The Weak Uchiha Brat

In the Yomi Illusion Realm, Uchiha Rei was talking with Rekka.

"Danzō is a complete liar. Don't be fooled by his words anymore."

Uchiha Rei's voice struck Rekka's heart directly.

"His tricks only work on those who are wholeheartedly loyal to Konoha and still harbor illusions. They fear being ostracized, fear betrayal, and thus are led around by his intimidation and false promises."

"But if you truly intend to break free from all this, to truly become a rogue ninja, then his pathetic schemes... can't harm you at all."

Rekka nodded. His injuries had also healed with Rei's help. He left the Yomi Illusion Realm.

Returning to the Uchiha Clan compound from outside the village, before he even reached home, he was stopped by several ninjas wearing masks and uniforms. They were silent and were members of Root.

"Uchiha Rekka, Lord Danzō is looking for you."

Rekka frowned slightly. "I didn't expect the first person to look for me wouldn't be the Hokage... but you."

He didn't say anything more and followed the group deep into Root. A heavy stone door slowly opened, revealing a circular hall within.

Shimura Danzō sat in a high position, scrutinizing Rekka from above. Rekka stood in the center of the hall, not bowing. Even without the Mangekyo Sharingan, he showed no fear at this moment.

"Speak," Danzō's voice was like iron scraping against stone. "Where have you been these past few days?"

"Where I went is none of your business. I have no obligation to answer," Rekka replied coldly. "My intelligence will only be given to the Hokage."

Danzō smiled slightly, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

"You think the Hokage will listen to you? Rekka, I understand you. You are a qualified Konoha ninja: loyal, resolute, and spirited. You look down on the Konoha higher-ups' suppression of the Uchiha, and you look down on your clan members who complain all day but achieve nothing."

He slowly stood up. "You want to prove yourself, but they never believed in you. Uchiha Fugaku doesn't value you, Uchiha Itachi ignores you, and even in the village, no one truly stands by you, including the Hokage."

Rekka's eyes showed disdain, and he let out a cold laugh.

Danzō took another step closer. "I can give you an opportunity. As long as you are loyal to me, loyal to Konoha."

"Shut up," Rekka glared at him. "Don't talk about loyalty with your mouth. You're not worthy."

Danzō, however, showed no anger and smiled calmly. "You are an elite Jonin, but you are isolated and helpless. You are now a discarded pawn in Konoha, and even the Uchiha Clan no longer acknowledges you."

He slowly raised his hand, as if pronouncing a verdict. "Now, there are only two choices. First, join 'Root' and become the shadow of Konoha. Second, walk out this door and become a rogue ninja."

"The Uchiha have abandoned you, and you have seen through the hypocrisy of this village. Are you really willing to die with them? You are an excellent ninja, why bury yourself with them?"

Rekka closed his eyes, scenes flashing back in his mind.

A childhood desire for recognition;

Indifference from his clan upon graduating the Ninja Academy;

Facing death countless times in battle, yet never seen as hope by his clan;

Every time he completed an A-rank mission alone...

"No one believes in me," Rekka clenched his fist.

But at that moment, a voice rang clearly in his heart, a stark contrast to Danzo's words.

"I never mock those who have dreams."

It was Uchiha Rei's voice, clear, real, and firm. In that instant, the lamp in the darkness was reignited.

Rekka opened his eyes, his gaze burning like a raging flame.

"I would never deign to be a dog for 'Root'."

The air instantly froze. Danzo narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening slightly.

"A pity," he said coldly, "another arrogant fool who doesn't know his place."

Before his words even fell, a terrifying chakra erupted from Danzo, shaking the entire hall.

Rekka reacted with lightning speed, leaping backward while rapidly forming hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Flames surged from his throat, and a scorching fireball instantly expanded, kicking up waves of heat that washed over him.

When the fireball passed through Danzo's figure, he remained unharmed.

"Truly weak flames!" Danzo sneered, raising a hand as the surrounding wind chakra suddenly vibrated.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"

The air was instantly filled with piercing sounds as a series of invisible wind blades swept forward like sharp edges. Just as Uchiha Rekka prepared to dodge, a sharp pain shot through his side, and blood instantly splattered.

A sharp wind blade had precisely struck his body. He stumbled to the ground, barely managing to support himself.

"Damn it... if only I were stronger!" Rekka gritted his teeth, a flicker of pain and helplessness in his eyes. "If I had the Mangekyo Sharingan, I could definitely teach this old geezer a lesson."

"Your movements are too slow," Danzo's voice, cold and merciless, echoed from all around. "You can't even see my true form clearly, yet you dream of resisting?"

His words were like icy knives, cutting at Rekka's confidence.

"I'll give you one last chance. Join Root and become Konoha's shadow."

Rekka's three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, trying to pinpoint Danzo's exact location and find an opening.

"You want to see clearly? I'll let you see!" Danzo quickly formed hand seals, his body accelerating instantly. His tone was filled with contempt. "Your resistance is worthless. You're too weak."

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

With a deafening roar, a violent hurricane swept through the entire hall. The howling wind sounded like a ferocious beast's roar, seemingly intent on devouring everything in its path.

Rekka desperately resisted, but was still violently swept towards the stone wall by the powerful gust, the impact deafening. The headband on his forehead broke, and blood streamed from his temple.

"I don't believe it... I won't surrender so easily!" Rekka gritted his teeth and stood up, his eyes burning with unyielding flames.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Several fireballs streaked across the sky like meteors, fiercely shooting towards Danzo.

However, Danzo's body flickered, and he actually vanished into the flames out of thin air.

"You rely too much on your Sharingan," a cold voice came from behind him.

Rekka's heart tightened, and he quickly turned around.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Ball!"

With a wave of Danzo's hand, a fierce pressure, like that of a rocket launcher, struck Rekka's chest. Accompanied by the grating sound of cracking bones, Rekka was sent flying violently, crashing against the hard stone wall.

"Cough, cough..." Rekka spat out a mouthful of blood and knelt on the ground.

Danzo slowly approached, coldly observing his disheveled figure, and sneered, "See clearly now? The Uchiha Clan, in my eyes, is nothing but trash."

As soon as he finished speaking, Danzo formed hand seals again. A sharp wind vacuum wave, like a razor-sharp blade, rapidly approached Uchiha Rekka.

The ring on Rekka's ring finger suddenly erupted with a circle of flames, forming a scorching fire wall that blocked the wind jutsu attack.

The flames burned, actually igniting Danzo's robe, startling him.

Taking advantage of Danzo's momentary distraction, Rekka leaped forward abruptly, throwing a resounding slap that landed squarely on Danzo's right cheek.

"I've tolerated you for a long time!" Rekka growled, his voice like thunder.

However, just as the slap landed, several dark figures dropped from the wall. Several Root ninja silently appeared, their ninja blades pressed against Rekka's throat.

"You weakling! Hand over the information you have quickly, or today will be your death!" one ninja threatened coldly.

Rekka remained silent for a moment, gazing down at the tip of the blade, as if time had frozen.

Then, he slowly raised his head. "I encountered a dark organization... they were all S-rank rogue ninja, extremely interested in the Uchiha Clan. I exhausted all my efforts to escape, to get away from there..."

After listening to Uchiha Rekka's explanation, Danzō let out a cold laugh. "Uchiha Clan, no one can save you."

With that, he turned and left, instructing the Root ninja, "Escort him back to the base and let him think carefully. Will he continue to be that cursed Uchiha, or will he dedicate everything to Konoha?"

"Yes!" The ninjas released their kunai and escorted Rekka away.

Rekka didn't struggle at all, his face filled with the helplessness of defeat.

He had failed, not because he was unwilling to fight, but because he was truly not strong enough.

Touching the still-warm ring, perhaps only that Uchiha Rei, that lord, was qualified to contend with the incomparably powerful Danzō.

Shimura Danzō saw Uchiha Rekka being escorted out of Root, a cold smile appearing on his face.

"Weak Uchiha brat."