18Hiruzen, you'll regret this!AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 18: Hiruzen, You Will Regret This!
"Danzo is dead?"
Kakashi's mouth hung open in a daze, unable to utter a single syllable.
And he had died at the hands of his own Disciple, Uzumaki Naruto.
How was that possible?!
That was the founder of the "Root" organization, one of the pillars of Konoha.
A top-tier Ninja who had been active since the era of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama—Danzō Shimura!
Also experiencing a collapse of his worldview was Yakushi Kabuto, who was lurking and hiding in the distance.
He never expected that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's rampage would lead to such an outcome.
As Danzo fell, the forest barrier created by the Deep Forest Emergence began to collapse continuously.
Yakushi Kabuto realized that if he continued to stay here, he would likely be caught in the aftermath.
"I must leave quickly and report this to Lord Orochimaru!"
In the next second, his figure vanished from the spot.
In the center of the battlefield.
Naruto, the instigator of it all, did not relax his guard in the slightest.
With the empowerment of the Nine-Tails' power, the massive bloody hole in his chest was healing rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
A few seconds later, Naruto was fully restored.
"Did it take this much effort just to take one of his lives?"
He knew that under the protection of Izanagi, Danzo was not dead.
Sure enough, just as the forest sea completely disintegrated, revealing the messy rooftop below.
An elderly figure slowly straightened his back and appeared there.
"Cough... cough cough..."
Danzo clutched his mouth with his left hand, coughing incessantly.
On his right hand inside his sleeve, a Sharinganhad quietly closed.
He felt he had suffered a great loss.
If it weren't for the immense value of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
If it weren't for the concern that he might harm the Jinchuriki, causing him to hold back at every turn.
He wouldn't have been in such a pathetic state, even going as far as sacrificing a Sharingan to activate Izanagi and rewrite the fact of his own death.
Fortunately, after being directly hit by his Wood Release: Great Spear Tree, the rampaging Nine-Tails Chakra from Uzumaki Naruto before him had also been mostly absorbed.
"Just need to hold on a bit longer."
Danzo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the feeling of life exhaustion brought about by activating Izanagi.
"When he wakes up, I cannot treat him the way I treat other 'Root' members."
The value of the brat before him far exceeded everything, enough for him to make a certain degree of compromise.
"I must be like Hiruzen, using fake warmth to win him over step by step, making him willing to be used by me."
"The power of the Nine-Tails must be held in the hands of 'Root'!"
In the distance, Kakashi's pupils constricted sharply once again.
In just one day, he had received too many shocks.
"Danzo... why is he resurrected again?!"
It couldn't be Genjutsu.
He had seen the scene of his death clearly with his Sharingan!
As the battle between Naruto and Danzo restarted, no matter how many questions he had in his heart, he could no longer stand there in a daze.
Kakashi quickly joined the battle.
Two against one, the battle situation quickly developed in a positive direction.
What Kakashi didn't understand was that at the beginning, Naruto's attacks were always locked onto him.
But since he was kicked away for the third time by Naruto, the latter seemed to pause for a moment.
Afterward, Naruto's target was completely locked onto Danzo.
No matter how he tried to pin him down from the side, Naruto remained unmoved, even turning a blind eye to the openings he occasionally exposed.
The other's obsession with Danzo made it seem as if there was some deep-seated hatred between the two.
"Something that won't drop gold coins, stay out of the way!"
After discovering that repeatedly beating Kakashiwithin the same timeframe wouldn't yield more evil points, Naruto chose to ignore him.
For Naruto, using this last bit of time to deplete as much of Danzo's strength as possible was the most worthwhile.
Just as he was preparing to trade lives with Danzofor a second time, a deep, elderly voice suddenly rang out:
"Tenzo, suppress him!"
Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique!
Several vine-like pieces of wood suddenly attacked from behind; Naruto had no time to react before being firmly restrained.
Immediately, the Nine-Tails Chakra on his body was rapidly absorbed by the Wood Release.
The Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived at this moment leading several Anbu.
As the last bit of Tailed Beast Chakra was also absorbed, Naruto knew his time was almost up.
The Wood Release user had no intention of harming him.
After confirming that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had left the rampage state, Tenzo (Yamato) immediately released the Smothering Binding Technique.
However, Naruto deliberately feigned a faint.
With a stumble, the moment the Wood Releasereleased its restraint, he fell straight down from the edge of the rooftop.
The free fall lasted for about three seconds.
A warm figure carrying a pleasant floral scent suddenly caught him.
The next moment, he was brought back to that chaotic rooftop.
"Kakashi, what happened?"
Kurenai Yuhi held Naruto and came to Kakashi's side.
Looking at the other's pathetic state, she was completely confused about the situation.
She and the Sandaime had arrived at almost the same time.
Just now, Hinata had hurriedly found her, saying that Naruto might be in danger.
The two of them had rushed over immediately.
And upon seeing the rooftop—with long-lost Wood Release, and the grand spectacle of Wind Release and Water Release combinations.
Kurenai quickly had Hinata leave the area first while she came to investigate.
Then, she saw the falling Naruto and rescued him.
"Where is the enemy?" Seeing Kakashi's silence, Kurenai asked urgently, "Could it be an invasion by the Akatsuki Organization?"
At that moment, she suddenly felt that Naruto in her arms seemed to have woken up.
"Where... is this?"
Naruto opened his eyes blankly, meeting the anxious face of a beauty.
"Kurenai-sensei? I'm a bit dizzy..."
As he spoke, he leaned a bit closer into Kurenai's embrace.
"Don't move yet, I'll check your injuries for you."
Kurenai set Naruto down.
Immediately, he felt a comfortable stream of Chakra continuously flowing through his body.
Taking this opportunity, Naruto comfortably turned his head to look at Kakashi beside him.
"Eh, Kakashi-sensei, why are you injured?"
Kakashi: "..."
He didn't know how to answer, hesitated for a moment, and said perfunctorily:
"I just accidentally took a fall."
Kurenai Yuhi withdrew her hand.
"It's nothing, Naruto, you've just over-exhausted your Chakra. You need to control yourself and be more moderate... Alright, Kakashi, let me take a look at you."
On the other side.
Sandaime Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly walked up to Danzo.
"...What exactly have you done?"
Even though he had witnessed the whole process, Danzo actually didn't understand what exactly had happened to make the Nine-Tails Jinchurikisuddenly go on a rampage.
But he also knew that no matter what he said, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't believe him.
After all, appearing here was his biggest mistake.
Since that was the case, Danzo didn't bother to explain and silently took responsibility for this incident.
"Tch, the timing of your appearance is always so impeccable."
He was clearly just one step away from suppressing the Nine-Tails and then winning over the boy's heart.
"Danzo, I believe I told you..." Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was grave, "Do not lay your hands on Naruto."
"You are too naive."
Danzo did not back down.
"From the very beginning, I did not agree with your method of raising the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Which Village doesn't treat the development of their Jinchuriki as their top priority? And you, Hiruzen? You let him grow up freely since childhood? You let the whole Village bully him?"
"Long-term peace has made you childish and soft-hearted. Someone like you is simply not fit to be the Hokage."
"That is not for you to worry about!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone was heavy.
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
"Hmph, Hiruzen, you will regret this!"
Leaving those words behind, Danzo turned and left.
Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh.
Then, he came to Kakashi and Naruto's side.
"Naruto..."
The look in his eyes as he watched Naruto was very complex. "You go back first. Kakashi, I have some things I want to say to you."
"Oh."
Naruto nodded.
"Then I'll be going now. Kakashi-sensei, you should be more careful in the future; don't read books while walking."
Kakashi: "..."