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"Stop! Release Elder Danzo at once!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was the first to arrive, clad in black combat armor. Behind him came a wave of masked ANBU, followed by clan shinobi and civilian ninja who had rushed over at the sound of fighting.
There were so many of them it was almost suffocating. Eighty percent of Konoha's ninja forces had gathered, forming a massive ring.
And Akira stood right at the center.
At nearly the same time, Uchiha Fugaku arrived with a group of Uchiha.
The first thing they saw was Danzo.
His face was swollen beyond recognition, like a grotesque pig's head. His chest was a bloody mess, flesh torn open and still seeping. A burly man held him aloft with one hand as if he weighed nothing.
They were stunned.
So were the surrounding Konoha ninja.
No one had expected the leader of Root, the so-called darkness beneath the Hokage, to be beaten into such a miserable state.
Once the shock faded, the Uchiha felt something else.
Relief. Satisfaction. Even joy.
Danzo was one of the higher-ups who had long targeted their clan. The worse he looked, the better they felt. Some of them even wished they were the ones holding him.
It was cathartic. Glorious.
The way they looked at Akira was filled with admiration and respect.
Even Fugaku found the man more agreeable than before. But at the same time, unease crept into his heart.
Danzo had been reduced to this… and now they were surrounded by nearly all of Konoha's forces. Even the Third Hokage had come in person.
This would not end easily.
So what would you do now?
Fugaku fixed his gaze on Akira.
On the other side, the mood couldn't have been more different.
Most of Konoha's ninja wore grim expressions, glaring at Akira with open hostility.
Danzo wasn't popular, but he was still one of their leaders. Seeing someone from outside the village beat him like this was a slap in Konoha's face.
Arrogant. Outrageously arrogant.
If Danzo hadn't still been in the man's grip, and if the Hokage hadn't yet given an order, they would have already attacked.
…
"Hahaha! My reinforcements are here, brat! Release me at once!"
With Hiruzen's arrival, hope flared in Danzo's heart. His confidence returned in an instant.
He looked at Akira with mocking eyes.
Almost every ninja in Konoha, save for the academy brats, was here. There was no way this guy would dare kill him now.
"Still pretending to be calm? It's useless!"
Akira's face remained utterly composed, and that irritated Danzo to no end.
"Release me immediately! I'm gravely injured and require treatment. If I die, you'll be buried with me! Know your place and—"
Smack!
"Shut up. You're annoying."
Akira slapped him clean across the face, frowning.
"You—how dare you! You still dare to strike me? Do you have a death wish?!"
Danzo trembled with rage, his lone eye blazing.
Surrounded by thousands, and this man still dared to slap him? Was he insane?
Worse, being humiliated like this in front of so many ninja made Danzo feel as though his face had been ground into the dirt.
"Fine! Fine! You hit me again! You're finished. Completely finished!
Even if you release me now, you won't be leaving Konoha in one piece. At the very least, you'll leave your hands behind!
You won't walk out of this village without paying in flesh!"
Danzo roared, veins bulging in his eye.
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"
Akira's expression cooled instantly.
Slap. Slap. Slap.
A dozen more strikes landed in rapid succession. Danzo's already swollen face puffed up even further.
This time, he didn't dare open his mouth again. He only glared hatefully, his blood-soaked chest heaving.
The crowd stared in disbelief.
No one had expected Akira to keep hitting him under such overwhelming encirclement. And not just hitting him, but slapping him like that, openly humiliating him.
Danzo looked so battered his own mother wouldn't recognize him.
This was madness.
Utter, brazen madness.
It was a naked disregard for everyone present.
"Enough! Stop this at once!"
Hiruzen was the first to recover, his voice cold, his face dark.
He and Danzo had never exactly seen eye to eye. Danzo had always coveted the Hokage's seat. Still, they had been comrades for decades.
Watching his old friend reduced to this, slapped in front of him, made Hiruzen's anger burn.
At the same time, he couldn't understand how tonight had spiraled like this. They were supposed to deal with the Uchiha.
Who was this brute? An ally the Uchiha had brought in?
Like Danzo, he assumed Akira was outside support hired by the clan.
Akira swept his gaze over the dense ring of Konoha ninja. His eyes were calm, without the slightest trace of fear.
At his level, numbers meant very little.
Only the true top-tier fighters were worth noting. The rest were just slightly bigger ants.
He stopped moving and turned to look at the Third Hokage.
"What did you just say? Mind repeating it? I didn't quite catch that."
"I said release him."
Hiruzen's eyes were sharp, his voice laced with killing intent.
"Oh. And then?"
Akira's tone was light, casual, as if discussing dinner plans.
"Idiot! Of course you release him! Do you really think you can fight against more than twenty thousand ninja?
The net is already cast. Konoha's elites are assembled. There's nowhere for you to run.
If Elder Danzo dies by your hand tonight, this village will be your grave."
Then his tone shifted abruptly.
"But… if you release him, there's room for negotiation. There's no need to push this to the point of mutual destruction."
Hiruzen glanced at Fugaku.
"Perhaps you've been misled. There must be some misunderstanding. I have never met you before. There is no grudge between us.
You shouldn't involve yourself in this."
He frowned, as if making a difficult decision.
"Very well. I give you my word. Release him, and I guarantee you will leave Konoha safely. No one will pursue the matter.
Konoha does not wish to make a powerful enemy without cause."
He paused, then added with a weary sigh:
"We've just endured the Third Shinobi War, and then the Nine-Tails' attack. We lost the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and many excellent ninja. Our overall strength has declined significantly.
We truly do not wish to oppose someone of your caliber."
He even inclined his head slightly in apology.
Sincere. Reasonable. Measured.
It sounded as though all Akira had to do was let go, and they could shake hands and walk away.
Fugaku narrowed his eyes.
Old fox.
That speech wouldn't fool anyone but an idiot.
And he didn't believe this Akira was an idiot.
So Fugaku folded his arms and watched, waiting for the show.
In truth, Hiruzen only wanted to secure Danzo's safety.
Danzo was useful. He handled the dirty work. And when necessary, he could serve as the perfect scapegoat.
A talent like that wasn't easy to replace.
Not to mention they were lifelong comrades. Hiruzen didn't want him dead.
As for what would happen after Danzo was freed?
Then this meddlesome outsider would die.
He had interfered with Konoha's affairs, destroyed most of Root, and ruined tonight's plan to eradicate the Uchiha.
Hiruzen would never let him walk away.
Still, it was worth a try.
Looking at Akira's massive build, all muscle and brute force, Hiruzen judged the odds of success to be high.
"Really? If I let him go, you won't make things difficult for me? You'll let me leave safely?"
Akira's face lit up with surprise.
"I was only acting on someone's request. I have no desire to make Konoha my enemy. If releasing him resolves this, I'll do it immediately."
He looked at Hiruzen expectantly.
Hiruzen blinked, then inwardly rejoiced.
It worked.
He actually believed it.
Did this fool really think letting Danzo go would earn him safe passage? Muscle over brains, as expected.
On the surface, Hiruzen remained solemn.
"Of course. I swear on the name of the Hokage. Release him, and you may leave unharmed. No one will touch you."
"Good. I accept your terms. I'll release him right now."
Akira nodded firmly.
With his free hand, he grabbed Danzo's left arm.
Then he twisted.
And pulled.
Rip.
A scream tore through the night as Danzo's left arm was ripped clean off.
Blood sprayed violently from the stump.
Thud.
The severed, blood-drenched arm landed at the Third Hokage's feet.
"..."
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