"Bold!"
"How dare you!"
Hearing Bai Ye's arrogant words, several high-ranking Konoha officials stood up, angrily reprimanding him.
As individuals of high status in Konoha, they were deeply respected, even by the daimyos of the Fire Nation. Yet here was a supposed rogue ninja from the Land of Rain, looking down on them with blatant disregard.
And judging by his words, he didn't just disrespect them—he wanted them dead.
This man was courting death.
"Tsunade, if you attack this man and leave the Land of Fire, we elders will not pursue you," one of the elderly council members spoke up.
"This..." Tsunade glanced at Bai Ye, feeling helpless.
If she could defeat Bai Ye, she would have done so long ago rather than waiting until now.
"Elders, please listen to me," Tsunade said firmly. "He is not a traitor from the Land of Rain, nor does he harbor any ill intentions toward Konoha. I, Tsunade, swear as Hokage."
She was still trying to reason with them.
After all, if they fought, even if these old men combined their strength, they wouldn't be able to defeat Bai Ye.
"Tsunade, you have truly disappointed us." The Konoha elders shook their heads and turned to Danzo.
"Danzo, handle this."
"You..." Tsunade's anger flared.
She was a former Sannin, now the Hokage.
Did her words mean nothing to them?
"Heh, Tsunade, you have conspired with a rogue ninja from the Land of Rain and plotted against Konoha. Today, I, Danzo—"
"Are you done talking?" Bai Ye interrupted coldly. "If you are, then let's get this over with."
Before Danzo could finish his speech, Bai Ye cut him off.
These ninjas certainly liked to talk.
Back in the Pirate World, when Marines and pirates encountered each other, they either attacked immediately or ran. There was no endless conversation.
Wasn't the ninja world supposed to respect strength?
Look at the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara. Why were they feared? Not because of their words, but because of their power.
Of course, Bai Ye suddenly remembered something—the strongest technique in this world wasn't a jutsu.
It was Naruto's Talk-no-Jutsu.
Even beings at the Six Paths level could be swayed by it. In a way, it was truly "invincible."
"You arrogant fool, you truly don't know your place!" Danzo glared at Bai Ye before turning to his subordinates. "Attack!"
Rather than fighting himself, Danzo ordered the Root ninjas around him to strike first.
From the destruction of his base, Danzo had already determined that Bai Ye was strong.
However, something puzzled him—he couldn't sense any chakra from Bai Ye.
That meant Bai Ye was either hiding his chakra extremely well or using an entirely different kind of power.
Either way, Danzo decided it was best to test the waters first.
Of course, the Root ninjas were no weaklings. They were at least at the Jōnin level. Even against Kage-level opponents, they could hold their ground with proper strategy.
And as for whether Bai Ye was Kage-level himself—unlikely.
He was too young, barely in his twenties. No one at that age could reach such power.
Whoosh!
The Root ninjas moved swiftly, encircling Bai Ye in an instant.
Seeing himself surrounded, Bai Ye lightly pushed Tsunade away using his Reiatsu.
Having her nearby would be a hindrance.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Dozens of shuriken flew at Bai Ye from all directions, cutting off all escape routes.
"Hmph."
Danzo sneered. Even if he himself had to face this many shuriken, it would be difficult to dodge. Surely Bai Ye wouldn't escape unscathed.
But what puzzled him was Bai Ye's expression.
Despite being in imminent danger, he remained completely calm, as if the incoming shuriken were of no concern.
He hadn't even moved an inch.
"Is he planning to use the Body Replacement Technique?" Danzo wondered.
Tsunade, who had been pushed aside, watched the scene unfold with concern.
She hadn't expected Bai Ye to protect her so suddenly, and she felt a slight warmth toward him.
But even the strongest ninja would struggle against this many shuriken.
The blades were now mere inches from Bai Ye—
Yet he still did not move.
Boom!
A surge of Reiatsu burst from Bai Ye's body.
The force spread outward in all directions, carrying a destructive pressure.
The shuriken flying toward him shattered instantly into fragments.
The Root ninjas were next. Their bones broke, blood spurted from their mouths, and they were flung away like ragdolls.
"What is this power?!" Danzo was stunned.
It wasn't chakra.
Yet it carried an overwhelming, destructive force.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
Realizing he couldn't withstand the power, Danzo used a defensive technique, raising a thick wall of earth between himself and Bai Ye.
Boom!
The immense pressure of Bai Ye's Reiatsu battered the earth wall, causing cracks to spread across its surface. It wouldn't last long.
"Bai Ye, stop! Enough!" Tsunade's anxious voice rang out.
Bai Ye turned his head slightly to glance at her.
Ah.
He had almost forgotten she was still there.
With that, he retracted his Reiatsu.
"Phew."
With the terrifying energy fading, Tsunade let out a breath of relief.
But as she looked at Bai Ye, a flicker of astonishment flashed in her eyes.
She had already thought highly of his strength, but she hadn't expected him to suppress her with mere presence alone.
Just how powerful was this man?
And what was that power?
Danzo, too, was shaken but quickly composed himself.
"Boy, your abilities may be strange, but if that's all you have, you're no match for me," he sneered.
Clearly, he believed Bai Ye had already used his trump card.
"Oh? Then why don't you come and test that theory?" Bai Ye replied indifferently.
"Hmph! Let's see you handle this."
Danzo formed a hand seal.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
A sharp, white blade of wind shot from his mouth, slicing through the air straight toward Bai Ye.