A few minutes earlier...
Minato followed the spores on the three intruders, arriving at the eastern forest in a few blurs.
He didn't immediately pursue them, waiting until their positions stabilized before firing a laser that blasted open the underground entrance to Root's base.
Boom!
The violent explosion echoed through the night sky.
Like a streak of light, Minato shot through the long corridor and came to a stop beneath a massive atrium.
Scanning his surroundings, he found the interior of Root's base almost identical to its anime counterpart.
"Enemy attack!"
Swish, swish, swish...
A dozen figures silently materialized from the darkness, like a pack of stealthy panthers, encircling Minato. They showed no leniency due to his youthful appearance.
Anyone who could breach Root's base was no ordinary opponent.
"Eliminate the intruder!" the Anbu leader commanded, his voice cold as ice.
"Wait."
From the darkness at the end of the corridor, Danzo stepped forward with measured strides. His gaze fell upon Minato, his eyes flickering with a complex mix of emotions: astonishment, envy, admiration, and jealousy.
After a prolonged silence, Danzo said calmly, "It seems you've taken precautions against Yamagui and the others."
Minato's expression remained impassive. "So you're the mastermind behind this?"
"Heh..."
Danzo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slowly raised his hand, signaling the surrounding ninja to step back.
He fixed his gaze on Minato, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, his voice carrying a faintly hypnotic quality.
"To dare infiltrate Root alone at such a young age... Though reckless, your audacity is truly astonishing."
"Why did you target Kushina?" Minato asked calmly, bypassing Danzo's preamble.
"Uzumaki Kushina... Though you might not believe me, I assure you, I acted to help you."
Danzo continued softly, "Do you understand anything about that girl? Her origins, her mission, her purpose for appearing by your side..."
"In this world, there exist creatures called Tailed Beasts, beings capable of moving mountains and filling seas. Long ago, the First Hokage captured nine such beasts and distributed them among the five great ninja villages. Since then, the power of the Tailed Beasts has become each village's greatest strength. Konoha's Tailed Beast is none other than the Nine-Tailed Beast, hailed as the strongest of them all."
"However, the Tailed Beasts' power is too great to control. Thus, the wife of the First Hokage, Uzumaki Mito, became a vessel and sealed the Nine-Tailed Beast within her body. Other nations soon followed suit. These beings who contain Tailed Beasts are known as Jinchūriki..."
"So, I imagine you've already realized... Uzumaki Kushina is the next Nine-Tailed Jinchūriki!"
Danzo sighed. "Wood Release has the power to suppress Tailed Beasts. That's why the Third Hokage placed her with you."
"The Third intended to bind you to Kushina, using your strength to restrain the Nine-Tailed Jinchūriki, while also using the Nine-Tailed Beast to control you."
"I doubt anyone would willingly let their life be manipulated by another, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to be bound to a monster feared by all."
"I've always believed that a genius like you shouldn't be buried by the Third Hokage. He feared your power and tried to control you with emotional ties, manipulating your life."
Danzo shook his head regretfully, then looked earnestly at Minato.
"You're a genius, Minato. Join Root, and I'll give you a true stage to shine! Here, you can unleash your full potential without restraint, becoming a figure rivaling the First Hokage!"
"You should see that my goal isn't to control you, but to shatter the shackles the Third Hokage has placed on you."
"Nonou is your ally, isn't she?"
Having confirmed his suspicions, Minato remarked calmly, "Your methods don't seem much different from the Third Hokage's."
Danzo shook his head. "That was merely a desperate measure forced upon him by the Third's autocratic rule."
"You resort to threats?"
"As long as it's for the village, any means are justified. That's the nature of Root. This world isn't black and white; someone has to handle these unsavory matters."
Danzo didn't deny it. Such an easily exposed lie would have been pointless.
Moreover, the moment he deduced Nonou's true identity, he had already decided to abandon her.
"I'm being entirely sincere with you," Danzo said earnestly. "Of course, you still have a choice. Wood Release is crucial to Konoha. Even if you refuse, I'll only seal your memories of tonight."
"What are you talking about?" Minato chuckled in disbelief. He had come here today to expose the man's ties to Kumogakure.
"As a member of Konoha, how could I possibly collude with those Kumogakure bastards? Those despicable Cloud Villagers, daring to disguise themselves as Konoha Anbu! And secretly recruiting so many people!"
"It seems we can't come to an agreement... It's truly regrettable. Even with two Bloodline Limits, you're still just five years old."
Danzo sighed regretfully and waved his hand. "Go. But don't kill him."
As soon as the words left his lips, the surrounding ninja charged at Minato with incredible speed.
But Minato was faster!
Two laser beams swept across the crowd in an instant, explosions roaring as more than half the Root ninja were killed or injured.
Kekkei Genkai...
What an enviable power!
Watching this, a flicker of obsession flashed in Danzo's eyes.
Before the obsession could fade, a foot appeared before him.
Thud!
Minato's kick sent Danzo flying backward like a cannonball, slamming him violently into the wall.
"Damn it! Protect Lord Danzo!" a ninja shouted.
"Protect?"
Minato chuckled softly, suddenly appearing behind the ninja. "Have you... ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Thud!
Another kick snapped the man's neck, while Minato fired another laser in Danzo's direction.
"This isn't working! He's too fast!"
Whoosh—
Danzo crawled out of the gaping hole in the wall, blood streaming down his face. He narrowly avoided the explosion from the laser blast, glaring hatefully at Minato.
"No need to hold back—just kill him outright!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand to form a hand seal, but in the next instant, Minato's foot appeared before him again.
His terrifying speed was like teleportation out of thin air!
So fast that he couldn't even blink before Minato's foot slammed into his nose again!
"What hand seals could possibly be faster than handseal-less techniques?"
Minato's figure flickered continuously as his gleaming short sword reaped the lives of Root ninja.
Suddenly, his movements froze. A pineapple-haired ninja, Shikamaru, formed a cross seal, using the shadow extending beneath his feet to immobilize Minato.
"I've got him!"
"Good job, Shika!" Danzo's voice rang out.
He braced himself and took two consecutive kicks to the face from Minato, feeling his skull about to crack open.
Fear surged through him.
He had already overestimated Minato's strength as much as possible, but he never imagined the boy could possess such terrifying speed!
Unless one could predict the future, that kind of speed was simply beyond human reaction!
This brat had been concealing his true strength all along!
At his age... how could he hold back?
Thankfully, it's all over now.
No matter how fast you are, it's meaningless if you can't move!
"Damn Kumogakure! They even stole the Nara Clan's secret techniques!"
Minato gave the ninja a peculiar look before a dazzling light suddenly erupted beneath his feet.
Bathed in the radiant glow, the ninja's shadow instantly vanished.
Seeing this, Danzo turned and fled without hesitation.
Minato smiled gently and reappeared before Danzo, but made no move to attack.
Danzo's feet screeched to a halt as he hastily raised his hands. "Sorry, I was wrong! Can we make peace?"
Minato paused, then replied instinctively, "Peace? Right now? You must be joking!"
The moment those words left his lips, Danzo drew a kunai and lunged at Minato.
Just then, Tsunade and her group finally arrived on the battlefield.
"Stop! Danzo! Stop right now!" Hiruzen roared, his eyes widening in shock. Tsunade's heart clenched.
Thud!
In the next instant, Danzo's head shot skyward, a flicker of disbelief still lingering in his eyes.
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