Darui furrowed his brow: "What's going on?"
Ringo Ameyuri shook her head: "How would I know? But that Uchiha Sasuke's got some guts, taking on his own village's Anbu."
Darui's gaze shifted to Danzo, standing in the corridor outside Sasuke's room: "Isn't he one of Hidden Leaf's advisor elders? For an advisor elder to get involved personally, Sasuke's in deep trouble this time!"
Not just Darui and Ringo Ameyuri—other patients began whispering among themselves.
As the commotion grew, patients from other floors sensed something was amiss and stepped out of their rooms.
The hospital's medical shinobi exchanged glances, unsure of what was happening.
Normally, they'd intervene to stop the disturbance, but Danzo's status as an advisor elder made them hesitant to get involved. As a result, the crowd of onlookers grew, yet no one stepped forward to halt the escalating situation.
In the scene.
Facing Sasuke's taunts, Danzo coldly raised his right arm, releasing the brace on it and slowly unwrapping the bandages.
Instantly, all eyes fell on Danzo's arm, including Sasuke's.
As the bandages came off bit by bit, Danzo's right arm was fully revealed to everyone present!
Hiss.
"Are those Sharingan?"
"How can there be so many Sharingan?"
The onlookers gasped in shock and disbelief.
Danzo's arm was embedded with ten Sharingan, their scarlet pupils glaring, making his entire arm look grotesquely menacing.
Most of the hospital's patients were shinobi injured in the recent battle, so many recognized the Sharingan at a glance.
Considering the rarity of the Sharingan as a dojutsu Bloodline Limit, people quickly connected the dots to the Uchiha clan's extermination years ago. A chilling sense of dread washed over them!
Sasuke, seeing Danzo's arm full of Sharingan, was the most enraged. His face flushed as he roared: "You bastard, I'll kill you!"
Danzo chuckled lightly.
This was the reaction he wanted. If Sasuke attacked him, an advisor elder, Danzo would have every reason to retaliate.
As for the Sharingan grafted onto his arm, he had already confessed to the Third and Tsunade upon his return.
The Uchiha massacre made the Third and Tsunade deeply uncomfortable with Danzo's mass transplantation of Sharingan. But with the village's priority being the fight against the Akatsuki, they had no choice but to grudgingly accept his actions.
Undoubtedly, Danzo, a master of such tactics, chose the perfect moment to reveal his arm of ten Sharingan openly.
After all, the Sharingan collected after the Uchiha massacre were village property. As an advisor elder, he had the right to use them, as long as the village leadership approved. Unlike the Uchiha's ninjutsu or secret techniques, Sharingan were human organs, and their display, even if authorized, left an unsettling impression.
Swish.
Without wasting words, the furious Sasuke lunged at Danzo.
Mid-leap, he drew a special kunai, infusing it with Lightning Release chakra, unleashing 'Chidori Blade'!
Almost simultaneously, Danzo drew a kunai, blowing on it to infuse it with Wind Release chakra, executing 'Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!'
Clang!
The next moment, their kunai clashed, emitting a piercing screech!
Danzo's 'Vacuum Blade' sliced through the Lightning Release chakra of Sasuke's 'Chidori Blade,' cutting the special kunai in half!
"!?"
Sasuke recoiled in shock, instinctively retreating.
If he still had his dojutsu to activate the Sharingan, its terrifying insight would have allowed him to anticipate and dodge in time.
But now, his dojutsu was depleted, unable to activate the Sharingan. His vision had deteriorated severely, and his perception plummeted. Despite dodging instinctively, he was a beat too slow. Danzo's 'Vacuum Blade' grazed his chest.
Barely avoiding a fatal strike, Sasuke panted, glancing at his chest.
His clothes were sliced open by Danzo's 'Vacuum Blade.' A vivid wound stretched from his chest to his abdomen, raw and bleeding.
Drip drip drip.
Soon, drops of blood hit the floor, filling the air with a metallic scent.
Sasuke's face darkened. His raging anger was tempered by a sense of crisis, and he began to regain his composure!
Danzo, opposite him, scolded: "You dare attack me! Uchiha Sasuke, do you realize the crime you've committed?"
"Bastard!"
Sasuke's gaze was icy, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
Danzo snorted: "Wind Release counters Lightning Release—didn't they teach you that at the shinobi academy? I specialize in Wind Release. Your Lightning Release is useless against me, and you can't use your Sharingan now. So, I'll give you one last chance—surrender quietly!"
Asking an enraged Uchiha to surrender was absurd, and Danzo's words only reignited Sasuke's fury.
Forming hand seals, Sasuke shouted: "I'm not just limited to Lightning Release!"
Instantly, he spewed a massive fireball, its searing heat surging toward Danzo.
Danzo flashed aside, dodging Sasuke's 'Fireball Jutsu.'
Boom.
The fireball struck another room, setting it ablaze in a sea of flames.
Danzo glanced at the burning room, a slight smirk forming. Everything was unfolding as he'd planned.
Sasuke had not only attacked the Anbu messengers and him, an advisor elder, but also used ninjutsu in a hospital where fighting was strictly prohibited, causing damage.
At this point, Danzo had every justification to deal with Sasuke.
"Let me put an end to this farce!"
Wiping the smirk from his face, Danzo began forming hand seals.
In the original timeline, Danzo fought Sasuke, who had recently awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, and was defeated, dying in the process.
Based on that outcome, Danzo's strength seemed inferior to a Mangekyo-wielding Sasuke. However, that battle had many external factors, and it wasn't simply a one-on-one duel.