"Die."
Seiryū's lips curled as he spat out that single word.
Rumble!
The power of the fully chanted Hadō surged to its limit, and its light became blinding.
A thick pillar of lightning struck down in an instant, landing directly where Danzō stood.
A terrifying roar echoed throughout Konoha.
Lightning raged. The explosion shook the area violently, causing the massive cliff beneath the Hokage Rock to tremble as countless stones tumbled down.
Crack, crack!
Cracks spread from the point of impact.
The mountain itself split open, and even the Hokage Rock above nearly suffered damage.
"Tsk. So you already know Izanagi at this point?"
Seiryū's Vollständig: Heavenly Eye kept its perception firmly locked onto Danzō.
Under that special perception, lightning, flames, and smoke could not block his sight.
He saw everything clearly.
The moment Raikōhō was about to strike, Danzō had already taken countermeasures.
He formed hand seals and cast a jutsu.
An indescribable ripple of power spread outward.
Then the shattered pieces of Danzō's body, torn apart by Raikōhō, turned illusory before vanishing completely.
Clearly, this was the Uchiha Clan's forbidden jutsu, Izanagi.
A forbidden technique used at the cost of permanently blinding a Sharingan.
For a limited period of time, it could turn unfavorable events into illusions while making favorable outcomes into reality.
It was a forbidden jutsu capable of rewriting even death itself.
"You only have one Sharingan. I just need to kill you one more time."
Seiryū did not care.
Danzō was strong.
However, he was around the same level as Setsuna had been before. Perhaps he possessed Kage-level strength, but to the current Seiryū, he was no longer a serious threat.
"Konoha Chūnin Uzumaki Seiryū has committed insubordination by publicly attacking a high-ranking official of Konoha. This can be treated as an act of treason. Even as a disciple of Jiraiya and Tsunade, you will not be spared!"
The "resurrected" Danzō retreated to a safe distance, his expression darker than ever.
He stared coldly at Seiryū, his tone icy and filled with killing intent.
"In my capacity as Hokage Advisor, I order the immediate execution of this traitor who dared attack a high-ranking official of Konoha!"
This place was not far from the Hokage Building. It could be considered the heart of Konoha.
With such a commotion, there was no way it could go unnoticed.
Someone was fighting inside Konoha.
That alone was enough to alarm anyone with sensory Ninjutsu.
Moreover, Konoha had the Barrier Team.
They were responsible for detecting abnormalities within the Village, and they had already reported the situation to the Hokage's Office.
At that moment, more and more shinobi were rushing toward the scene.
Among them were Anbu sent to investigate, as well as Root shinobi who had received orders.
Even the great clans, such as the Uchiha and Hyūga, along with members of the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and other clans, arrived one after another.
Danzō had spoken those words specifically for everyone who had gathered.
His goal was to define Seiryū's crime.
Attacking a Hokage Advisor inside the Village would be treated as treason, allowing him to execute Seiryū on the spot.
Danzō was both shocked and afraid.
This damn brat was far too terrifying.
To possess such strength at such a young age...
If Danzō had not used the three-tomoe Sharingan transplanted in his right eye to activate Izanagi, he would have died from that last Ninjutsu.
Someone this dangerous, someone he could not control, had to be eliminated no matter the cost.
"..."
However, not many people acted on Danzō's order.
At the very least, no one was willing to move recklessly before understanding the situation.
Danzō was a Hokage Advisor, not the Hokage. He had no direct authority to command all of them.
Furthermore, Seiryū's identity was special.
He was the disciple of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya and Tsunade, and he firmly belonged to the Hokage's faction.
He was also the most famous prodigy of the new generation, known as the strongest genius.
With so many concerns in play, most of the shinobi chose not to move.
They decided to watch for now.
"Yes, Danzō-sama!"
While the others remained still, the Root shinobi acted immediately.
They obeyed only Danzō.
His orders were absolute.
Every Root shinobi present moved at once, charging straight toward Seiryū.
Swish, swish, swish!
Then they were pierced by golden chains and turned into corpses, suspended in midair.
"What strength..."
"He truly deserves the title of strongest genius. To possess such power at his age... Tsunade-sama and Lord Jiraiya really took in a terrifying disciple."
"Are those the Uzumaki Clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains?"
"He's already mastered that power..."
Seeing the Root shinobi killed so easily and left hanging from the golden chains, the surrounding shinobi were all shocked.
They naturally knew Seiryū.
After all, the title of strongest genius was too famous. On top of that, he was the disciple of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya.
His reputation was enormous.
But killing over a dozen Root shinobi so casually still left them deeply shaken.
Compared with the joint Chūnin Exams, his strength seemed to have improved by far more than just a little.
Was this what the strongest genius was truly capable of?
Of course, they also found it strange.
Why had Seiryū come into conflict with Danzō in the first place?
Nara Shikaku, standing among the Nara Clan, watched the scene with furrowed brows.
"What exactly happened? Why would Seiryū clash with Danzō?"
Even with his brilliant mind, he could not figure out the specific reason right away.
Why would these two suddenly break into a fight here?
Beside him, Yamanaka Inoichi looked at Shikaku and asked, "Should we stop them? After all, Seiryū is the disciple of Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama. If this continues..."
"This matter is no longer something we can casually involve ourselves in."
Shikaku shook his head.
"And since we don't know what happened, it's better to wait and watch."
This involved a Hokage Advisor and a disciple of the Sannin.
Getting involved rashly before understanding the situation would only bring trouble.
It was better not to invite problems for themselves.
The others were thinking along similar lines.
They did not know the reason or the full story.
What if they offended the wrong person?
In any case, this matter had nothing to do with them, and they did not need to obey Danzō's orders.
Some were even relieved that they had not followed Danzō's command to attack.
Otherwise, they might now be one of the bodies hanging from those golden chains.
Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha Clan, watched the scene unfold. He could not fully suppress the shock in his eyes.
"This boy's strength is becoming more and more terrifying."
"And his control over that Tailed Beast-like Chakra inside him is growing stronger and more refined. Someone like this... truly cannot be made an enemy."
Because the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder, Setsuna, had died at Seiryū's hands, the Uchiha Clan bore great hatred toward him.
This was especially true of the hawk faction, who had repeatedly clamored to make him pay.
But Fugaku had suppressed them.
Seiryū's status and potential were enough to make even the Uchiha Clan wary.
And now, the power he displayed was enough to alarm even Fugaku.
He even felt that Seiryū might one day become an existence like the First Hokage or Madara.
"What are you standing there for? Why haven't you attacked? Did you not hear my order?"
Seeing all his subordinates killed in the blink of an eye while the other shinobi did not move at all, Danzō's expression became extremely ugly.
A thought rose uncontrollably in his mind.
If he were Hokage, these damn people would never dare ignore his orders.
Why?
Why was he not the Hokage?
Clatter!
The golden chains shook, flinging the corpses away and sending them crashing to the ground.
Seiryū's face visibly became "panicked."
"Advisor Danzō is truly terrifying. The moment something goes wrong, he uses his status to pressure people, and he even tried to have me killed..."
"I'm getting more and more scared."
Seiryū muttered, but his voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear.
"What if you raise the bounty on me through the black market in the future? What if you put a bounty on my family too? What exactly am I supposed to do?"
"It seems... I can only kill you."
"I have to save myself!"
By the end, Seiryū's expression had changed.
It became mad, brutal, and excited, making him look somewhat unhinged.
He looked exactly like a lunatic who had been pushed too far and was now forced to defend himself from a threat to his life.
In his previous life, mentally ill patients who committed murder had their sentences reduced on humanitarian grounds.
Although Seiryū was not actually sick, Tsunade-sama, the number one medical ninja in the Ninja World, had always believed he was.
Many others thought so too.
So why not make good use of that identity?
Hum, hum, hum!
Seiryū raised his right hand.
A large amount of Dragon Vein Chakra inside his body was mobilized.
The thick, powerful Chakra made even the air hum.
Boom!
Seiryū curled his index finger and aimed it at Danzō.
A vast amount of Dragon Vein Chakra gathered at his fingertip.
An eerie, dazzling purple light illuminated the surroundings, and the heavy Chakra caused the ground beneath his feet to collapse.
"I hope you still have another Sharingan left for Izanagi, Advisor Danzō."
Seiryū grinned coldly.
The Cero he had been charging fired.
Shoo!
A shrill sound tore through the air.
The purple Chakra beam shot from his fingertip like a spear piercing the world, blasting straight toward Danzō.
The power of Cero depended on how much Dragon Vein Chakra Seiryū condensed.
The more concentrated the Dragon Vein Chakra, the stronger the blast.
It followed the same principle as a Tailed Beast Ball.
This Cero was even stronger than the ones he had used before.
Because Dragon Vein Chakra no longer corroded Seiryū's veins and meridians.
He could now use it without hesitation.
Naturally, the power of his Cero had also increased.
Swish!
At the critical moment, a golden flash appeared beside Danzō.
Minato stood there, facing the incoming "Tailed Beast Ball" with an exceptionally solemn expression.
For a moment, he recalled facing the Four-Tails and Five-Tails of Iwagakure when they released their Tailed Beast Balls.
He could not help sighing inwardly.
Seiryū's strength was becoming more and more terrifying.
To think he could release such a devastating attack so easily.
However, Minato had to obey the order from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen.
He could not allow Seiryū to kill Danzō here.
Minato acted instantly.
He grabbed his Flying Thunder God kunai and held it horizontally in front of him.
"Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!"
Hum!
Just as the purple Chakra beam was about to strike him and Danzō, the space in front of them seemed to ripple.
Dense, ink-black sealing formulas appeared out of thin air.
It was as if space itself had twisted.
The space-time barrier created by the Flying Thunder God Technique swallowed the Cero until it disappeared completely.
Rumble!
The next moment, a thunderous explosion erupted.
But it did not come from here.
It came from an uninhabited area deep within the distant Forest of Death.
Flames shot into the sky as though a nuclear bomb had detonated.
The terrifying impact spread from afar, causing the ground throughout Konoha to tremble.
A black mushroom cloud slowly rose, carrying terrifying power and scorching heat.
The hurricane unleashed by the blast swept rapidly through the Forest of Death, uprooting countless trees.
Soon after, the remaining shockwave reached Konoha as well, sweeping across the entire Village.
Shock.
Dread.
Terror.
Countless people saw the scene, and their expressions changed dramatically.
Some could not even close their mouths.
An attack of this level had already surpassed many people's imagination.
Was this the power of a Tailed Beast?
And Seiryū, standing before them, could already perfectly control the power of what seemed to be a Tailed Beast sealed within his body.
He was a walking natural disaster.
A living weapon.
This eleven-year-old boy had already grown to a level no one could ignore.
"Oh my, Senpai, you aren't hurt, are you?"
The voice sounded beside Minato's ear, and his expression immediately froze.
He turned his head and saw that Seiryū was already standing right next to him.
Seiryū gave Minato a brilliant smile.
"Why would you jump in front of my attack? That's not how you protect someone, is it?"
"If you hadn't blocked it, you would have died. How would I explain that to Kushina-nee?"
Naturally, Minato's arrival could not escape Seiryū's perception.
He also knew Minato had a way to transfer the Cero elsewhere.
So the moment the Cero was diverted, Seiryū used the Flying Thunder God Technique and flashed over as well.
Swish, swish, swish!
With a thought from Seiryū, the golden chains moved.
They instantly pierced through Danzō's body.
"Ahhh!"
Blood sprayed along with Danzō's scream, which sounded exceptionally pleasant to Seiryū.
Seiryū did not stop.
He formed seals with one hand and cast both Bakudō and sealing techniques.
Golden light locked onto Danzō's body.
Golden chains coiled around his torso.
Dense, ink-black sealing formulas spread across him, locking him down and sealing every movement.
Swish!
Seiryū's figure flashed again.
He appeared back at his previous location, carrying the sealed Danzō with him.
"Yo, Advisor Danzō. Your expression seemed to relax just now, didn't it?"
The golden chains lifted Danzō closer.
Seiryū stared into the man's single visible eye and gave him a bright smile.
"What? Did you think you were safe just because my senpai showed up?"
"What a pity. When it comes to the Flying Thunder God Technique, my talent seems to be a little better."
The sealed Danzō could no longer speak.
He could only glare at Seiryū with eyes full of anger and killing intent, as if he wanted to kill him with his gaze alone.
"That look in your eye is very interesting."
Seiryū's smile became even brighter.
"Do you still not understand your situation?"
"Hakurai."
Seiryū pointed a finger.
Several bolts of lightning shot out in succession, piercing through Danzō's limbs.
Blood splattered instantly.
"Ahhh!"
The intense pain made Danzō's pupils dilate.
He twisted his body violently and screamed again and again.
Seiryū had thoughtfully released the seal around his mouth.
"I won't let you go! Never! I will make you die! I will make all your relatives and friends die! No one can save you!"
The agony tearing through his body and the humiliation of being captured made Danzō's expression incomparably hideous.
He looked like a wild beast that had lost all reason.
There was only anger, hatred, malice, and killing intent toward Seiryū.
He was the dignified Hokage Advisor of Konoha.
The controller of Root.
He had never imagined that he would fall into such a state.
And the one responsible was only a ten-year-old brat.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)