The familiar figure appeared outside the window.
"This is a final ultimatum, Sakumo Hatake. Obey Lord Danzo's command and abandon Uchiha Naraku, otherwise, Kakashi Hatake will die on his next mission."
Sakumo suddenly wanted to laugh.
He wanted to laugh at himself for having lived in a daze for decades, priding himself on his extraordinary insight, yet never truly seeing everything around him.
Perhaps he still didn't see clearly now, but fortunately, he knew which way to swing his blade this time.
"Alright," Sakumo said to the other party, "Tell him to wait."
...Sakumo ran swiftly through Konoha Village at dusk, the moonlight bright, casting a long shadow behind him.
Unlike Naraku, he had always known where the Root base was.
The hidden entrance couldn't stop him, the twisted passages couldn't deceive him, and the Root Ninja who attacked upon discovering an intruder couldn't harm him.
The long blade in Sakumo's hand, like his name that shook the Ninja World, emitted a brilliant and pure white light, dazzling in the dark underground.
Like a sharp white fang, it cut through the bodies of one Root Ninja after another, taking their lives.
The path went deeper and deeper, yet he remained tireless.
"Sakumo Hatake! Attacking the Root base is a capital offense!"
The Ninja, trained as machines, rushed forward one after another, only to vanish amidst the lightning and thunder.
Only the rich, warm blood spilled proved their numb yet loyal nature.
He finally saw the man in a kimono, with half his body bandaged, looking at him with fear and disgust, and shouting angrily.
"Sakumo Hatake! Are you insane?!"
He wiped the blood from his blade and said, "I merely found the source of everything."
Before he finished speaking, the tip of his blade lightly touched the ground, and countless arcs of lightning burst from the blade, astonishingly long, like lightning streaking across the sky, striking the walls and leaving dense, charred marks.
The next instant, the long blade, trailing lightning, broke through numerous obstacles and suddenly appeared before Danzo.
The scorching and sharp lightning crackled, burning every inch of air.
Danzo narrowly dodged, flashing to a distance, watching as the giant serpent-like blue-white streak detached from the blade, shattering the ceiling of the underground structure.
Countless rocks and earth, unable to support themselves, fell from above, breaking one walkway after another.
Danzo had never imagined that the always-dutiful Sakumo Hatake would have the audacity to raid the Root.
Just as he didn't know to what extent threatening a child would enrage a true father.
Realizing that Sakumo Hatake truly intended to kill him, Danzo was both startled and enraged, and then he realized this was an excellent opportunity.
He could use the unimpeachable reason of "attacking the Root" to legitimately eliminate Sakumo Hatake, and then effortlessly take that Uchiha brat into his possession.
And the Uchiha Clan, having lost Sakumo Hatake, would not cause any commotion over a dying, bloodline limit sickness-ridden waste.
So he decisively ordered his surroundings: "Kill him!"
The Root Ninja rushed forward, various Ninjutsu stacking together impenetrably, weaving into a net in the gradually collapsing space, and blasting towards Sakumo.
Several brilliant flashes of a blade cut through the middle, easily breaking the encirclement, accompanied by a figure breaking out.
Just as he rushed out, Wind Release: Vacuum Wave arrived before him.
The transparent, sharp aura had even cut through the bodies of two Root Ninja, carrying a strong scent of blood.
Sakumo swung his long blade diagonally, retaliating with Wind Release: Flowing Blade, severing the Vacuum Wave in one fell swoop, then deflecting the dense Vacuum Bullets, and the entire person, like a white lightning bolt, surged to Danzo's side.
Wind Release: Flowing Wind Blade!
A cold light formed a massive crescent moon, almost obscuring both figures, flashing past Danzo, causing blood to bloom on his shoulder.
Having been closed in on by Sakumo, Danzo had no choice but to endure the pain and pull out a Kunai, imbuing it with wind-nature Chakra to temporarily fend off Sakumo's attacks.
Fortunately, his swordsmanship was not weak, and his mastery of Wind Release was considerable, so he could still fight back and forth.
The two fought fiercely, blades flashing and clashing everywhere, the sparks of their confrontation as dense as fine rain, flickering and dying out in the heavy darkness.
As time passed, Sakumo grew stronger with each blow, even having enough energy to cut down a few remaining Root Ninja, while Danzo, due to blood loss, found it increasingly difficult to cope.
Thunder roared, and electric snakes shot from Sakumo's blade, accompanied by countless small wind blades, wildly sweeping through the hollow of the entire Root base. The surrounding wooden walkways had long since become overloaded and now completely collapsed.
"Sakumo Hatake! Are you truly going to betray the Village?!"
Danzo struggled to move in the storm, shouting hoarsely.
"You don't represent all of Konoha."
Sakumo retorted calmly, his expression filled with the indifference of one who had seen through life and death.
"If doing this is betraying the Village, then I can atone with my death."
"However, that will be after I eliminate all threats."
The long blade, wreathed in wind and lightning, was raised high and swung at Danzo Shimura with unimaginable speed.
The latter, between life and death, unleashed a desperate ferocity, meeting the attack with equal force.
Just as the two were about to decide the victor, Sakumo's body stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal.
Although Danzo didn't know why, it didn't stop him from seizing the fleeting opportunity in a flash, using this slight advantage to strike Sakumo first...
----------------------------------
I've already posted 70 new chapters on Patreon!
If you like the story and want to reaad more, please visit my patreon. Every support is very meaningful!
[patreon.com/Kazenova223]
Thank you very much!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"