True Strength

"A toast refused, then a forfeit drink!"

At that moment, Danzo's already gloomy face grew even darker, like storm clouds gathering, sending chills down one's spine. His vicious eyes glared fiercely ahead as he subtly signaled his well-trained Root members.

Receiving the order, one Root member unhesitatingly pulled a glinting chain from his robes, shooting toward Jimo like a venomous snake striking from its lair.

At the same time, the other Root members moved, their chains intertwining and weaving into an impenetrable net, hurtling toward Jimo with lightning speed.

But just as the chains were about to bind Jimo tight, something unexpected happened. Jimo's figure suddenly blurred, dissolving into a wispy, ethereal mist.

The mist spread rapidly through the air, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

When everyone refocused, they found that the so-called "Jimo" the Root members had strained to ensnare was nothing more than a rotten, decayed log!

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone. Even the ever-composed Danzo's expression shifted slightly as he thought to himself, "Just who is this brat? To slip our grasp so easily..."

"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive fireball engulfed Danzo's Root subordinates, and they didn't even have time to scream before being consumed by the flames.

"Jimo, how dare you attack Konoha's Root! Are you defecting from the village?" Danzo bellowed.

"Truly a rat in the gutter, so quick to sling mud!" Jimo replied, a kunai in hand, suddenly appearing behind Danzo and thrusting fiercely.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew as Danzo parried Jimo's strike with his own kunai.

"His strength far exceeds mine!" Danzo analyzed the situation.

"But at his age, using a jutsu of that scale must have drained most of his chakra!"

Danzo's face darkened as he leaped backward, putting a safe distance between them. He formed hand seals, muttering under his breath, and a powerful gust of wind gathered before him.

With a sharp shout, "Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!" a fierce shockwave shot toward Jimo like lightning, as if it would cleave his body in two.

Yet, facing this ferocious assault, Jimo showed no panic. He stomped the ground and roared, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

In an instant, a massive, sturdy wall of earth rose from the ground, standing firm like an insurmountable barrier before Jimo.

Then, a glint of cunning flashed in Jimo's eyes. He thrust both palms forward, and the heavy earth wall surged toward Danzo like a living thing, with the force of an avalanche.

Danzo's heart skipped a beat, and before he could react, the wall slammed into him.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!" The words had barely left his mouth when a colossal water dragon materialized, lunging at the earth wall with bared fangs.

After returning from his trip, Jimo had repeatedly petitioned Tsunade to learn higher-level jutsu.

Unable to withstand his cajoling and persistent pestering, she had finally picked a few techniques from the Sealed Scroll for him.

The streamlined Water Dragon Bullet was naturally among them.

The water dragon charged with overwhelming force. It coiled tightly around the earth wall, then flexed with a dull, thunderous roar, shattering the wall into countless fragments of earth and stone that flew in all directions.

As the wall broke apart, a disheveled figure flew backward. It was Danzo, his clothes tattered, face covered in dust, gasping for breath, his eyes fixed warily on Jimo in the distance.

"Hmph, too afraid to use the Sharingan's power? Looks like your control over that Kekkei Genkai is far from perfect..." Jimo smirked, a cold sneer curling his lips.

As Danzo pondered his next move, A sharp voice suddenly exploded behind him like a thunderclap: "Quite the lively night for you, Danzo! Can't sleep?"

With those words, Tsunade appeared behind him like a ghost, accompanied by Kakashi and the others.

Tsunade's beautiful, resolute face was veiled in fury, her usually bright eyes now filled with endless chill and murderous intent, as if they could freeze the man before her in an instant.

"What are you doing to my beloved disciple?" Her tone was icy, each word squeezed out through gritted teeth, sending chills down the spine.

Thinking of Danzo, Tsunade's anger flared uncontrollably. This wretched old man had often clashed with Hiruzen Sarutobi while he was still Hokage, always opposing his views.

Now that she had finally taken the seat of Hokage, hoping to realize her ambitions, Danzo still refused to back down, repeatedly undermining her decisions and causing trouble for the village.

"Tsunade, a man like him can only reach his full potential in my Root," Danzo said.

"Boy, join Root, and I'll overlook your attack on my men just now."

"What a fine way to sling mud!" Jimo sneered.

"You gathered your Root members, stalked me in secret, threatened a Chunin of Konoha, threatened the Fifth Hokage's personal disciple, and even attacked me yourself—what a shameless cur!"

"When adults speak, children don't interrupt!"

Tsunade waved her hand, and Kakashi and Gai moved to shield Jimo behind them.

"Jimo is my excellent personal disciple, and I won't hand him over to you!" Tsunade declared firmly.

"Tsunade, you can protect him for now, but not forever." Danzo's eyes were icy, his gaze never leaving Jimo.

"You old dog! I gave you face, didn't I? Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing? I'll kill him!"

Kakashi and Gai held Jimo back, preventing him from charging forward.

"Danzo! Don't forget, you're not even a Konoha advisor anymore!"

A faint smile crept across Tsunade's face.

"I am the Hokage of Konoha!"

"You'll regret this, Tsunade!" At those words, Danzo turned and stormed off in a rage.

"Satisfying! I've wanted to snap at him like that for ages!"

Tsunade said with great relish.

"I didn't expect you to have grown to this level!"

Kakashi praised.

"To use a jutsu so skillfully—looks like Konoha has a new genius! This kid's no worse than you were back in the day!"

Gai chimed in with praise as well.