The moment Natsuhiko's voice fell, his chakra surged to its absolute peak.
He gave Danzo no room to choose.
This was the conclusion he and Hiruzen had already reached after their meeting—a result both sides had tacitly agreed upon.
As for Hiruzen Sarutobi himself, Natsuhiko's feelings toward the old man had gradually become complicated.
Because he had come to realize that the resolve and courage Hiruzen possessed were something a rat like Danzo—one that crawled through the filth of the shadows—could never hope to compare to.
Of course, Natsuhiko still stood opposed to him.
Their positions were fundamentally different, and the grudges accumulated through years of history had long since made reconciliation impossible. They were destined to stand on opposite sides.
But if he truly put himself in Hiruzen's shoes and thought about it carefully, the situation back then had been horrifyingly difficult.
Hiruzen had inherited the title of Hokage while still young.
And it hadn't even come through proper discussion within Konoha. Tobirama Senju had personally appointed him on the battlefield, thrusting him into power without political foundations, without influence, and without enough people willing to support him.
Below him were the Uchiha, restless and troublesome as ever. A large portion of the Senju clan refused to accept him. Even the Uzumaki clan—despite their alliance with Konoha—wasn't necessarily willing to obey him unquestioningly.
And outside the village, Kumo was still at war with Konoha, while the sparks of another great ninja war were already beginning to ignite across the shinobi world.
If it were Natsuhiko in that position, how exactly would he stabilize his authority, suppress the internal unrest within Konoha, and still lead the village to victory in war?
Perhaps overwhelming charisma could unite everyone and convince them to face the battlefield together.
But the problem was that Hiruzen hadn't been recognized at all in the beginning. Without legitimacy, how could he possibly command everyone to follow him into war?
After thinking it through again and again, Natsuhiko realized that if he were the one facing such circumstances, he likely would have made similar choices.
Mobilize the army to resist foreign enemies while drawing upon every force within the village that could still be used.
At the same time, wield the righteousness of the Hokage's authority to pressure the Senju into taking the battlefield, whether they wanted to or not.
Then use the war itself to rapidly consume their military strength. Once their backbone had been weakened, the remaining pieces could be dealt with slowly afterward.
The decline of the Senju clan had many causes, but one fact was undeniable—their strongest forces had been exhausted in war.
Both the Senju and the Uchiha were clans born for battle. They were people willing to risk everything for merit and glory. Exploiting that mentality was never difficult.
As long as the troublesome leaders were divided properly—keeping some trapped inside Konoha while sending others directly to die on the battlefield—the remaining problems could be resolved one by one.
On top of that, the Hokage himself had to personally lead from the frontlines, using the authority and symbolism of the title to inspire morale and win broader recognition.
If done correctly, the Senju problem could be dealt with, while the Hokage's legitimacy would also be firmly established.
As for the Uzumaki clan, they were never truly part of Konoha to begin with.
With Konoha already stretched thin by war on the frontlines, being unable to provide support in time was perfectly reasonable. Leaving the Uzumaki to fend off Kirigakure's invasion on their own was hardly difficult to justify.
If they won, then it simply proved they were worthy descendants of Lady Mito's bloodline.
If they lost, Konoha would honor and remember them forever—for sacrificing everything in defense of the village.
Cruel. Bloody. Brutally realistic.
And yet, from a purely rational standpoint, it was also the most logical course of action.
After the war ended, the next step would be restructuring the village itself. Strengthen one's own clan to build political power while simultaneously cultivating allies.
Then gradually isolate the major clans of Konoha from one another, severing their connections until they stood alone, making them easier to tame one by one.
As for those who refused to submit…
A shadow would be needed to eliminate them quietly, ensuring they could never threaten Konoha's stability again.
This was the best solution Natsuhiko could imagine under such desperate conditions—isolated, unsupported, and cornered by chaos on all sides.
And coincidentally enough…
It was almost exactly what Hiruzen Sarutobi had done after taking power.
People feared empathy more than anything else. The moment someone truly placed themselves in another person's position, many things suddenly became understandable.
Just like how everyone cursed Cao Cao as a villain, yet deep down, nearly everyone carried a trace of the "spirit of Wei Wu" within themselves.
From Natsuhiko's perspective, however, Hiruzen's actions were still unquestionably those of a tyrant.
But from another perspective—from Hiruzen's position—everything he had done suddenly felt almost inevitable. There simply hadn't been many better options available to him.
And truthfully, Hiruzen Sarutobi was, in some ways, an unusually pure person.
Even if he had grown old. Even if age had made him indecisive and foolish at times. Even if he had ultimately sent children onto the battlefield.
There was still one thing about him that Natsuhiko genuinely respected:
No matter what happened, Hiruzen had always placed Konoha above everything else.
Even Natsuhiko couldn't deny that.
Originally, Natsuhiko had gone to meet Hiruzen with the attitude of a victor. He had fully intended to squeeze the old man hard and use this opportunity to seize control of the Medical Department from him.
But what he hadn't expected was that Hiruzen showed none of the frustration or defeat of a loser.
Instead, he looked like an examiner who had finally seen a student worthy of approval.
After the meeting with the jonin and clan heads concluded, Hiruzen had deliberately kept Natsuhiko behind alone.
"Your growth has exceeded my expectations," Hiruzen said calmly as he looked at him. "With someone like you in Konoha's future, I can finally rest easy."
Before this, Hiruzen had already paid an enormous price just to temporarily suppress the unrest shaking the village.
Yet there was no anger in him. No discouragement. No resentment.
On the contrary, he looked deeply gratified, and his tone remained astonishingly composed.
"Putting aside our positions and identities… putting aside every reason we have to oppose one another, I've realized that you truly possess the qualities of a Hokage.
"Your patience all these years—enduring from weakness to strength, climbing from a position with no voice or influence to where you stand today—has shown your foresight and composure.
"Your performance during the Nine-Tails incident demonstrated your astonishing strength.
"Your work within the ANBU, and the way you drove its growth forward, demonstrated your capability.
"The blow you dealt to me now, forcing me to suffer losses on this scale, demonstrated your methods.
"Your schemes against Orochimaru and Danzo demonstrated extraordinary resolve and mentality.
"And your creation and development of that so-called newspaper showed your sharp instincts and remarkable creativity.
"Beyond that… the changes within the Uchiha clan were also guided and influenced by you behind the scenes, weren't they?"
Hiruzen paused briefly before continuing.
"Composure, strength, capability, methods, mentality, creativity, and political vision… these are all necessary qualities for a Hokage.
"You are exceptional. At such a young age, you were already able to see so far ahead. Especially regarding the Uchiha—you recognized their flaws, understood their problems, and found ways to resolve them.
"That is already the perspective of a Hokage.
"You didn't simply identify the issue. You sought a solution for the sake of the village itself.
"You truly are remarkable."
At that point, Hiruzen fell silent.
Then he slowly stood up and walked toward Natsuhiko.
His figure wasn't particularly tall, and his aged body looked thin and worn, yet at that moment, the aura he exuded climbed to its absolute peak.
Within that frail frame still remained the imposing spirit of a legendary shinobi hero.
"I lost," Hiruzen said, his voice deep and steady. "This time, I truly lost. But do you know something? I'm actually very happy."
Natsuhiko nodded slightly, then shook his head with a faint smile.
"I think I know the answer," he replied calmly, "but I imagine Hokage-sama would rather say it personally, wouldn't you?"
"Yes."
Hiruzen smiled brilliantly.
"I'm happy because I've finally seen a truly qualified candidate for Hokage."
The smile on his face was sincere—almost radiant.
"The Hokage cannot rely solely on kindness, but neither can he be consumed entirely by malice. He must possess enough ruthlessness to protect the village, but also enough vision and capability to lead it.
"I once placed my hopes in Minato Namikaze because he was young. I believed he could continue learning, continue growing. Even if he rebelled at times, I thought I could still guide him.
"But you…"
Hiruzen looked directly into Natsuhiko's eyes.
"Even if the path you walk is completely different from mine… even if I still firmly believe that my own path was the correct one… none of that prevents me from acknowledging you.
"In my eyes, you are fully capable of becoming a worthy Hokage."
At this point, Hiruzen paused once more.
He stared deeply at Natsuhiko for several seconds before finally speaking again with a slow smile.
"If you can't even defeat me, then what right do you have to become Hokage?"
....
"Kill him!"
The instant Natsuhiko's aura reached its peak, Danzo issued the order without hesitation.
At that moment, he truly felt betrayed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had betrayed him.
Danzo naturally knew that Natsuhiko had already met with Hiruzen, along with the clan heads and those idle jonin who had chosen to involve themselves in this mess. And now that Natsuhiko had appeared here, the meaning behind it was already painfully obvious.
Hiruzen had actually chosen to let this damned brat execute him personally.
To Danzo, this was nothing less than absolute betrayal.
Of course, part of him still wondered whether Natsuhiko was intentionally saying these things to drive a wedge between him and Hiruzen.
But regardless of whether it was true or not, Danzo had no intention of gambling on it.
He had to survive.
At the same time, another question gnawed at him relentlessly.
What exactly had Natsuhiko meant when he said that he was the one who had allowed Danzo to remain alive and climb to his current position?
Could there still be some hidden truth he didn't know?
But no matter what secrets existed behind the scenes, there was only one thing Danzo knew for certain—
Natsuhiko had to die.
As for escape, that option no longer existed.
Natsuhiko possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique. Against someone like him, fleeing was meaningless. There was nowhere Danzo could hide.
Leaving the protection of his forces would only make him easier prey. Natsuhiko would hunt him down alone and eliminate him effortlessly.
Rather than running, it was better to gather everyone together and kill Natsuhiko here. Only then could Danzo truly be safe.
Natsuhiko glanced at the Root shinobi rushing toward him in groups of three, trying to surround and overwhelm him, and he merely shook his head faintly.
He held no affection whatsoever for these people.
Unfortunately, he couldn't kill them.
This was an agreement he had already reached with the clan heads. Among these Root members, who knew how many had originally been clan shinobi deceived or manipulated by Danzo into joining?
Because of that, Natsuhiko couldn't simply slaughter them all indiscriminately. The clans still wanted to reclaim their people.
If he truly massacred every Root shinobi here, the aftermath would become extremely troublesome.
Fortunately, Natsuhiko wasn't worried about such things.
His strength guaranteed that this restriction would not hinder him in the slightest.
Watching the Root ninja rapidly close in, Natsuhiko's figure flickered slightly.
And then—
He moved first.
Faster than every single one of them.
"Hm?!"
The Root shinobi in front of him knew very well that Natsuhiko's speed was terrifying. After all, he was someone who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique.
But hearing stories and facing it personally were two completely different experiences.
Truthfully, none of them wanted to face him at all.
What Natsuhiko had done to Root in the past had become the stuff of nightmares.
Most of these men were newcomers, but after entering Root, there were some things impossible not to hear about.
Beyond Natsuhiko's ruthless actions, his overwhelming strength had also left a horrifying impression on every recruit.
Especially during the Nine-Tails incident.
The violent Wood Release that erupted that night had branded itself into their memories forever. No one could forget those monstrous, raging trees.
And now, standing directly against him, fear flooded their hearts uncontrollably.
But they also knew one thing clearly—
If they didn't act, Danzo would activate the cursed seals planted on them and kill them himself.
Boom!
What Natsuhiko displayed next completely exceeded their imagination.
Despite moving later, he reached them first with absurd speed.
Then he threw a single punch.
He didn't give the Root shinobi even the slightest opportunity to react. Before the man could attack, Natsuhiko's fist slammed into him and sent him flying instantly.
The shinobi crashed backward like a cannonball, smashing into several other Root members behind him and knocking them all to the ground together.
At the same moment, brilliant blue light suddenly bloomed within Natsuhiko's eyes.
"What is that?"
Danzō immediately noticed the change in Natsuhiko's eyes, and his expression darkened sharply.
None of the intelligence he had gathered had ever mentioned this.
As far as Danzō knew, Natsuhiko was already a monster beyond reason.
Wood Release.
The Flying Thunder God Technique.
And that gigantic summoned beast.
Any one of those abilities alone was enough to make an enemy's head ache.
On top of that, Natsuhiko possessed immense chakra reserves and exceptional taijutsu skill. Even worse, no one had ever been able to trace the coordinates he used for the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Trying to deal with this brat was absurdly difficult.
He was practically a fusion of the First and Second Hokage!
Even if he hadn't yet fully reached the level of those two monsters, he had already surpassed the limits of common sense.
"And now he suddenly has another pair of eyes?" Danzo's thoughts grew increasingly chaotic. "What exactly is this kid? And what abilities do those eyes possess? Damn it… is he really a member of the Senju clan?"
For the first time in a long while, Danzo genuinely struggled to comprehend the situation before him.
The appearance of those eyes instantly brought him an overwhelming sense of pressure.
There was no way he would believe those eyes existed merely for appearance's sake. Such a strange dojutsu undoubtedly carried some horrifying power within it.
And for a shinobi, unknown abilities were always the most dangerous thing of all.
Incomplete intelligence could be fatal.
Danzo had to figure out what those eyes were capable of.
"A shinobi must know how to sacrifice himself," Danzo muttered coldly. "Force him to reveal more information."
Yet despite his words, he himself remained motionless.
He stood rooted in place, his eyes fixed tightly on Natsuhiko without the slightest intention of personally stepping forward.
In truth, even Danzo himself failed to realize how deeply fear and anger toward Natsuhiko had already taken root inside him.
And the moment an unknown variable appeared, that fear only intensified further.
He always demanded that others embody the "self-sacrifice of a shinobi."
But when it came time for him to do the same…
He simply couldn't.
...
Facing the siege of so many Root shinobi, Natsuhiko moved with effortless ease.
With the activation of the Jogan, every Root ninja present was locked clearly within his perception. Combined with the sensory abilities spreading outward from him, he could accurately grasp every one of their positions and movements in real time.
With information like that, alongside the support of the Flying Thunder God Technique, numbers became completely meaningless.
The only reason Natsuhiko even appeared merely "relaxed" instead of overwhelming them instantly was because he was intentionally holding back.
He was genuinely worried that if he used too much force, he might accidentally kill everyone here.
Otherwise, in this sealed underground space with nowhere to escape, he could simply unleash Wood Release and wipe out every problem in a single move.
Boom!
The final member of the last Root squad charging toward Natsuhiko was instantly locked onto by the Jogan. In the next second, Natsuhiko used the Flying Thunder God Technique and casually struck him down as well.
Only then did Natsuhiko slowly lift his gaze toward Danzo.
At this moment, the entire Root headquarters had descended into chaos.
Root shinobi littered the floor everywhere, their bodies twitching and writhing in agony as miserable screams echoed continuously throughout the underground chamber.
Natsuhiko hadn't killed them.
But not killing them didn't mean he had shown mercy.
To stop them from repeatedly causing trouble, he had chosen the most direct and brutal method possible—completely stripping them of their ability to fight.
And for the people on the receiving end…
That pain was indescribable.
Natsuhiko already possessed extensive knowledge of the human body, and now, with the assistance of the Jogan, he could target exactly the areas he wanted with terrifying precision.
He could even clearly observe the extent of the damage his attacks caused, ensuring every opponent he struck lost all capability to resist.
Casually shaking his hand, Natsuhiko turned his attention fully toward Danzo, who still stood frozen in place nearby.
Danzo's expression had already become unbelievably ugly.
How long had it even been?
And all of them had already been defeated?
Even if many of Root's members were newly recruited, their strength shouldn't have been so pathetic.
Yet the result before him was impossible to deny.
Natsuhiko hadn't even used Wood Release.
Relying solely on those mysterious eyes and the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had effortlessly crushed everyone.
Were those Root shinobi simply too weak?
Or was Natsuhiko just far too strong?
Deep down, Danzo already knew the answer.
The Root shinobi were not weak. Every one of them had been personally selected and cultivated by him. There was no way they could be considered incompetent.
In the end, there was only one explanation.
Natsuhiko was simply monstrously powerful.
"Still… this brat clearly has reservations."
Danzo tightened his grip around the kunai in his hand as he stared fixedly at Natsuhiko.
At this point, only two Root squads remained at his side—six shinobi protecting him in total.
He had to find a way to escape.
"It seems, Danzo-sama, that you don't have many tricks left anymore."
Ignoring the miserable screams echoing throughout the underground base, Natsuhiko slowly stepped forward. Those brilliant blue eyes remained locked onto Danzo without wavering.
"I honestly think surrendering would be the wiser option," he said calmly. "Because your resistance is completely meaningless to me."
"Brat, don't think you've already won!"
Danzo positioned himself as deeply as possible behind the remaining Root shinobi and shouted sharply,
"I refuse to believe Hiruzen Sarutobi would truly kill me. Everything I've done has been for Konoha!
"And you don't even dare kill these Root members. That alone proves you still have concerns."
His gaze suddenly turned vicious.
"A shinobi exists to sacrifice himself! Are you really not afraid that I'll use the harshest methods available to me?!"
"For Konoha?"
Natsuhiko tilted his head slightly before finally letting out a laugh.
"For Konoha… or for creating trouble for Konoha? For causing problems for the Third Hokage so you could profit from the chaos?"
Then his eyes narrowed faintly.
"As for your so-called harshest methods… in my eyes, that's nothing more than a cornered dog making its final struggle."
At this point, Natsuhiko paused briefly.
Of course he understood exactly what Danzo meant.
The "harshest method" was nothing more than dragging all these Root shinobi down to death with him.
After all, Natsuhiko's refusal to kill them was completely different from how he had treated Root in the past. Someone as cunning as Danzo would naturally notice the difference immediately.
And Natsuhiko had no doubt that Danzo was fully capable of carrying out such a thing, even against the very subordinates who had just risked their lives for him moments ago.
Still, no matter how desperately Danzo struggled, to Natsuhiko it was all meaningless.
He had never intended to let Danzo leave alive.
With that thought, Natsuhiko's chakra stirred slightly. In an instant, he vanished. Danzo, caught off guard, was punched away.
But as Danzo flew backward, he already had one hand forming seals, chakra surging from his body.
"Oh? Quick reaction."
The blue glow in Natsuhiko's Jogan flickered slightly.
Every movement Danzo made had already been completely perceived.
Without the slightest hesitation, Natsuhiko activated the Flying Thunder God Technique again, instantly appearing at the location where Danzo had tried to conceal himself.
"You—!"
Danzo was still in the middle of forming hand seals, but before he could complete them, Natsuhiko had already arrived.
"Thud!"
There was no flashy technique.
No wasted movement.
Natsuhiko simply drove a brutal kick straight into Danzo's abdomen, sending him flying once more like a broken rag doll.
But Danzo was still an experienced veteran shinobi.
Even though age and declining strength had weakened him, his combat experience remained.
Suppressing the agonizing pain tearing through his body, he forcibly stabilized the chakra within himself. Even while blood spilled from his mouth mid-flight, he still managed to complete his jutsu.
"You don't want them dead, right?! Then let me help you!"
Danzo roared almost madly.
"I want to see what kind of consequences you'll face after they all die!"
This was a desperate counterattack born from complete insanity.
And for the first time, Natsuhiko's brows furrowed slightly.
Danzo intended to destroy everything here together.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Having already seen through Danzo's intentions, Natsuhiko naturally had no intention of allowing him to succeed.
Almost at the exact same moment Danzo completed his ninjutsu—
Natsuhiko finished his own.
Towering wooden walls erupted violently from the ground, forming an enormous barrier in front of Natsuhiko. The massive Wind Release projectiles crashed into the wood like artillery shells, yet none of them could penetrate the defense, nor could they strike the fragile structural points of the underground fortress.
Boom!!
A deafening explosion suddenly echoed through the chamber.
Under the perception of his Jogan, Natsuhiko instantly saw what had happened.
Danzo and the remaining Root shinobi had blasted open an escape route.
The few of them immediately rushed through the tunnel at full speed, and as they fled, Natsuhiko noticed they had scattered a large number of explosive tags behind them.
They intended to bury the entire underground base in a massive explosion.
Even Natsuhiko couldn't help sighing inwardly at such ruthless methods.
But no matter how vicious Danzo's actions were, they wouldn't change the outcome.
...
BOOM!!
A thunderous explosion reverberated throughout Konoha.
Countless birds were startled awake from their sleep and burst into the sky in frightened flocks.
Inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen stood silently alongside numerous shinobi as they watched the distant chaos unfold.
Everyone desperately wanted to know what was happening below.
But no one could interfere.
They weren't Natsuhiko. None of them possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique to instantly reach the battlefield.
And more importantly, Natsuhiko had already stated clearly that he would handle this matter personally.
No one could casually involve themselves now.
Even though some of the clan heads knew their own clan members—perhaps even clan prodigies—might still be trapped inside that damned Root base, all they could do was wait.
And endure.
Waiting was always agonizing.
Especially when they had absolutely no information at all.
"Hokage-sama… will everything be alright?"
After a long silence, Shibi Aburame finally spoke.
Strictly speaking, he was not someone who talked much, but this kind of waiting was unbearably torturous even for him.
Hiruzen let out a weary sigh before answering quietly.
"It'll be fine."
His gaze remained fixed on the distant explosion.
"You've all witnessed Natsuhiko's strength yourselves. Honestly… I can't think of any reason he would lose."
After saying that, Hiruzen fell silent again.
In truth, his own heart was filled with indescribable pain.
It was he who had agreed that Danzo must die.
And it was also he who had agreed to let Natsuhiko personally handle Danzo, rather than allowing the clan heads to storm Root together.
If Natsuhiko went alone, some things could still remain hidden.
Certain experimental records… certain data… things that absolutely could not be exposed to the light.
But if the clan heads and merchants entered Root's headquarters themselves…
The consequences would become unimaginable.
And beyond all that—
Danzo had once been his closest friend.
Even though that man had long since twisted himself into something barely human anymore, Hiruzen still remembered the bond they once shared.
Now, he himself had personally decided Danzo's death.
The pain of that decision was almost unbearable.
But no matter how difficult it was, Hiruzen knew there was no other choice.
This was something he had to do.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
In the distance, several figures burst out from underground and began sprinting rapidly toward the Hokage Building.
The sight immediately made him frown.
Because he recognized the person leading them.
Danzo.
"Damn it… what is that kid Natsuhiko doing? Why did he let him escape?"
Hiruzen's emotions instantly became complicated beyond words.
Part of him felt relieved that Danzo was still alive.
Yet another part of him burned with fury that he had survived at all.
But very quickly, Hiruzen relaxed again.
In the end, he could only let out a long, exhausted sigh.
...
"Just ahead… it's right there!"
Danzo gritted his teeth tightly, enduring the agonizing pain spreading through his body as he desperately rushed toward the Hokage Building.
He refused to believe Hiruzen would truly kill him.
Even if he understood that possibility existed, he had already run out of options.
The combat power Natsuhiko had displayed was enough to make his scalp go numb.
All Danzo could do now was reach Hiruzen as quickly as possible.
Bang!
Suddenly, a sharp impact rang out.
The final three Root shinobi beside him were violently blasted away.
And then—
Natsuhiko appeared directly before him.
"Danzo-sama," Natsuhiko said calmly, his azure eyes fixed on him, "where exactly do you think you're going?"
His tone remained perfectly composed.
Yet to Danzo, it felt colder than death itself.
"Are you betraying Konoha? Have you considered the consequences of laying your hands on me?" Danzo gritted his teeth, glaring at Natsuhiko as he spoke in a low, furious voice.
"You represent Konoha?" Natsuhiko tilted his head slightly, then slowly shook it. "I already told you, Danzo-sama—you only had one choice. Do you remember that?"
"Hmph!"
Danzo didn't bother answering. With a cold snort, his figure shot forward in an instant, his right fist driving straight toward Natsuhiko's abdomen.
Since escape was no longer an option, he might as well fight. They were so close to the Hokage Building—he believed that as long as he created enough commotion, he would attract enough attention to turn the situation around.
Faced with the incoming punch, Natsuhiko didn't even try to evade. It wasn't until the fist was about to land that he finally raised his hand.
His right hand accurately caught Danzo's fist, while his left hand smoothly drew a kunai.
A flash of deep blue chakra erupted along the blade, and in the next instant, he flicked it outward toward the side.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Hidden nearby, Danzo rapidly formed hand seals, unleashing a sweeping gale of compressed wind blades—but the moment they were released, they were instantly pierced head-on by the thrown kunai.
At the same time, Natsuhiko's figure vanished once more. With the seamless displacement of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he reappeared directly in front of Danzo without the slightest trace of movement.
He casually caught the same kunai he had just thrown, and in the next instant, slashed it straight across Danzo's chest.
Blood sprayed into the air. A long, deep gash tore across Danzo's torso, though whether intentionally or not, Natsuhiko had not pierced his heart.
Likewise, when Danzo retreated in haste, Natsuhiko made no move to pursue him. Instead, he stood in place, watching him with a faint, amused expression.
"Very impressive use of Shadow Clone and Substitute techniques," Natsuhiko said calmly.
He flicked the blood off the kunai nonchalantly before continuing, his tone unhurried.
"Pity, Danzo-sama… you still don't understand me well enough."
"Whether I use sensory perception or my eyes, I can see through all your movements with ease. You already have no chance left."
Danzo's breathing grew heavier. His body had already been struck multiple times; bones and internal organs had sustained damage.
The wound on his chest, torn open by chakra-coated steel, was particularly severe—blood continued to flow without restraint.
And yet, even now, he was still trying to gather intelligence, still thinking about escaping, still clinging to the hope that Hiruzen Sarutobi would save him.
"I usually satisfy the last requests of the dying," Natsuhiko said with a faint smile, shaking his head slightly. "But this time, , I'll pass."
"So go on—leave this world with your regrets."
"You want to kill me? You'll have to pay the price for it!" Danzo wiped the blood from his chest and rapidly formed hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"
A burst of smoke exploded outward, and the massive silhouette of a creature began to take shape.
However, before it could fully manifest, a terrifying surge of chakra erupted.
Amid a piercing scream, the smoke dispersed—revealing a giant Baku alongside Danzo himself, both already bound tightly by thick, twisting wooden branches.
The branches writhed violently, siphoning their chakra at an alarming rate. Even a colossal summoned beast like the Baku could not withstand such relentless extraction.
No matter how desperately it struggled, it could not break free.
"I told you," Natsuhiko said calmly, watching Danzo with cold certainty. "Your end is death. Nothing can change that."
He slowly began forming hand seals, each movement deliberate and precise as an immense chakra gathered within him.
"This outcome cannot be changed. No one can change it. But there is something I find interesting."
"Danzo-sama, didn't you say everything you did was for Konoha? Then you should be very familiar with something the Third Hokage once said."
"'Where the leaves dance, fire burns. The shadow of the fire illuminates the village, and new leaves will sprout.'"
He paused. The hand seals were complete, and powerful chakra surged through his body like a rising tide.
"I agree with that statement," Natsuhiko continued. "Because it reflects both the Senju's Wood Release—and the Uchiha's Fire Release."
"So, if everything you do is truly for Konoha…"
"…then let me show you the essence of Konoha itself."
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
A massive fire dragon roared into existence, surging forward toward the bound wooden restraints. Flames instantly engulfed the forest of wood, and brilliant firelight illuminated the dark night sky in a blazing, unforgettable brilliance.
...
Read Advanced Chapters on : www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin
~ Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]