Haki Hardens Against the Kusanagi Sword

Danzo had just taken two steps out of the camp gate when he suddenly stopped, leaning on his cane.

He turned around, his single eye sweeping over the five hundred team members sitting ramrod straight on the training ground.

The more these people refused to acknowledge the Hokage, the more Danzo felt that Qian Ye was a rare talent.

A blade existing outside the Hokage's system was exactly what he had sought for years. As long as Qian Ye continued acting in his name, this force could become his weapon against Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Danzo strode back, a smile on his face.

"Silver bills and armor alone aren't enough. Without a proper name, you won't have proper authority."

Danzo pulled a black iron token from his sleeve, engraved with the black character "Root."

He slapped the token heavily into Qian Ye's hand.

"From today onward, you are the commander-in-chief of the Root Outer Security Force."

"Whether there are five hundred people or a thousand, you have complete authority over their deployment."

Danzo not only gave him the token but also took a heavy string of brass keys from his robes.

The keys clinked crisply in the wind.

"These are the keys to three secret underground armories in the southern suburbs."

"They contain the Explosive Tags, Kunai, and Military Ration Pills I've accumulated over the years."

"I grant you the privilege of taking whatever you need without reporting to anyone."

Black Panther watched from behind, his eyelids twitching violently and his heart clenching.

Those three armories held the Root's reserve supplies for external deployment. Even many official Root squad leaders didn't know their exact locations.

Yet their leader had handed them over just like that.

Qian Ye didn't hesitate at all. He swiftly stuffed both the keys and the token into his