blame me for turning against you and bringing the Daimyo into this!"
With that, Danzō turned and left, taking all the Root members with him.
Watching Danzō leave, Ryun felt both unwilling and helpless.
"Old Black, go back for now…"
After a moment, Ryun spoke to the Black Dragon beneath him.
"Be careful. You know what to do if necessary."
The dragon glanced at the surrounding Konoha ninja and subtly reminded him in front of everyone.
"Yeah, I know…"
If he truly faced an unstoppable crisis, Ryūchi Cave would use the Reverse Summoning Technique to retrieve him.
During his time in Ryūchi Cave, he hadn't just been idly chatting with the Three Great Snake Maidens… So, his safety was generally assured.
But right now, Asuka was still missing. He would never abandon his mother and flee alone.
With a poof, the Black Dragon vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving Konoha.
"I'll help you find your mother. But until then, I'll have to restrict your movements."
Hiruzen walked up to Ryun and spoke coldly.
"Fine."
Ryun fell silent for a moment before responding.
As Hokage, Hiruzen couldn't openly favor him in front of everyone. Ryun didn't want to make things difficult for him either. Right now, all he wanted was to find Asuka as soon as possible.
Asuka was just an ordinary person. Ryun was deeply worried about her safety.
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