The Root base wasn't hard to find. Both Kakashi and Itachi knew the location of the Root's secret base.

Ethan, who had long been wary of Danzo, had also pinpointed the exact location of his lair.

Considering he might need to deal with this guy at any moment, how humiliating would it be if he couldn't even locate him?

Ethan didn't even need to use methods beyond his power level to find Danzo's base. It had to be said, within Konoha, Wood Style was incredibly convenient.

Because Konoha was crawling with Danzo's informants, Danzo wasn't surprised when Tsunade showed up at the Root base with a few people.

He had already received news that Itachi had suddenly returned to Konoha. Now, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was heading toward the Root base with Itachi, Kakashi, Ethan, Sasuke, and others.

Judging by Tsunade's aggressive demeanor, she clearly wasn't here for tea and conversation.

Danzo didn't take it too seriously. So what if the Fifth Hokage was dissatisfied with him? In this village, the Hokage didn't have the final say in everything.

Thinking this, Danzo stood alone at the entrance, leaning on his cane, waiting for her arrival.

The Root base was well hidden, just like their name implied. As a department that operated in the shadows, they stayed underground in perpetual darkness.

Even the entrance was concealed in a remote corner outside the main village.

When Tsunade arrived at the base with her group, it was already the darkest time of night. As he stepped into the base, Ethan looked up at the pitch-black sky.

"A dark night for murder..."

"..."

Tsunade gave Ethan a speechless glare. She hadn't even decided how to deal with Danzo yet, but Ethan's words made it sound like they were here to kill him.

Because of this one comment, when she entered the base and stood in front of Danzo, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were here to settle things once and for all.

"Lord Hokage, is there something urgent for you to come here so suddenly?"

Just as Tsunade was thinking about how to begin, Ethan stepped forward.

"Danzo, your crimes have been exposed. Prepare to die!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Kakashi covered his face. For some reason, he wasn't surprised at all that Ethan would say something like this.

Danzo looked at Ethan again. He hadn't taken Ethan seriously before, assuming some of his previous actions were on the Hokage's orders, meaning they were Tsunade's intentions.

Even now, he thought Ethan was speaking on her behalf.

After all, if the Hokage herself made such accusations, it would be hard to take them back. But if a subordinate said it, it left room for maneuver even if things escalated.

That's what he believed, but unfortunately, it wasn't the case.

At this moment, Tsunade just wanted to punch Ethan. Ethan, on the other hand, didn't look at anyone else and continued speaking.

"Colluding with enemy nations during wartime. Selling out the interests of Konoha. Persecuting fellow Konoha shinobi. Even conspiring with Orochimaru in the Konoha Crush, causing massive damage to the village... Danzo, you traitor to Konoha, prepare to die!"

Danzo suddenly sensed something was wrong. Listing these crimes wasn't the issue, but Ethan's repeated line—"prepare to die"—was the problem.

"Seems the Hokage is eager to take full control of Konoha..."

"Ridiculous. The Hokage is supposed to control Konoha. That's only natural." Ethan looked at Danzo with mocking scorn. "But you... secretly building your own forces..."

Ethan didn't finish the sentence, but no one there was stupid. They all understood what he meant.

Compared to the clear irritation on Tsunade's face, Danzo still maintained a calm demeanor, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

"I received approval from the Advisors..."

"In your eyes, are the Advisors above the Hokage? Then you shouldn't be coveting the Hokage position. You should make yourself an Advisor instead. With your age and seniority, that should be easy."

"..."

After rambling a bit, Ethan looked around. The entrance to the base was a wide-open area, surrounded by darkness, perfect for concealment.

When enemies invaded, Root shinobi could hide in the shadows and launch pincer attacks when needed.

Intruders, on the other hand, were left exposed in the open, with nowhere to hide. If they weren't strong enough, they'd be eliminated instantly.

"I've given you enough time. You should be done preparing, right?"

Danzo suddenly flinched. It was the first time he truly looked at Ethan.

Having been through countless storms, Danzo had never taken Ethan seriously. Even though the Third Hokage spoke highly of him, he thought Ethan was too young, raised under the Third's foolish peace policy. No matter how talented he was, he wasn't worth his attention.

Now, he realized he may have misjudged him.

As he was observing Ethan, Ethan turned to look at Itachi beside him. "It's time to move."

Ethan's long-winded speech wasn't to argue with Danzo or render him speechless, but to buy time for Itachi to prepare.

Itachi glanced at Ethan, nodded slightly, and then vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Shadow Clone!"

Danzo's pupils shrank. If that was a Shadow Clone, then where was the real Itachi? A top-tier ninja like Itachi hiding in the dark...

He didn't need to think too hard to realize how terrifying that was.

"You... are you trying to betray Konoha?"

"Betray Konoha?"

Ethan hadn't planned on wasting more words with him, but after hearing that line, he couldn't help himself.

"Are you even worthy?"

Calling Danzo scum, a parasite, someone who colluded with enemies—none of that would faze him. After all, he always clung to his so-called "great ideals," using them to convince himself that everything he did was for the village.

But Ethan's words cut deep. That line questioned the very ideals he had built his life on.

"Ignorant brat. Do you think you can do whatever you want just by colluding with two Uchiha survivors?"

"No," Ethan wagged his finger. "If I want to do something, I don't need to collude with anyone... let alone to stomp on a parasite like you."

"Arrogant!" Danzo was truly enraged now. "I'd like to see what abilities you really have! Is it just that ridiculous jutsu you call Wood Style?"

"Heh heh. Ignorance really is bliss."

Ethan spread his hands and took a few steps forward.

"Then experience this 'ridiculous' jutsu for yourself."

There were no hand signs, no dramatic chakra surges. Ethan simply spoke, and as he did, the entire chamber was filled with blooming roses.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Almost at the same moment the roses spread, the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed from all around.

As an experienced shinobi, Danzo didn't need to look to know that those were his subordinates collapsing.

"The Hokage pays you a visit, yet you had so many ambushed around her. Heh."

Ethan glanced at Tsunade. At that moment, Tsunade didn't move. Of course, it wasn't because she was calm. It was because she had unknowingly fallen into Ethan's trap and couldn't move even if she wanted to.

Kakashi noticed this just now. No wonder the Hokage hadn't stopped Ethan. She couldn't.

Should he help her?

Ethan kept his hands in his pockets, tilted his head slightly, and lifted his chin toward Danzo.

"This is the ridiculous jutsu you look down on. Let's see how you handle it."

Then, as if remembering something, he added casually.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. These roses aren't just here. Right now, the entire Konoha village is blooming with them. Especially the Shimura household, where it's not just red roses growing..."

Red roses could slowly paralyze the body, robbing people of their senses—sight, hearing, even touch—and eventually cause death.

Danzo had long known this, and he also knew that Ethan's strange Wood Style included other types of flowers, such as lethal black roses.

Ethan's words clearly meant one thing: he wasn't just here to kill Danzo. The entire Shimura clan wasn't going to escape.

And the power Ethan displayed stunned Danzo.

If he wasn't bluffing, and this was all true, then Ethan's power was terrifying.

Spreading poisonous roses throughout the whole of Konoha? That meant he had the power to wipe out an entire village. Under the cover of night, while most people were asleep, such a jutsu could silently end countless lives.

Imagining that scenario, not only Danzo was shaken. Even Tsunade behind him was stunned.

"Are you crazy?"

Danzo had already broken free of Ethan's technique and regained his mobility, but his physical condition hadn't recovered fully. He couldn't charge forward yet.

"Relax. I can control these flowers perfectly. They won't harm innocent people. Everyone in the village can enjoy a peaceful night's sleep. I only said that to make sure this old man understands one thing. No one is coming to save you. You're finished today."

Danzo said nothing. He had already considered that. Just as he was debating whether to unleash his trump card, Ethan suddenly said something else that shocked him again.

"Show me that arm full of Sharingan and the Wood Style you got from Orochimaru."

(To be continued.)

◇◇◇

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