Chapter 32: Yamanaka Chujiu's Tea Art

Yamanaka Chujiu's voice shifted through three different tones, each one meticulously conveying the incomparable grievance and fear in his heart.

Combined with the face he shared with the future Ino, Yamanaka Chujiu instantly manipulated Sarutobi Hiruzen, triggering his protective instincts toward children.

"Danzo, Danzo-sama is so scary! He wants us to be his slaves, and says if anyone refuses, he'll have their whole family wiped out... Sob sob sob!"

Shimura Danzo: "!"

Yamanaka Chujiu's crying was spot on; not only was his voice highly piercing, but his tears came at will, instantly making him look like a rain-drenched pear blossom.

"He said this was the Hokage-sama's order! Any ninja who doesn't obey him is not obeying the Hokage, is betraying the village, is a traitor!"

Shimura Danzo panicked: "I didn't!"

Yamanaka Chujiu cried out even louder: "He also said we have to be brainwashed, that we can only obey him alone, and that even the Hokage's orders shouldn't be listened to..."

"He even said the Hokage will die young, and only Root is eternal!"

Shimura Danzo's eyes were splitting with rage: "I..."

Damn it, although I, this old man, do think that, I really didn't say it out loud!

Yamanaka Chujiu's three sentences accurately described the image of Shimura Danzo in everyone's hearts, leading them to subconsciously believe that he had indeed said those things.

Even among the ninjas present, only Yamanaka Inoichi and Aburame Shibi realized what was happening, and that was after a full half-minute.

They were both clan heads, not upright men like Might Guy; not only would they not expose Yamanaka Chujiu's lies, but they also used their own methods to signal their clansmen to cooperate.

Yamanaka ninjas and Aburame ninjas spoke up in agreement one after another, and those with good acting skills even cried along with Chujiu, rendering the sorrowful atmosphere of being bullied to perfection.

They cried with righteous indignation.

Yamanaka Chujiu wasn't exactly lying; at most, he was just speaking the thoughts in Danzo's heart for him.

That's right, that is exactly what he thinks in his heart!

Shimura Danzo stared angrily at Yamanaka Chujiu, the killing intent in his eyes almost solidifying into a raging fire to incinerate Chujiu.

In Konohagakure, it was always he who framed others.

Whether it was the Uchiha Clan with their tarnished reputation or the noble Hatake Sakumo, he had tormented them to the point of despair using rumors and other means.

Hatake Sakumo was even slandered by rumors to the point of suicide, using his life to prove his innocence.

Today the world has truly turned upside down; someone is actually framing him, Shimura Danzo!

A mere fourteen-year-old Special Jonin, it's just unbelievable.

But after Shimura Danzo frantically thought of ways to break the situation, he discovered that the girl-faced brat's framing was flawless!

Even though he was being framed to his face, he couldn't refute it!

Because those words were, damn it, Shimura Danzo's own inner thoughts!

Having one's inner thoughts spoken aloud naturally invites agreement, and one's face will unconsciously reveal micro-expressions of agreement, as well as the micro-expressions of a guilty conscience when seen through in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, this "Professor of Ninjutsu," could 100% capture Danzo's micro-expressions.

Shimura Danzo's own micro-expressions were, of course, more credible than his own defense.

Yamanaka Chujiu wanted to use Danzo to nail him into a predicament where he couldn't defend himself.

The more Shimura Danzo thought about it, the angrier he became; when had he ever suffered such indignity?

If it were a powerful enemy from outside Konohagakure, such as Hanzo of Amegakure, Nagato of the Akatsuki, the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure, or the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, he, Shimura Danzo, could certainly swallow his pride.

But Yamanaka Chujiu is a Konoha Ninja!

Even if he is the younger brother of the Yamanaka Clan head and a student of Orochimaru, he is still just a ninja of Konohagakure!

How could Shimura Danzo endure the indignity from a Konoha Ninja?

Being framed by a Konoha Ninja he viewed as an ant caused Shimura Danzo to be blinded by shame and rage, and for the second time, his emotions were understood by Yamanaka Chujiu.

A second Thought Thread wrapped around Shimura Danzo, disturbing his angry emotions to the greatest extent possible, causing him to completely lose his reason.

"Damn little bastard, I'm going to kill you!"

Shimura Danzo quickly formed hand seals with both hands and roared: "Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!!"

A Wind Ball appeared between his hands, and amidst a sharp whistling sound, it was thrown out, smashing toward Yamanaka Chujiu.

"Stop!!"

Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Aburame Shibi were shocked.

They never expected that even with the Third Hokage present in person, Danzo would still dare to launch an attack to his face, intending to kill a Konoha Ninja in full view of everyone.

Because they didn't expect it, they couldn't react in time, and the strength of the several clan heads was slightly inferior, making it impossible to stop it.

Akimichi Torifu did react, but his severely injured body dragged him down, and he was unable to perform the Multi-Size Technique in time to intercept the Vacuum Great Sphere.

Yamanaka Chujiu, as the mastermind manipulating Danzo's emotions, naturally anticipated Danzo's madness.

But he believed in the strength of the Third Hokage, believed in Sarutobi Hiruzen's feelings for Konohagakure, and believed that he would inevitably step in to stop Shimura Danzo.

Thus, Yamanaka Chujiu gritted his teeth and did not dodge, making a terrified expression to completely solidify Shimura Danzo's perverse heart.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's personality was cowardly and lacked decisiveness, with a pathological obsession with peace, but his love for Konohagakure was real.

His love for Shimura Danzo was also real, but Shimura Danzo was killing someone in front of him.

Absolutely impossible!

Earlier, Yamanaka Chujiu told Orochimaru that Sarutobi Hiruzen had to step down and nominate Minato Namikaze to become the Fourth Hokage, ultimately because he was old and had become weak.

But Yamanaka Chujiu also knew that the lack of strength in Sarutobi Hiruzen he spoke of was a relative weakness.

It was a weakness that simply couldn't stand up when compared to the First Hokage, a monster of raw stats, and the Second Hokage, a monster of mechanics.

But among the current Shadow-level Ninjas, Sarutobi Hiruzen is no weakling.

Especially when facing Shimura Danzo, he was not in the slightest bit intimidated by this gatekeeper of Shadow-level Ninjas.

When Sarutobi Hiruzen saw Shimura Danzo use Ninjutsu to launch a lethal attack at the child Yamanaka Chujiu, his expression instantly turned gloomy to the extreme.

He suppressed his anger in his heart, calmly formed hand seals with both hands, and simultaneously performed the Body Flicker Technique and Wind Style: Wind Return.

The Body Flicker Technique required the fewest hand seals and was the first to be activated.

Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared instantly in front of Yamanaka Chujiu, spread his arms with his back to Chujiu, and Wind Style: Wind Return formed a large shield, reflecting the Vacuum Great Sphere back.

Shimura Danzo had never imagined that Sarutobi Hiruzen would strike him, so when his own Vacuum Great Sphere was reflected back, he was hit squarely by his own Ninjutsu.

His clothes and bandages were shredded by the splintered Wind Blade, and Danzo's entire body spun, flying high into the air before landing far away amidst the dense houses of Konohagakure.

Sarutobi Hiruzen striking Danzo was, first and foremost, a lesson—a punishment for his usurping of the Hokage's authority and his endangering of Konoha.

Secondly, Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to send Danzo away.

Only with Danzo not present could Sarutobi Hiruzen help exonerate him and provide him with the greatest degree of protection.