Danzo's Ambition

Even as a noble who considered himself superior, he utterly looked down on shinobi who knew nothing but fighting and killing, and were no different from "tools."

Yet he did not dare show the slightest disrespect to Tsunade, a master healer.

Not only had she been personally named the Princess of Konoha by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, but her medical skills were also nothing short of miraculous.

After all, even the mighty daimyo, with his lofty status and great power, could not guarantee that he would never fall ill.

He might need to ask for her help someday.

One could hardly curry favor with someone like her quickly enough.

Who would offend her unless they were a fool?

"Then thank you!"

Tsunade accepted without ceremony and nodded.

Rikuto smiled beside her.

Taking the place of his senior, Shizune,

he accepted the gift presented by the nobleman.

"In that case, we'll take our leave!"

"Take care!"

After returning to the inn,

"Finally, it's over..."

Tsunade stretched lazily, revealing her stunning curves.

Even her exquisite pendant bounced twice against her ample bosom.

"Wow, that minister was really generous!"

She opened the suitcase.

Looking at the suitcase packed full of banknotes,

Shizune narrowed her eyes into happy crescents.

The rest of their earnings from the past few days had already gone toward paying off their debts.

At last, they could keep some of it.

"After all, Sister Tsunade is a legendary master healer. She isn't someone they can invite just whenever they please..."

Rikuto shrugged, unconcerned about the money. "Who can guarantee they won't need Sister Tsunade's help again? Of course they want to curry favor with her!"

"Hee-hee, whatever the reason, at least our efforts weren't wasted..."

With money on hand, Shizune was naturally happy.

She put the suitcase away, looked at Tsunade, and asked, "Lady Tsunade, are we leaving now?"

"Yes, there's no need to stay here anymore..."

Tsunade nodded.

A cold smile appeared on her beautiful face.

She asked Rikuto directly, "Those guys should be running out of patience, shouldn't they?"

For the past few days,

someone had been watching them from a distance.

But Rikuto's powerful sensory ability had exposed them completely.

"Yes, those guys from Root have been stuck to us like plasters, secretly watching us for days. They don't seem afraid of being discovered at all..."

Rikuto shrugged. "They're probably after me..."

"I expect they won't be able to resist making a move once we leave the city!"

He narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Also, I sensed Danzo's Chakra. It looks like he just arrived!"

Rikuto had a rough idea of what Danzo wanted.

Most likely, he had seen how astonishing Rikuto's talent was.

He wanted to use Shisui Uchiha's Kotoamatsukami, which could forcibly rewrite another person's will,

to make Rikuto serve him.

"That bastard Danzo..."

Tsunade clenched her fists.

A chill flashed in her eyes.

Murderous intent filled her as she said coldly, "Then this time, Rikuto, you don't need to hold back!"

Tsunade was no saint.

Especially when it came to that scheming Danzo, whom she had resented for more than a day or two.

Moreover, not long after the Second Hokage died,

Hiruzen Sarutobi, whom he had appointed before his death, succeeded him as Hokage.

Shimura Danzō became the Hokage's aide, while Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu became Hokage Advisors.

The four formed the Council of Elders and became the village's leadership.

They had wasted no time suppressing the Senju Clan.

From the end of the First Shinobi World War to the Second Shinobi World War,

the Senju Clan's powerhouses had died on the battlefield one after another over the course of little more than a decade.

Danzo could not escape responsibility for it.

Since he dared to move against her disciple,

she would not let the matter rest this time.

"Perfect. Use them to test your strength!"

Hearing that, Rikuto...

Rikuto licked his lips and smiled. "That's great!"

After all,

if he wanted to become a true powerhouse,

burying himself in training was far from enough.

He wanted to test his strength in actual combat.

Chapter 54: Danzo's Ambition

"Sister Tsunade, Senior Shizune..."

Inside the inn,

Rikuto, who had finished packing, checked his ninja tools.

He warned Tsunade and Shizune directly, "Danzo may have taken Shisui Uchiha's eyes. You two need to be careful..."

"I did hear the name Shisui of the Body Flicker while traveling through the Land of Fire these past few years. They say his Genjutsu was quite powerful, and he was exceptionally skilled with the Body Flicker Technique..."

Tsunade nodded.

Shizune agreed, then asked curiously, "I wonder what kind of Dōjutsu his Mangekyo Sharingan has."

"Kotoamatsukami, a Mangekyo Sharingan Dōjutsu hailed as the strongest Genjutsu. It can directly, permanently, and completely rewrite another person's will by force..."

Rikuto spread his hands and said bluntly, "For example, I'm guessing Danzo has taken a liking to my talent and wants to use Kotoamatsukami on me to make me serve him!"

Tsunade: "..."

Shizune: "..."

For a moment,

the two women could not help exchanging glances, their eyelids twitching wildly.

They had been eager to give Root a thorough beating,

but now a chill rose in their hearts, and their scalps tingled.

This was Genjutsu?

The Dōjutsu born from the Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan were each more outrageous than the last.

They hardly knew what to say.

It was utterly unreasonable, far too overbearing.

No wonder the clan had been wiped out.

"Then what do we do? If Danzo comes after you, it'll be far too dangerous..."

Tsunade's expression shifted.

She had seen Rikuto's Ōnamuchi, a Dōjutsu that could practically be called unbeatable.

Now she had heard how outrageous Shisui Uchiha's Kotoamatsukami was.

No matter how confident she was in her strength as one of the Sannin,

even she had to be cautious.

"You don't have to worry about that. I have the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, and Ōnamuchi isn't my only Dōjutsu..."

Rikuto smiled. "Uganomitama is a Dōjutsu that can ignore all Genjutsu. It happens to be the perfect counter to Kotoamatsukami!"

"But you and Senior Shizune have to be careful, Sister Tsunade!"

"Yes, I know Danzo well. If he finds he can't take you down, he really is capable of using any underhanded trick..."

Tsunade nodded.

Her expression grew serious, and killing intent showed in her eyes.

"Also, he probably doesn't know you've gotten over your fear of blood, Sister Tsunade. He'll most likely try to exploit that weakness, so you can turn his own plan against him!"

Rikuto punched his palm.

Full of confidence, he smiled and said, "Leave Danzo and those guys from Root to me!"

He could hardly wait to find out

just how strong he was now.

Danzo had come to him of his own accord.

Perfect.

At that moment-

Outside the capital of the Land of Fire,

several masked figures with ninja swords on their backs knelt before Shimura Danzō, who leaned on his cane.

"Are Tsunade and that Chiya Rikuto still in the capital?"

It was incredible that he had mastered Genjutsu to such a degree at only eight years old.

Moreover, he excelled even at Medical Ninjutsu, had the blood of the Senju Clan, and was born with a considerable amount of Chakra.

The talent and potential Chiya Rikuto had displayed

had already tempted Danzo, and even compelled him to take notice.

After receiving his subordinates' report a few days ago, he had made up his mind and intended to strike along the way.

But he had not expected the group to leave Konoha behind so quickly, reaching the capital of the Land of Fire that very day.