True Strength

"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

Danzo's already gloomy face darkened like a storm cloud, sending a chill through everyone who saw it. His eyes, filled with malice, glared at Jimo as he gave a subtle signal to the Root members under his command.

At the order, one Root member swiftly pulled a gleaming chain from his clothes and lunged at Jimo like a venomous snake striking from its lair.

At the same time, several other Root members joined in. Their chains crisscrossed and twisted together, forming an airtight net that closed around Jimo in the blink of an eye.

But just as the chains were about to bind Jimo tightly, something unexpected happened. Jimo's figure suddenly blurred, as if he had turned into a wisp of smoke.

The smoke rapidly spread through the air, then vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

When everyone recovered and looked more closely, they discovered that the "Jimo" the Root members had struggled to ensnare was nothing but a rotting old stump!

The sudden turn of events shocked everyone. Even the usually composed Danzo's expression shifted as he wondered to himself, Who exactly is this guy? How did he escape our restraint so easily...?

"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive blaze swallowed the Root members under Danzo's command. They were consumed by the flames before they could even scream.

"Jimo, you dare attack Konoha's Root! Are you trying to defect from the village?"

Danzo shouted.

"As expected of a rat in a gutter. You sure know how to smear people!" Jimo suddenly appeared behind Danzo, Kunai in hand, and thrust at him.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew as Danzo deflected Jimo's attack with his Kunai.

"His strength is much greater than mine!"

Danzo assessed the situation.

"But he's so young, and he just used a technique with such a wide range. He can't have much Chakra left!"

Danzo's expression darkened as he quickly leaped backward, putting a safe distance between himself and Jimo. He formed Hand Seals and muttered an incantation, gathering a powerful gust of wind before him.

With a shout of "Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!" a razor-sharp Shockwave shot toward Jimo like lightning, seeming ready to slice him in two.

Yet Jimo didn't panic in the face of the ferocious attack. He stomped hard on the ground and shouted, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

In an instant, a huge, sturdy earthen wall burst from the ground like an impassable barrier, blocking Jimo from the attack.

A sly glint flashed in Jimo's eyes. He shoved both palms forward, and the heavy earthen wall surged toward Danzo like a crashing wave.

Danzo was startled. Before he could react, the wall slammed into him.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" Before the words had even faded, a giant water dragon appeared out of nowhere and lunged at the earthen wall, its claws bared and jaws wide.

After returning from his trip, Jimo had repeatedly asked Tsunade to teach him more advanced ninjutsu.

Unable to resist Jimo's pleading and persistent pestering, Tsunade had finally picked several techniques for him from the Sealed Scroll.

The Water Dragon Bullet, which required fewer Hand Seals, was naturally among them.

The water dragon surged forward with astonishing force. It coiled around the earthen wall, then tightened with all its might. A deep rumble sounded as the wall was crushed to pieces, sending chunks of earth flying in every direction.

As the wall crumbled, a figure was sent tumbling backward. It was Danzo. His clothes were torn, and he was covered in dust. Gasping for breath, he stared at Jimo nearby, his eyes full of wariness and suspicion.

"Hmph. You don't dare use the power of the Sharingan? Looks like you still have a long way to go before you can control this Kekkei Genkai..." Jimo's lips curled into a disdainful smirk.

As Danzo considered what to do next, a sharp voice suddenly rang out behind him like a clap of thunder: "It's the middle of the night, and you're still up to no good, Danzo!"

As the words fell, Tsunade and a group of others, including Kakashi, appeared silently behind him like ghosts.

Tsunade's beautiful, resolute face was now shadowed by fury. Her bright eyes were filled with icy coldness and murderous intent, as if they could freeze the person before her on the spot.

"What are you doing to my beloved disciple?" Her voice was as cold as ice, each word seeming to be forced through clenched teeth.

The thought of Danzo made Tsunade's anger impossible to contain. Ever since her teacher Hiruzen Sarutobi was alive, the despicable old man had constantly disagreed with him and opposed him at every turn.

Now she had finally taken the Hokage Position and thought she could put her ambitions into practice, only to find that Danzo still refused to behave. He had repeatedly undermined her decisions in secret, causing the village no small amount of trouble.

"Tsunade, someone like him can only reach his full potential by joining my Root Organization!" Danzo said.

"Boy, if you join Root, I'll pretend I never saw you attack Root members just now!"

"What a great attempt to smear me!" Jimo sneered.

"You gathered Root members, followed me in secret, threatened a Konoha Chunin, threatened the Fifth Hokage's personal disciple, and even attacked me yourself. What a shameless face you've got!"

"Adults are talking! Children shouldn't interrupt!"

Tsunade waved her hand, and Kakashi and Gai stepped in front of Jimo to shield him.

"Jimo is my outstanding personal disciple. I'm certainly not handing him over to you!" Tsunade said forcefully.

"Tsunade, you can protect him for a while, but you can't protect him forever," Danzo said coldly, never taking his eyes off Jimo.

"Oh, you old dog! You think I'm going to let you get away with that? Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing? I'm going to finish him!"

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

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

A smile appeared on Tsunade's face.

"I'm the Hokage of Konoha!"

"You'll regret this, Tsunade!" Danzo spun around and stormed off.

"That felt great! I've wanted to give him a piece of my mind for ages!" Tsunade said, delighted.

"I can't believe you've grown this much!" Kakashi praised him.

"You're already using elemental techniques so skillfully. Looks like Konoha has a new genius! This kid's every bit as good as you were back then!" Gai added with praise.