Chapter 133: Your mission is to assassinate Pain!

In an instant.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Forty pairs of eyes, filled with murderous intent, simultaneously locked onto the figure. They were all waiting for the command from their leader, Aburame Tatsuma, to launch a suicidal attack.

Hmm?

Aburame Tatsuma furrowed his brows.

Uchiha Dan had come alone, without any backup.

Was he... that confident?

Or had he already laid a trap outside the Root base, waiting for them to make a move against him, only to fall into his trap and be legitimately wiped out?

As Aburame Tatsuma was caught in his hesitation.

Dan sensed the killing intent of the Root members and couldn't help but silently scoff. He then released his own dark aura in response.

A thick, dark aura emanated from him, spreading out like a surging black fog, enveloping the entire Root underground base in an instant.

"!" The Root members were suddenly filled with inexplicable fear. In their eyes, Dan was no longer human, but an indescribable deity.

One they dared not look directly at.

Under the influence of the aura, the Root members were not knocked out or unconscious, but they were under immense pressure. They had to focus all their chakra to resist the illusion.

At this moment, Dan stopped in his tracks.

"I have a task for you."

He looked down at Aburame Tatsuma and the others before him, his cold tone like that of a god.

Silence.

Aburame Tatsuma and the others refused by remaining silent. The idea of them obeying Dan's orders was simply a pipe dream.

Even if they had to die together, they would never submit to Dan.

Dan didn't care and continued:

"A few years ago, Danzo sent Root and Hanzo to kill the leader of Akatsuki. This led to Akatsuki's retaliation against Konoha. Danzo, as the instigator, deserves to die. However..."

At this point, Dan suddenly changed the subject:

"In consideration of your loyalty to Danzo, I can give you a chance. As long as you complete the next task, I will use my power as the Hokage's assistant to have Danzo released without charges."

Upon hearing this, the Root members all widened their eyes, staring intently at Dan.

They had thought that Danzo, who had been thrown into the secret prison of the Anbu, would never see the light of day again. But now, they saw a glimmer of hope.

"What task?" Aburame Tatsuma finally spoke, uttering his first words.

"Assassinate the leader of the Akatsuki, Pain."

Dan slowly said, tempting the Root members like a devil, "As long as Pain dies, Amegakure will fall apart on its own, and Konoha will win the war without lifting a finger. This merit is enough to exchange for Danzo's freedom."

"Why... should we believe you?" Aburame Tatsuma asked in a deep voice.

The task of assassinating the leader of the Akatsuki was obviously dangerous.

Who knew if Dan was deliberately sending the Root members to their deaths in Amegakure, using this method to get rid of Danzo's old followers?

"Why? Of course, it's because of this."

Dan's face was cold as he silently muttered those two words.

Za Warudo!

~Hum~ In an instant, time froze, and the world lost its color.

The Stand "The World" appeared behind Dan once again.

Then.

"Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda!"

Dan and The World attacked together, throwing a barrage of punches, hitting all forty Root members present without exception.

After withdrawing his Stand.

Time resumed its flow.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

The Root members were suddenly flung in all directions, hitting the walls, the railings of the corridor, and the floor, letting out painful groans.

"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need to go to such lengths."

Dan looked at the Root members writhing in pain on the ground, his face expressionless, "I will only show mercy this once. You can choose your own path."

Aburame Tatsuma struggled to get up from the ground, shocked. Although it wasn't the first time he had witnessed Dan's abilities, he still couldn't see how Dan had done it. He also knew that Dan had held back because the last time Dan used this move on a few Root members, they died on the spot.

Aburame Tatsuma turned around and silently communicated with the other Root members through eye contact.

Then, he took a deep breath and said to Dan, "We accept this mission."

In reality, they had no other choice, if they refused Dan, there was only one outcome: death.

By accepting the mission and killing Pain, there was a glimmer of hope that they could return to Konoha and see Danzo again.

"Don't worry, as long as you complete the mission, I will definitely keep my promise."

Dan emphasized once again.

He was not lying; he would do as he said.

The question was, could these forty Root members kill Pain, no, could they kill Nagato?

Even Dan himself, with the elite of the Uchiha clan, was not sure he could invade Amegakure and kill Nagato.

His purpose in sending out Aburame Tatsuma and the others was only one: to provoke Nagato's anger.

Nagato should be angry, he should have had a complete family and a beautiful childhood.

But during the Second Shinobi World War, Nagato's hometown was invaded by Konoha, and his parents were killed by Konoha ninjas who broke into their home to steal food. All they got afterward was a simple—

"Sorry, kid."

If Dan were in Nagato's place.

He wouldn't have endured for so many years; he would have gone to Konoha long ago to make the village that killed his parents feel pain.

And then, casually say to the people of Konoha: "Sorry."

This is what Konoha deserves.

Dan was looking forward to that day.

When the time comes, he will hide far away and enjoy the destruction of Konoha.

In the night, under the leadership of Aburame Tatsuma, forty Root members quietly left Konoha Village and headed west.

Years ago, when they were ordered by Danzo to set a trap with Hanzo, they should have eradicated Akatsuki completely, but unfortunately, they failed.

This time, it was to complete the task they had not completed before.

Root will definitely complete the mission.

In the secret prison of the Anbu.

Danzo had already woken up from his coma.

After he woke up, he learned from the Anbu who were watching him that Uchiha Dan had surprisingly taken his place as the new assistant to the Hokage.

Danzo's face was ashen.

But he did not despair because he was still alive, and he believed that the Third Hokage would not let him die.

Otherwise, the Third Hokage wouldn't have taken him, who was on the verge of death, from Dan.

Being thrown into prison was Hiruzen's way of protecting him.

After understanding this, Danzo rekindled his hope. He knew that he would eventually get out of here.

He just needed to wait for the right opportunity.

Suddenly, Danzo abruptly looked up, only to see a tall figure that had appeared outside the cell, blocking the light in the corridor.

Although the person was backlit and his face was not clear, such a towering figure—

Who else could it be but Uchiha Dan?

"Congratulations on becoming the Hokage's assistant. So, you came to gloat, Dan?" Danzo spoke calmly.

Even though he and Dan were close, separated only by the bars of the cell, he was certain that Dan wouldn't dare to kill him.

"I came to ask Danzo-sama how to command your Root members. They are, after all, unwaveringly loyal to you."

Dan sighed, seemingly very troubled.

"Give it up. My subordinates will not be controlled by you." Danzo shook his head, a smirk on his face.

Dan nodded in agreement, echoing: "That's why I sent them on a suicide mission. Your subordinates, in order to get you out of here, willingly accepted my task."

After saying this, without waiting for Danzo to react, he turned around and walked away.

In the darkness Danzo's face gradually twisted with rage.