"You look pretty unhappy about this."
Since he'd already made his choice, he might as well go looking for trouble. Seeing Shimura Danzō's expression, Senju Fujima hurried over and asked him with a mocking look, "What's the matter?"
"Hm?"
Danzō furrowed his brow. He was a shrewd man who never did anything unless he was sure of the outcome. Though he felt he wasn't much weaker than Senju Fujima, the truth was that he couldn't measure up to him. He could figure that out with his eyes closed.
But Senju Fujima was clearly displeased with him. If he didn't say a word, wouldn't that make him look weak?
Hmph. Whether I can win is another matter. I can't lose face.
That was what Danzō was thinking. He turned toward Senju Fujima, snorted, then looked away and said nothing more.
"Danzō? What are you doing? When are you going to fix that temper of yours?"
"Just apologize to Fujima, and this'll be over. Don't make trouble."
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped in to play peacemaker. He didn't want the two of them to clash, and he had no idea why Senju Fujima had come looking for trouble today. He hurriedly tried to talk Danzō down.
"I didn't do anything. Why should I apologize? This is ridiculous."
Danzō heard Hiruzen's words and furrowed his brow even more. He glared at him and growled in a low, indignant voice.
"Thud...!"
In an instant, Senju Fujima moved and punched Shimura Danzō, sending him flying.
"Huh???"
Senju Fujima had struck so suddenly that Hiruzen and the others were stunned. None of them knew what to do.
"You still look unhappy."
"I hate it when people talk to me with that look and tone. You're the first."
"So you'd better be ready to pay the price for getting beaten up."
Senju Fujima had no real reason, so he just made one up. He looked at Danzō and spoke calmly.
"Cough, cough...!"
"Damn it."
Danzō had been sent flying for no apparent reason. He hadn't expected Senju Fujima to attack just then, and he hadn't even had time to react before he was sent flying. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his right hand and glared at Fujima with venom.
"Still unhappy?"
"Then try this."
Senju Fujima looked at Danzō's defiant expression and spoke coldly.
In an instant, without even forming Hand Seals, Senju Fujima caused thick vines to burst from beneath Danzō's feet and bind him.
"When did you...?"
Danzō had been ready to fight, but a vine had wrapped around him out of nowhere and bound him tight. He was utterly shocked.
"Do you give up?"
Senju Fujima vanished from where he stood and appeared right in front of Danzō. He glared at him and demanded an answer.
"No! I don't! You caught me by surprise. What kind of skill is that?"
Danzō shouted at Senju Fujima, who stood before him. A crowd of newly enrolled students gathered around them.
Danzō knew he wasn't Senju Fujima's match, but he couldn't let himself look weak. So what if he called it a sneak attack? Did winning really give Fujima the right to act so smug?
If everyone found out that the young clan leader of the Senju Clan relied on sneak attacks when he fought, Danzō wanted to see who would be embarrassed.
"Look, isn't that the young clan leader of the Senju Clan? I heard he's really strong."
"Didn't you hear? That guy just said Senju Fujima caught him by surprise and that's how he got bound."
"That can't be right. My dad says Lord Fujima is really strong. He's the one who sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox last time."
"Don't make things up. He's only a year or two older than us. How could he be that strong? My dad said the two First subdued the Nine-Tailed Fox."
"I heard the First subdued the Nine-Tailed Fox too. How did Senju Fujima end up getting the credit?"
"Yeah! Look, he's bullying Shimura Danzō!"
"Shimura Danzō? Isn't he the young clan leader of the Shimura Clan? I heard he's really strong."
Because Danzō had shouted like that, countless people started pointing at Senju Fujima and whispering. They had all gone to the shelters during the battle, so none of them had seen what happened outside.
Even if they had, they would have thought Fujima only succeeded because Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had weakened the Nine-Tailed Fox first, so it didn't count as proof of his strength.
That was why the younger generation still knew so little about Senju Fujima's abilities.
"Is that so? Then I'll let you down and see how strong you are."
Senju Fujima saw the crowd gathering and understood what Danzō was thinking. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He waved his right hand, withdrew his Wood Release, and let Danzō down.
"Damn it."
As soon as Wood Release lowered him to the ground, Danzō quickly drew a Kunai with his right hand and hurled it at Senju Fujima.
"Whoosh...!"
Senju Fujima didn't even move. A tree sprang up on its own and blocked the Kunai.
Wood Release really was convenient. When Hashirama Senju fought Madara Uchiha, trees flew everywhere as they battled, without any need for much control. It was as if the trees could attack on their own, launching one assault after another.
Wood Release was both offense and defense, a power that had dominated an entire era. It was no joke.
"Damn you."
The title wasn't showing up when I searched for it. Maybe the author changed it!
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"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Seeing that Senju Fujima hadn't even moved before blocking his attack, Danzō cursed under his breath. Then he quickly formed Hand Seals and instantly spat a blast of invisible, razor-sharp wind from his mouth, sending it straight toward Fujima.
"Tch. I thought you had something better."
"What a bore. An attack like that can't even break through my Wood Release defense."
Senju Fujima saw Danzō attack and shook his head, unimpressed.
"Rumble, rumble, rumble...!"
In an instant, countless vines appeared before Senju Fujima and surged toward Danzō.
"Thud...!"
Danzō's Vacuum Wave was instantly blocked by Wood Release, but the trees kept surging forward without slowing.
"Damn it! His Wood Release is so powerful. I can't even break through his defense?"
"Summoning Technique...!"
Seeing that his attack had failed, Danzō immediately formed Hand Seals, intending to summon his beast.
"Smack...!"
"Ah...!"
But a vine burst out of the ground and wrapped around Danzō's hands and legs, leaving him no time to form Hand Seals. It interrupted him at once.
"You think a piece of trash like you is worth sneaking up on?"
"I haven't even used one ten-thousandth of my strength, and you're already done for?"
"Heh! Since you've been running your mouth, now you can face your punishment!"
Senju Fujima looked at Danzō, who had been bound by Wood Release again. A faint smile tugged at his lips, and contempt flashed in his eyes. He poured chakra into the ground. Two vines sprouted rapidly before him, turned into whips, and lashed Danzō.
"Smack, smack, smack...!"
"Ah...!"
"Ah...!"
"Y-you bastard...!"
Danzō couldn't fight back at all and could only take the beating. Senju Fujima quickly beat him black and blue, leaving his face flushed with humiliation and anger.
"Ding! The host has made a successful choice and completed the mission. Reward: Danzō's wrath. He now considers the host a sworn enemy."
At that moment, the successful choice meant the farce could finally come to an end.
"Heh. Do you understand the difference between us now?"
"All right, I'm done playing with you. Let's end this."
Senju Fujima looked at Danzō and smiled faintly. Then he clapped his hands.
"What's wrong with Danzō? Why's he just standing there? And why are his legs trembling?"
"He's under a genjutsu. Lord Fujima used it to knock him out in an instant. And just before that, he was shouting that Lord Fujima had caught him by surprise!"
"Haha, that's hilarious. That's it? He gets let down, throws a Kunai, and then gets knocked out by a genjutsu? And he accused Lord Fujima of a sneak attack? What a shameless sore loser."
"So this is the difference between a big clan and a small one? I'm definitely going to become strong one day."
The newly enrolled children pointed at Danzō and whispered, saying he'd overestimated himself.
Some of them were inspired by what they saw. They didn't want to end up like Danzō, getting beaten by others forever, so they knew they had to keep getting stronger.
"Whew, whew...!"
Just then, the genjutsu on Danzō was dispelled. He bent over, gasping for breath, looking utterly pathetic.
"How is this possible? That was all a genjutsu? How?"
Danzō couldn't believe he'd fallen under a genjutsu. And he hadn't even realized it had happened. A trace of fear flashed in his eyes.
"Heh."
Senju Fujima had no intention of explaining how Danzō had fallen under a genjutsu without realizing it.
In fact, the moment Fujima blocked the Kunai Danzō had thrown, Danzō had looked surprised. He was already afraid of Wood Release and tense, and Fujima had cast the genjutsu right then.
Danzō hadn't noticed at all. Fujima had beaten him countless times inside the illusion, until the system judged that Danzō's fury had reached its peak.
Since they were still at the academy, Fujima couldn't cause widespread destruction. Otherwise, the Konoha Ninja Academy they had worked so hard to build would have been torn apart by his Wood Release.
"Danzō, are you all right?"
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi ran over to Danzō's side and asked with concern.
"It's none of your business. Don't pretend to care. Hmph!"
Danzō heard Hiruzen's words and didn't thank him. Instead, he slapped away the hand Hiruzen had extended, then turned and left.
"Damn Senju Fujima. I'll get my revenge for this. Just you wait. Just you wait."
"One day, I'll make you die by my hand. You'll fall beneath my blade."
"Go ahead and laugh. Laugh all you want. We'll see who has the last laugh. Hmph."
Danzō strode away, seething with rage. His expression was dark, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.
"Danzō...!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was at a loss. He hadn't expected his cousin to be so hotheaded. The two of them had come to blows in no time at all. How was he supposed to get along with them in the future?
The title wasn't showing up when I searched for it. Maybe the author changed it!
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