Success!
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared intently at Uchiha Madara.
The White Fang short sword shot out, piercing through Uchiha Madara's chest cavity!
The Complete Body Susano'o instantly disintegrated!
"Sakumo! Well done!"
A large hole, over ten centimeters wide, appeared in Uchiha Madara's chest.
Uchiha Madara's clothes were torn, and on his chest, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw a face!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's jaw slowly dropped in astonishment.
That was... the face of the First Hokage!
So Uchiha Madara could use Wood Release by transplanting Hashirama's cells, using a method similar to Orochimaru's?
Uchiha Madara's transplantation technique was more advanced; his Wood Release level was stronger than both Danzo's and Fox's.
Hatake Sakumo fell from high altitude like a ragged sack.
Thud!
Hatake Sakumo's body landed in an extremely grotesque manner. Tsunade could tell at a glance that his spine and sternum were completely shattered.
Being hit head-on by the Uchiha War Fan, with Uchiha Madara's taijutsu and the war fan's hardness... Hatake Sakumo...
Tsunade rushed over immediately, green medical chakra appeared on her hands. Yet, despite her experience, she didn't know where to begin.
Hatake Sakumo's chest cavity was utterly destroyed.
Trying to locate his heart with chakra sensing, she only found shredded tissue, a mix of heart and lung fragments.
Tsunade swallowed with difficulty.
Such injuries... she, she was powerless.
Hatake Sakumo's mouth was full of blood plasma and organ fragments. He mumbled: "Minato... Kakashi..."
Tsunade quickly nodded and said, "I understand. I will look after Minato and Kakashi."
Minato was very important to Kushina.
Grandmother Mito had said that a Jinchūriki needed a warm person to fill their heart, otherwise they couldn't resist the darkness of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
For Kushina, Minato was that warm person.
As for Kakashi, Minato was Hatake Sakumo's student, so Kakashi would definitely be Minato's student.
While looking after Minato, it was only right to look after Kakashi as well.
Hatake Sakumo had used his own life to kill Uchiha Madara, an extremely dangerous rogue-nin. He deserved respect.
Even though their interactions weren't deep, Hatake Sakumo's sacrifice was worth Tsunade paving the way for Kakashi.
But the last name Hatake Sakumo uttered made Tsunade's pupils constrict abruptly.
"Fox..."
Hatake Sakumo's mouth was already filled with blood plasma, and the name was mumbled indistinctly, but Tsunade was absolutely certain that was the name he said.
Fox?
Fox and Hatake Sakumo?
In that instant, Tsunade thought of many things and suddenly understood a lot.
Hatake Sakumo's career had progressed very smoothly over the past two years.
He completed important S-rank missions one after another and became a village advisor.
This wasn't just due to Hatake Sakumo's strength; there was help from the shadows as well.
In Tsunade's view, Hatake Sakumo was somewhat idealistic, at times even more naive than herself. Hatake Sakumo alone couldn't have advanced so smoothly.
So, someone had been clearing obstacles for him in the darkness, allowing him to seize the significant position of External Affairs Advisor from the mouths of the higher-ups.
Hatake Sakumo had entrusted everything before his death – not just Minato and Kakashi, but also, more importantly, the assistance from the shadows.
So, Hatake Sakumo and Fox had long been allies.
One operates in the light, the other in the dark, influencing the village.
Because of the relationship between Minato and Kushina, Hatake Sakumo chose to trust Tsunade with his final breath.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing further away, couldn't hear Hatake Sakumo's last words.
The medical chakra on Tsunade's hands slowly dissipated.
Seeing Tsunade's action, Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart tightened abruptly in the distance.
He had guarded against Hatake Sakumo countless times, not wanting this powerful figure risen from the common people to enter the village's upper echelons, not wanting him to implement his naive policies.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen also understood in his heart that Hatake Sakumo was a very useful blade, a very sharp blade.
For example, now, when the village was in danger, Hatake Sakumo would sacrifice everything for the village.
Orders given to Hatake Sakumo would not be met with superficial compliance and actual defiance just because Sarutobi Hiruzen had targeted him before.
In that final strike just now, Hatake Sakumo didn't clash the White Fang directly with the Uchiha War Fan. Instead, he willingly traded injury for injury, ensuring his own death but also guaranteeing the death of the terrifying rogue-nin Uchiha Madara.
Hatake Sakumo had removed a great scourge from the village.
Uchiha Madara was too strong. This powerhouse from the village's founding era, along with his powerful subordinates, had suffocated Konoha.
With Uchiha Madara dead, who in the shinobi world would still say Konoha was weakening? Who could still look down on Konoha?
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes grew downcast. Only when Hatake Sakumo truly died before his eyes did Sarutobi Hiruzen realize it belatedly.
Konoha's sharpest blade... was broken.
Koharu sacrificed, and now Hatake Sakumo was dead too. What should the village do?
Sarutobi Hiruzen swallowed with difficulty.
He hurried towards Hatake Sakumo.
Just then, an eye suddenly opened on the Adamantine Staff.
"Hiruzen! Don't lose focus!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up sharply and saw Uchiha Madara!
Uchiha Madara stood on the trunk of a large tree, looking down at the two living and one dead Konoha shinobi on the ground.
Uchiha Madara's voice sent chills down Sarutobi Hiruzen's spine.
"I never expected that within this rotten Konoha, there could still be a true shinobi.
Hatake Sakumo, you are the second person to force me to use this technique.
The last one... was still Hashirama."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked closely. Uchiha Madara's left eye, visible outside his slanted bangs, was pale gray.
Izanagi... Uchiha Madara had sacrificed one eye, using Izanagi to alter the boundary between illusion and reality, evading Hatake Sakumo's final strike!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth felt bitter. He should have thought of it. He should have thought of it earlier.
Tsunade looked at Uchiha Madara's chest.
Shouldn't there be a large hole there? Shouldn't it be pierced through front and back, with the heart gone?
A moment later, Tsunade also realized: this was the Izanagi that Granduncle Tobirama had spoken of.
The Uchiha clan's dojutsu was not only powerful but also each technique was bizarre.
Conventional shinobi faced a significant disadvantage against Uchiha dojutsu.
Uchiha Madara said:
"I take back my previous words.
The only shinobi left in all of Konoha was Hatake Sakumo.
The rest are merely insects clinging to Konoha's husk, sucking its blood.
This feeling of excitement... It's the first time since Hashirama.
I acknowledge you, Hatake Sakumo. A pity you are already dead."
Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly drew forth chakra, preparing to face Uchiha Madara's next assault.
But without Hatake Sakumo, could he still deal with Uchiha Madara?
Sarutobi Hiruzen hoped: Having lost one Sharingan, would Uchiha Madara fear death and leave now?
He bluffed boldly: "Uchiha Madara! When you lose your second Sharingan eye, it will be your death!"
Uchiha Madara let out a contemptuous snort and said:
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you died ten years ago. You died the moment you learned of Uchiha Kagami's murder and did nothing.
The you now is no longer the Sarutobi Hirurama that Hashirama believed could be entrusted with Konoha.
You are merely a walking corpse filled with greed.
In your heart, Konoha comrades are insignificant; your prestige and power are everything to you.
Hatake Sakumo was killed by me. But you, this trash, were killed by yourself long ago."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression changed.
Uchiha Madara was just like the rumors said; his words always struck a nerve.
Tsunade also stood up from beside Hatake Sakumo. Her stored chakra was running low.
She recalled her clan's records: during the village's founding, Uchiha Madara had acted recklessly many times, often not annihilating his enemies completely.
For instance, Uchiha Madara had once overwhelmingly defeated the Second Tsuchikage, Mū, and the then-young Ōnoki.
But in the end, Uchiha Madara didn't kill them, instead sparing their lives.
Uchiha Madara had something of a heroic villain's nature. When he felt satisfied, he would often generously spare his enemies.
Uchiha Madara looked at Konoha Village:
"I will not destroy this husk. This dead city, Konoha, will eventually destroy itself one day.
A self-destructing Konoha will prove that Hashirama was wrong."
Then Uchiha Madara turned and walked away.
He simply disappeared into the tree trunk.
Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief.
Whether out of concern for having only one Sharingan left or feeling satisfied enough to leave, Uchiha Madara was gone.
Within Konoha Village, Tobi and Yōkō, one fleeing, one pursuing, reached the western part of the village.
Danzo was still using Wind Release to engage the Susano'o giant from a distance.
The battlefield was near the wall. Buildings within two hundred meters of the wall had been flattened.
"Tobi! Lord Madara has left!"
"Then let's go too!"
Yōkō looked outside the wall. The hundred-meter-tall Complete Body Susano'o had vanished. It seemed Uchiha Madara had finally left.
Just then, a figure suddenly Body Flickered behind Tobi.
Danzo, who had just been stalemating with the Susano'o giant, abandoned the Susano'o and appeared abruptly, showing no sign of his previous struggle.
Danzo could have defeated the Wood Clone Susano'o long ago. The Wood Clone Susano'o of Uchiha Madara was now far inferior to the Edo Tensei Susano'o from the original story.
Having acted all night, Danzo had finally seized his opportunity.
Tobi, realizing someone had appeared behind him, quickly turned around.
A wooden spear shot from his hand – the Wood Spikes technique thrust towards the person behind him.
Danzo's hand moved like an eagle's claw, grabbing for Tobi's throat. Tobi's wooden spear stabbed towards Danzo's heart.
However, a Wind Release shuriken flew in from the side.
A disc of wind blades over a meter in diameter was attached to the shuriken, directly cutting through Tobi's wooden spear.
Tobi realized his reaction had been precisely predicted by Danzo.
Danzo's eagle claw didn't slow, just grazing the tail of the Wind Release shuriken, and clamped onto Tobi's throat.
Tobi thought, I don't even have a real head. Even if you crush my throat, can you kill me?
The next instant, sealing formula appeared on Tobi's body.
Self-Cursing Body Binding Seal?
Tobi was immobilized. He watched helplessly as Danzo's other hand reached for his eye socket.
Within the eye socket, White Zetsu's eyes showed terror.
Was Danzo coming to gouge out his Mangekyō?
His body couldn't move, but White Zetsu's eyes still could.
His left eye rapidly activated its dojutsu.
Mangekyō: Ameno Mihashira!
Danzo was suddenly sealed within the Ameno Mihashira.
But Danzo wasn't panicked at all because he knew that Yono Shima would follow the Ameno Mihashira.
As long as he was killed by Yono Shima, he could use Izanagi to reverse illusion and reality.
Sure enough, a black dot appeared on the ground in front of the Ameno Mihashira.
Behind White Zetsu, beneath the fox mask, Yōkō curled his lips.
He was all too familiar with Danzo's tactics.
You still want to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan? And right in front of me?
Dream on.
Yōkō had already finished forming hand signs.
Wood Release: Giant Wooden Pillar Technique!
A thick, square pillar suddenly burst forth from the wall of a house to the side.
The wooden pillar arrived just in time, pushing the Ameno Mihashira away, preventing it from collapsing by Yono Shima, and thus preventing Danzo's death.
If you don't die, Danzo, how can you use Izanagi?
Right now, saving Danzo is harming Danzo.
Seeing this, Tobi, not bothering to finish off Danzo, quickly sank into the ground.
The Giant Wooden Pillar Technique pinned the Ameno Mihashira against a wall.
Yōkō came to the side of the Ameno Mihashira and asked in an urgent tone: "Lord Danzo! Are you alright! How can I get you out?"
Inside the Ameno Mihashira, Danzo's eyes were ferocious, but he couldn't move a muscle.
***
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(End of Chapter)