Whoosh! Whoosh! Fizzle!
Menma, looking down at the scattered ninjutsu techniques raining harmlessly at his feet, frowned in annoyance and raised his left hand.
"One group falls, another takes their place. Like mosquitoes at a picnic."
"I planned to deal with Danzo first, then give the rest of you a quick death. But if you're this desperate to die, I'll send you on your way first!"
The moment the words left his lips, countless sharp spikes of chakra erupted from his raised palm. In the blink of an eye, they pierced the bodies of the four clans' ninjas below with surgical precision.
With the exception of a few Elite Jōnin and veteran shinobi who barely managed to dodge, almost every remaining ninja was impaled, stuck to the ground like insects on a pin, screaming in agony.
Danzo, who had been Menma's primary target, was no exception. He hadn't been hit by one spike, but over ten impaled the elder.
"I remember Obito's Wood Release technique... wasn't it called the Wood Splinter Technique?" Menma muttered, a look of contemplation on his face.
Under his control, the chakra spikes bloomed like deadly flowers.
"Aaaaagh!"
Screams of pure agony echoed through the battlefield as the spikes erupted from the bodies of the pierced ninjas. Thick, sharp barbs grew outward like twisted branches, turning them into writhing porcupines of flesh and blood.
Even through the cacophony, the survivors heard Danzo's first scream of true torment.
The pain was so overwhelming that Danzo didn't hesitate. He activated Izanagi immediately, resurrecting himself a short distance away, hunched over and panting heavily.
As Menma raised his hand to deliver the final blow, the golden-red giant suddenly jerked to a halt. Naruto had seized control again.
"This is your last chance!" Danzo roared, his gaze fixed on the last remaining eye on his arm. He bit his thumb, slamming it onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Howl!
An earth-shaking bellow, like that of a charging elephant, shook the air as Zō—towering up to the giant's calves—appeared before Danzo. Simultaneously, he shouted to the remaining twenty or so ninjas from the four clans.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves! Once I take down this chakra giant, I want you to focus all your strongest ninjutsu on the jinchuriki at its brow!"
He didn't wait for a response. Danzo commanded Zō to open its jaws wide toward the golden-red giant's head.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A terrifying vacuum force erupted from Zō's maw, a vortex of Wind Release that tore up dirt and rubble. The uncontrolled golden-red giant began to lean forward under the immense suction.
It's working! Danzo thought, elated.
He no longer held back, channeling the last of his power into his right eye's Kotoamatsukami. Naruto, trapped between the giant's brows, was instantly influenced.
He gritted his teeth and pushed his body forward, colliding with the giant's interior.
Under the combined force of the suction and Naruto's desperate impact, the golden-red giant tilted forward violently.
Boom!
The deafening crash echoed through the sky. Although no longer under Menma's direct control, the giant managed to brace itself with its arms, preventing a complete collapse onto the ground.
"The distance is enough!"
Five seconds had passed. Danzo couldn't afford to delay. He raised his gray-white right hand, infused with Hashirama cells, and aimed it directly at the giant's brow.
"Wood Release: Spear Tree!"
Whoosh!
Giant tree roots erupted from Danzo's hand, growing into a towering spear of wood that slammed into the giant's forehead.
The golden-red chakra, which had withstood countless ninjutsu attacks, finally rippled violently where the Wood Release struck.
It's working! Danzo's spirits soared.
He severed the connection between his hand and the tree, leaping upward with incredible speed. His palm, bearing the black Heavenly Curse Seal, slammed against the ripples.
"Attack the brow!" he shouted to the ninjas below.
They unleashed their ultimate techniques instantly.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Lightning Release: Thunderclap!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Fire dragons, water dragons, earth dragons, lightning pillars, and a razor-thin vacuum wave all struck the black-marked ripples.
Rip!
Under the combined assault, the golden-red chakra layer tore away, revealing the muscle texture beneath. Naruto, his expression a mix of bewilderment and confusion, stood there, shielded only by a thin layer of chakra.
It worked! Danzo trembled with excitement.
He drew a kunai and, with the last of his Wind Release chakra, condensed a green wind blade around it.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
"The Nine-Tails' chakra's weakness is right here!"
With a triumphant laugh, he thrust the blade directly at Naruto's chest.
"Die, Menma Uzumaki!"
In that moment, Danzo saw his victory. He saw the respect of the First and Second Hokage. He saw himself taking the seat of Hokage.
Clang!
Crack!
The wind blade shattered instantly upon contact with the thin muscle layer. The kunai behind it crumbled like pottery.
"What?!"
"The defense from the inside... is stronger than the outside?!"
Danzo's triumphant grin froze. Then, overwhelming fear and despair crashed down on him.
Ahead, the bewildered Naruto closed his eyes. When they opened again, Menma was back, his expression cold and indifferent, eyes burning with killing intent.
"Old Geezer. Your time is up."
The instant Menma spoke, a massive golden-red hand slammed down from the sky like a lightning bolt. It swatted Danzo and his giant tree into the ground as easily as crushing a bug.
Boom!
Dust flew, smoke billowed.
"Oh? He chose to defend physically instead of using Izanagi. Did he burn through all his chakra?"
Menma glanced inward at the sealed space within his mindscape. Naruto had regained consciousness, his face etched with shock and confusion, completely unaware of why he had interfered, fighting him for control of their body during the critical moment.
Menma pulled his focus back, controlling the golden-red giant to raise its hand.
Below, Danzo, buried in the earth, had not died or vanished. He looked like a broken bellows; even a single breath seemed to drain his remaining strength. Blood flowed freely from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, yet he showed no sign of surrender, crawling outward on all fours, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.
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