Kenya sat on the carriage, watching the Konoha Ninja respectfully clear the road.
With a broad sweep of his hand, he gave a spirited command.
"Brothers, into the village!"
"Our destination is the old Senju estate! We're having extra food tonight!"
The enormous convoy of black iron wood carriages began moving again.
Under the "escort" of hundreds of Konoha Ninja.
And beneath the complicated, awed gazes of countless villagers.
It rolled brazenly into Konoha's bustling streets.
The flag bearing the words "Senju" and "Iron Fist" looked especially dazzling in Konoha's sunlight.
Meanwhile.
In a dark corner deep beneath Konoha.
The atmosphere was so cold and grim it seemed about to freeze solid.
The Root Base.
Bang!
A dull thud rang out.
Shimura Danzō's wrinkled old face twisted with extreme rage.
His sole remaining eye was filled with terrifying bloodshot veins.
He slammed his palm down hard on the stone chair's armrest.
The hard stone armrest was smashed straight into powder by his furious blow.
"Useless! Every last one of you is an incompetent fool!"
Danzo's hoarse voice echoed through the empty basement, carrying a spine-chilling coldness.
The several Root ninja kneeling below trembled, not daring to breathe loudly.
They had just reported what had happened at the village entrance.
"The Purple Lightning Seal was shattered with one punch..."
"A ten-meter hole was smashed through the gate..."
"Even Tsunade came back with him?!"
Danzo clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his flesh and drawing thin trickles of blood.
He had never imagined.
The death trap he had so painstakingly arranged.
That powerful barrier, which was said to withstand S-rank Ninjutsu and had even been infused with lightning release chakra.
Had failed to last even a single second against that brat!
One punch!
Just one punch!
He had trampled Root's dignity underfoot along with that gate!
How could he not be furious?
How could he not hate him!
But more than anything, he felt a deep sense of frustration and helplessness.
Two years ago, Senju Kenya had been nothing more than a vessel he could use for experiments whenever he pleased.
But now.
This monster, who had been growing at a frenzied pace overseas, had reached a point that frightened him.
"The Iron Fist Chamber of Commerce... two hundred million ryo in sponsorship..."
Danzo repeated those two phrases through gritted teeth.
He knew perfectly well that the current Senju Kenya was no longer an orphan he could manipulate however he pleased.
Not only did he possess terrifying destructive power through pure Taijutsu, comparable to a tailed beast.
He also had vast financial resources capable of controlling a small nation's economic lifeline.
Now, he had returned with Tsunade amid great fanfare.
That was equivalent to fastening an invisible shackle around the neck of Konoha High Command.
Even that weak, softhearted old fool Hiruzen.
Faced with Tsunade's prestige and the temptation of two hundred million ryo in sponsorship, would absolutely never allow him to make another move against Kenya.
"That brat is declaring war on me!"
Danzo's eyelid twitched wildly, his heart filled with fierce resentment.
He would never allow the Senju Clan to rise from the ashes in Konoha!
He would never allow anyone to obstruct his ambition to become Hokage and control Konoha!
"No matter how strong you become, no matter how much money you have."
"Before my Root, death is your only path!"
Danzo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed his raging fury, and forced himself to calm down.
Since he could not act openly.
He could only kill with a borrowed knife.
An exceedingly sinister, cold gleam flashed through Danzo's eye.
He had thought of the perfect pawn.
A madman who likewise craved the Senju's power and possessed the strength to destroy Konoha.
"Go."
Danzo gave a low command to the shadows behind him.
"Activate our highest-level covert channel immediately and contact Orochimaru."
In the shadows, a Root ninja wearing a tanuki mask silently appeared.
"Tell him Senju Kenya has returned to Konoha."
"And that his wood release cells have evolved to an unbelievable degree."
A cruel sneer curled Danzo's lips.
"Hasn't Orochimaru always been interested in perfect vessels and immortality?"
"What material in this world could be more perfect than a body capable of taking S-rank Ninjutsu head-on?"
"Tell him that as long as he finds an opportunity to eliminate Senju Kenya during the Chunin Ninja Exams."
"I can cooperate with him in secret, and even hand over all the top-secret research on Hashirama cells that Root has collected!"
In Danzo's eyes, this was a flawless plan.
For the sake of a perfect vessel, Orochimaru would absolutely latch onto Senju Kenya like a rabid dog and refuse to let go.
And all he needed to do was hide in the shadows and watch the tigers fight from the mountainside.
Once both sides were badly wounded, he would emerge to clean up the aftermath.
Not only could he eliminate Kenya, that grave threat.
He could also weaken Orochimaru in the process, killing two birds with one stone!
"Yes, Lord Danzo!"
The tanuki-masked Root ninja accepted the order and instantly vanished into the darkness.
Danzo sat back down on the damaged stone chair.
He gazed at the end of the dim passage, as though he could already see Senju Kenya struggling in despair on a dissection table.
"Brat, your time has come."
"Before you die, enjoy the terror of being coiled around by a venomous snake."
Danzo let out a smug, sinister laugh.
As though victory were already assured.
However.
This dark leader, who styled himself Konoha's brains, had no idea.
Just how laughable and foolish his supposedly flawless plan to kill with a borrowed knife.
Looked in the face of an absolute disparity in strength.
What he knew even less about was.
Far away, in a certain hidden underground base.
That "venomous snake," Orochimaru, in whom he had placed such high hopes and whom he regarded as a sharp blade.
At this moment, whenever he heard the name "Senju Kenya."
The neck he had finally managed to reattach with the Shedding Technique still throbbed with pain.