And if they could successfully split the tailed beast into two as well, then the controllability of the One-Tails jinchūriki should increase greatly.
"Gaara…"
Rasa thought of his still-young son.
For the sake of the village, he had already sealed the tailed beast inside Gaara.
If this succeeded, then in the future, when Gaara controlled the One-Tail, it should be much harder for him to go berserk.
...…
Land of Water.
Kirigakure.
Mei Terumī sat in her room, an intelligence report spread out before her.
She had just finished bathing, and her hair was still wet. Droplets fell from the ends, dampening her collar.
She wore a pale-blue bathrobe, the sash tied loosely around her waist. The collar was slightly open, revealing a fair line at her chest.
As she moved, there was a faint sway, and the droplets on her skin slid downward.
There was only one lamp in the room. The dim yellow light cast blurry shadows across the wall.
Just as Mei was about to enjoy this rare moment of leisure, a ninja suddenly knocked on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Yuki Muzuki walked in, wearing a dark kimono. Her long hair was tied behind her head, and she was clearly a beautiful woman.
"Mei-sama."
There was urgency on Muzuki's face.
She quickly relayed the intelligence she had received from Konoha's spies.
"Impossible!"
That was Mei's first reaction after hearing it.
"How could Kiyohara know Wood Release…"
Mei murmured.
"Is the intelligence reliable?"
"Not very."
Muzuki shook her head.
After Kiyohara took office, Konoha's anti-espionage system had improved a great deal.
After he carried out several reforms, the Anbu became extremely proactive, making spy missions much harder.
In truth, between the Five Great Nations, spies had infiltrated one another constantly.
Even in Kirigakure now, there were certainly Konoha spies.
Some were deliberately left in place in order to monitor their movements.
Others were spies the ninja village itself had not yet discovered.
Espionage and assassination—these unseen sides of the world—were the eventual fate of many ninja.
"What does Mei-sama think?"
Mei was silent for a while.
"Konoha keeps producing geniuses."
Mei said.
"One after another, like bamboo shoots in spring. You can't stop them even if you try."
Muzuki felt the same way.
"Should we send more people to Konoha for this year's Chūnin Exams?"
"You mean…"
Mei looked at Muzuki.
Muzuki was a ninja of the Yuki clan and possessed the Ice Release kekkei genkai.
Originally, the position of kekkei genkai ninja in the Land of Water had been somewhat delicate. They were prone to being targeted.
But after the shinobi world saw how powerful Kiyohara was while possessing so many kekkei genkai, people had once again begun praising kekkei genkai ninja.
"To see how Konoha cultivates its talent."
Muzuki continued:
"Why they can keep producing geniuses, while we can't."
Mei was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"All right. But not this year. Wait until next year."
Mei planned to make more preparations before going.
"Yes."
Muzuki bowed slightly and turned to leave.
The door closed.
The room became quiet again.
Mei stood before the window, looking out at the night veiled in thick mist.
"Kiyohara…"
She softly spoke that name.
His face appeared in her mind.
Handsome, cold, with a smile that made people want to grind their teeth.
...…
A secret room inside the Hokage building.
There were no windows in the room. Only four white lamps hung from the domed ceiling, their cold light falling on the animal masks of the gathered Anbu ninja.
Uchiha Shisui stood at the very front of the crowd, looking over the ninja who had gathered.
"Kakashi-senpai, what do you think Hokage-sama suddenly summoned us for?"
Gekkō Hayate's voice was very low, coming from two positions away.
There were dark circles under his eyes, as if he had not slept in days.
He had just returned to the village and had also participated in leading an Anbu squad to intercept the White Zetsu. The blood on his blade had not even been completely wiped clean yet.
Kakashi turned his head slightly, his silver-gray hair falling over the edge of his mask.
He shook his head and answered just as quietly:
"I'm not sure, but it probably isn't to assign blame."
The moment he finished speaking, an Anbu ninja beside him could not help adding in a low, uneasy voice:
"Not to assign blame? But the village really was attacked on a large scale. Our security net failed to detect any signs in advance. Would Hokage-sama really not pursue responsibility?"
"If Kiyohara wanted to assign blame, he wouldn't have waited until now."
Kakashi spoke calmly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"Last night's attack was clearly planned in advance. The barrier and evacuations were both prepared ahead of time. Civilian casualties were zero. The village's core areas were not damaged. That's already the best possible result. Kiyohara has never been the kind of person who harshly blames his subordinates."
Hearing this, the tense lines of everyone's shoulders loosened slightly.
Just then, a somewhat guilty voice sounded from the side.
"Kakashi-senpai, I'm sorry I came back late."
Yamato spoke.
He had been out on a long-term mission. By the time he hurried back to Konoha, the Nine-Tails incident had already been completely settled.
Yamato had only seen the land inside the barrier reshaped by Wood Release, as well as the brand-new houses that had risen from the ground.
He paused, his voice still filled with shock:
"I… I never imagined Hokage-sama could use Wood Release too."
The moment those words fell, the Anbu ninja exchanged glances.
This was something no one had expected.
Kiyohara's vast chakra had transformed into towering trees, easily binding the rampaging Nine-Tails. Then, in just one short hour, he rebuilt the district destroyed in the battle back to its original state.
Yamato was the only survivor of Konoha's Wood Release experiment. Ever since he could remember, he had lived alongside the Hashirama cells. Yet after half a lifetime of effort, he could only barely control a limited form of Wood Release.
If one had to put it bluntly, it was the difference between a counterfeit and the genuine article.
The Wood Release Kiyohara casually displayed, whether in scale, precision, or vitality, was far beyond Yamato's reach.
"Tenzo, I was very surprised too."
Kakashi looked at him, his tone becoming a little gentler.
"In all of Konoha, there probably isn't a single person who wasn't surprised."
Before they finished speaking, the iron door of the secret room suddenly let out a soft hiss and slowly slid open to both sides.
The people who had been quietly conversing instantly fell silent. They turned as one, dropped to one knee, pressed their left hands to their right shoulders, and lowered their heads slightly.
"Hokage-sama!"
Kiyohara appeared at the doorway.
He was still wearing his Hokage robe, and the hem carried a few bits of grass and wood debris left from last night's battle.
He raised a hand to signal everyone to stand, then slowly walked to the platform at the front of the secret room. Turning around, he looked down at the Anbu ninja below.
"I summoned you here for one matter."
Kiyohara looked at the Anbu below.
"Kakashi."
"Here."
Kakashi stepped forward and dropped to one knee again.
"I order you to lead two squads and immediately surround Shimura Danzo's private residence. Do not allow anyone in or out. Anyone who resists is to be killed on the spot."
The words immediately left the Anbu ninja confused.
Shimura Danzo?
He was one of Konoha's elders, a former classmate of the Third Hokage, the leader of Root, and even called by some the "Darkness of the Shinobi."
And Hokage-sama was actually ordering them to surround his residence?
"Hokage-sama, this…"
An Anbu ninja could not help speaking, but the moment the words left his mouth, Kiyohara's cold gaze swept over him, and he instantly shut up.
Kiyohara ignored the commotion and reported three addresses in succession. These were all Root bases belonging to Shimura Danzo.
"Third Squad, seal off Root's First Training Base."
"Fourth Squad, take control of Root's underground laboratory."
"Fifth and Sixth Squads, circle behind and seal all exits from Root's main base. Without my order, do not let a single person leave."
Kiyohara said.
Finally, another Anbu ninja could not help speaking again.
"Hokage-sama, Danzo-sama is, after all, a high-ranking official of Konoha. Root is also the force that protects Konoha from the shadows. Would this not cause unnecessary misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding?"
Kiyohara gave a soft laugh.
"First, during the Nine-Tails incident, when the village was attacked by foreign enemies and the Nine-Tails rampaged inside the village, Shimura Danzo, as one of Konoha's leaders, led Root's core forces away from their posts without authorization. He abandoned the village and its people and fled in the face of battle."
"Second, Shimura Danzo secretly established underground laboratories, violated Konoha's prohibitions, and for years used missing Konoha infants for live Hashirama cell experiments, harming innocent lives and trampling on the ninja code."
Kiyohara naturally understood that one needed a justified cause. Even if he could directly eliminate Shimura Danzo, that would inevitably leave him with the reputation of a dictator.
But when dealing with Shimura Danzo, there was no shortage of reasons.
Danzo was not called the "Blame Hokage" for nothing.
His whole body was covered in black marks. Pick any reason at random, and it would be enough to peel off a layer of his skin.
"Live experiments on infants?"
"No wonder villagers have been reporting missing children these past few years, and the Military Police couldn't find any clues after investigating for so long…"
"It was actually Danzo-sama?"
Everyone's gazes turned toward Yamato in the crowd.
He had come from Root and had been personally raised by Danzo. At this moment, everyone wanted to know his attitude.
Yamato's body trembled, his expression complicated.
Of course he knew about those experiments. He had crawled out of those hellish laboratories himself.
He had always thought that Danzo had done it for Konoha, to reproduce the First Hokage's power and protect the village.
"Hokage-sama…"
Yamato stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
"Danzo-sama… perhaps he had his reasons. He devoted his entire life to Konoha. Even if he made mistakes, could you possibly…"
He wanted to plead for mercy. Even though he knew how cruel those experiments had been, Danzo was still the one who had given him a name and allowed him to live.
"Tenzo."
Kiyohara interrupted him.
He looked at Yamato kneeling on the ground and slowly said:
"I believe you will make the right choice. Danzo devoted his life to Konoha. That is his merit, and I will not deny it.
"But merit does not erase crime. The sins he committed, the innocent lives he harmed, cannot be written off with one phrase: 'for Konoha.'"
"Konoha's light has never been supported by sins hidden in the darkness."
Hearing this, Yamato also understood. Although Shimura Danzo had raised and cultivated him, abandoning the village in battle and harming children were both grave crimes. How could merit and fault cancel each other out?
Yamato took a deep breath, suppressed the struggle in his heart, bowed, and said in a deep voice:
"This subordinate understands. I am willing to obey all of Hokage-sama's orders."
"Good."
Kiyohara nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Uchiha Shisui standing at the very front.
"Shisui, go to Root's main base and lure Shimura Danzo out. I will bring people to set up an ambush outside. Tell Shimura Danzo that I am waiting for him at the Hokage building and invite him over for a talk."
As Kiyohara spoke, a Mangekyō Sharingan pattern appeared in his dark eyes.
Shisui felt a warm ocular power flow through their line of sight into his eye socket, like a warm current wrapping around his eyeball and silently hiding within his right eye.
He instinctively raised his hand to touch his eye socket, then looked up at Kiyohara in astonishment.
Transcription Seal.
"Hokage-sama, this is…"
"A little insurance."
Kiyohara withdrew his gaze, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint smile.
He had sealed a shot of Amaterasu into Shisui's eye.
The trigger condition he set was when Shisui encountered danger.
"Go."
Although Shisui was full of doubts, he still nodded.
"Yes."
He stood, turned, and quickly walked out of the secret room. His black figure soon disappeared into the corridor.
Kiyohara watched his back, his gaze slowly darkening.
That old fox Shimura Danzo was best at hiding in the shadows and scheming. If they directly stormed Root's base, he would most likely be cornered and activate Reverse Four Symbols Sealing to perish together with them.
Kiyohara would not need much effort to kill Shimura Danzo now.
He simply did not want Root's experimental data to be destroyed.
The experiments Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru conducted were indeed insane.
But if Kiyohara applied the results to Konoha's medical field, it would probably push Konoha's medicine forward by several years.
"Everyone, move out immediately."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The response echoed through the secret room. The Anbu ninja instantly turned into streaks of black shadow and poured out through the various exits.
...
By the time the Anbu began moving, it was the darkest hour before dawn.
A light rain had begun falling.
It was not heavy, but fine and dense, like a veil covering the sky above Konoha.
The rain fell on rooftops with a soft rustling sound.
Kakashi crouched on the roof of a building. Rainwater slid from the ends of his hair, trickling along the edge of his mask and into his collar.
He wore an Anbu uniform, the black fabric almost invisible in the night.
Beside him, several Anbu also crouched motionlessly.
Kakashi raised his hand and made several gestures.
The Anbu silently spread out, moving along the rooftop edges in different directions.
Kakashi lowered his head and, through the rain, looked at the residence below.
That was Danzo's old home.
From the outside, it looked no different from any other residence in Konoha.
But Kakashi guessed that there were many things hidden beneath this house.
"Go, Hayate."
Kakashi looked at Gekkō Hayate.
Hayate nodded and gradually disappeared into the air.
His Transparency Release allowed his presence, form, and even chakra to blend into the surrounding environment. Even the Byakugan would find it hard to notice him unless the user focused carefully.
He slowly drew the katana at his waist, the blade glinting coldly in the drizzle.
The two Root ninja guarding the back gate were still talking quietly, discussing the Nine-Tails incident, completely unaware that death was approaching.
"Did you hear? Last night, Danzo-sama led our people outside the village. Will that make Hokage-sama dissatisfied?"
"What can dissatisfaction do? Danzo-sama was preserving Konoha's last seed. If the village really couldn't be defended, we Root would be the final hope. Besides, even if Hokage-sama is forceful, can he really touch Danzo-sama?"
The moment they finished speaking, a sharp flash of blade light suddenly cut through the air.
It was so fast that only a silver-white afterimage could be seen.
Squelch.
The blade accurately cut across the throats of the two Root ninja. Blood instantly gushed out and splashed across the cold stone path, only to be quickly diluted by the fine rain.
The two did not even have time to scream. They clutched their necks and collapsed, eyes wide with disbelief.
Gekkō Hayate's figure slowly appeared. He flicked the blood from his blade and gestured toward the forest behind him.
The next second, dozens of black figures shot out from the forest and infiltrated the residence.
"Who goes there?!"
The Root ninja in the courtyard finally noticed something was wrong. He shouted sharply, and just as his hand reached for the kunai at his waist, three shuriken cut through the air and embedded themselves in his neck.
With a thud, the Root ninja fell straight down.
But that shout still alerted all the Root ninja inside the residence.
The alarm instantly rang. Dozens of Root ninja rushed out from every room, holding kunai and katana, chakra surging around them.
"It's the Anbu! How dare they break into Danzo-sama's residence?!"
"Kill them!"
Killing shouts rang out immediately. The crisp clashes of metal, the roar of ninjutsu, and screams intertwined.
The Anbu were already the elite among Konoha's elite, and they had the advantage of a surprise attack. The Root ninja had been completely unprepared and were caught off guard.
In just a few minutes, more than a dozen Root ninja had fallen in pools of blood. The remaining ones were forced into a corner of the courtyard, backs together as they stubbornly resisted.
"Are you insane?! We are Root! This is rebellion!"
The leading Root ninja roared fiercely, his face twisted.
"By Hokage-sama's order, we are arresting Shimura Danzo and his accomplices."
Kakashi slowly walked out from the rain, his silver-gray hair soaked and plastered to his forehead.
"Drop your weapons and surrender on the spot. Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy."
"Hokage-sama?"
The Root ninja's expression changed sharply.
"Danzo-sama is one of Konoha's leaders. What right do you have to arrest him?"
Kakashi no longer wasted words with him. He merely raised his hand.
The Anbu behind him charged forward instantly, and blade light flashed again.
The Root ninja still resisting were quickly cleared out. Kakashi stepped across the wet stone path and entered Danzo's study.
He swept his gaze across the secret files on the shelves and ordered the Anbu behind him:
"Seal all documents and bring them back to the Hokage building. Leave people here to guard the place. Do not allow anyone in or out."
"Yes, Captain Kakashi!"
"The rest of you, proceed according to plan."
...…
Elsewhere.
Root base.
Shimura Danzo sat in his office chair, the restraint on his right arm hidden in his sleeve.
He felt uneasy.
That feeling had been there ever since he returned to the Root base.
He could not describe it. It was as if something was pressing down on his chest, heavy and suffocating.
Shimura Danzo did not know that Kiyohara had already raided his old nest.
Right now, his mind was full of fear and wariness toward Kiyohara.
That man had not only suppressed the Nine-Tails, but had also publicly used Wood Release.
Danzo had spent his entire life, not hesitating to sacrifice the lives of countless infants in experiments, and had only managed to create Yamato, a defective product.
Yet Kiyohara, an Uchiha, had somehow mastered Wood Release without a teacher? And perfectly reproduced the First Hokage's power?
What made him even more uneasy was that last night, he had led Root's main forces out of the village, originally intending to reap the benefits. If Kiyohara and the enemy both suffered heavy losses, he could take the opportunity to seize control of Konoha.
But he never expected Kiyohara to suppress the Nine-Tails with overwhelming force, cause zero civilian casualties, leave the village almost undamaged, and send his prestige directly to its peak.
Now, Danzo's flight in the face of battle had become the biggest handle against him.
Thinking of this, Shimura Danzo raised his head.
"Tatsuma."
A figure emerged from the shadows.
Aburame Tatsuma wore a black cloak. His hood covered most of his face, revealing only the lower half beneath his sunglasses. The purple markings on the right side of his face were faintly visible under the light.
"Danzo-sama," Aburame Tatsuma said.
"Go. Call Orochimaru over. Tell him I have important matters to discuss."
Shimura Danzo intended to find an ally.
Orochimaru had cooperated with him for many years and was the best choice right now.
After all, Orochimaru's technology had been indispensable in allowing him to conduct so many dark experiments.
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
Aburame Tatsuma nodded slightly and was about to rise and withdraw.
Just then, a Root ninja quickly ran in.
"Danzo-sama! Uchiha Shisui requests an audience outside the base. He says he is here under Hokage-sama's orders and has an important matter for you."
"Uchiha Shisui?"
Danzo's brows furrowed sharply. Surprise flashed through his lone eye, then was replaced by gloom.
Why had he come at this time?
Was this Kiyohara's intention?
To demand answers?
Or…
He pondered for a moment, then slowly said:
"Let him in."
"Yes."
The Root ninja quickly withdrew. Before long, Uchiha Shisui appeared at the office doorway.
"Shisui, coming so late—what is it?"
Uchiha Shisui met Shimura Danzo's gaze.
"Hokage-sama requests that you go to the Hokage building for a discussion."
Danzo frowned.
A discussion?
At this hour?
What kind of joke was this?
"If there is a matter, say it directly."
"Hokage-sama did not tell me. Danzo-sama will know once you go."
Uchiha Shisui said.
"This old man will go tomorrow."
Shimura Danzo planned to first coordinate with Orochimaru before facing Kiyohara.
"Root still has matters to handle today."
"Danzo-sama, please do not make this difficult for me."
Uchiha Shisui frowned.
Shimura Danzo stood and deliberately sighed with a deep, solemn air.
"Shisui, do you know that this old man did not leave tonight out of fear of death, but to preserve Konoha's flame?
"If Konoha had truly suffered heavy casualties, Root would have been the final line of defense. Everything this old man did was for Konoha!"
He tried to bewitch Shisui, hoping to draw in this Uchiha genius and secure a slim chance for himself.
Shisui's expression remained calm and unmoved.
"Danzo-sama may explain whatever reasons you have directly to Hokage-sama. Please come with me."
Seeing that persuasion failed, a fierce glint flashed through Danzo's eyes. His gaze fell greedily on Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, like a starving wolf seeing a piece of meat.
Just as Uchiha Shisui was about to say something else, Shimura Danzo suddenly changed his tone.
"Since you insist, this old man will go with you."
Shimura Danzo's heart began pounding uncontrollably.
If he could obtain those eyes…
Even if Kiyohara possessed the Mangekyō and Wood Release, Danzo might not be without the power to fight him.
Besides, Shisui had come alone into his Root base. This was practically meat delivered to his mouth.
Although Danzo did not know what Shisui's dōjutsu was, with the Mangekyō, he might be able to oppose Kiyohara, who also had the Mangekyō.
He had no idea of the vast gulf between Mangekyō users. He only felt that obtaining these eyes would be his greatest trump card for turning the situation around.
Shimura Danzo slowly walked forward. Soon, the two stood face to face, less than a meter apart.
Danzo was slightly shorter than Shisui and had to tilt his head up slightly to meet his gaze.
"Shisui, your eyes…"
Shimura Danzo suddenly said something that made no sense to Uchiha Shisui.
"They are very beautiful."
Hearing Shimura Danzo's words, Uchiha Shisui suddenly had a bad feeling.
He instinctively wanted to step back.
But he discovered that his entire body could not move, as if something had nailed him in place.
Shisui lowered his head.
He saw something wrapped around his ankles.
Insects.
When?!
Uchiha Shisui hurriedly tried to release ninjutsu, but those insects had already burrowed into his skin. They were sucking his chakra and disrupting its flow.
"Danzo-sama, what are you trying to do?!"
Shisui found that the chakra inside his body was no longer under control. Even his Sharingan could not activate.
"What am I trying to do?"
Danzo sneered, his voice sinister.
"Insects are very interesting creatures. When humans are bitten by mosquitoes, not only does it not hurt, they don't even feel the bite.
"By the time they begin to feel itchy, the mosquito has long flown away."
The scenery behind Shisui suddenly rippled, and a man appeared behind him.
It was Aburame Tatsuma.
He maintained a hand seal, his face expressionless.
"He is a member of the Aburame clan. I shouldn't need to explain further when it comes to insects, should I?"
Danzo's face was full of a smile that said victory was assured.
Shimura Danzo continued walking forward lightly.
Shisui gritted his teeth, desperately trying to move his body.
The sight of his desperate resistance was too pitiful, and the corners of Shimura Danzo's mouth naturally curved upward.
"Don't worry. This toxin won't kill you immediately."
Shimura Danzo raised his hand. His index finger, middle finger, and thumb bent as he reached toward Shisui's right eye.
He was finally about to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Once he had these eyes, he could oppose Kiyohara, continue controlling Konoha's darkness, and realize his lifelong ideal.
Shimura Danzo's heart was full of wild joy. His fingertips had already touched Shisui's eyelid.
"Before I gouge out both your eyes, you will still be alive."
His fingers stopped before Shisui's eyelid.
"Compared with removing eyes from a corpse, taking them while the owner is still alive preserves better freshness and makes it easier for my body to adapt."
Uchiha Shisui's eyes were wide open, and Danzo's fingers were reflected in his pupils.
But at the very instant they were about to touch, the Mangekyō Sharingan pattern suddenly appeared in Uchiha Shisui's eye.
A cluster of black flames surged out from his eye socket.
The black flames were like hellfire, instantly sweeping across Shimura Danzo's hand and crawling up his arm to his cheek, burning with a sizzling sound.
Amaterasu!
"Ah!"
Shimura Danzo let out a piercing scream. Half his cheek was instantly burned black, exposing red tendons and pale bone. Agonizing pain pierced into him.
"Izanagi!"
Beneath the restraint on Shimura Danzo's right arm, one Sharingan suddenly closed. At the cost of blindness, he activated the Uchiha forbidden technique and rewrote reality.
The black flames vanished from his body instantly, and the burned flesh recovered as if nothing had happened.
He staggered back several steps and stared fixedly at Shisui. His lone eye was filled with shock, anger, resentment, and his whole body trembled.
"Kiyohara. It was Kiyohara! He set me up!"
He finally realized it.
It was Kiyohara's technique.
After returning, Shimura Danzo had gathered intelligence about Kiyohara.
He also knew Kiyohara could control a black flame of terrifying power.
Inviting him to the Hokage building, Shisui coming alone—all of it was a trap.
From the very beginning, Kiyohara had calculated that he would make a move on Shisui's eyes.
How had Kiyohara thought that far ahead?
In Shimura Danzo's heart, Kiyohara suddenly became unfathomable.
And at that moment, the toxin inside Shisui's body abruptly dissolved.
The ocular power hidden in his eye was Kiyohara's backup, freeing him from the insect poison.
Uchiha Shisui regained control of his body.
He did not linger to fight.
Shisui turned and rushed toward the door.
His speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he had already crossed several meters.
"We can't let him live…"
"Kill him… We must kill him!"
Countless tiny insects crawled out from beneath Aburame Tatsuma's clothes, forming a black torrent in the air that surged toward Uchiha Shisui.
Uchiha Shisui twisted his body midair, both hands reaching into his ninja tool pouch.
Eight shuriken flew from his fingertips.
The black torrent scattered in the air, splitting into countless tiny streams. They passed through the gaps between the shuriken and continued toward Uchiha Shisui.
Uchiha Shisui had already completed his hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
His chest swelled high, then he opened his mouth fiercely.
A massive fireball surged from his mouth.
Wherever the fireball passed, the air was burned until it twisted and distorted.
The black insect swarm was swallowed by the fireball, making sizzling sounds as a scorched stench spread through the air.
Aburame Tatsuma's brows furrowed slightly.
He raised his hand, and even more insects poured out from beneath his clothes.
But Uchiha Shisui had already used the cover of the fireball to charge out of the Root base.
Shimura Danzo's expression was ashen.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and strode toward the door.
"Pursue him."
"Do not let him return to the Hokage building."
...…
In the forest outside Root's base, the rain was still falling.
Uchiha Shisui's figure rushed out from the forest edge and landed in an open clearing.
Rain struck his face and slid down his cheeks.
He turned to face the forest.
Footsteps came from deep within the trees.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Shimura Danzo.
He wore a white shirt, and the restraint on his right arm had already been removed.
The scarlet eyeballs embedded in it turned in the rain, looking in different directions.
The sight made even Uchiha Shisui draw in a cold breath.
Shimura Danzo had actually gone insane enough to transplant so many Sharingan into his arm.
Behind Danzo followed dozens of Root ninja.
Aburame Tatsuma walked at the front, his cloak snapping loudly in the rain.
Danzo stopped ten meters away from Shisui.
Looking at Shisui, who was surrounded on all sides, a savage smile appeared on his face.
"Run. Why aren't you running? Uchiha Shisui, today, even wings won't let you escape!"
"Danzo-sama, don't be too confident."
Uchiha Shisui said.
"Hmph. Since you insist on seeking death, this old man will grant it."
The moment the words fell, Shimura Danzo vanished from where he stood.
At the same time, Danzo raised his right hand, drawing a kunai and stabbing toward Uchiha Shisui's abdomen.
Uchiha Shisui drew his katana, turned the blade, and blocked the kunai.
Clang.
The sound of metal colliding echoed through the night sky.
Sparks scattered in the rain, then instantly went out.
Both of them retreated at the same time.
Danzo stood several meters away, a trace of seriousness flashing through his lone eye.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson."
Six fireballs burst from Uchiha Shisui's mouth, each one hiding a shuriken inside.
Danzo raised his right hand.
The kunai spun once in his palm, wrapped in a layer of wind blade, then was thrown.
The wind-coated kunai collided with the fireballs in midair, bursting into a flare of light.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Shimura Danzo spat several wind bullets in succession.
Those wind bullets struck Uchiha Shisui.
Poof.
Shimura Danzo's pupils contracted as he realized the Shisui before him had turned into white smoke and vanished.
This was Shisui's Phantom Body Flicker Technique.
Shisui's figure appeared behind him, his katana already raised high.
Green chakra surged from his body and condensed around him into rib-like bones.
Susanoo!
Shimura Danzo looked at that green skeleton and at Shisui standing inside it. Greed flashed through his lone eye.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
If he could obtain those eyes…
While Shimura Danzo was thinking, Uchiha Shisui controlled Susanoo's large hand and reached toward Danzo.
The skeletal claw was very fast, so fast only a green afterimage could be seen.
Danzo's body flickered repeatedly through the air, avoiding the attack.
The skeletal hand missed and grabbed the tree trunk behind him.
Crack.
The tree, so thick two people would be needed to encircle it, was snapped in half by the skeletal hand.
Wood splinters scattered everywhere.
Shimura Danzo landed on a broken branch, his lone eye locked on Shisui.
Just then, applause sounded from the forest.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Danzo's body suddenly stiffened.
He turned his head.
Kiyohara walked out from the forest.
"Stabbing Susanoo with a kunai. You really are the first, Danzo."
Kiyohara said calmly.
That classic move truly belonged to no one but Shimura Danzo.
"Kiyohara…"
Shimura Danzo stared tightly at Kiyohara.
Kiyohara stopped several dozen meters in front of him.
His gaze swept over Danzo and landed on the Root base behind him.
"Root's base is quite remote. But it will make a decent grave for you."
Hearing this, Shimura Danzo's face darkened completely.
"Kiyohara, do you think you've already won?"
Kiyohara looked at him without speaking.
Danzo's voice turned cold.
"This old man has contributed his entire life to Konoha. Do you dare kill me?"
"Contributed?"
Kiyohara's brow moved slightly.
"Using infants for experiments counts as contribution?"
Shimura Danzo's expression changed.
"You…!"
"Or perhaps abandoning the village and fleeing in the face of a great enemy counts as contribution?"
Shimura Danzo's body trembled.
He wanted nothing more than to kill Kiyohara right there.
"Kiyohara, don't slander me!"
"Slander?"
Kiyohara pointed at Shimura Danzo's arm.
"I think you should hide your hand first."
Kiyohara said.
Hearing this, Shimura Danzo hurriedly covered his arm.
Just now, only Shisui had been here, so he had not felt the need to hide it.
He had never imagined that Kiyohara had long since brought people to lie in ambush nearby, directly catching him in the act.
Wind Release Shuriken!
Shimura Danzo knew it would be hard to leave today, so he struck first.
He immediately flung two shuriken infused with Wind Release chakra. The shuriken spun rapidly through the air, producing a shrill tearing sound.
White wind blades extended from their edges, cutting the rain curtain along the way in half. Fine droplets were forced to both sides by the wind pressure, forming two brief empty gaps.
Kiyohara stood where he was, neither dodging nor blocking.
Ding! Ding!
The two shuriken struck his chest, only to bounce straight off. They flipped several times in midair before stabbing into the wet mud, their edges curled.
Shimura Danzo's eye widened.
They hadn't even broken his defense?
He knew very well how much Wind Release chakra he had poured into those two shuriken. Yet when they hit Kiyohara, they couldn't even cut his skin?
Even if Kiyohara knew an Earth Release hardening technique, he should not have been completely unharmed.
"Danzo, you're old. You can't even use Wind Release properly anymore."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Shimura Danzo had succeeded because of the Sharingan and failed because of the Sharingan.
After transplanting too many Sharingan, he had unknowingly begun relying on them.
He believed that he could rewrite reality and possess the ability to avoid death.
That was indeed powerful.
But Shimura Danzo's only true strength was survival. At most, he was a crippled version of Impure World Reincarnation.
Shimura Danzo's face darkened.
Behind him, dozens of Root ninja stood ready, prepared to attack at any moment.
"Hokage-sama…"
An Anbu ninja revealed half his body from the forest edge, holding a kunai.
Kiyohara raised his hand, signaling them not to move.
"No need. I'll handle this."
The moment he finished speaking, the gourd at Kiyohara's waist trembled.
In the blink of an eye, a golden wave dozens of meters long formed in front of Kiyohara.
The huge wave surged, with grains of gold dust rolling along its crest.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Burial."
Kiyohara raised his hand and gently pushed forward.
Boom!
The giant wave of gold dust swept toward Shimura Danzo and the Root ninja.
Its momentum was terrifying. Wherever it passed, the ground was plowed into a deep trench. Rainwater was carried forward by the gold dust, while shattered stones and broken branches tumbled within the golden torrent.
The Root ninja's faces changed sharply.
Some instinctively backed away. Some formed hand seals, preparing to defend. But before that overwhelming golden wave, any resistance seemed futile.
Shimura Danzo gritted his teeth, and a ruthless light flashed in his lone eye.
He bit his finger and drew it across his palm.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
A massive cloud of white smoke appeared in front of Shimura Danzo.
When the smoke cleared, a huge figure stood before the wave of gold dust.
It was an enormous crimson beast, shaped like an elephant.
A Baku.
Shimura Danzo's summoned beast.
"Use Wind Release!"
Shimura Danzo ordered the summoned beast.
The Baku opened its enormous mouth.
In that instant, a terrifying suction force surged from its mouth.
The wind changed direction all at once.
The raindrops that had been falling from the sky suddenly shot sideways, surging toward the Baku's mouth.
The water pooled on the ground was sucked up, forming columns of water. Shattered stones, broken branches, mud—everything that could be pulled was flying toward that giant mouth.
The wave of gold dust took the brunt of it.
Under the Baku's suction, the golden torrent began to distort. The head of the wave was stretched forward, and the tail was pulled along.
Shimura Danzo stood behind the Baku, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his lone eye.
The Baku's Wind Release was one of his strongest trump cards.
Back then, he had relied on it many times to escape death on the battlefield.
"Kiyohara, your gold dust is useless before me!"
Shimura Danzo shouted.
Kiyohara's brow moved slightly.
This summoned beast's ability was indeed decent. It could be considered powerful.
The wind it produced was enough to tear apart a half-body Susanoo.
But before him, this was still not enough.
"Interesting."
Kiyohara said softly.
The Anbu behind him were not nearly as calm.
"Not good!"
Someone cried out.
"Hokage-sama's gold burial is going to be sucked in!"
"Stabilize yourselves!"
Kakashi's voice came from the front of the team.
He knelt on one knee atop a thick branch, his left hand gripping the trunk, his right hand pressed to his sword hilt.
The fierce wind howled, blowing his silver-gray hair backward.
"Don't get sucked in!"
Uchiha Shisui stood farther away. The green Susanoo skeleton around him shook violently, and fine cracks appeared across its surface.
He gritted his teeth. The pattern in his Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly, and only with a massive expenditure of ocular power did he barely keep Susanoo from dispersing.
"This suction… can actually affect Susanoo…"
His voice carried shock.
The other Anbu were in an even worse state.
Some clung desperately to tree trunks, their bodies pulled horizontal to the ground.
By comparison, Kiyohara stood in place without moving at all.
Shimura Danzo's lone eye narrowed slightly.
How was that possible?
The Baku's Wind Release could tear through Susanoo. Why could Kiyohara stand in place?
He refused to believe it.
"Baku! Increase the force!"
Shimura Danzo shouted sharply.
The Baku opened its giant mouth even wider.
The suction instantly surged, almost becoming physical.
Moisture in the air was compressed into white ribbons of mist, spiraling into the Baku's mouth with a sharp whistle.
The Anbu had an even harder time now.
Someone finally could not hold on. His hands slipped from the tree trunk, and his whole body was sucked into the air, tumbling several times. Just as he was about to be sucked into the Baku's mouth—
Kakashi reacted quickly. A rope shot from his hand, wrapped around the man's ankle, and yanked him back.
"Th-thank you…"
That Anbu's face was pale, and his lips trembled so much he could barely speak.
Kakashi did not answer. His gaze remained fixed on Kiyohara ahead.
In the rain, that white figure still did not move.
The wind blew his hair backward. Rain struck his face and slid down his cheeks, but he did not even blink.
"Too weak."
Kiyohara's voice came through the wind.
Kiyohara took a step forward.
His right foot lifted from the pooled water and stepped ahead. The instant his sole touched the ground, water parted to both sides, splashing into a ring of fine droplets.
The wind pressure slammed into him like it had struck an invisible wall. It split around both sides of his body, tearing two deep trenches into the ground behind him.
But that white figure still stood firm.
Shimura Danzo's lone eye widened, the eyeball almost bulging from its socket.
He had seen countless ninja.
But he had never seen anyone walk through the Baku's Wind Release like this.
Not even Sarutobi Hiruzen could do it.
And Kiyohara simply walked forward step by step.
"Impossible…"
Shimura Danzo lost his voice.
This was not ninjutsu!
Kiyohara ignored his shock.
He formed hand seals.
His chest swelled slightly, and the faint flicker of fire could be seen in his throat.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation."