MM Racing Chapter 153 A man in white robes emerged from behind the high platform
Chapter 153 A man in white robes emerged from behind the high platform
Just now.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
A series of synchronized footsteps, as if measured with a ruler, broke the silence from the only entrance to the hall.
The sound echoed in the empty cave.
Another force poured in.
They were also dressed in black, but their faces were covered with all sorts of ferocious animal masks—wolves, tigers, monkeys, falcons…
The Anbu, a special assassination tactical unit directly under the Hokage.
The two most elite and mysterious dark forces in Konoha converged at this moment.
The air in the hall seemed to grow even heavier.
There was no conversation, no eye contact, not even the slightest disturbance.
The newly arrived ANBU members quickly and silently took their positions on the other side of the hall, forming two distinct yet interconnected formations with the Root ninjas.
The silent, chilling atmosphere was so intense it almost became tangible.
It was as if with just a word or a command, these two forces would instantly transform into a torrent tearing everything apart.
Looking at this scene, Uchiha Kagami felt his throat go dry.
He turned his head to look at Danzo beside him.
Danzo remained expressionless, but Kagami could sense a suppressed excitement from his slightly clenched fist—the tremor of a blade about to be drawn.
"They have finally become what you hoped for."
Jing said softly, her voice filled with emotion.
Danzo's gaze never left the square formation below, his voice low and hoarse.
"No, Mirror, this is not what I expected."
"This is what the Hokage wanted."
He paused for a moment, then added.
"It's Konoha, just what they need."
Jing turned his head to the side and glanced at his longtime companion.
He could read a hint of deeply hidden excitement in Danzo's perpetually unchanging poker face.
No, that wasn't excitement.
It's more like an eagerness.
"You seem eager for all of this to begin quickly," Jing said.
Danzo didn't look at him; his gaze remained fixed on the crowd below.
"certainly."
"The blueprints for the second phase of the Namaka River dam project haven't been finalized yet. Those kids from the Hyuga clan have proposed new standards for the pressure testing of the dam's internal structure."
Danzo frowned slightly, his tone full of impatience.
"I need to finish this quickly so I can go back and oversee the construction. War kills people, but shoddy construction kills even more."
Upon hearing this, Uchikame was taken aback at first, and then the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.
He wanted to laugh, but in this situation, he had to force himself to hold it in.
These words are so reminiscent of Danzo.
That's so much like... the style of Danzo now.
He is probably the only one in the entire ninja world who would still be thinking about the engineering blueprints of the reservoir dam on the eve of the gathering of two top assassination squads and the imminent outbreak of a great battle.
Just now.
A footstep suddenly rang out from the shadows behind the platform.
despair.
The sound was soft, yet it struck the heart of everyone present with precision.
despair.
Unhurried and steady, yet powerful.
Each step seemed to be on a unique rhythm, instantly taking control of the pulse of the entire space.
The oppressive atmosphere, which was originally suffocating, was easily broken open by the simple sound of footsteps.
A greater and deeper will has descended.
No words are needed, nor is it necessary to deliberately project an aura.
Its mere existence was enough to instill in all the elite ninjas present a sense of awe that came from the depths of their souls.
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness behind the platform.
He wore an immaculate white divine robe, with a circle of burning flames embroidered in bright red silk thread at the hem, which swayed gently as he moved.
On his head, he wore a straw hat that symbolized the highest authority in Konoha Village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He arrived.
The instant he appeared.
wow——
It was as if it were an instinctive reaction that had been rehearsed a thousand times.
Below the stage, whether it was Root wearing a white faceless mask or Anbu wearing a ferocious animal mask, everyone made the same move at the same moment.
He knelt on one knee and lowered his head.
The entire process was perfectly synchronized, and the wind it generated merged into a deep whistling sound.
Such a sound was the most respectful response to this figure in this space.
Even Danzo and Uchiha Kagami, who were on the high platform, turned around at the same time and bowed without hesitation.
In an instant, only one figure remained in the entire enormous underground stone hall, still standing upright.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the front of the platform, the shadow of his hat brim obscuring all his expressions, leaving only his sharply defined chin visible to everyone.
His gaze calmly swept over the two kneeling formations below.
He didn't speak.
But everyone felt an invisible pressure.
That wasn't murderous intent, nor was it a deliberately released pressure of chakra.
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a moment.
His gaze calmly swept over the kneeling figure below.
A sudden sense of low pressure descended upon the entire underground hall, pressing down on everyone's shoulders.
Beneath the masks are pairs of fervent and reverent eyes; they are Konoha's sharpest blade and deepest shadow.
"Get up, everyone."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice wasn't loud, and it didn't contain any chakra, yet it clearly pierced through the silence and resounded throughout the entire hall.
The group of ninjas immediately stood up.
Swah——
There was not a single discordant sound, not a moment's hesitation.
The ninjas from Root and Anbu rose up silently, as if they were a perfectly coordinated whole.
Only the slight rustling of clothes together formed a gentle breeze that swept through this underground space.
They stood silently, their faces adorned with various masks, standing ramrod straight, their bodies as still as mountains.
All eyes were drawn to the lone white figure on the high platform.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze slowly shifted from the Root on the left to the Dark Side on the right.
Faceless white masks, and grotesque animal masks.
These are the village's two swords, one manifested in the light, the other rooted in the darkness.
But at the core, it's all about protection.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took two steps forward and stood at the very front of the platform.
The brim of his straw hat obscured his vision, preventing those below from seeing his expression.
He looked down and spoke again.
"Do you know what the Land of Whirlpools is?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in a calm tone, as if inquiring about today's vegetable prices.
This question caused the ninjas in the audience to pause slightly.
Uchiha Kagami's eyelids trembled slightly.
He looked at Danzo beside him. Danzo still had the same expressionless face, but a glint of light flashed in his exposed eyes.
The entire space fell silent for a moment.
next second.
"Know!"
"They are our allies!"
The uniform responses, like the clash of steel, erupted simultaneously from the two formations, their sounds echoing dully in the empty cave.