Chapter 149

Darkness swiftly engulfed the surrounding ninjas, leaving them powerless to resist.

Gin sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration.

His brilliant idea about chakra-enhancing pills had been interrupted.

"You guys just ruined my moment of enlightenment! Seriously?"

Looks like he would have to rely on his own extraordinary talent once more.

With a snap of his fingers, he quickly input the formula for a chakra-enhancing pill.

This formula could extract and store chakra from plants and animals, allowing the user to naturally fuse it with their own chakra.

"One pill provides the chakra equivalent to a lower-ranked ninja's chakra reserve."

While such pills would have been considered mere supplements in the past, they now served as excellent training aids.

"At the very least, they could boost chakra levels up to that of a jonin."

As long as he had enough chakra, his combat strength would rival that of the strongest figures in the shinobi world.

Well, with the exception of Madara, of course. That guy was on a whole other level.

Only after completing the pill formula did Gin shift his attention to the bound ninjas trapped in the surrounding darkness.

Wooden tendrils coiled around one of the ninjas, dragging him toward Gin.

Peeling away the mask, Gin stared at the unfamiliar face beneath it.

"Uchiha Gin, how dare you attack your own village's people!"

Though the ninja barked the words, his frightened expression betrayed his fear.

"This isn't a proper Root operative," Gin concluded.

"You interrupted my train of thought, and you expect me not to be upset?"

Forcing him to rely on his genius yet again. Though, everything was a product of his own ingenuity.

Gin manipulated the darkness to bring the ninja face to face with him.

"So, what's Danzo plotting this time?" he asked casually.

The ninja hesitated for a moment before answering, "Lord Danzo simply wishes to meet with you."

He didn't dare push his luck any further. He knew all too well just how deadly the Uchiha could be, especially this one.

"Danzo? Let him come to see me."

The darkness dispersed, and the ninjas fell to the ground. Gin casually tossed the one in front of him into the distance.

"What does he think he is, the Hokage? Does he think he can summon anyone at will?"

If Gin went to meet Danzo, it would be like walking into the lion's den. Though he wasn't particularly afraid of Danzo, he didn't need to play into his hands.

"I am an advisor to Konoha; I have every right to request meetings with anyone I deem necessary," came a voice from the shadows.

Danzo stepped out, his expression cold as he faced Gin. He had clearly heard Gin's remark, and it stung. The fact that even an Uchiha like Gin didn't respect him was infuriating.

"I didn't know there was an advisor named Danzo in Konoha," Gin scoffed.

Few people in Konoha were even aware of Danzo's existence. Most only knew the names of the two elder advisors, Koharu and Homura.

"Don't play dumb, Uchiha Gin," Danzo shot back, unfurling a scroll marked with the Hokage's seal.

"This is an order from the Hokage. Due to your significant contributions to jutsu development, other villages have placed you on their assassination lists. The Hokage has authorized Root to oversee your safety. We have the authority to keep you under guard within the Root headquarters to prevent enemy spies from targeting you."

Of course, this wasn't truly an order from the Hokage. However, Root had the authority to manage those who posed a potential threat to the village, a power given to Danzo by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"So, Lord Danzo doesn't trust in my strength?" Gin smiled, now understanding the situation.

It wasn't just him Danzo wanted to control. This was also about the Aburame clan.

It seemed Root had spies within the Aburame.

Danzo's real goal was to prevent the Aburame from growing stronger, and Gin was just a part of the strategy.

Ironically, his biggest obstacle was someone within his own village.

"What's this? Does Danzo want to test my strength personally?"

Gin's Sharingan flared, locking onto Danzo. He wondered how many Sharingan Danzo had implanted into himself at this point. Without the power of the Wood Release to balance out the Sharingan, Gin doubted Danzo could match him.

"Are you planning to defy a direct order?" Danzo asked, his voice low and filled with warning. He couldn't understand why a shinobi like Gin, who should have been loyal to the village, would act so defiant.

"And what if I am?"

Gin's smile widened as the darkness around him began to creep further, enveloping the area.

Killing you is an option, Gin thought, feeling a rush of dark excitement. If Danzo wasn't as powerful as he hoped, eliminating him now would be easy.

Danzo's expression darkened, and behind him, figures began emerging from the shadows—more of his Root operatives.

"Your wings have grown too strong," Danzo thought, realizing Gin was no longer a mere shinobi but a force that could defy him outright.

Suddenly, the buzz of insects filled the air.

Both Gin and Danzo shifted their focus as swarms of bugs descended, forming into human figures. The Aburame clan had arrived.

Given how close they were to the Aburame compound, it wasn't surprising they had sensed the commotion.

Aburame Shifu stepped in front of Gin, his sunglasses hiding any emotion as he addressed Danzo.

"Lord Danzo, why are you detaining my guest?"

Danzo squinted at Shifu, but his gaze lingered longer on the elderly Aburame clan members standing behind him. While Shifu alone wasn't a concern, these old-timers from the Warring States era were not to be trifled with.

"It's for the good of the village, to ensure Uchiha Gin's safety."

Danzo's justification sounded reasonable enough.

"Forced protection? Lord Danzo, perhaps it would be safer if we locked you in my basement for protection instead?" Gin suggested mockingly.

Danzo's face grew even darker with anger.

"Boy, don't you understand respect?" Danzo growled.

"I don't respect people who want to die. Should I help you with that?"

Gin raised his hand, shadows swallowing his arm.

He was quite curious to see how Danzo would handle this.

"It seems my guest does not appreciate Lord Danzo's methods," Shifu interjected coldly. He had long since stopped caring about the Hokage's supposed orders, having already seen several members of his clan fall victim to Root's recruitment tactics.

Danzo's expression became grim.

"Uchiha Gin, you've disgraced the village's goodwill toward you."

"Oh, don't worry, Lord Danzo. I'll make sure to return that goodwill someday."

Gin's grin widened. He would find a way to get rid of this pest eventually.

Behind Danzo, the Root agents stepped forward.

In response, the Aburame clan members also took a step forward.

The atmosphere grew heavier, tension thickening in the air.

(End of Chapter)

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