Chapter 75: Inspiring Armor Tested, Danzō's Triumph, and Naraku's New Talent
As Earth and Water chakra were injected into the Inspiring Armor, the Root ninja seemed to feel a strange new power fusing within him. He instinctively channeled this power out through his arm.
Something astonishing happened—a tree sprouted along the Root ninja's arm and finally rooted itself into the ground.
Seeing this, Danzō could no longer hide it—he burst into loud laughter!
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"
Naraku watched Shimura Danzō—an outsider—laugh more like an Uchiha than he did, and a sense of defeat welled up in his heart.
After thinking for a few seconds, Naraku shouted in a deliberately slow, stunned tone: "Wood Release power! Lord Danzō, what exactly was that chunk of flesh you gave me before?"
Naraku showed an innocent yet suspicious gaze, while Danzō replied with a cold laugh: "The material you used earlier was none other than the cells of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama! So? Are you planning to tell Sarutobi Hiruzen? Or Tsunade?"
Naraku wore a slightly fearful expression, his body trembling faintly: "Lord Danzō, this is wrong—we shouldn't use the First Hokage's remains to forge weapons!"
Danzō sneered: "You're the one who used the First Hokage's remains to forge the weapon—not me! Naraku! If this news spreads, the entire village's villagers will spit on you! Your favorite teacher Tsunade will despise you! Even the bond with that still-comatose Nawaki will be severed. The ninjas who know you will distance themselves from you—even that seemingly kind Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen will throw you into prison!"
"No! No! I didn't know that chunk of flesh was the First Hokage's cells! It was you! You deceived me!" Naraku shouted at Danzō in feigned rage and shame.
Danzō said expressionlessly: "But I also never said it wasn't the First Hokage's cells! It was you! You greedy Uchiha were swallowed by your own desires and ended up like this! And everything needs proof! That armor carrying Wood Release power is proof of your greed!"
Naraku thought inwardly: Damn it, that dog Danzō actually CPU'd me!
Naraku rushed toward the Inspiring Armor, shouting: "Then I'll destroy this armor!"
Although Danzō didn't think Naraku had the ability to destroy the armor, he still knocked Naraku to the ground.
He even rubbed his numb fist inside his sleeve, thinking: This Uchiha brat's bones are really hard! Did the kid pad himself with some iron plate or something?
Danzō looked at Naraku crying with his face covered on the ground and felt the atmosphere was about right. He said: "Naraku, do you think I'm a bad person? Actually, everything I do is for Konoha! Right now, the ninja villages of every great nation are eager to act, trying to overthrow Konoha. This is also for Konoha. You only see Konoha's prosperity, but you don't see the darkness beneath Konoha! It's precisely the existence of Root that allows this great tree of Konoha to grow strong!
Naraku, you now have two choices. One is to spill everything, then be judged and killed by Root! Die amid the scorn of the people. The other is to join Root, serve me, and become an unsung hero for Konoha's prosperity and development! Choose!"
Danzō grew more and more excited as he spoke.
Naraku's mind was filled with inner curses, but on the surface he lifted his head—his face still wet with tears he had just forced out by stimulating his tear glands with chakra. He said innocently: "Lord Danzō! Can I really become an unsung hero?"
Danzō showed the smile of someone deceiving a child: "Yes! Of course you can—and I will fully support your forging! As long as it exists in the ninja world, no matter what material, I can get it for you!"
Naraku: "Alright, Lord Danzō! Then from now on I'll join Root!"
"The ninjas of Root all have the Tongue-Twisting Root Curse Seal to protect secrets—I won't put it on you. But you must absolutely keep this confidential. Otherwise…" Danzō threatened darkly once again.
Naraku hurriedly said: "Lord Danzō, I won't! I will definitely protect the secret!"
Afterward, Danzō asked Naraku if the Inspiring Armor needed any additions.
Naraku's eyes lit up—the opportunity had finally come: "Lord Danzō, right now simply injecting chakra to use the Wood Release power is too weak, consumes too much energy, and releases too slowly. Do you have any Wood Release ninjutsu here? I'll try to engrave the ninjutsu as curse seals into it. That way, even if the armor's user doesn't know Wood Release, they can use it quickly and with less chakra consumption."
Danzō gave Naraku a suspicious glance—he felt Naraku's request seemed a bit off. But thinking he held two handles over Naraku, he still decided to hand over some Wood Release ninjutsu.
Naraku looked at the techniques Danzō gave him: Wood Release: Cutting Technique, Wood Release: Wood Substitution, Wood Release: Wood Clone, Wood Release: Great Forest Technique, Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall. On the surface he looked very excited, but inwardly he was cursing—Danzō was too stingy. What kind of trash was this?
Where was Flower Tree Realm Descent? Where was Wood Human Technique? Where was Wood Dragon Technique? Where was Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands?
Naraku thought: looks like he'd have to find other ways to obtain Wood Release later! And although the Wood Release Danzō gave wasn't particularly strong, Naraku's current main body could only master intermediate-level Wood Release power anyway. Even if he were given Wood Human Technique or similar, he wouldn't be able to use it.
Danzō felt differently. Watching Naraku—who had been fooled in three sentences—completely disregard that the armor was made from Hashirama cells and joyfully look at the Wood Release ninjutsu, Danzō inwardly scorned: Teacher was right—the Uchiha clan is indeed born evil!
Yet the double-standard Danzō felt no self-criticism for his own evil actions.
Out of caution, Danzō no longer allowed Naraku to take the armor away. He planned to start wearing the armor himself to learn Wood Release first. As for the improvements Naraku mentioned, they could only be done during gaps when he wasn't using the armor.
Naraku thought inwardly: Go ahead, use it! Who could possibly out-use you! I hope when you're dying you don't kneel in front of me!
Later, Naraku used "research" as an excuse and left.
Upon returning home, Naraku discovered there was actually another talent reward, so he quickly accepted it.
Ding...
[Armor No. 15 has reached Beginner utilization of Inspiring Armor. Talent Replication activated: Water Release: Water Formation Wall mastery]
Naraku couldn't help but sigh—ordinary ninjas really had no wool to shear! Looks like in the future he'd still have to give weapons to the strong.
Relying only on these weaklings—when would he, Naraku, ever dominate the ninja world? Become the smiling big boy?
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