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Danzo's face turned uglier than ever. The moment Kotoamatsukami failed, he already knew what he had to do.
Izanagi.
One of the ultimate Sharingan techniques. It could turn a stretch of unfavorable reality into nothing more than a dream.
In plain terms? A reset button.
In the original story, the Sharingan embedded in Danzo's arm existed for one reason: to fuel Izanagi. That was how he kept coming back to life after being killed over and over. Cheap, shameless, absurdly hard to put down.
Of course, Izanagi wasn't free. Every use permanently blinded the eye.
But compared to his life, what was blindness?
Even if this particular eye was a Mangekyo capable of Kotoamatsukami.
That technique's cooldown was ridiculous. Who knew when he'd ever get to use it again? Years? Decades?
So Danzo made his choice. Sacrifice the Mangekyo. Trigger Izanagi. Fake his death. Then, once revived, use the surrounding buildings as cover and escape.
Except…
The buildings were gone.
His opponent had anticipated everything and flattened the entire area.
No cover meant nowhere to hide. The moment he revived, he was fully exposed.
His plan collapsed instantly.
Danzo spun and ran. At the same time, he bit his finger and formed seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang!
White smoke burst outward. As it cleared, a strange yellow creature appeared—elephant trunk, bulky body, and white bandages wrapped around its head just like Danzo's.
His summon: Baku.
"Wind Release: Great Tempest!"
Baku inhaled deeply, then exhaled with force.
A hurricane-level gale roared forward, easily comparable to a Category 12 storm, tearing toward Akira.
Akira didn't slow down in the slightest.
That kind of wind? Might as well have been a light breeze.
"MOOOO!"
Ignored by a mere human, Baku seemed genuinely offended. It let out a furious cry and lunged forward, jaws wide open.
"Loyal little beast," Akira sneered. "Too bad your master only called you out to die."
He clenched his fist and threw a punch.
Boom!
The force was monstrous.
Baku exploded midair into a cloud of blood mist.
Danzo caught the movement out of the corner of his eye—and saw his summon reduced to vapor in a single hit.
A monster…
True fear finally gripped him.
Baku wasn't some bottom-tier summon. It wasn't the strongest either, but it could at least trade blows with a Tailed Beast for a few moves.
And yet in front of that man, it didn't even survive one exchange.
Just how terrifying was this guy's strength?
Before Danzo could process it, his throat tightened. His vision lifted.
He was being held up like a chicken.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Without a word, Akira delivered over a dozen slaps in rapid succession.
Danzo's face, freshly restored by Izanagi, swelled back into a pig's head almost instantly.
Akira nodded, clearly satisfied with his handiwork.
"Come on, old man. Got any more tricks? Don't hold back."
"Ugh… you bastard! Don't push me too far! Don't force my hand, or I'll drag you to hell with me!"
Danzo's swollen face twisted with fury as he roared hoarsely.
"Oh? Force you? What are you gonna do about it?"
Another few slaps rang out.
"AHHH! Fine! Then we all die! No one lives!"
Danzo snapped.
He was the leader of Root. The darkness of Konoha. And now he was being humiliated again and again like this?
Unforgivable.
He began gathering chakra wildly, concentrating it into his chest.
There, etched into his skin, was a strange seal resembling a Bagua diagram.
"You think that thick hide of yours makes you invincible?"
"Let me tell you something, brat. There are countless ways in this shinobi world to deal with someone like you!"
"And Konoha isn't a place where some brainless brute can run wild!"
"I am the leader of Root. The darkness of Konoha. Not some mad dog you can insult!"
The chakra built to its peak. Danzo's face twisted, then he burst into manic laughter.
"HAHAHA! Come! Let's go to hell together!"
Forbidden Jutsu: Reverse Four Symbols Sealing!
A suicidal technique that seals both the user and the enemy.
In the original story, Danzo used it to seal half a bridge.
Some even called it the "Bridge-Sealing Technique."
…
The seal on his chest began to glow and heat up. It looked like something was about to burst forth.
Whoosh!
Akira moved like lightning.
His fingers dug into Danzo's shoulder, sharp nails piercing flesh. Then he yanked.
Riiip!
Blood sprayed.
He tore the entire piece of skin off Danzo's chest—seal and all.
Without hesitation, he flung the bloody patch of skin away.
Midair, black ink-like substance spewed from it, rapidly expanding into a massive sphere. It swelled, then compressed, shrinking smaller and smaller—
Until it vanished completely.
In the end, Danzo's Reverse Four Symbols Sealing sealed… a strip of human skin and a large chunk of air.
Honestly, even worse than in canon.
…
Danzo was stunned.
The agony of having the skin ripped from his upper body barely registered.
His final move. His ultimate, mutual-destruction technique.
Neutralized that easily?
Even Akira looked a little surprised.
Didn't expect it could be countered like that.
Of course, even if it couldn't, he could have swapped himself out with Amenotejikara at the last second.
The technique was useless against him anyway. It just would've let Danzo die a little too easily.
Akira lifted Danzo slightly and let out a cold laugh.
"Wanna die? Heh. If I don't approve it, you don't get to die."
"Kill… kill me. If you have any warrior's dignity, give me a clean death…"
With his last resort gone, Danzo gave up. He was actually begging to die.
Akira shook his head, a smile spreading across his face that, to Danzo, looked like something straight out of a nightmare.
"Kill you? Dream on. I told you already—I'm going to make you wish you were dead."
"Y-you bastard…"
Danzo cursed weakly.
Tonight was supposed to be the Uchiha massacre.
How did it turn into this?
Just as despair swallowed him whole, a familiar voice rang out across the battlefield, reigniting a flicker of hope in his heart.
"Stop! Release Elder Danzo at once!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi had finally arrived with reinforcements.
Hiruzen… you old fool, you're finally here.
For the first time in his life, Danzo found that voice unbearably comforting.
"..."
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