C34 Sneak Attack on Danzou!

Danzou's focus was entirely on the Uchiha family compound below him. He was under the impression that, given the high level of secrecy surrounding his operation in Konoha, very few were aware of his whereabouts, which is why he kept his guard detail to a minimum. What he didn't realize was that someone had already silently closed in on him.

The Uchiha clan had been recently decimated. Danzou Shimura had not yet amassed a collection of Sharingan eyes, nor had he integrated Hashirama Senju's Wood Style cells into his own body. At this moment, Danzou was simply a Jonin-level ninja, proficient in a handful of Sealing Techniques, far from the formidable power he would demonstrate in his future confrontation with Sasuke.

The silence was shattered when Inuzuka Ame, one of Danzou's personal guards, detected a strange and sudden presence, perilously close. In a state of alarm, he shouted, "Lord Danzou, be careful!"

The attacker, Tenno, moved with incredible speed. Without any warning, even a Jonin from the elite Root Force would struggle to defend themselves in time. A kunai, with lethal precision, struck the throat of the Inuzuka Clan ninja.

The assault was over in an instant. Before they knew it, a Root Force ninja was down.

"Protect Lord Danzou!" another guard commanded, his voice resonating with urgency.

The remaining three guards quickly formed a defensive triangle around Danzou Shimura, their senses fully extended, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. However, their brows furrowed in confusion; they couldn't detect even a hint of the attacker's presence, a perplexing and unsettling realization.

"Lord Danzou, it seems we're dealing with a master of concealment. I urge you to be exceedingly cautious!" one guard advised, his tone laden with respect.

"Who is it?" Danzou Shimura roared in fury, incredulous that someone in Konoha Village would dare to target him.

Silence enveloped the scene. Time seemed to slow as tension mounted. A fine layer of sweat glistened on the foreheads of the three guards stationed by Danzou's side. With the majority of the Root Force absent, their primary responsibility was the protection of Lord Danzou, and they were acutely aware that they couldn't afford even the slightest lapse in their vigilance.

They dared not take any chances. After all, most of the core members of the Root Force were not present. It was imperative that they ensure the safety of Lord Danzou; there was no room for complacency.

Being within the assassin's striking range was a considerable disadvantage.

The assassin's strength was undeniable. His ability to conceal his presence was formidable, and his capacity to kill a Jonin-level ninja in their midst proved he was a force to be reckoned with.

At that moment, Tenno had already utilized his Concealment Mask to hide his aura.

He remained hidden nearby, silently observing everything, refraining from acting rashly.

His earlier assault had been swift and devastating, achieving a result that greatly satisfied him.

Danzou Shimura's heart was now filled with fear—Tenno had accomplished his goal.

Tenno was already contemplating his next move.

His strength was impressive; in physical combat, he could match a Jonin-level ninja. With the element of surprise, he could easily take down a Jonin as he had done before.

However, after Tenno's initial kill, the guards around Danzou Shimura were on high alert, complicating any further assassination attempts.

Tenno's greatest reliance was still the Concealment Mask's ability to completely hide his presence.

A direct confrontation was clearly not a favorable choice.

As an assassin, his job was to continuously exert pressure and instill a sense of danger in Danzou Shimura and his followers.

All he needed to do was buy time against Danzou Shimura.

What remained here was merely a Shadow Clone of Tenno.

Occasional attacks to create psychological pressure on Danzou were sufficient.

He needed to keep Danzou too preoccupied to deal with the Uchiha family's internal affairs.

Meanwhile, Tenno's real body had already donned another Concealment Mask and was heading towards the Uchiha territory.

The Concealment Mask had two powerful effects.

One allowed him to completely change his appearance to that of someone else, lasting three minutes.

The other enabled him to fully conceal his presence, making him invisible for ten minutes.

However, the Concealment Mask had its limitations.

It required a one-minute cooldown during which its powers could not be switched.

If Tenno were to hide his presence and place the Sharingan into his storage ring right under the noses of the Root Force ninjas, he would immediately give himself away, alerting them to his true identity and raising their guard.

Additionally, the Concealment Mask comes with a usage limitation. Its cooldown period is one minute, during which Tenno cannot switch its abilities. If Tenno were to conceal his presence and directly take the Sharingan from the hands of a Root Force ninja into his storage ring, he would instantly expose his identity, raising the suspicions and alertness of those ninjas. Each of these Root Force ninjas possessed skills surpassing those of a Jonin. Even with the Concealment Mask, Tenno might find it difficult to escape unscathed.

Therefore, Tenno's only way to obtain the Sharingan was to disguise himself as Danzou Shimura and take it openly. The success of his mission depended on these crucial three minutes.

"Lord Danzou, to what do we owe the pleasure?" a captain from the Shade greeted him with the utmost respect upon seeing Tenno, disguised as Danzou Shimura, approaching within the Uchiha clan's territory.

"I've come to check on your progress," Tenno stated calmly.

The Root Force Leader promptly reported, "We've almost collected all the Sharingan from the deceased Uchiha members. However, we have yet to find the clan head's body."

Tenno narrowed his eyes and commanded coldly, "Then prioritize finding his body! Every Sharingan from the Uchiha must be recovered!"

"Yes, Lord Danzou!"

"Where are the collected Sharingan stored? Show me," Tenno directed.

With the Concealment Mask, Tenno had perfectly disguised himself as Danzou Shimura. Within the three-minute time frame, not even a Kage-level shinobi could see through his disguise. However, Tenno could mimic Shimura's chakra and aura but not his way of conducting himself.

The Root Force Leader furrowed his brow slightly, sensing something off, yet unable to identify what it was. He looked up and noticed that Lord Danzou had come alone, prompting him to ask, "Where are your guards?"

Unruffled, Tenno responded sharply, "Do I need to report my staffing to you?"

"I apologize," the Root Force Leader said, bowing his head.

Tenno continued sternly, "The Seal of Tongue Calamity I've placed on you is to ensure you remain silent on matters you're not to speak of!"

With that, any lingering doubts the Root Force Leader had were dispelled. Knowing about the Seal of Tongue Calamity confirmed that the man before him had to be Lord Danzou—there was no room for doubt. He chided himself internally. What had come over him today to dare question Lord Danzou's identity?

Upon hearing his words, the doubts that had been plaguing the leader of the Root Force instantly evaporated. The man who stood before him, knowledgeable even of the Seal of Tongue Calamity, could only be Lord Danzou himself.

Realizing the gravity of potentially angering Lord Danzou, he quickly sought to rectify the situation. Turning to Tenno, he said with urgency, "Lord Danzou, I will escort you to view the assembled Sharingan immediately. Please, come with me."