Warning the Old Fox—Mess with Me Again and I'll Blast Your Root to Pieces

"Orochimaru?"

Sen narrowed his eyes at the pervert who had suddenly appeared.

He knew perfectly well that this guy had shown up now with no good intentions.

"Brat, I don't like the way you're looking at me."

Orochimaru licked his lips, his voice as raspy as fingernails scraping across a blackboard.

"But considering what a perfect vessel your body would make, I'll forgive your rudeness."

A vessel?

Sen rolled his eyes hard. This freak really treated everyone like a blind box to be opened.

"Mister, did you not look in a mirror before leaving home?"

Sen dug at his ear, his face full of disgust.

"With that look of yours, like you've overindulged yourself into the grave, you want my body?"

"Aren't you afraid you'll be too weak to handle it and ascend to heaven on the spot?"

The smile on Orochimaru's face froze.

How was this brat's mouth more venomous than his snakes?!

"Seeking death!"

Orochimaru snorted coldly and rapidly formed hand seals.

He had no time to stand here and listen to a brat mock him.

That enormous burst of Wood Release chakra earlier had surely already caught Konoha's higher-ups' attention.

He had to take down this prey before the ANBU arrived!

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Several thick venomous snakes surged wildly out of his sleeves, their gaping maws opening as they shot toward Sen's neck like lightning.

Faced with the disgusting attack, Sen did not even move his feet.

Just as those snakes were about to bite him—

Several sharp wooden spikes suddenly thrust out from the ground beneath his feet.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

They struck with flawless precision, pinning every one of the snakes to the ground.

Orochimaru's gaze sharpened. This brat's reaction speed was nothing like that of a six-year-old child!

Just as Orochimaru was about to draw the Kusanagi Sword and get serious—

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several sharp whistles cut through the air from afar.

The Third Naruto descended before Sen with two ANBU, like divine soldiers falling from the heavens.

"Orochimaru! You dare sneak back into the village!"

The old Third Naruto roared, his Golden Cudgel aimed directly at his former beloved disciple.

Seeing the Third Naruto, Orochimaru knew there was no chance today.

He gave a sinister smile, his greedy gaze sweeping over Sen's body.

"Teacher, we'll meet again very soon."

"Senju brat, I've claimed your body."

With that, his entire body turned into a puddle of muck and burrowed underground, vanishing without a trace.

The old Third Naruto did not pursue him.

He turned to look at the venomous snakes pinned to the ground by wooden spikes, then at Sen, who stood there yawning.

"Sen, are you all right? Are you hurt?"

The old Third Naruto's tone was filled with undisguised concern.

"I'm fine, Grandpa Naruto."

Sen rubbed his eyes and put on a groggy expression as if he had just woken up.

"I was sleeping so well, then that weird uncle came out and released snakes to scare me. Good thing you got here so quickly."

The old Third Naruto sighed inwardly in relief.

Good thing he had always stationed ANBU to watch from afar. Otherwise, Konoha's only remaining Senju bloodline would truly have been in danger.

"As long as you're fine. The ANBU will take you back."

The old Third Naruto patted Sen on the shoulder.

"Remember, don't wander around lately."

Sen nodded obediently.

Back in his orphanage bed.

Sen did not immediately fall asleep as usual.

With his hands behind his head, he stared at the pitch-black ceiling, his eyes chillingly cold.

"Orochimaru that freak is a problem, but now isn't the time to deal with him."

"The urgent matter is dealing with that old bastard who keeps firing arrows from the shadows."

Sen knew that simply defending passively would lead to trouble sooner or later.

That old dog Danzo would do anything insane for the First's cells.

He had to hit him hard, make him understand pain and fear!

"System, create a specialized Wood Clone."

Sen murmured inwardly.

An incredibly tiny cluster of Wood Release chakra seeped from his fingertips.

In the darkness, it transformed into a miniature clone no larger than a palm, its color identical to the soil.

This clone possessed independent thought and perfectly inherited the Divine Tree Origin's sensory and stealth abilities.

It was practically an essential divine skill for home, travel, murder, and robbery.

"Go. Give him a warning."

With a thought from Sen—

The miniature clone instantly merged into the ground, like a fish swimming through the soil.

Silently, it burrowed toward Root's underground base.

The prototype of the Mayfly Technique!

Root's base was heavily guarded.

Hidden sentries and barriers were everywhere.

But before the Divine Tree clone's terrifying perception and assimilation abilities, those defenses were no more than paper.

The clone perfectly avoided every guard.

It did not even cause the slightest ripple of chakra.

Like a tree root naturally growing underground, it silently pierced through layer after layer of obstacles.

In Root's secret chamber late at night.

Danzo lay on his bed, his brows tightly furrowed as he slept restlessly.

The disappearance of those twenty elite death warriors had left him agitated to the extreme.

He always felt that a pair of invisible eyes was watching him from the darkness.

Suddenly.

He snapped his eyes open, his lone eye gleaming with terror in the dark.

It was the beast-like instinct honed by years spent walking the edge between life and death!

Killing intent!

Danzo abruptly sat up and reached beneath his pillow for his kunai.

"Drip."

A drop of icy liquid suddenly fell onto the back of his outstretched hand.

Danzo's entire body stiffened.

Slowly, he turned his head and looked toward the bedside table in the faint moonlight.

That single glance made him feel as though he had fallen into an ice pit. Even his breathing stopped.

On his bedside table—

A crude wooden kunai was embedded there, radiating pure Wood Release chakra!

The kunai had sunk deep into the wood, showing just how much force its wielder had used.

What terrified him even more was—

This kunai was lodged less than five centimeters from his head!

If the other party had wanted to kill him just now—

That kunai would already be buried in his throat!

Danzo felt as though someone had fiercely gripped his heart. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

With trembling hands, he pulled out the wooden kunai.

Underneath it was a crumpled slip of paper.

The handwriting was extremely messy, carrying a hint of mockery.

Danzo narrowed his lone eye and, by the moonlight, made out the words on the paper.

"Old fox, your delivery service sucks."

"If there's a next time, this kunai goes into your throat."

"Don't disturb my sleep, or else..."

"I'll tear out your entire Root and scatter it into ashes."

At the bottom of the note was an extremely careless smiley face.

But in Danzo's eyes, that smiley face was more terrifying than any evil ghost!

"Senju... Sen!"

Danzo clenched the note tightly, his fingers trembling slightly.

His gloomy face was twisted beyond recognition, filled with incomprehensible shock and horror.

How was this possible?!

This was Root's most secure secret chamber!

Even that old bastard Hiruzen could not have infiltrated this place silently without alerting anyone!

And planted a kunai beside his bed!

What kind of monster was this kid?!

At that moment.

This "Dark Shinobi" of Konoha, this ruthless hero who would stop at nothing for power—

For the first time in his life, felt the terror known as being completely shattered.

He stared fixedly at that wooden kunai, feeling cold air constantly blowing across his neck.

"Guards! Get in here! Now!"

Danzo roared hoarsely, his voice carrying a tremor even he had not noticed.

He knew.

From this day onward.

He would never sleep soundly again.