Chapter 396: Danzo Shimura's Methods (I)
Haruno Sakura's chuckling echoed in the empty cave for several rounds before subsiding.
It was truly grating.
Danzo's peripheral vision swept over the Root ninja lying on the ground; most of them were already lifeless. Obviously, Haruno Sakura had not held back at all. Her Body Flicker Technique combined with the Monstrous Strength Technique was extremely powerful. Every flicker represented a Root ninja falling completely—either seriously injured and unconscious, or dead.
Those like Sai who couldn't even stand up were already the ones with the lightest injuries.
The sneer entering his ears contained undisguised contempt. Being underestimated like this by someone from the grand-disciple generation, and having his elite subordinates slaughtered completely, even if Danzo Shimura's composure was excellent, hate inevitably rose in his heart.
However, from the outside, the face of this seventy-year-old man, adept at hiding himself, remained calm.
In the dim cave, Danzo Shimura's expression was still as stubborn as a rock. Only that exposed single eye lowered its eyelid slightly, burying all thoughts behind it.
Restlessness and irritability are most taboo in combat. Therefore, even though waves rose and anger burst in Danzo's heart, relying on his extraordinary willpower, he quickly suppressed all thoughts detrimental to combat firmly.
"Slaughtering village companions, committing insubordination against village higher-ups..." He said expressionlessly and calmly, "Haruno Sakura, as a Konoha ninja, you actually harbor evil intentions and intend to betray the village!"
"Hand over Sasuke, then bind yourself and kneel down to await punishment. Otherwise, you are challenging the prestige of the village, and you will bear the consequences!"
Danzo's ability to invert black and white was truly infinitely higher than his combat power. It was clearly he and his Root who harbored ulterior motives towards Haruno Sakura and Sasuke, but in his mouth, it became Haruno Sakura plotting evil and acting tantamount to betraying the village!
If Haruno Sakura were just a civilian ninja with no reputation or power, this label of betraying the village might carry some weight.
After all, her conflict with Root was real, and she even killed several Root ninja.
But then again, even without mentioning Haruno Sakura's identity as the Hokage's disciple, just based on her strength, if Danzo reported this matter up, would the Fifth Hokage judge Haruno Sakura as betraying the village just to follow Danzo's wishes?
Was Danzo Shimura the Emperor Emeritus, such that the Hokage lineage had to follow his will and expel a great expert from the village instead of recruiting them for their own use?
Impossible.
The few dead Root ninja weren't innocent ordinary ninja anyway; Tsunade might even secretly applaud.
It wasn't like she had a guilty conscience or naive thoughts; would Haruno Sakura be afraid of Danzo splashing dirty water? Anyone with a little brain knows that if Danzo's trick could work, forcibly recruiting any ninja with a little strength into Root upon seeing them, then Konoha would have long been Root's world. Would they still need to hide in the dark and survive wretchedly?
This trick only scares children or those ninja who really intend to defect.
—Regrettably, Haruno Sakura had lived two lives, and her mental age was far older than her physical appearance of fourteen or fifteen. She wasn't stupid enough to fall for that; moreover, she wasn't like many peers who would defect at the drop of a hat, so she didn't need to feel guilty at all.
When she was first approached by Danzo back then, Sakura was indeed a little afraid of him. After all, her strength was still too weak at that time. She had just become Tsunade's disciple, and her reputation was basically non-existent. If Danzo had really forcibly abducted her or used some underhanded trick to frame her, Haruno Sakura really couldn't have handled it; as for now, Haruno Sakura was not a soft persimmon that Danzo could pinch at will!
What's more, the current Haruno Sakura was not some unknown ordinary ninja! The Ice Style girl, the personal disciple of the Fifth Hokage, one of the top experts in Konoha—these titles were not jokes. Which one wasn't extremely weighty?
Probably because he had done too many guilty deeds, Danzo was accustomed to using high-sounding words to blather a few sentences before making a move, to flaunt his "righteousness" and attack the opponent's psychology—perhaps in his view, the girl with insufficient life experience would be bluffed by him and become timid. However, he was wrong.
"Betraying the village?" The arc of the Ice Style ninja's mouth became even more contemptuous as she sneered, "Then, should I kill you... to substantiate my charge of betraying the village?"
The ice blade in Haruno Sakura's hand pointed motionlessly at Danzo, not shaken in the slightest by the latter's words, and she casually spoke words that sounded so treasonous to Danzo.
Danzo's eyes narrowed sharply.
"How about I kill you?" Sakura said word by word, the smile disappearing, killing intent overflowing from between her lips and teeth, spreading coldly in the small cave.
For various reasons, Haruno Sakura wouldn't actually kill Danzo, but this didn't hinder her from harboring genuine killing intent towards him—the more she knew, the more she wanted to kill this scum Danzo.
Danzo took a deep breath, finally convinced that the girl in front of him was not a ninja who could be easily influenced by words.
In other words, combat was necessary.
"It seems that this old man has been underestimated..." The old man didn't get angry either. He lowered his eyelids, raised his hands slowly, and said slowly.
"Fine."
Haruno Sakura's strength was indeed very strong, but he still had a few trump cards in his hand... Danzo had great confidence in them!
Yes, even after witnessing Haruno Sakura's Body Flicker Technique, Danzo still had enough confidence that his backup plans would work on the girl.
Just a pity that those moves were originally intended to be saved for more important matters. He didn't expect to use them here. The price paid for this, even Danzo would feel heartache. However, this was also a helpless matter. If before the battle started, Danzo still had full confidence to take down Haruno Sakura using only ordinary means, then two seconds after shouting to attack, with all Root subordinates down, Danzo was forced to use these moves—if he kept hiding them, he probably wouldn't be able to walk out of this small cave standing today.
However, to gain a subordinate with such high strength and great potential, paying some price was also very worthwhile...
Chakra condensed rapidly on the old man, and surging momentum rose fiercely.
"Let this insubordinate fanatic... experience this old man's methods!" Danzo's slightly closed left eye suddenly stared wide open, as if a brilliant light bloomed.
After a long time, a burst of joy rose in Danzo's heart.
After this battle, he could obtain a Haruno Sakura. After training her well, she could be cultivated into the sharpest blade of Root! With her joining, Root's strength could rise by several levels out of thin air... Even if double the subordinates died, even if criticized by the Hokages, this would be super worth it!
It had to be said that Danzo's strong possessiveness and collecting addiction of wanting to occupy good things for himself whenever he saw them flared up again...
"Rest assured, this old man won't kill you..."
In Danzo's plain and emotionless words, there was his strong confidence!
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