I, who just wanted to be lazy, was forced to become the Hokage.

Chapter 374 Fierce Battle!

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi called for help, Minato Namikaze, who had been standing aside the whole time, hadn't even reacted yet.

He didn't know much about the Root conflict that day. His only thought at the moment was to check on Obito Uchiha's condition after the conflict was completely over, and hopefully get this student out of this shameful place called Root...

By the time Minato Namikaze reacted at lightning speed, the Third Hokage was asking for help, wanting him to rescue Danzo Shimura.

Minato Namikaze's feet remained firmly planted on the ground, like tree roots, and he did not move.

Given Yellow Flash's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique, rescuing Shimura Danzo from the Advent of the Tree World wouldn't be too difficult.

But the problem is...

Minato Namikaze already disliked Danzo Shimura, and his opinion of the Root elder worsened the moment he learned that Obito Uchiha was "staying" at the Root base.

Even a small sun can't provide warmth like central air conditioning for everyone.

Since Minato Namikaze had no good feelings towards Danzo Shimura, why would he be willing to rescue him?

Not to mention that Minato Namikaze had just gleaned a subtle meaning from Nara Rinkazu's words.

If he were merely a "root elder," out of respect for the Hokage's orders and the camaraderie among fellow ninjas, Minato Namikaze might have reluctantly endured his disgust and attempted to rescue Danzo Shimura.

Even if he is the darkest of ninjas, as long as he is focused on fighting the enemy, Minato Namikaze will not feel the slightest disgust towards all the cruel acts committed by the enemy; on the contrary, he will feel admiration.

But this ninja in darkness harmed his fellow villagers, leaked village information, and even desecrated the Hokage's corpse?

If everything Nara Ranke said is true, then Namikaze Minato would never have considered Shimura Danzo as a fellow villager!

Ninjas can be tools for carrying out missions, but they must never be tools for killing their fellow villagers!

As for disregarding the orders of the third generation...

Aren't Nara Rinka and Lady Tsunade still there to protect us?

Minato Namikaze, a good young man from Konoha who believes in the Will of Fire.

He respected the Third Hokage, but he was not merely a tool of the Third Hokage.

boom!

[Black Warrior] blasted the "Diamond Barrier" composed of many clones of the Monkey King with a single punch, and Nara Rinkei's mocking remarks immediately echoed within the Root base.

"Tsk tsk tsk! Lord Sandai, have you ever heard the saying, 'Those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help'?"

Nara Rinka gazed at Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression, which was as black as the bottom of a pot, and felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Your Elder Danzo is unpopular!"

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was calling for reinforcements, Nara Rankei was genuinely worried that Minato Namikaze would forcefully carry out Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders.

He wasn't worried about Minato Namikaze rescuing Danzo Shimura or anything like that...

Minato Namikaze knows the Flying Thunder God Technique, and so does Rinkazu Nara.

How fast can a yellow flashing light be used to rescue someone?

The speed at which the shadow of darkness kills is incredibly fast.

What Nara Rangatsu was truly worried about was that after Master Yumon intervened in the battle and failed to save Shimura Danzo, he might take Hiruzen Sarutobi and leave the Root base directly...

He, a good young man from Konoha with the Will of Fire in his heart, couldn't possibly drive the Black Knight to the Hokage Building and beat up the Third Hokage after he left, could he?

How bad would that be?

Let's confine today's conflict to the Root base and teach Hiruzen Sarutobi a lesson along the way.

This is the scene that Nara Rangsuke truly wanted to see.

Fortunately, the doorman did not take any action.

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that Nara Rangsuke had once again humiliated him, and his displeasure with Minato Namikaze had also increased.

Without Minato Namikaze and his Flying Thunder God Technique, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have a hard time completely controlling the situation and ending this farcical dispute without harming anyone.

Can be collected by Danzo...

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at his old buddy, who was still firmly controlled by the [Advent of the Tree World] and couldn't move a single finger, and sighed inwardly.

Danzo still needs to be saved...

Hiruzen Sarutobi hardened his heart, pretending not to hear Nara Ranka's mocking words. He raised his right hand, and the iron bars that had been disrupted by the Black Warrior exploded into smoke. Only one real weapon was summoned into his palm by a summoning technique.

The Flying Thunder God rescue plan has been declared a failure.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi wants to save Danzo Shimura again, then he only has one option...

Defeat Nara and claim the crown!

With this in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze became completely calm. He fully mobilized the chakra within his body and once again approached Nara Rinka and that special [Black Warrior].

Nara Rinka narrowed his eyes slightly, and Sarutobi Hiruzen's movement speed was even faster than before, his movement speed comparable to a ghost.

Clearly, this Third Hokage is about to unleash some real skills!

In the blink of an eye.

Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly moved closer to the Black Warrior, simultaneously swinging his Vajra Iron Rod at the Black Warrior's... calf.

Bang—bang bang!

Hiruzen Sarutobi landed a hit, and the subsequent blows from his staff rained down on the Black Warrior's calves, creating a continuous cacophony of clanging sounds.

All ninjutsu, no matter how varied, share the same fundamental principle: they all rely on chakra to maintain their effects.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not have a deep understanding of the "Black Warrior" technique.

But he knew very well that such a large-scale secret technique must consume a lot of chakra!

It's not just releasing it that requires chakra; maintaining it requires even more chakra.

In other words.

Every time Nara Rinka's "Black Warrior" takes an attack, he needs to expend enough chakra to offset the damage in order to maintain his "Black Warrior" form.

Suddenly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's attack came to an abrupt halt.

Countless black tentacles emerged from the body of the Black Warrior, surging towards the Third Hokage like a tidal wave.

Having unleashed his full power, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't linger for even half a second. He immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to escape and arrived at another place where the shadowy tentacles couldn't reach.

Its agility is just like that of a monkey roaming freely in the mountains and fields!

The shadow tentacles of the Black Knight missed their mark.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's attacks rained down on the Black Warrior once again, continuously draining Nara Ranke's chakra.

Just then.

A jet-black kunai shot out from Nara Rinkazu's hand, splitting into individual kunai in mid-air, all of which fired at the frenzied Sarutobi Hiruzen. The momentum was like a torrent of stars from the heavens, leaving him with no way to dodge for a moment.

[Sword Shadow Clone Technique]!

What Hiruzen Sarutobi knows, Renke Nara knows too!

Seeing the overwhelming barrage of kunai, Hiruzen Sarutobi decisively stopped his attack on the Black Warrior and focused on receiving the barrage of the Shuraken Shadow Clone Technique, while retreating to a new location.

The range of the [Sword Shadow Clone Technique] is too wide.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was unable to dodge for the time being.

However, you must not stay in one fixed place for too long to avoid being suddenly attacked by Nara Rangsuke.

But just as Hiruzen Sarutobi's iron rod was about to strike the first kunai.

【Flying Thunder God - Shadow Blade】!

Nara Rinka's figure suddenly appeared in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi. The chakra boiling within him transformed into an incomparably violent power, and he punched the Third Hokage who was right in front of him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly held his Vajra Iron Rod horizontally in front of him.

clang--

A crisp, metallic clang rang out as the Vajra Iron Rod, transformed from the Monkey Demon, twisted violently under Nara Ranka's unparalleled strength, resembling a bent longbow.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was holding the weapon, changed his expression drastically. He had not expected that Nara Rinka's power would be so astonishing.

No matter how surprised he was, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still sent flying by Nara Rinkazu's punch, like a meteor, and struck the thick rock wall of the Root base.

boom!

The Third Hokage was embedded in the Root wall, leaving only a human figure on the wall.

(End of this chapter)