Chương 66

Danzo sat in his dimly lit office, surrounded by shadows that suited his nature, eyes sharply fixed on the report his agent had delivered. His expression was carefully neutral, betraying none of the thoughts churning behind his calculating gaze. Silence lingered heavily in the oppressive room as two Root agents stood stiffly at attention, their eyes fixed reverently upon the man they saw as Konoha's only hope.

Finally, after several moments of quiet deliberation, Danzo gently set the document down on his desk, fingertips pressing lightly against the crisp edges. His voice, low and measured, broke the tense silence.

"If your report is accurate, Tiger, this boy is too valuable an asset to leave in the hands of Hiruzen and Daiken," he began smoothly, the slightest hint of disdain coloring his words.

"Their naive philosophy will ruin his potential. They will waste him, soften him." His voice hardened noticeably, growing colder.

"In our hands, however, he will become the weapon Konoha truly needs. A blade sharp enough to terrify our enemies, freezing them in place before striking them down." Danzo's gaze shifted deliberately to the agent known as Tiger, whose stance somehow straightened even more under his leader's scrutiny.

"But first," Danzo continued in an authoritative, clipped tone, "Daiken must be removed from the equation. Tiger, can you handle him?" Tiger answered immediately, without hesitation or doubt. His voice was quiet yet firm, carrying absolute devotion.

"If it is your order, Danzo-sama, consider it done." Danzo nodded slowly, eyes narrowing thoughtfully before flicking his gaze towards the second agent, wearing a monkey mask. His tone carried subtle weight, calculated to inspire loyalty and obedience.

"Monkey, support him in this. I will not lose valuable agents unnecessarily. Proceed with caution." Tiger's voice trembled slightly, deep respect evident in every syllable.

"Thank you for your concern, Danzo-sama. We are unworthy of your kindness." Danzo felt no such kindness or compassion, merely pragmatic necessity. He required success without suspicion. Losing agents risked exposure, and that was something he would not tolerate. He leaned back in his chair, a finger tapping softly against the armrest, thoughtful yet decisive.

"It will take time. Daiken rarely leaves the village these days, focusing instead on his academy duties. I will use my influence to ensure he undertakes a suitable mission once the current academy year concludes. Until then, study his mission records thoroughly once I provide them. Learn everything about him. His strengths, weaknesses, and habits. Then report back with a foolproof strategy." Both agents bowed sharply and vanished silently from the room, leaving behind only a faint lingering trace of chakra.

Danzo remained seated in the dim quiet, the shadows seeming to gather even more closely around him. He allowed himself a rare moment of cold satisfaction, his voice lowering to a near whisper.

"Hiruzen, your compassion is your greatest flaw. Slowly, I will take everything from you, piece by piece. With this move, I will eliminate one of your allies and begin drawing a potential one closer to my side. The blame will fall upon an enemy village shinobi. Let the boy see the dangers lurking beyond our walls. Let him feel fear, uncertainty, and the need for strength. When that fear takes root, he will seek order, and I will make myself available to him.

When you finally stand alone, stripped of influence and allies, your version of Konoha will collapse. Then I will rebuild it in its proper image. Strong. Silent. Absolute." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. His lips curled faintly into a sinister, satisfied smile. The wheels were already turning, and soon enough, every piece would fall neatly into place.

The second year was almost done. I was satisfied with my progress in lightning chakra circulation and my jutsu mastery. The few times I had carefully activated Stormdrive, I made sure to gradually increase the duration each time. I was slowly building resistance to its harsh effects while steadily improving my overall control and utilization. Now it was time to test an addition I'd developed for Stormdrive. I had the theory down, but I needed someone to help me confirm if it actually worked.

After some consideration, I decided to ask Shizuru to accompany me to my special training area deep within one of Konoha's smaller forests. She seemed intrigued, carefully observing our surroundings as we walked. Sunlight filtered beautifully through the thick canopy of leaves, casting scattered beams across our path. A strange expression gradually crossed her face as she looked around in confusion.

"Where are all the birds? I don't hear any animals either." I chuckled nervously, trying to steer her away from discovering the war crimes I had committed against the local wildlife.

"They probably fled since I train here so often. You know, loud noises, broken trees…" Shizuru nodded, accepting my explanation but still eyeing the surroundings skeptically. We continued walking until we reached my usual clearing. Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the scene. Dozens of trees were splintered or toppled entirely, the grass uprooted, and the ground scarred with deep grooves and scorch marks.

"What the hell have you been training on here?" she asked, voice flat with disbelief. I laughed again, even more nervously this time.

"Just… don't worry about it. I need your help with this session since I can't test it alone." She raised her eyebrows suspiciously.

"And what exactly do you want me to do?" I handed her a dulled kunai I'd "borrowed" from the academy earlier.

"Throw this at me." Without hesitation or warning, she hurled the kunai straight at my chest from point-blank range. She hadn't thrown it particularly hard, but it still caught me completely off guard, striking me squarely and causing me to groan in pain.

"I meant when I give you the signal, not immediately!" I complained, rubbing my chest. She innocently started fake-whistling, imitating one of my habits. I shot her a suspicious look, then moved a bit further away.

"Ready?" She nodded seriously.

"Yes." I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself.

"Now!" Shizuru didn't waste a moment, throwing the dulled kunai at my chest again. This time with impressive force. But now, I was ready to test my newest evolution of Stormdrive. It had begun with a simple question. If lightning could flow inside me, couldn't it protect me from outside threats too? Stormdrive flooded my body with chakra, racing violently through every pathway. It worked, but it felt wasteful. All that power, and only I paid the price for it.

Then a thought came to me, what if some chakra leaked outward, creating a reactive layer of electricity around my skin? Not a shield exactly, more like an electric fence that zaps anyone who touches it. The concept was straightforward. Infuse just enough lightning chakra into the surface of my skin to trigger a sharp discharge upon contact. It wouldn't kill or even badly injure anyone, but it was enough to repel or stun briefly.

It took three days of constant effort, using a high-concentration lightning chakra circulation to test a weaker version of the concept, just to manage a faint charge without it dispersing. Eventually, I was able to maintain it briefly on my palms and shoulders, which are usually the first targets in close combat. The chakra discharged on contact, causing muscles to twitch, pain to spike, and grips to fail. Perfect for escaping holds or forcing distance.

With a beefed-up lightning chakra circulation, the effect was barely noticeable. But during Stormdrive, its effect would most likely increase dramatically. I called it Static Shell, mostly because it sounded cool. As the dulled kunai connected this time, I didn't flinch. I didn't need to. The moment it struck, a sharp crack echoed like indoor thunder, and a bright arc of lightning exploded from my skin.

The kunai didn't just bounce, it spun violently, slamming into the ground with a solid thunk, crackling faintly with residual charge. I briefly admired the result before noticing smoke curling from my shirt. One of only three I owned. Forgetting all about my successful test, I immediately began screaming, frantically patting the smoldering spot.

"My shirt! Not again!"