Root Base.
This was Kaedeji's first time entering this place. His expression remained unchanged, showing no wariness whatsoever despite entering Danzo's stronghold.
"Such composure, Kaedeji. It seems that aside from that false humility, you still lack genuine reverence for me. Hiruzen may not have noticed, but I can sense it clearly."
Danzo's wooden clogs struck the floor tiles, their echoes reverberating through the dim underground chamber.
As they ventured deeper into the base, Root ninjas continuously appeared and voluntarily fell in behind them. At a single command from Danzo, these people would swarm forward and seize Kaedeji.
"There are already twelve of them. They're all exceptional ninjas. I even saw Lord Terai, as well as that member of the Yamanaka Clan who targeted me with the Mind Body Switch Technique last time."
Kaedeji turned back, counted them, and remarked.
The group's footsteps were perfectly synchronized, exerting pressure through their actions, but Kaedeji did not fall for it at all.
Danzo said, "Hmph. It seems you have your own method of sensing things. Are you using the Corpse Release Secret Technique to covertly place these living people under tentative control?"
Terai immediately replied, "Lord Danzo, I have not detected anything unusual."
"I already guessed as much. By the time you notice something is wrong, I fear you will have already fallen victim to his technique, much like a special Genjutsu. But with your strength, he does not yet have the ability to cast his technique on you. You can produce more Chakra to flush through your body," Danzo said.
Danzo had been gathering all sorts of information on Kaedeji and analyzing it, and he had already drawn conclusions from many details.
A typical example was the battle in which Kaedeji and Dan Katō killed Sandstorm Araki. Sandstorm Araki's strange behavior before