"You bastard, you!!!"
Lock's speed was far too fast. Only after the strike had already landed did Danzo Shimura and the two shinobi behind him—Fu Yamanaka and the Hyūga ninja—finally react.
"Protect Lord Danzo!"
Swish!
The two instantly moved forward, shielding Danzo as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
"What?" Lock tilted his head slightly. "I'm just disciplining a dog, and you're still unhappy?"
Seeing Danzo hiding behind his subordinates while staring at him with venomous eyes, Lock narrowed his gaze and casually lifted his leg.
Three kicks followed.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
With Kage-level taijutsu enhanced by Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, none of them could even perceive his movement.
The three were blasted backward together, smashing heavily into the office wall.
"Pfft— you two… don't move."
Danzo, curled on the floor like a shrimp, spat blood while stopping his subordinates from counterattacking.
Enduring the pain twisting through his abdomen, he forced himself upright.
"Uzumaki Lock, don't go too far!"
"This is the Hokage Office inside the Hokage Building! You are not allowed to act recklessly here!"
Receiving no support, he turned angrily toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Hiruzen, say something!"
Only then did Hiruzen emerge from deep thought.
Lock's earlier accusation—that Danzo colluded with Orochimaru—had instantly connected countless mysteries in his mind.
Wood Release experiments.
Sharingan research.
Everything suddenly made sense if Orochimaru was involved.
Even the upcoming Chūnin Exams now felt ominous.
But those were matters for later. The priority now was Lock.
Hiruzen looked at the disheveled Danzo and finally spoke.
"Enough, Lock. This farce ends here. Grandpa will help you seek justice afterward."
His tone was gentle, like an elder forgiving a child.
"Since your actions were to save your companions, I will not pursue responsibility for eliminating traitors or damaging base facilities."
"However, these ANBU are innocent. They were sent by me to protect you."
"Release them immediately."
"As for the remaining traitor, hand him to Danzo."
Danzo froze.
"Hiruzen… have you gone senile?!"
"He assaulted and insulted a high official publicly, and you call this a farce?!"
Hiruzen didn't even lift his eyelids.
"A moment of anger. No need to pursue it harshly."
"Are you truly going to make things difficult for a twelve-year-old child at your age?"
"You—!"
Blood leaked from Danzo's mouth again as rage surged.
After a long silence, he forced himself to be calm.
"…Fine. I admit defeat. Release them. I'll leave."
Watching the scene unfold like a play, Lock suddenly burst into laughter.
"Pfft—"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, who exactly did you just call grandpa?"
"And you want me to release them? I'm your grandpa!"
He had dragged these ANBU here for one purpose only—
—to slap the Hokage's authority in the face.
Hiruzen's kind expression froze instantly.
"Enough nonsense!"
"Release them immediately. I will not repeat myself."
The warmth vanished from his voice, replaced entirely by command.
"A bluffing old dog," Lock sneered. "Same trash as Danzo."
At his current strength, there was no longer any reason to maintain politeness.
Danzo let out a mocking laugh.
"Heh. Shot yourself in the foot. You should've handed him to Root earlier."
"Silence!" Hiruzen roared.
Then he turned back toward Lock, expression grave.
"I'll ask one last time—will you release them?"
Lock met his gaze calmly.
He knew the next step.
If he refused, Hiruzen would force Naruto forward to suppress him.
But that didn't matter.
He had already prepared everything.
"That hypocritical face of yours is disgusting," Lock said flatly.
"But fine. Since you want them released… I will."
"I just hope you don't regret it."
He flicked his hand.
The golden-red chakra threads binding the shinobi snapped away instantly.
Hiruzen's instincts screamed danger.
"Naruto! Take control of the body—now!"
Too late.
The Nine-Tails chakra Lock had secretly implanted inside every captive and erupted simultaneously.
"AAAAHHH!!!"
Flames of scarlet chakra burst from beneath their masks like ghost fire.
"It's burning—!"
"My body— it's exploding!"
"Hokage-sama— avenge us!"
Blood streamed from their seven orifices, staining white ANBU masks pale crimson.
The moment the restraints vanished, it was as if a hidden switch had been flipped.
Inside Lock's body, a powerful suction suddenly appeared.
His consciousness trembled violently.
Naruto was trying to reclaim control.
Lock reacted instantly, drawing upon the tiny strand of Ashura chakra he had prepared, forcibly stabilizing himself for a moment longer.
"I'll give it back in a second," he muttered. "Stop shouting."
His face split into two expressions.
One half still wore cold contempt.
The other twisted with panic and guilt—Naruto's emotions surging outward.
"Lock, you lied to me!"
Naruto's voice rang out from within.
"You promised that if I didn't interfere while you taught Danzo a lesson… You wouldn't hurt those innocent ANBU!"
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