At this moment,
Inside the black market.
The seven-man Konoha Team led by Danzo was moving through the crowd.
Since most of the bounty Shinobi had already been beaten flat, hardly anyone paid attention to their arrival.
However…
In a distant corner,
several Kumogakure's intelligence Shinobi saw this scene, and their expressions immediately shifted.
"Wait, that person is—"
"…Konoha's Sharingan Kakashi?!"
"He came this fast?!"
"Then that means… the people beside him are also Konoha's Shinobi?!"
Everyone's hearts jolted.
Then the leader immediately steadied himself and said sternly to the others:
"Unexpected development!"
"Konoha has already arrived!"
"No time to waste—send a message back to the village and inform Raikage-sama!"
"…Yes!"
The Kumogakure's Shinobi didn't dare slack off and immediately began preparing the transmission.
But…
Because of the long distance, it would still take some time.
They could only hope this Kitsune Ogre wouldn't be defeated too quickly by Konoha.
…
Meanwhile,
within Konoha's team.
Kakashi and the others walked forward, each deep in thought.
They had been suddenly dragged out by Danzo, and under Hiruzen's orders, they had no choice but to carry out this mission.
At this moment, Danzo, hidden beneath a black cloak and hood, lowered his voice and said heavily:
"Everyone stay alert. We're getting close."
"This mission is unquestionably S-Rank difficulty, and the opponent is an extremely vicious individual."
"Therefore, hold nothing back. Defeat him—dead or alive!"
"In the end, as long as we reclaim Konoha's Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, from his hands, we win. Understood?!"
"…Understood."
The four Anbu operatives responded immediately.
Ahead, Guy and Kakashi were visibly serious as well.
They couldn't possibly not understand the importance of the Sharingan.
But this time…
For it to openly appear in an enemy's hands, and only be obtainable by defeating him…
was pure mockery.
It was basically a slap across Konoha's face.
Still, even with those thoughts, neither of them would let emotions cloud their judgment.
Finally,
after a short while,
they arrived at the central platform.
But at that instant…
the sight before them made everyone freeze.
Around the stage, the ground was already littered with countless bounty Shinobi bodies…
And atop the platform stood a single figure.
He wore a white Kitsune Ogre mask.
Tall and straight.
With silver hair faintly gleaming.
A pale moon-colored robe fluttering softly.
In one hand, he held a shining blade, strolling with eerie calm.
His very presence seemed to drain all color from the surrounding space.
An intense, unnatural sense of wrongness filled the air.
Everyone stood stunned.
'So many bounty Shinobi were all defeated by this one man…?!'
'How absurdly long could his stamina be…?'
Even Kakashi was completely frozen.
Someone like him, who was always low on Chakra, had never seen a person with reserves this ridiculously bottomless…
'Hours of nonstop fighting…'
'and he still hadn't collapsed?'
'What kind of monster was this…?'
Kakashi stared blankly, thinking.
However…
At that moment,
the Kitsune Ogre-masked man on the platform noticed them.
He tilted his head slightly and looked over—
his gaze meeting the seven from Konoha head-on.
"!"
Kakashi and the others instantly tensed, pupils shrinking.
'W-Wait…'
'What is this feeling…?!'
It was only eye contact, yet they could already feel an overwhelming pressure radiating from him!
It wasn't gravity or physical force—
it felt like pressure crushing their minds…
their souls.
Realizing this, even the ever-passionate Guy couldn't help his face changing slightly.
He leaned closer to Kakashi and whispered:
"Hey, Kakashi…"
"No way… why does this guy feel so weird…?"
"When I looked at him just now, it felt like I was being stared down by some skeletal beast…"
Kakashi slowly shook his head.
He felt the same thing—
but had no clue what it was.
At the very least, one thing was certain…
This man was unbelievably dangerous.
Just then—
the Kitsune Ogre suddenly let out a synthetic-sounding chuckle.
"Tch tch… just as expected."
"One of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Konoha, really is the fastest to arrive."
"Then—"
"You green-clad Shinobi…"
"You're here for the Sharingan too, aren't you?"
The moment those words landed,
Danzo's face darkened.
'What?'
'We came for the Sharingan…?'
'The Sharingan was ours to begin with, damn it!'
'Why are you starting off by acting like the owner?!'
Danzo's thoughts sank.
His gaze flashed coldly as he stepped forward, staring up at the Kitsune Ogre and speaking in a deep voice:
"Hmph…"
"A thief who stole Konoha's Sharingan, yet you dare act so arrogant…?"
"Today, we are here to reclaim every last Sharingan."
"Let you properly witness the power of the strongest village—Konoha's—"
"You talk too much. Getsuga Tensho."
"Huh?"
Danzo wasn't even halfway through when suddenly, everything changed!
The Kitsune Ogre spoke calmly…
and without warning raised the white blade in his hand and swung forward sharply!
"!"
Boom!!!
A pale crescent-shaped slash erupted instantly from the blade—
like raging white flames, condensing into a massive moon fang that roared toward them!!
The violent pressure and terrifying wind force flooded the entire space in an instant!
The world seemed to turn completely white.
Everyone who saw it—
their faces twisted in horror, pupils contracting violently!!
What…?!
What is this power?!
But they had no time to react!
Kakashi, as if he had anticipated it, immediately formed seals with grave speed, slammed his hands onto the ground, eyes sinking cold:
"Earth Release: Multiple Earth Flow Walls!!"
Boom!!
The moment the seals completed, the earth trembled!
Mud and stone surged upward, rapidly forming enormous walls that rose directly in front of Danzo!
Kakashi didn't like Danzo much.
But still—
Danzo was the leader of Root, and once the Third Hokage's partner.
An old political heavyweight.
If he died here, it would be a disaster.
So Kakashi acted instinctively to block the strike.
But then…
something Kakashi could never have imagined happened—
The instant the walls fully formed,
the crescent-white slash struck them head-on!
Those seemingly unbreakable earth barriers instantly filled with cracks—
and the next moment…
they exploded into dust!!
Bang!!!!
Sand and stone burst everywhere, smoke and debris swallowing the air!
Five walls collapsed at the same time.
Not a single one survived!!
And that crescent slash—
not only did it not weaken…
it grew even more terrifying!
With unstoppable force and crushing pressure, it continued roaring straight toward Danzo's body!
Seeing this,
everyone's faces turned deathly pale—
their hearts nearly stopping.
'Multiple Earth Flow Walls, famous for defense didn't even last one second…?!'
'What kind of insane power was this?!'
'That attack strength was completely outrageous!!'
And at this moment,
Danzo himself went death-white.
He never expected this.
'What the hell?!'
'This guy didn't even wait for him to finish talking… he just attacked?!'
'No Shinobi code at all?!'
'It was too fast.'
'There was no time to cast another defense technique.'
Danzo's pupils shrank, sweat pouring down as he clenched his teeth and tried desperately to form seals for a substitution.
But…
Years away from the battlefield, and old age,
had dulled his body and reflexes far beyond what they once were.
Before this razor-sharp Getsuga Tensho—
he couldn't even finish the hand seals.
The white slash swallowed him whole.
Boom!!!
In an instant, Danzo felt pain unlike anything he had ever known!
"Pfftt—!!!"
His face twisted in terror as blood erupted violently from his mouth, spraying like rain!
At the same time, his body flew backward like a kite with its string cut—
shooting dozens of meters away!!
Thud!!
He slammed into a distant building, embedded deep inside!
Dust filled the air.
Life or death unknown!
In that moment, the entire area fell into deathly silence.
Soundless fear gripped every heart.
Even the usually composed Kakashi's pupil widened, his spine turning cold.
'It was just a casual slash…'
'So why was the destructive power this monstrous…?!'
And as everyone stood frozen…
Kyo, wearing the Kitsune Ogre mask, lifted his blade once more, smiling at the Konoha group.
"The noisy one is finally gone."
"Now then—let's continue."
"Next."