My Sign-in System in Naruto

Seeing Haru unleash his chakra, four or five Root operatives rushed in front of Danzō, shielding him.

But Danzō was still in shock.

Why hadn't Kotoamatsukami worked?

When he had activated Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan to use the genjutsu, Haru's gaze had met his directly.

Without the Sharingan, Haru shouldn't have been able to break free from the genjutsu.

And what did Haru mean by the fifth layer?

Had Haru known all along that Danzō possessed Kotoamatsukami and had been on guard against him?

But how had Haru found out?

Could it have been Uchiha Itachi…?

Danzō's mind flashed to Itachi's face.

That guy had always claimed to be loyal to Konoha, to the village. Yet, he had revealed this information to Haru.

That's it…

Haru and Itachi had met yesterday. That must have been when they formed an alliance.

That must have been when Itachi told Haru how to resist Kotoamatsukami.

"But you say you're on the fifth layer."

Danzō quickly calmed down. If he couldn't control Haru with Kotoamatsukami or recruit him, then he would have to take Haru's body back and train a new 'Tenzo.'

"Then I'm on the tenth layer!"

Danzō roared at Haru, and the Root operatives behind him drew shuriken, using Shadow Shuriken to target Haru's vital points.

At the same time, Danzō glanced at his right arm. For a ninja, intelligence was a crucial part of any battle.

And the secrets he possessed far surpassed those of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uchiha Itachi.

If Haru was on the fifth layer, then Danzō was on the tenth.

Layer upon layer of strategy!

Haru, however, remained silent.

With both sides at a standoff, neither was willing to retreat without getting what they wanted.

Danzō wanted Haru's body, and Haru wanted Danzō's eye.

The village, Hiruzen Sarutobi—none of it mattered at this moment.

Even the Senju compound could be destroyed and rebuilt.

After all, if Yamato could create a three-bedroom house with a single hand seal, Haru could do even more.

No need to hold back. Attack freely!

Seeing the countless Shadow Shuriken hurtling toward him, Haru immediately clapped his hands together.

Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!

The entire building began to shake violently, and the floor beneath Haru's feet cracked as countless vines surged forward, swelling and hardening at a visible rate, knocking aside the Root operatives shielding Danzō.

Danzō, seeing this, quickly retreated.

"Starting with the Advent of a World of Trees? A secret technique on par with the First Hokage's."

Danzō's voice was low. Even as the Wood Release surged toward him, he made no move to dodge.

Yamato had been a subordinate he had trained.

And his arm had been transplanted with Hashirama's cells.

"No one understands Wood Release better than I do!"

With that, Danzō took a deep breath and unleashed his most proficient Wind Release technique.

Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!

A sharp, scythe-like gust of wind shot forward, forming an invisible blade that instantly sliced through the oncoming trees.

Wind Release was the most destructive of the basic nature transformations.

Its sharp attacks could easily cut through entire forests.

In Danzō's eyes, this technique was the perfect counter to Haru.

Then, Danzō's legs moved like the wind as he drew a kunai from his body and infused it with Wind Release chakra, forming a sharp blade. He swung it toward Haru in a wide arc.

Not only that, but the Root operatives also unleashed their most skilled attacks, targeting Haru's vital points while acting as decoys to create openings for Danzō.

All of this had been prepared by Danzō before he had even arrived.

For a ninja like Danzō, 'probably' or 'most likely' wasn't enough.

He needed meticulous planning to ensure the mission's success.

Especially after the failure to assassinate the Third Hokage and Yamato's betrayal, he had become even more aware of this.

So his current attack wasn't a hasty response to Kotoamatsukami's failure. It was a carefully prepared backup plan.

"Indeed, in battles between ninjas, intelligence is a crucial factor. The side that gains the upper hand in intelligence often gains the upper hand in the battle."

Haru stared directly into Danzō's Sharingan, completely unafraid of Kotoamatsukami. Then, right in front of Danzō, he activated the Byakugan.

Byakugan, activate!

Haru's pitch-black pupils instantly turned milky white, and the veins around his temples bulged.

Unlike Neji's Byakugan, which was limited by the Caged Bird Seal, Haru's Byakugan could easily capture a 360-degree field of vision.

In that instant, Haru could clearly see every Root operative, their attack methods, and their trajectories.

"What?!"

Danzō's eyes widened in shock. He never would have dreamed that Haru not only possessed Wood Release but could also activate the Hyūga clan's Byakugan.

And his method of activation was completely different from Danzō's.

After transplanting the Sharingan, Danzō had found that he couldn't deactivate Shisui's eye and had to disguise it with bandages.

How had Haru done it?

Even though the Senju clan had intermarried widely, the Hyūga clan strictly forbade intermarriage, fearing that the secrets of the Byakugan would fall into the wrong hands.

Haru took advantage of Danzō's moment of shock, precisely controlling his chakra and covering his entire body with a purple chakra cloak, repelling the Shadow Shuriken hurtling toward him.

Not only that, but Haru stomped his right foot down, causing the ground to crack and sink. Then, with astonishing explosive power, he charged at Danzō.

"This is… monstrous strength!"

Danzō couldn't help but exclaim, his mind flashing to Tsunade, who had left the village. His Wind Release: Vacuum Blade swung toward Haru's neck.

But to his utter shock, Haru's hand now held a kunai, and relying on his absurd chakra reserves, he infused it with Wind Release chakra, extending its length far beyond Danzō's blade and easily deflecting the attack.

"And when did you get the illusion that I couldn't use Wind Release?"

Wind Release: Shadowless Sword!

Haru sneered, slicing off Danzō's left arm and then plunging the kunai into his abdomen.

The sheer force sent Danzō flying, pinning him to a tree trunk behind him.

Then, Haru's foot touched the ground, creating a deep crater as he charged at Danzō again.

"Not just Wood Release… but even Wind Release?"

Danzō spat out a mouthful of blood, finally realizing that he had underestimated Haru.

Just how many secrets did this guy have?

Even the Hyūga clan's Byakugan…

There's only one thing left to do.

Gritting his teeth, Danzō took a sharp breath and swung his right arm toward Haru, who was charging at him.

Wood Release: Wooden Spear!