The two teams of Konoha Patrol Ninja did not dare make a move. Takigawa and his companions' injuries told them how powerful their opponent was.
The dark figure stared at the twenty-odd Konoha shinobi, then suddenly unleashed an overwhelming aura. A violent wind burst outward from him in every direction.
All twenty-odd Konoha shinobi froze. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. They had never imagined one person could be this strong.
The crushing aura soon faded, and a low voice sounded in their ears.
"This time is just a warning. Next time, I'll slaughter every last one of you."
The dark figure turned and vanished. The Konoha shinobi remained rooted to the spot. Only several minutes later did they begin to move, and many had backs soaked with cold sweat.
In the distant forest, Black and White Zetsu had watched the entire encounter from inside an unusually dense pitcher plant.
"Truly astonishing. I never expected Danzo to have such a powerful subordinate. It seems we've underestimated him all this time.
"He must now have the top-tier strength to fight the Five Great Ninja Villages. In the end, it's top-tier fighters who decide the strength of the Shinobi World," White Zetsu said.
Black Zetsu was a little surprised. Apparently White Zetsu could think clearly after all, even if he seemed like an idiot most of the time.
"Danzo? We can't be sure yet. That man claimed to serve Danzo, but Danzo has been a fugitive for years, and we've never seen him show his face.
"We don't even have a lead on his base. Our attention may be focused mainly on the Land of Rain, but our intelligence network spans the Shinobi World," Black Zetsu said.
It took White Zetsu a moment to understand. "You mean another faction might be posing