Secret Technique: Idaten, the Fallen Cane

Danzo's face turned livid, his lone eye fixed on Lu Ming. "What are you laughing at?!"

Lu Ming wiped the smile from his face and demanded sharply,

"I'm laughing at you, you old dog. You really are arrogant to the extreme!"

"What the hell is the Shimura clan? Back when Madara Uchiha was around, none of your Shimura clan members even dared breathe too loudly. You could only lie on the ground trembling like dogs!"

Lu Ming pressed forward step by step.

"And now, you dare use that lofty tone to recruit an Uchiha?"

"Who do you think you are? You're nothing more than a clown hiding in the shadows, playing with political schemes!"

Danzo raised his hand.

"You arrogant brat! Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, seize him!"

The moment he finished speaking, three Root elites drew their ninja blades and stabbed toward Lu Ming's vital points from three directions.

With a flash of steel, the three ninja blades pierced straight through Lu Ming's body without resistance!

"Got him!"

The Root ninja gripped the hilt tightly.

However, the next second, no blood spurted out. Ripples spread across the surface of Lu Ming's pierced body.

"Splash—"

Lu Ming's body turned into specks of light and dispersed into the air.

"An afterimage?! No, it's a genjutsu!"

"Mirror Flower, Water Moon!"

Lu Ming's voice drifted unpredictably through the underground chamber.

Danzo turned his head and saw Lu Ming appear behind him. Danzo swung his intact left hand, chopping at Lu Ming's neck.

Bang!

The hand strike connected, but Lu Ming's body turned into a puddle of water and vanished.

"On the left!"

Danzo spun around and attacked, yet he still struck only a phantom.

Lu Ming's afterimages flickered repeatedly throughout the underground chamber, toying with Danzo until he was utterly disoriented.

At last, Lu Ming appeared atop the chair symbolizing Root's highest authority. He sat there with one hand supporting his chin, looking down at Danzo.

"Danzo, you old bones are pathetically slow."

Lu Ming mocked.

Danzo clenched his fists and glared at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming's gaze lowered, landing on Danzo's bandage-wrapped right arm.

"You've covered it up so thoroughly. Are you afraid someone will discover that disgusting arm of yours?"

"The stench of Hashirama Cells is truly revolting."

The entire underground chamber fell silent.

Danzo's lone eye widened.

He took half a step back, his mind going blank.

"You... how could you know?!"

Danzo's voice turned shrill.

Transplanting the cells of Hashirama, the First Hokage—

That was the greatest secret he carried, as well as the trump card he used to control Konoha and even plot for the position of Hokage.

Aside from himself and Orochimaru, who was responsible for the experiments, no third person in all of Konoha could possibly know this secret! How had Lu Ming discovered it?!

"Kill him!"

Danzo raised his cane.

The secret could not be exposed. If word got out, he would be utterly ruined and become an enemy of all Konoha—even the entire Shinobi World!

"At any cost! Tear him to pieces!"

Danzo roared.

At Danzo's command, the dozen or so Root elites present drew their ninja tools and launched a pincer attack on Lu Ming from all directions.

"Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"

"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

All manner of ninjutsu mixed with flashing blades, pouring down upon Lu Ming seated in the chair.

The combined assault of more than a dozen Root elites was something even an ordinary Kage Level expert would find difficult to withstand. They might even be reduced to pulp!

Yet faced with this deadly encirclement, Lu Ming remained seated, his expression unchanged.

He raised his head, and chakra erupted from his black eyes.

Bzzzt—!

Three tomoe spun rapidly in Lu Ming's eyes, intertwining until they formed the pattern of three blades linked end to end!

The Mangekyō Sharingan had opened!

Along with the opening of the Mangekyō, overwhelming pressure descended!

"Secret Technique: Idaten!"

The instant he activated the secret technique, the world in Lu Ming's eyes changed, and his speed was forcibly elevated to its absolute limit!

From Lu Ming's perspective, everything around him slowed down.

The incoming ninjutsu, the flashing blades, even the expressions on the Root ninjas' faces—all of them seemed to have been put into slow motion.

Time had frozen.

The encircling ninjas moved as slowly as snails, and even the sparks scattered through the air hung motionless in place.

Lu Ming rose from the chair.

He strolled through this frozen time and space, walked up to a Root ninja using Wind Release, and extended a finger to tap the man's chest.

Chakra pierced through the ninja's heart.

Then, with a flicker, he appeared behind another ninja holding a blade and casually struck the man's back with his palm.

In less than a second, Lu Ming had already "taken care of" every Root ninja attacking him.

After finishing all that, Lu Ming returned to the chair and sat down again.

Rumble—!!!

Time in the real world resumed its normal flow.

Before Danzo and the remaining guard ninjas, the dozen or so Root elites were sent flying backward!

Pfft!

"Aaargh!"

Blood sprayed everywhere as the sound of shattering bones rang out in succession.

The dozen or so Root elites crashed heavily into the surrounding rock walls, their lives extinguished.

Meanwhile, Lu Ming remained seated in the chair. He had not moved so much as a finger throughout the entire exchange, yet he had broken this certain-kill formation!

"H-How is that possible?!"

The remaining guard ninjas' legs went weak, and they collapsed to the ground.

Danzo stared at Lu Ming's scarlet eyes. That bizarre pinwheel pattern made the blood in his entire body feel frozen.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan!"

Danzo cried out in shock.

"You... you actually awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan too!"

He had never imagined that this young Uchiha, whom he had regarded as someone he could manipulate at will, possessed such godlike power capable of overturning the Shinobi World!

Lu Ming ignored Danzo's shocked cry. The Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes flashed.

Whoosh!

Lu Ming's body turned into two streaks of red light, instantly appearing before Danzo!

"Protect Lord Danzo!"

Two guard ninjas charged forward desperately, trying to block Lu Ming.

"Get lost!"

Lu Ming barked coldly. Without even looking at them, he casually waved a hand.

Violent chakra swept out, sending the two guard ninjas flying backward while coughing blood.

Danzo retreated, instinctively trying to raise his left hand to resist.

But Lu Ming was simply too fast.

Before Danzo could raise his arm, Lu Ming struck the wrist holding his cane with a hand chop.

Danzo cried out in pain, and his hand loosened involuntarily.

The cane symbolizing Root's highest authority slipped from Danzo's hand and smashed onto the bluestone floor.