Chapter 613: The Death of Danzo Shimura!
"How did he do that?" Hanzo looked at Danzo with visible surprise.
He had taken Sōsuke's super Combination Ninjutsu head-on, yet only lost his mask. Could it be that Sōsuke's Twin Dragon Annihilation only looked impressive but was actually all show?
Then Hanzo noticed the devastated ground and immediately dismissed that thought.
That had clearly been an incredibly powerful Combination Ninjutsu.
The correct explanation was most likely that Danzo had used some kind of special secret technique to avoid the attack.
"Sōsuke, he cannot die," Hanzo said, shaking his head as he looked at Sōsuke.
Sōsuke could defeat Danzo. He could even cripple him. But he absolutely could not kill him.
If Danzo died here, Konoha would surely seek revenge. Even if the Shinobi Sect and Amegakure merged, it might still not be enough to make Konoha hesitate.
If this were Hanzo before the Second Shinobi World War, he would have killed Danzo without hesitation.
But after experiencing the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzo understood the power of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Even if Sōsuke could defeat the Yellow Flash, defeat Raging Sun Mugetsu, and even defeat Hiruzen Sarutobi, the war would still end with Konoha's victory.
The difference in their foundations was too great.
The Rain Ninja were inferior to Konoha not only in quality, but also in sheer numbers.
Under such circumstances, even if Sōsuke kept winning on his own, he could not win the entire war. At most, he could only make Konoha suffer heavier losses.
"He can die," Mugetsu said, shaking his head.
In Hanzo's eyes, Danzo represented Konoha's arrival in the Land of Rain. At this moment, Konoha was at the peak of the Five Great Ninja Villages, having achieved great victories in successive battles against other Great Shinobi Villages. Its momentum was unmatched.
But Mugetsu knew that Konoha's glory would only last a little longer.
Soon, the other Great Shinobi Villages would make Konoha understand what it meant to be surrounded and attacked from all sides.
At that time, Konoha would have trouble defending even the Land of Fire, let alone attacking the Land of Rain.
By the time Konoha survived the Third Shinobi World War and recovered its strength, Mugetsu would most likely already possess enough power to influence an entire Shinobi World War.
At that point, Konoha would naturally reconcile with Amegakure, especially since Konoha had not been in the right from the beginning.
"You're a bit too radical," Hanzo said, looking at Sōsuke with a headache.
In his vision, Sōsuke should have integrated the power of the Land of Rain first, then developed quietly, waiting until the next great war to make a shocking entrance.
Now, however, it seemed Sōsuke intended to intervene in the Ninja World's grand chessboard immediately.
Their conversation made Danzo, who was condensing Chakra, look incredibly gloomy.
What was his life to these two? Vegetables at a market stall?
"Hanzo, if you don't act now, it will be too late!" Danzo roared, suppressing his rage.
Hanzo's neutral stance made Danzo believe that Hanzo was still hesitating and had not made up his mind.
So even though Danzo wanted to send both of them to their deaths, he still maintained the posture of Hanzo's ally.
Sōsuke's strength had exceeded his expectations, and their side's strength had been severely reduced by one unexpected situation after another.
Hanzo was indecisive and refused to help. "Uchiha Madara's" forces were nowhere to be seen. Mugetsu, who should have arrived the previous night, was still missing.
Danzo felt as though his side was filled with useless teammates, and he was the only one capable of doing anything.
Hanzo ignored Danzo's shout and instead stood in place, deep in thought.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Nagato quickly formed hand signs and spat a sharp Lightning Release spear toward Danzo.
The Root Ninja brought by Danzo had already been taken out by Mugetsu's Fire Release, so Nagato was now free to deal with Danzo.
"Damn it!" Danzo cursed inwardly when he saw Hanzo do nothing. He burst out with Chakra and quickly dodged.
Boom!
The lightning struck the ground where Danzo had just stood, leaving behind a charred crater.
"Uchiha Madara, what are you waiting for? I know you're here!" Danzo shouted into the empty air while fighting alone.
He looked at the surrounding Rain Ninja.
He believed Uchiha Madara's subordinates were definitely among them.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Uchiha Madara to know his movements so thoroughly.
No one answered Danzo.
Only some Ninja who knew of Uchiha Madara looked at him strangely.
Uchiha Madara had been dead for a long time, killed by Konoha's First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Did Danzo, a high-ranking Konoha official, not even know that?
White Zetsu, who was secretly observing, sneered.
His mission was to assist Danzo in killing Sōsuke when both sides reached a stalemate, or to wipe out both sides if the opportunity appeared.
Now that Danzo was completely at a disadvantage, there was no need for him to appear.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Consecutive Wave!"
Facing the approaching Nagato, Danzo retreated while rapidly spitting out Wind Release blades that could easily cut through giant boulders.
Nagato expressionlessly raised one hand, generating an invisible shield around his body.
The Wind Release spat out by Danzo vanished without a trace the moment it struck Nagato's shield, like mud sinking into the sea.
"Is this the power of the Rinnegan?" Danzo felt unwilling.
If the plan had not gone wrong, this power would have been his.
Danzo flickered constantly, changing positions again and again.
He no longer wanted to kill anyone. He only wanted to buy time until Mugetsu arrived.
Hanzo and Uchiha Madara might betray him, but Mugetsu absolutely would not.
As long as Mugetsu arrived, even if he could not obtain the Sage Art inheritance and the Rinnegan, their combined strength should be enough to retreat safely.
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"
Danzo quickly formed hand signs, condensing Wood Release Chakra and creating a large number of wooden vines around him that surged outward.
Wood Release: World of Trees Advent consumed too much Chakra. To conserve strength, Danzo could only use a slightly weaker Wood Release to maintain his situation.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Nagato did not maintain the Preta Path. Instead, he used the Rinnegan to unleash a repulsive force, deflecting the incoming wooden branches.
The Preta Path could absorb Wood Release Chakra, but it could not absorb the wood produced by Wood Release Chakra.
At that moment, Sōsuke also stopped refining Chakra and attacked again.
It was not that he had run out of Chakra. He had simply wanted to fish for any unexpected gains. Since he had nothing better to do, he had taken the chance to refine Chakra.
Judging by the current situation, Uchiha Sōsuke probably would not make a move, so Mugetsu no longer intended to waste time.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Dance!"
Blazing dark flames were continuously exhaled by Sōsuke, rapidly forming a spreading sea of fire.
The hard wooden vines created by Wood Release were instantly burned into black ash the moment they touched the sea of flames.
The terrifying heat wave rushing toward Danzo again gave him no desire to resist head-on.
The previous use of Izanagi had already made Danzo understand the terror of this Fire Release.
In Fire Release alone, Sōsuke was far more terrifying than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Danzo released all his Chakra, generating powerful Wind Release currents.
He had to escape the range of the Ninjutsu before the fire dragons split apart. Otherwise, his final Sharingan would also be lost.
Losing the Sharingan was a minor matter for Danzo. If he wanted more, he could still obtain them.
But on the battlefield now, even with both eyes, he was still no match for Sōsuke. His fate after losing both eyes was obvious.
"Bansho Tenin!"
Nagato flashed forward and unleashed a terrifying suction force from his right hand toward Danzo, pulling in Danzo, who had been about to leave.
Despite Danzo's desperate resistance, he still could not escape the control of Bansho Tenin.
At that moment, the sea of fire rapidly split into several enormous fire dragons, completely sealing off Danzo's position.
Nagato quickly withdrew his power and retreated.
Boom!
A dazzling blaze soared into the sky again, engulfing everything within fifty meters of Danzo in dark flames.
Just as Nagato thought Danzo would be completely annihilated by the attack, his sharp perception instantly noticed something.
Danzo's Chakra had not disappeared.
Nagato looked toward the sensed Chakra and saw Danzo appear near the ground swallowed by flames, his body showing no burn marks.
"Both pupils turned white. Is that why?" Nagato noticed the change in Danzo's eyes.
The blood-red color of Danzo's Sharingan had vanished, replaced by dull white.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Nagato converted the Chakra he had already condensed into lightning and spat it out.
He had originally prepared this Lightning Release for the Rain Ninja, but since Danzo had not died, he would give it to Danzo instead.
At that moment, although Danzo was blind, he was still a battle-hardened Ninja. He noticed Nagato's attack immediately, but he did not dodge right away. Instead, he began condensing Chakra.
In the end, to Nagato's surprise, the sharp lightning spear struck Danzo directly, yet did him no harm.
Izanagi could nullify unfavorable events that occurred within a certain period of time, not merely a single attack.
However, even after withstanding False Darkness unscathed, Danzo's expression remained gloomy. The effective duration of his Izanagi was not long enough to support his escape.
More importantly, Danzo was now blind.
In a battle of this level, losing one's eyes was a massive disadvantage.
Whoosh!
Danzo used the Body Flicker Technique to rush in Konoha's direction based on his memory of the battlefield before he used Izanagi.
With his vision gone, Danzo was extremely nervous, but his mind remained clear.
He had to wait for Mugetsu to arrive.
Mugetsu had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, so rescuing him alone would not be difficult.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
"Shinra Tensei!"
Nagato threw several Kunai, then unleashed a powerful repulsive force to accelerate them, blocking Danzo's path.
Danzo heard the Kunai cutting through the air. Unable to guarantee the trajectory of every weapon, he had no choice but to use a defensive Ninjutsu.
"Wood Release: Wood Golem Wall!"
Rows of wooden pillars curved out from the ground, forming a wooden arch that protected Danzo inside.
Just as Nagato was about to approach and use Bansho Tenin, Mugetsu spoke.
"Nagato, leave the rest to me. Stay on alert."
Danzo, that old schemer, had indeed mastered many secret techniques. If he were truly pushed into desperation and fought with his life on the line, Nagato might suffer a serious loss.
Mugetsu had prepared extensively to ensure Danzo's death today. Knowing all of Danzo's information in advance, he had rehearsed several possibilities. Failure was impossible.
Nagato immediately stopped and no longer approached Danzo.
Sōsuke would not harm him. Doing as Sōsuke said would ensure there were no problems.
"Wood Release: World of Trees Advent!"
Knowing that he could not escape Sōsuke without his eyes, Danzo gritted his teeth and once again condensed a large amount of Wood Release Chakra to activate World of Trees Advent.
Boom!
Saplings burst rapidly from the ground and quickly grew into thick, giant trees. Soon, a small forest formed around Danzo again.
All the trees in the small forest waved their branches like claws, as if warning Sōsuke not to approach.
If this had been the Wood Release: World of Trees Advent performed by Senju Hashirama, Mugetsu would naturally have retreated wisely.
But its caster was Danzo.
Mugetsu casually unleashed various Ninjutsu, easily shattering all incoming vines and wooden stakes.
Danzo continued to pour out Wood Release Chakra without hesitation, causing dozens of trees to twist together and form an incredibly thick giant tree that rushed toward Sōsuke.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Hurricane!"
Mugetsu calmly switched to Wind Breathing and swiftly formed the Dragon seal.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Vast currents of Wind Release were exhaled by Mugetsu, cutting apart the surrounding trees.
The currents quickly formed a white giant dragon, and a terrifying hurricane instantly swept across the entire area.
The giant tree created by Danzo shattered into uneven pieces of wood under the impact of the white dragon, and a large number of branches were cut apart at the same moment.
Even Danzo, who was farther away, was cut by the scattered airflow when the giant dragon dissipated, leaving many small bleeding wounds across his body.
"Am I really going to die in the Land of Rain?" Danzo felt the chill of death.
Sōsuke was simply too strong. His Wood Release Ninjutsu had no advantage against Sōsuke at all.
"If only I had a few more months to train..."
Danzo was extremely unwilling.
If he had just a little more training time, the result would definitely not have been like this.
But the constantly approaching Sōsuke made Danzo realize that there was no "if" in this world.
"Summoning Technique!"
Danzo quickly formed hand signs and slammed his hand onto the ground.
This was his final method to buy time.
He had a Nin-Beast named Baku, which was enormous but relatively ordinary in strength.
A thick puff of white smoke flashed, and a slightly strange-looking Nin-Beast appeared in front of Danzo.
Baku opened its large mouth and sucked everything in front of it toward its maw to devour, then released airflow from a part resembling an elephant's trunk.
"Wind Blade."
Mugetsu extended his right hand, straightening and joining his thumb, index, and middle fingers while bending the other two fingers downward.
Whoosh!
A fierce gust of wind erupted from Mugetsu's fingertips, blowing away the broken branches and wood chips around him.
The next moment, a thin red line appeared across Baku's enormous body.
Pfft!
A massive amount of blood gushed out, staining the ground around Baku red.
Bang!
White smoke flashed, and Baku disappeared directly.
What was the point of fighting?
Although its intelligence was average, it still knew Danzo had summoned it only to send it to its death.
"Why isn't Mugetsu here yet!"
Feeling that his Nin-Beast had failed to last even a minute, Danzo became incredibly anxious.
He truly did not want to die.
If he died, what would happen to Konoha?
Who would make up for Hiruzen Sarutobi's indecisiveness?
Who would become the new God of Shinobi?
Who would make Konoha great again?
Danzo struggled to make his final stand. He controlled the remaining trees, extending their branches to block Sōsuke and stop him from advancing.
The merciless high-temperature flames devoured Danzo's hope of survival.
Crackle!
The vines controlled by Danzo were like fuel in front of the flames exhaled by Mugetsu, helping the flames burn even more fiercely.
With the aid of countless trees, the flames continued spreading and growing, eventually transforming the forest into a sea of fire.
Although high heat and flames surrounded him from every direction, and the temperature was unbelievably high, Danzo only felt his hands and feet turn cold.
Because he might truly die here.
Not at the hands of a Kage from one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, but at the hands of the leader of a minor Ninja Organization.
"Fire Release: Flame Vortex!"
Mugetsu quickly created several rings of fire from the sea of flames, trapping Danzo within them, then controlled the rings to shrink continuously.
"Wood Release: Wood Golem Wall!"
Danzo used Wood Release to defend himself, but the rings of fire were incredibly hot, burning through the wooden wall and still leaving behind a large amount of flame.
Along with the remaining flames, a faint, barely noticeable wisp of Azure Flame struck Danzo.
A scream rang out from within the sea of fire.
Danzo felt as if his soul had been ignited. An unprecedented burning pain spread through his entire body.
The pain was so intense that he could not even straighten his body to face Sōsuke, who was walking toward him.
As if to make him suffer even more, Sōsuke did not use the Body Flicker Technique to kill him directly.
Instead, he walked toward him slowly, step by step, each footfall clear and distinct.
Thump! Thump!
Each heavy footstep seemed to strike Danzo's heart, almost making him unable to breathe.
Danzo clenched his fists tightly, using all his strength to drag his heavily injured body toward Konoha.
Even though Mugetsu was not using the exaggerated speed of a Ninja, Danzo was too badly injured, and the distance between them was rapidly closing.
No matter how much Danzo did not want to die, facing those approaching footsteps, he had to admit one thing.
He was going to die.
Even if he wanted to escape, it was useless.
At that moment, countless fragments of memory flashed through Danzo's mind.
There were carefree days from his childhood, days when he went to school and trained with Hiruzen and his other close friends.
There were also memories of struggling to become the Darkness of Konoha after taking command of Root.
In the end, only two fragments remained in Danzo's mind.
The first was the memory of Senju Tobirama taking them to sign a peace treaty with the Land of Lightning, only to encounter the Gold and Silver Brothers' coup.
They were pursued by Kumogakure's elite unit, and when the team needed a decoy to draw away the enemy, Hiruzen was the first to volunteer, saying that aside from Senju Tobirama, he was the strongest.
"So at that moment, I actually felt relieved...?" Danzo closed his lifeless eyes.
Before, he had only remembered that he had also volunteered to be the decoy, but had been one step slower than Hiruzen.
Only just before his death did Danzo clearly recall everything.
When Hiruzen said he would be the decoy, Danzo had felt a wave of relief.
It was to avoid being looked down upon by the others, and to compete with Hiruzen, that he had followed afterward and said he wanted to be the decoy too.
The real him had not had the courage to be the first to step forward.
Hiruzen was the rightful Third Hokage.
The second memory was of the meal he had shared with Hiruzen before leaving Konoha.
Danzo had once been only one step away from becoming Hokage, and had fought many Shinobi World powerhouses who later became famous.
His life could not be called perfect, but it could certainly be called magnificent.
Yet at the moment of his impending death, what he remembered last was not one of his glories, but the scene of him treating Hiruzen to a meal for the first and last time.
The relationship between Hiruzen and Danzo had been extremely complicated.
As children, they were good friends who shared ambitions.
After becoming Ninja, they were good friends who trained together and competed for the position of Hokage.
When Hiruzen became Hokage, their relationship changed. Because of differing political views, they often opposed each other, and Danzo had even thought of overthrowing Hiruzen through a coup.
"We shouldn't have discussed politics back then," Danzo sighed inwardly.
If they had not discussed politics, they would not have argued, and his final impression on Hiruzen would not have been so bad.
Putting work aside, Hiruzen had indeed been his best friend in this life, and his only friend now.
Thump! Thump!
The footsteps grew closer, and Danzo silently gathered Chakra.
He had mastered a Ninjutsu called the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique, a mutual-destruction sealing technique that could seal everything around him.
Because its range was limited, Danzo had to wait until Sōsuke came close enough before activating it.
"Let me protect Konoha one last time," Danzo thought silently.
At this moment before death, he thought of many things.
He made a bold guess.
Sōsuke and "Uchiha Madara" were in league with each other.
Otherwise, why would "Uchiha Madara" vanish at such a critical moment?
As for why "Uchiha Madara" would use Wood Release as bait to make him help kill Sōsuke and seize Nagato's Rinnegan, Danzo believed it was a conspiracy, a conspiracy aimed at Konoha.
If "Uchiha Madara" truly wanted to kill Sōsuke, he would have done so long ago.
Clearly, "Uchiha Madara" wanted to deplete Konoha's strength, and perhaps even use him to test the results of Hashirama cell experiments.
Danzo even believed that "Uchiha Madara" and Sōsuke might be the same person.
Where could so many nameless powerhouses in the Ninja World come from?
On top of that, whenever "Uchiha Madara" met him, he always wore something completely opaque. That alone clearly suggested a major problem.
"No matter who you are, you will not have another chance to harm Konoha."
Danzo was very confident in his mutual-destruction sealing technique. Unless Sōsuke had prior intelligence, it would be impossible to evade this move.
But even in Konoha, only a few people knew of this technique, let alone Sōsuke.
Just as Danzo was about to activate the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique, a blond-haired figure flashed in like lightning.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A massive amount of water extinguished most of the sea of flames, and some of the water pushed back Mugetsu's main body, which was approaching Danzo.
A final glimmer of hope ignited in Danzo's despairing heart.
Mugetsu had arrived.
Mugetsu, who had become the strongest Ninja of Konoha's younger generation under his and Hiruzen's joint tutelage, had finally arrived.
"So Raging Sun Mugetsu has come as well," Hanzo said with a frown, having been about to rescue Danzo himself.
He recognized the newcomer at a glance.
This was the most dazzling young Ninja Konoha had produced in the past year.
Raging Sun Mugetsu's most recent major victory had taken place in the Land of Grass, a neighbor of the Land of Rain. Hanzo knew that although Mugetsu was young, his strength was no weaker than the Sannin.
Nagato, who had also been about to act, froze when he saw who it was.
As the only one who knew Mugetsu's dual identity, Nagato was a little bewildered.
He had never imagined that Raging Sun Mugetsu could also confront Ninja Master Sōsuke.
"Lord Danzo, I'm sorry. I'm late," Mugetsu's Shadow Clone said apologetically to Danzo.
"Quick, take me away!" Danzo immediately shouted in a weak voice.
Although he had thought of testing Mugetsu earlier, now Danzo only wanted to live.
Mugetsu possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique and had also mastered Medical Ninjutsu. As reinforcements went, he was perfect.
Without needing to say more, the instant Mugetsu's Shadow Clone finished speaking, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Danzo and Mugetsu's Shadow Clone vanished from the scorched, damp ground, causing Mugetsu's main body's Ninjutsu to miss.
"Sōsuke, it's time to settle our matter," Hanzo stepped forward and said in a deep voice.
Just now, when Danzo used Izanagi for the second time, Hanzo had also wanted to act.
But Nagato and Sōsuke had cooperated too well, and Hanzo's Water Release could not offset Fire Dragon Dance, so he had no chance.
Now that Danzo had been rescued by Hayate Mugetsu, Hanzo felt a weight lift from his heart.
Danzo himself was irritating, but his death would indeed be troublesome.
"After watching the battle just now, have your thoughts still not changed?" Mugetsu patted the ash from his body and asked Hanzo.
In the past, he did not even need to go all out to deal with Hanzo. Now, his strength had improved significantly.
It was not that he looked down on Hanzo. But if Hanzo and Danzo had swapped places, when Mugetsu used Twin Dragon Annihilation, Hanzo would have died without even leaving a complete corpse.
Hanzo drew his chained scythe.
"Sōsuke, looking down on me could cost you your life."
...
Whoosh!
The moment Danzo finished speaking, he felt the space around him shift, and the surrounding temperature rapidly dropped. Clearly, he had arrived somewhere else.
Danzo felt a wave of relief.
This was the strongest Root Ninja he had nurtured. Truly reliable.
"First, take me farther away. Then treat me," Danzo said, enduring the searing pain.
Perhaps Sōsuke's Fire Release had been too powerful, because Danzo could still feel that burning pain that pierced straight into his soul.
Mugetsu nodded without speaking, teleporting several times before laying Danzo on the ground. Then he aimed his green-glowing palm at Danzo.
After half a minute, Danzo's brow furrowed tightly.
The burning sensation in his chest, near his heart, showed no sign of fading.
Mugetsu looked at Danzo's expression and knew what he was thinking.
The answer was simple.
At the very end, Mugetsu had secretly hit Danzo with Azure Flame.
Even with Mugetsu controlling its power, Azure Flame was not something a heavily injured Danzo could endure.
Now, Danzo's injuries were extremely severe. Unless a medical master like Tsunade came to treat him, he was doomed to die.
Under the stimulation of Mugetsu's Yang Release Chakra, some of Danzo's minor injuries gradually healed.
But to Danzo's despair, he felt no signs of true recovery. He only felt himself becoming weaker and weaker.
The small flame of hope that had ignited in his despair shattered.
Danzo was furious, tightly clenching his fists.
He wanted to question him.
He wanted to ask whether Mugetsu had truly done his best to treat him, and whether Mugetsu had seriously studied Medical Ninjutsu.
As excited as Danzo had been when Mugetsu appeared, that was how desperate and pained he felt now.
He had thought he could continue striving for Konoha's renewed greatness.
Reality was so cruel.
But in the end, Danzo did not speak.
He would not live much longer. Mugetsu's Medical Ninjutsu could not save him.
His final moments should not be spent cursing his subordinate. They should be used to make one last contribution to Konoha.
At this moment, Danzo was unusually calm.
"Stop the treatment. Conserve your Chakra in case of an emergency," Danzo ordered.
Since he could not be cured, there was no need to waste Mugetsu's Chakra.
If Mugetsu encountered danger and failed to bring this intelligence back, then his death would truly be meaningless.
Mugetsu decisively stopped the Medical Ninjutsu.
So decisively that Danzo felt slightly displeased.
There was no helping it. The Shadow Clone's Chakra was limited. Even if Danzo had said nothing, Mugetsu would still have had to silently reduce the output.
He had to at least hold on until Danzo died.
If Danzo discovered that the one who had come to save him was only a Shadow Clone, he would probably die with his eyes open.
"You must bring my body back to Konoha. My body holds the secret of Hashirama cell transplantation. Let Hiruzen restart the Hashirama cell experiments using my body," Danzo continued.
Danzo understood the value of his own corpse.
Compared to the lucky Yamato, the Hashirama cell technology on "Uchiha Madara's" side was clearly superior. This might be Konoha's chance to create a Wood Release unit.
"Also, tell Hiruzen not to let Orochimaru research me. In addition, there is intelligence regarding my cooperation with Orochimaru in secret room number six of the Root base. You must keep it in your hands. If Orochimaru ever shows any thoughts or actions harmful to Konoha, give those materials to Hiruzen."
As Orochimaru's collaborator, Danzo understood him very well.
Orochimaru was as cold-blooded as a snake.
When he was alive, Danzo was confident he could suppress Orochimaru. But now that he was gone, Danzo worried that Orochimaru acting alone might spiral out of control.
Mugetsu nodded.
Obtaining leverage over Orochimaru was a good gain.
"Be careful of Sōsuke and a Ninja who calls himself Uchiha Madara. They might be the same person, or they might not be. Either way, if you have the chance, you must eliminate them and the forces behind them!" Danzo gritted his teeth.
Sōsuke and "Uchiha Madara" were both deeply involved in his death.
They were the two people Danzo most wanted dead right now.
Mugetsu continued to nod.
The man was about to die, so he might as well let him leave happily.
"You... after you go back, tell Hiruzen to give Root to you. Tell him I said so. You must shoulder Konoha's darkness, just as I did."
Danzo became incredibly weak.
Even for a Ninja with senses as sharp as Mugetsu's, he had to concentrate to hear Danzo clearly.
"You must be careful of the Uchiha. They are all inherently evil..."
At this point, Danzo's voice was barely audible.
Mugetsu could only tell that Danzo had not completely died from the faint movement of his lips.
"Mugetsu, protect Konoha!"
Danzo used every last bit of strength to utter his final words.
In his mind, he recalled Senju Tobirama's dying instructions to Hiruzen during their retreat.
After giving his final orders, the tension in Danzo's body loosened.
His mouth closed, and his breathing became extremely faint.
"If I had been the first to step forward back then, what would the result have been...?"
"Hiruzen, I'm going ahead."
With that final thought, Danzo's consciousness sank into endless darkness.
Mugetsu quietly watched Danzo die.
After carefully checking and confirming that Danzo was truly dead, he sealed Danzo's body into a scroll.
.....
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