Chapter 16

"Wind Release: Empty Jade." 

A few wind bullets mixed with thick phlegm were spat out by Danzo, pushing back the Sand Ninja who had attempted to ambush him. 

During this time, Danzo led the Konoha Ninjas on a spree of ambushes, making Chiyo particularly miserable. 

Originally, Chiyo planned to gather all her forces for a decisive battle to turn the tide, but Danzo simply wouldn't take the bait. 

There was no acceptance of a showdown; ambushes were the name of the game. You attack, I run; you run, I chase—it's all about launching sneak attacks at any opportunity. 

It was like a toad sitting on a foot: not biting, but utterly annoying. Chiyo was infuriated, her head pounding, and she felt powerless against Danzo. 

In the end, she could only spread out her forces, which nullified the Sand Village's numerical advantage. 

However, Chiyo wasn't completely helpless. 

First, she assigned ten ninjas to each Sand team, forcing the Konoha Ninjas to think twice about ambushing. 

She also commanded that each team not be too far apart; the moment something happened, they were to shoot off signal flares, and if they couldn't win, they'd call for backup to gang up on them. 

Thus, the two sides' ninjas began a chaotic chase, like dogs chasing each other in a brutal brawl. 

… 

"Scorch Release: Overheated Vapor." 

Danzo sidestepped a fireball attack, squinting at a girl with orange-green hair. 

"Scorch Release?" 

Whoa! Jackpot! It's the stunning Yekura! He hadn't expected that while wandering around with his team, he'd run into her. 

"Nice job, Yekura!" 

The leading Jonin praised her, then glared angrily at Danzo and his crew. 

"Give up, you damn Konoha Ninja! I've already fired off a signal flare; reinforcements will be here any moment!" 

"Oh? Is that so? Hehehehe." 

Danzo looked at the Sand Ninja in front of him with a hint of mockery. 

Which fool gave him the courage to make such a confident statement? There were only four of them, and he was the only Jonin among them. 

Meanwhile, he himself was at the front as the Hokage's advisor, flanked by two of the Legendary Three, along with the most powerful bloodline user, Uchiha Kurenai. 

Trying to fight him with a hammer? What a lunatic. 

Though he wanted to crush these people right away, Danzo's gaze fell on Yekura. She was a real gem, especially with her Scorch Release bloodline—tch, tch, tch. 

Rather than let that bunch from the Sand Village get her killed, it'd be better to take her under his wing. Leaving her beauty aside, her strength could be nurtured, and she'd play a significant role against Uchiha Obito in the future. 

With a careful appraisal of the girl before him, Danzo decided that it was better to seize the opportunity than to wait for the perfect moment—if he missed it, he might never get another chance to take her. 

Feeling Danzo's intense gaze, Yekura broke out in goosebumps. 

"Kurenai, take down that Scorch Release ninja later; don't kill her, I want her alive, got it?" 

"Got it! Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!" 

Upon hearing Danzo's order, Jiraiya immediately executed his jutsu. 

"Wind Release: Violent Wind Dance." 

With Danzo's wind enhancement, the massive fireball split into several smaller fireballs, hurtling toward the Sand Ninjas. 

"No—Captain!" 

Seeing her teammate attacked, Yekura shouted in alarm, but before she could act, Uchiha Kurenai closed in, kunai in hand. 

"Not good, this is bad!" 

Recognizing the sharingan in her eyes, Yekura quickly ducked her head, recalling the first line from "How to Fight Uchiha" that warned against looking into the eyes of the Uchiha clan. 

"Scorch Release: Chaotic Assault!" 

Entangled by Uchiha Kurenai, Yekura had no time to help her teammate and could only manipulate the fireballs around her to spin quickly, preventing Kurenai from getting close. 

"You naïve fool, in front of the Sharingan, the speed of those fireballs is no faster than a snail!" 

With her eyes wide open, Uchiha Kurenai smirked disdainfully. 

Keep in mind, even the Uchiha clan's leader, Uchiha Yukikaze, only has a three-tomoe Sharingan. 

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" 

On the other side, a Sand Village Jonin who narrowly dodged the combined attacks from Danzo and Jiraiya hadn't even breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Tsunade swinging her fist directly at him. 

Oh hell, this woman just blew up a Sand Ninja with one punch! The terrified Sand Ninja immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to escape. 

One punch through, as the Sand Ninja gradually turned into a puddle of sand, Tsunade raised an eyebrow and scoffed. 

"Hmph, is that a Body Replacement Technique? Your reflexes are pretty quick, but…" 

With a swift kick, Tsunade struck the Sand Ninja who tried to ambush her. 

"Wind Release: Wind Blade." 

After failing to land an attack, the Sand Ninja hurriedly made hand seals, preparing a counterattack. 

"Ha, Wind Release: Vacuum Wave." 

Danzo intercepted and collided with the released wind technique, sending shockwaves that knocked the ninja away. 

"Trash, playing with Wind Release in front of me? You're still too green." 

What the heck, he's using Wind Release techniques so fluidly! Shouldn't the Wind Shadow of the Sand Village be worried about that? 

Watching Danzo effortlessly unleash chakra-heavy Wind Release jutsu, the Sand Ninja felt an unprecedented sense of suffocation. 

Is there no justice left? Isn't Konoha supposed to be a fire release-based village? Why is it that apart from that Uchiha and the white-haired one, everyone else is either Wind Release or taijutsu? 

"Lion's Barrage!" 

Before the Sand Ninja could devise a counter, he saw Jiraiya, who had just been defending with Fire Release, whip his hair around and take out two of his teammates. 

"What the hell? You Konoha are such cheats, a bunch of freaks!" 

In the end, those words became the Sand Ninja's dying wish. 

"Hahaha, sink into the illusion of the Sharingan!" 

Watching Yekura slowly collapse, Uchiha Kurenai wore a smug smile. 

"A mere Scorch Release bloodline, in the face of my Uchiha clan's Sharingan, is nothing to be afraid of." 

With a casual flick of her hair, Uchiha Kurenai effortlessly threw Yekura over her shoulder. 

Um… the Uchiha clan really has some issues—both the males and females are like this, clearly afflicted by a bit of chuunibyou. 

Seeing Kurenai's expectant face seeking praise, Danzo couldn't help but roll his eyes. 

Every moment spent with the Uchiha sisters had continually reshaped Danzo's understanding of the Uchiha clan. 

What happened to their innate evilness? What about their supposed cruelty and bloodlust? What about their arrogance and prejudice? 

Why are these two sisters always either overly self-absorbed or inexplicably neurotic? Is this what the Uchiha clan is like? He was baffled; what on earth were they doing when they awakened their Sharingan? 

"What's wrong, Danzo-sama?" 

Noticing Danzo staring at her blankly, Uchiha Kurenai felt a flush rise to her cheeks, shyly twirling a finger around her hair. 

Eep! Danzo-sama is captivated by my graceful form; oh, how embarrassing! 

Feeling bashful, Uchiha Kurenai was lost in her own thoughts. 

"Ahem, it's nothing. Let's retreat." 

Clearing his throat and forcefully suppressing the impulse to pull her into his embrace and pat her backside, Danzo signaled for everyone to leave.