The aftermath of the street clash between Uchiha Inabi and Simu was clearly not going to end so simply.
Although Danzo, as the leader of Root, personally visited the residence of Uchiha Clan Head Fugaku Uchiha afterward for an in-depth conversation, and the Uchiha subsequently expressed their recognition and understanding of Elder Danzo's work, the matter continued to ferment among the villagers.
Under the silent instigation of certain individuals, the story evolved into a version where the Uchiha Military Police Force was overbearing and arrogant. They supposedly beat people in the streets and looked down upon even the Anbu. Finally, it was said the village higher-ups had to step in and proactively seek peace with the Uchiha Clan!
This narrative undoubtedly fit the stereotype the villagers had held of the Uchiha Clan for so many years. An image of a defiant, overbearing, and uncontrollably powerful Uchiha was vividly portrayed.
As for the Uchiha? Only a few were willing to step forward and explain, but with little success. Primarily, as the great first clan of the Hidden Leaf, the Uchiha had always been upright and spoke through strength, disdaining such methods of manipulating public opinion.
Furthermore, even if they wanted to do it, given their extremely volatile temperaments, they likely wouldn't be able to pull it off. Eventually, the Uchiha could only let things go, defining the situation as the village higher-ups deliberately targeting them. Consequently, the rift between the Uchiha and the village grew wider.
This series of events had nothing to do with Simu for the time being. Soon, the three-day period expired, and to welcome the Dra—
Cough, Simu's vacation finally came to an end.
When Jia arrived at the prison cell to escort Simu out, what met his eyes was a massive pile of leftover food packaging: plastic ramen bowls, roast chicken wrappers, pork chop bones...
He was completely stunned. One must realize that solitary confinement was one of Root's most severe punishments.
During the process of solitary confinement, the punished remains in endless darkness with no water, no food, no light, and no concept of time. It is as if the person has been exiled from the world. Often, one day is enough to cause mental abnormality, and after three days, a person is usually broken and requires specific treatment to recover.
Furthermore, the fear generated by the punishment is meant to leave a deep impression, ensuring the individual never dares to disobey orders again. This was the effect Danzo wanted to achieve. He hoped that Yi, the future sharp blade of Root, would feel the sensation of fear so that he could be better controlled in the future, rather than causing trouble every day.
However, his plan had clearly failed. At least, that was how it looked to Jia. After he pushed open the door, Simu immediately gave him a very bright smile.
Ohayo, Jia!
This mental state, combined with the pile of food packaging nearby, made it hard for Jia not to believe that this guy had used the prison cell as an opportunity to give himself a vacation.
As expected, this guy is always unpredictable.
Jia tapped his head and gave a serious warning. Yi, you had better hide and destroy these things. Otherwise, if Lord Danzo sees them, there will be big trouble.
Simu knew Jia was offering a kind reminder, so he followed the advice. He immediately clapped his hands and used an Earth Style jutsu to bury everything inside the walls.
There, all good. Let's go.
Looking at Simu as he strode out of the prison cell carelessly, Jia shook his head helplessly, though a faint smile appeared on his face. Regardless, Simu being high-spirited was much better than him being destroyed.
After leaving the cell, Simu even enthusiastically thanked the ninja responsible for guarding him, leaving the latter looking overwhelmed and frightened.
Why is he thanking me? Is he preparing to take revenge on me next?
After all, the fact that Tatsuma Aburame was nearly killed by this guy was already common knowledge in Root. Almost everyone knew this kid was a homicidal maniac who wanted to kill at the drop of a hat. Last time, it was rumored he wanted to go and exterminate the Uchiha Clan by himself. Truly arrogant.
They thought he should realize that the Uchiha was the number one clan in the ninja world; was that something one or two people could wipe out?
Ignoring his inner thoughts, Simu and Jia soon arrived at the familiar stadium. Unlike his previous spirited appearance, Simu's energy became listless the moment he reached the training ground. His hair was messy, and his eyes were even bloodshot. He looked exactly like someone who had suffered terribly through three days of solitary confinement.
Jia stood beside Simu, watching the internal and external transformation of his body in shock. This guy, seriously...
However, this change clearly met Danzo's expectations. This was exactly the effect he wanted. Only after tasting bitterness would one serve him more loyally. Moreover, the boy had done it all for him after all.
Do you know your mistake, Yi? Danzo asked directly. His tone was flat, showing no anger.
Simu answered without hesitation. I know my mistake, Lord Danzo. In the future, without your orders, I will never act on my own initiative!
Looking at the exhausted Simu, Danzo nodded in satisfaction. As the leader of Root, Danzo was no stranger to the art of manipulation; in fact, he was quite skilled at it. He deeply understood the principle of the "carrot and the stick." Therefore, after punishing Simu, he brought him a carrot.
This is a new Wood Style jutsu. Practice it well and do not fail my expectations.
Danzo took a scroll from his pocket and handed it to Simu. Simu's eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly accepted the scroll.
Rest assured, Lord Danzo. I will definitely become Root's sharpest weapon. No matter who Lord Danzo wants to kill, I will finish them without mercy!
Danzo looked at Simu. Although the boy's hostility was still a bit heavy, it was fine as long as he could follow orders.
Work hard.
With that, he vanished from the spot. After Danzo left, Simu opened the scroll almost immediately. Simu was looking forward to seeing what good things that old man Danzo would bring out to soothe his wounded soul. After all, he had proven his loyalty multiple times; it would be excessive to keep fobbing him off with scraps.
Sure enough, as Simu suspected, in order to win over a top talent like him—and perhaps to prepare for dealing with the Uchiha—Danzo had finally spent a fortune.
Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence.
One of the most frequently used Wood Style jutsus of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. It was the upgraded version of Wood Style: Great Forest Jutsu. It could create a massive forest in an instant. Within this forest, the caster would occupy an absolute geographical advantage, as all the trees could be controlled to launch attacks on the enemy. In terms of both range and power, it completely crushed the Great Forest Jutsu he had previously mastered.
It looks quite difficult.
Jia leaned in next to Simu, unabashedly studying the jutsu with him.
It is indeed quite difficult, Simu nodded in agreement.
Jia looked at Simu in surprise. I didn't expect a guy like you to actually say something like that. I thought you were going to clap your hands and use it immediately.
Simu shook his head. How could every technique be like that? This was the First Hokage's specialty after all. It still requires some time to figure out.
How long do you need? Jia asked curiously. He really wanted to know how long it would take a genius monster like Yi to master this technique.
Three. Simu held up three fingers.
Three days? Jia was not too surprised by this timeframe. After all, the guy before him was a true genius monster. However, Simu quickly retracted one finger.
Two. A hint of confusion appeared on Jia's face. Two days? Does he feel three days is still too long? He really is confident in himself...
Under Jia's stunned gaze, Simu retracted another finger.
One.
Wait, you don't mean—
Jia finally realized something, his pupils shrinking violently. Then he saw Simu clap his hands together in front of his chest.
Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!
In an instant, thousands of giant trees erupted from the ground of Root. All the surrounding buildings were burst open by the surging growth of the roots. The entire Root headquarters might as well have experienced a violent earthquake.
The recently departed Danzo turned around only to find that the center of Root had been completely transformed into a forest. His aged mouth opened slightly, falling into a speechless shock. Other Wood Style jutsus were one thing. But now, he could even perform the First's specialty with ease?
How long had it been since he handed him the scroll? Ten minutes? No, it hadn't even been five!
Lord Danzo, there are Anbu personnel monitoring the vicinity of Root, a Root ninja whispered a reminder.
Hearing the reminder, Danzo finally realized what the most important matter was.
Seal the information immediately. It must not be leaked. Under the cover of the barrier, the Anbu ninjas shouldn't discover it so quickly. I will have Yi cancel this forest immediately.
Danzo quickly issued instructions. Yi, this Wood Style ninja, was his trump card. He absolutely could not let the news of his mastery of Wood Style be exposed. Otherwise, that old man Hiruzen would definitely be restless!
Yes! The Root ninjas received the order and quickly disappeared.
Danzo also returned to the stadium immediately. He looked at Simu with a complex expression and spoke sharply. Yi, get rid of this forest immediately.
Yes! Simu displayed the attitude a well-behaved subordinate should have and clapped his hands again.
The chakra in the trees was quickly reclaimed. The massive amount of wood that had just grown out withered rapidly, eventually leaving only a ground full of ruins. Under the impact of those roots, the buildings in the central area of Root had suffered a fatal blow.
Um, Lord Danzo, I didn't know this jutsu's power was so great. I'm sorry. If you are truly angry, just put me in solitary confinement for another three days...
Looking at the aggrieved Simu, Jia was speechless. Is what you go through solitary confinement? That's just a vacation! Wait, maybe this guy Yi did it just to go back to the prison cell to rest!
However, this time Danzo did not choose to punish Simu. Instead, he spoke solemnly. Yi, in the future, you must never use the power of Wood Style except in front of me!
Danzo was truly afraid. He was afraid that the genius Wood Style ninja he had worked so hard to cultivate would be discovered by Hiruzen. With that man's stagnant personality, he would never feel at ease leaving such a sharp sword in Danzo's hands.
Hearing Danzo's order, Simu did not agree immediately. Instead, he scratched his head and said with some hesitation, That's fine, but what about my training in the future? He couldn't just not train. Simu still wanted to learn more Wood Style jutsus from Danzo.
Danzo gazed into Simu's eyes. In the future, I will personally teach you how to use ninjutsu. You only need to perform your ninjutsu cultivation in front of me.
That's great!
Surprisingly, Simu accepted the order quite happily. If Danzo were to teach him personally, the man would probably be too embarrassed to fob him off with low-level ninjutsu anymore.
After hurriedly handling the matter, Danzo sat at his desk, Simu's figure constantly flashing through his mind. The talent this guy displayed was simply too terrifying. He narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a dangerous glint.
Tell Orochimaru that I can provide him with double the funding. The price is...
I need that forbidden jutsu of his.
Living Corpse Reincarnation!
When the scroll representing Danzo's will arrived before Orochimaru, he immediately wore a meaningful smile.
It seems Danzo is also impatient to possess a Wood Style body, Simu-kun.
Orochimaru looked directly at the Simu beside him. That was right; Simu was currently standing by Orochimaru's side, and both were wearing the red cloud uniforms of the Akatsuki. It was clear that in Orochimaru's heart, Simu's position had already surpassed that of his partner Danzo. Otherwise, he would never have discussed such a secret in front of Simu.
Hearing that Danzo was interested in seizing his clone's body, Simu didn't mind.
If you are willing to trade with Danzo, I have no problem with it. The funding we obtain can be used for more experiments.
Simu gently adjusted his glasses, completely indifferent to the danger his clone might face.
It seems Simu-kun has a lot of confidence in those two Wood Style experimental subjects.
Orochimaru stared at Simu's face with a grin, seemingly trying to see something in his expression. Unfortunately, Simu's expression had not changed from beginning to end. Even now, Orochimaru did not know what kind of tricks Simu had played on those two Wood Style experimental subjects.
However... Simu spoke again, drawing Orochimaru's attention once more.
Living Corpse Reincarnation is, after all, a very precious forbidden jutsu. If Mr. Orochimaru truly wants to trade with Danzo, you might as well raise the stakes.
Hearing this, Orochimaru immediately let out a cold laugh. Of course. Without high enough stakes, I wouldn't be willing to hand over such an important forbidden jutsu.