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Ron chuckled at Danzo's words. "You mean, you're counting on the Nine-Tails to take me down?"
That really cracked him up. Forget the Nine-Tails—even if the Ten-Tails showed up, it'd still get its ass kicked.
Did they really think the Rinnegan was just for show?
Even though he couldn't unleash the full power of the Rinnegan yet, he still had all the abilities that came with it.
He wasn't on the level of Six Paths Madara, but compared to Rinnegan Nagato? He was way stronger.
Nagato using the Rinnegan was like a guy who... well, couldn't perform, suddenly popping a pill and
going wild for a bit. For a moment, he seemed unstoppable, taking on anyone and everyone. But in
reality, his body had long since been pushed past its limits, his potential drained—he was a ticking
time bomb.
Madara, on the other hand, was like a second puberty—starting off small but then growing straight to the top, maxing out early with little room for improvement. But still, undeniably powerful.
As for Ron's Rinnegan? It was always evolving. No cap on its potential.
As long as he kept growing stronger, accumulating energy, his Rinnegan would become tougher, sharper, and more powerful.
Unlike Nagato, who struggled just to control his own Rinnegan, Ron had absolute mastery over his.
Danzo's voice slithered over like a venomous snake. "You've got time to laugh, but maybe you should start thinking about how to deal with the Nine-Tails. How do you plan to escape this time?
The Nine-Tails is on a rampage, and you don't have that armored protector by your side anymore."
"Surrender now, hand over the secret behind your Wood Release, and I might just spare your life!"
Ron didn't even glance at him. In a flash, he was beside Tsunade, his hands glowing with green energy. Her condition stabilized instantly.
Most of the poison inside her had been suppressed by his Wood Release energy. The only thing left was a bit of the aphrodisiac—it wasn't exactly a poison, and honestly, it wasn't even harmful to the body.
If anything, it helped with circulation, boosted vitality—just came with some... side effects. Side effects that needed a little "release."
If he had Ice Release, he could've suppressed it further, but unfortunately, he didn't. Bloodline limits could technically be combined, though... Maybe he should take some time to study that.
With the poison neutralized, the only thing left in Tsunade was pure restlessness. Her sultry eyes locked onto Ron.
If not for her sheer willpower, she might've already pounced on him.
"Ron! Help Kushina first—her condition is worse!" she snapped herself out of it, pulling her wandering hands away from Ron and refocusing on Kushina.
But her voice… it didn't sound like she was worried. It was almost… reluctant.
Smack! Ron flicked her forehead, snapping her out of her daze.
"Worry about yourself first. Shut up and hold your breath."
"If you keep inhaling that stuff, are you planning to put on a live 'performance' in front of everyone?"
Tsunade opened her mouth but said nothing. She had no idea how flushed her face was, how every little movement, every glance, oozed with temptation.
Fortunately, Ron was in full "sage mode"—focused and disciplined. He tore his gaze away from her lips.
"Go stay inside Shizune's barrier for now. Leave the rest to me."
"Lady Tsunade, hurry!" Shizune called from within the barrier Ron had set up.
She was too weak to do much—forget Tsunade and Kushina's battle, she couldn't even go near the
Four Purple Flame Formation.
For an average Jonin, she was decent. But right now? She barely qualified as cannon fodder.
Still, she hesitated. Should she step outside... and maybe 'accidentally' inhale some of that aphrodisiac?
If she did, Ron-sama would definitely help 'detox' her, right?
Her legs pressed together involuntarily as certain thoughts crossed her mind.
But no—going out now would be too obvious. It'd be no different than serving herself up on a platter.
"Lady Tsunade, come in quickly! Just let a tiny bit of the drug come in with you, just a little! One small breath!"
She wanted Ron to help her so badly, she might as well have written it on her face.
Too bad for her—Tsunade made it inside, but the drug didn't follow.
Shizune pouted slightly but quickly rushed forward to help Tsunade sit down.
Meanwhile, Ron approached Kushina.
Danzo's icy voice rang out again, mocking him. "What now? You think you can use Wood Release to stop the Nine-Tails? What, you think you're the First Hokage?"
Ron sneered. "The First Hokage? You already stripped his corpse clean of flesh. Aren't you afraid that one day, he'll crawl out of his grave and drag you down with him?"
"Damn you, Danzo!" Tsunade cursed from inside the barrier.
"Trying to play the victim? Instead of making baseless accusations, you should focus on dealing with the Nine-Tails."
"Of course, if you beg me for mercy, I might let you live."
Danzo's expression remained calm, but the killing intent in his lone eye was barely restrained.
Damn it! This bastard really knew about their experiments!
But how did he know? Neither the Anbu nor the Root recognized him. Could it be... he was someone Hiruzen had trained in secret?
It was highly possible! Only Hiruzen knew, and only Hiruzen had the power to raise a spy without anyone noticing!
No wonder he could freely come and go from Konoha. Damn it, he was part of Konoha all along!
No wonder Sarutobi Hiruzen had Tsunade try to seduce Ron—turns out, it wasn't some outsider benefitting from it; it was Hiruzen himself!
As for Sarutobi getting beaten up and even losing an arm, in Danzo Shimura's mind, it was nothing more than a deal gone wrong. That guy Hiruzen must've made empty promises and failed to deliver.
Yes, that must be it!
Hiruzen had even been involved in Wood Release research before. He might have kept some of the
First Hokage's cells, which would explain why Ron was his man!
The more Danzo thought about it, the more certain he became, and with that certainty, his fury burned even hotter.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you bastard!"
"You wouldn't let me do experiments, but you secretly conducted research outside? Shameless!"
…(Requesting more support!)…
"Just wait until I capture Ron Stark and bring him back to Konoha. I'll expose your true face, drag you down from the Hokage's seat!"
"The Hokage's position is mine! I, Danzo Shimura, am the true inheritor of the Will of Fire!"
"I am the one most fit to be Hokage!"
As he fantasized about donning the Hokage's robe, lost in his ambitions—
A calm chuckle interrupted him. "It's just the Nine-Tails. Do I really need to think of a way to handle this?"
Ron stood in front of the Nine-Tails, gazing at Kushina, who was almost fully transformed into a
Tailed Beast.
Their eyes met. Kushina's pupils no longer showed a trace of human consciousness—she was
completely controlled by the Nine-Tails.
The beast grinned menacingly at Ron. "Once I finish suppressing this Uzumaki brat, you're next."
"No need for all that trouble." Ron's eyes suddenly shifted, revealing the Rinnegan.
Seeing those familiar concentric rings, even though they lacked the tomoe, the Nine-Tails instantly bristled in shock.
"The Sage of Six Paths' eyes?! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How can you have those eyes?!"
"Why not?" Ron smiled at the beast. "Now, you have a choice. Either return quietly on your own, or I send you back myself."
"Or… I extract you completely and seal you inside me, where you'll never escape."
"You—!" The Nine-Tails was about to argue but, after another glance at Ron's Rinnegan, its
expression shifted instantly. It sulked, grumbling, "Fine, fine, I'll go back! Geez!"
The next second, the Nine-Tails' chakra completely vanished, and Kushina reverted to her normal form.
Well, not entirely normal—her skin fluctuated between red and blue. It was clear she had been
poisoned by Danzo and affected by the aphrodisiac drug.
Previously, the Nine-Tails' chakra had suppressed it, but now that the beast had fully withdrawn, the poison's effects spiraled out of control.
Unlike Tsunade, who noticed something was wrong right away and was saved by Ron, Kushina had been locked in a battle of wills with the Nine-Tails during its rampage. She never had a chance to regulate her breathing.
On top of that, the aphrodisiac had worsened her condition, completely overwhelming her.
Her body was on the verge of losing control.
Her gemstone-red eyes were slightly dazed, her forehead glistening with sweat. Strands of damp hair clung to her flushed skin, and her lips—parted slightly—revealed a hint of red from where she had bitten them.
The faint pain didn't bring her clarity; instead, her eyes grew even hazier.
As if sensing Ron's approach, her breathing grew rapid, causing her chest to rise and fall dramatically.
Her trembling hands left her body and instead clung tightly to Ron's arm.
Ron caught both her wrists with one hand, while the other lit up with a soft green glow.
Pressing it against her, he managed to suppress the poison somewhat, but there was nothing he could do about her fevered state.
Without hesitation, he knocked her unconscious and casually tossed her towards Tsunade and the others.
Then, in a flash, Ron teleported to the edge of the Four Violet Flames Formation, looking at a stunned Danzo Shimura.
Grinning, he said, "I hope you've got more tricks up your sleeve to deal with me… otherwise, it's my turn to strike back, old man."
"....."