"Has the battle... ended?"
Asuma stared at the gradually calming battlefield, his fingers trembling slightly.
The once bustling streets had now turned into vast stretches of ruins and forests after the battle. To an outsider, it might have looked like the remnants of a lost civilization...
This was the power of top-tier shinobi—a single battle could completely alter the terrain.
And Asuma finally realized the gap between himself and a top-tier pow...
After both sides chose to stake everything they had, the battle instantly became intense.
Brilliant sparks continuously erupted between them as two powerful forces clashed and collided.
A dazzling array of taijutsu techniques emerged one after another, as these two former comrades, who once knew each other best, launched a frenzied assault on one another!
Unfortunately, time had left an indelible mark on Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The ravages of time had tak...
"Koharu..."
Homura Mitokado, also trapped in the dense forest, watched the rising dust in the distance with growing anxiety.
After all, he and Koharu were in this together—their fates intertwined.
If something happened to Koharu, he wouldn't fare any better.
Moreover, among the three of them, he had the most conflicts with Danzo. If they failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Thus, even though the forest was fraught with danger, he had ...
"I understand."
Feeling the determination radiating from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Enma nodded solemnly.
With a *poof*, it transformed into the Adamantine Staff, appearing in Hiruzen's hands.
The cool touch of the weapon helped calm Hiruzen's mind as his voice grew low and steady.
"Get ready. We're going in."
Hearing Hiruzen's signal, the other two elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, nodded in unison.
The three of them spread out, forming a...
"Whoosh!!"
The moment Danzo finished speaking, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air. Danzo couldn't help but glance to the side—it was an attack launched by the remaining guardian shinobi.
A massive boulder fell from the sky, crashing directly toward Danzo.
"Forgot to clean up these small fry," Danzo clicked his tongue, then unleashed a surge of astonishing power.
White chakra erupted from his body, instantly forming a towering Susanoo several dozen ...
"Has this guy been prepared all along?"
Kazuma's expression turned extremely grim.
Only now did he realize that all his plans and arrangements had been seen through by the man before him.
However, from Danzo's perspective, this was entirely expected.
After all, knowing that the Lightning Style Four possessed a powerful killing technique, how could he not have made preparations in advance?
Standing there and taking a direct hit was not in line wit...
Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, Danzō finally stepped into the mansion that had been meticulously prepared for him.
At the same time, Kazuma, who had been hiding in the shadows, revealed a sinister smile on his face.
Now was the time!
He immediately formed hand seals and activated the explosive tags.
After completing a series of hand signs, the explosive tags hidden throughout the mansion were instantly ignited.
The sizzling sound of burnin...
Danzo, who had already taken control of the entire Konoha, was well aware of the various actions of his old friends.
In fact, this was the result of his deliberate indulgence.
His goal was to resolve all internal threats in one fell swoop!
Whether it was the daimyo or the conservatives in the village, Danzo intended to use this opportunity to eliminate them all.
Only then could the Land of Fire enter a fast track of development!
As fo...
Danzo's blatant declaration once again sent shockwaves throughout the entire ninja world.
His statement about centralizing power raised the question: was he planning to centralize it in the capital or in Konoha?
The answer was obvious to anyone with a brain.
After all, the "Darkness of the Shinobi" had just executed a large number of nobles on charges of rebellion, including the younger brother of the current Fire Daimyo.
Danzo's intentions were clea...
"Can you defeat Danzo?"
Without a doubt, this is a very serious and realistic question.
If you can't defeat him, then no matter how much you say, it's all in vain!
You can't possibly talk someone into surrendering or committing suicide, can you?
Even if you possess the ultimate persuasive skills like a certain protagonist, it probably wouldn't mean much to someone like Danzo.
You might not even get a few words out before he cuts you down...
Hi...
The Twelve Guardian Ninja.
This is a special force independent of the hidden villages, exclusively serving the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
The team consists of twelve members, each an elite ninja of considerable strength. They often wear a waistcloth with the character for "Fire" to signify their identity.
As the son of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Asuma's inclusion in this group adds an aura of... justice.
After all, if even the Hokage's son has "defected"...
"Good morning, Minato-senpai."
As soon as Hanekawa landed and steadied himself, he saw Namikaze Minato.
Minato stood in the yard, holding a clothes hanger in one hand and spreading wet clothes with the other, hanging them out to dry.
Judging by the style and size of the clothes, they all belonged to a child—Uzumaki Naruto.
At this moment, Minato didn't resemble the elusive "Yellow Flash" of the battlefield but rather a good husband and father.
"Ah...
Under Suien's guidance, Hanekawa passed through the massive waterfall and entered a hidden passage.
After about ten minutes of twists and turns, they finally emerged into the open.
Hanekawa now understood why outsiders could never find the Hidden Waterfall Village.
The hidden passages were not only numerous but also interconnected. Without familiarity with the routes, one could easily get lost.
"Who's there?"
"Who are you?"
"It's the missin...
"Do you know Uchiha Madara?"
Konan pondered for a moment before asking.
"Uchiha Madara was a ninja from the Uchiha clan. He died at the hands of the First Hokage during the battle at the Valley of the End," Hanekawa nodded and asked, "Why are you bringing up Uchiha Madara?"
"Uchiha Madara isn't dead," Konan said gravely. "About a year ago, a ninja claiming to be Uchiha Madara approached us."
"A year ago? So, your alliance ended because of him?" Hanekawa rai...
The sandstorm swept in.
Hanekawa's eyes flickered, and the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan activated.
Susanoo!
A cold and sinister aura surged into the sky.
The air twisted, and in an instant, a white half-bodied skeleton formed.
A massive amount of chakra surged, quickly covering the skeleton with tendons and flesh.
Susanoo extended its hands, shielding Hanekawa.
Boom!
The fierce wind, carrying tremendous force, slammed into Susanoo...
In the Hokage's office in Konoha, Danzo sipped his hot tea while carefully reading the intelligence report sent by Ryoma. A faint smile crept onto his lips.
"Heh, it seems our Daimyo is quite impatient," the old man known as the "Darkness of the Shinobi" chuckled softly.
The secret plans that the Daimyo believed to be confidential had been fully exposed to Danzo through Ryoma's surveillance.
Not only Danzo, but Minato and Shikaku, who were also present, showe...
"Damn Danzo, how dare he kill Enishi!"
In the capital of the Land of Fire, the esteemed Daimyo was clenching his fists in fury.
To be honest, as a noble, his bond with his so-called younger brother wasn't particularly deep. However, this didn't mean he was completely indifferent to Enishi's death.
Firstly, Enishi was essentially his cash cow, a crucial tool for amassing wealth.
Losing this tool would inevitably lead to a sharp decline in his income.
<...
"Lord Enishi, a high-ranking official of the Land of Fire, colluded with a group of merchants and nobles to hold an illegal assembly on an island near the Land of Waves, attempting to stage a rebellion!"
"Fortunately, Konoha promptly uncovered the plot and thwarted the coup attempt."
"Lord Enishi and his accomplices, guilty of heinous crimes and clear acts of treason, have now been executed."
As the sun rose the next day, this news spread like wildfire across the ...
"Sorry, I’m one of the good guys."
En Oyashiro calmly straightened his attire and, under the stunned gazes of everyone, uttered these words with composure.
"You dare betray me! En Oyashiro!"
Lord Enishi’s eyes seemed to spit fire, his entire body trembling with rage.
Sakami Yuzuru, who had brought the newspaper, was the first to step forward in support:
"My lord, order someone to seize this traitor!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two ni...
"Next, I will present to you all an incredibly thrilling..."
"Performance!"
En Oyashiro, dressed in formal attire, addressed the audience with a smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, the iron cages on both sides of the arena began to slowly open.
A chimera beast emerged, snorting as it stepped out.
Its appearance immediately drew gasps from the entire audience.
Its looks truly surpassed the imagination of the nobles. Its head was that of a f...
Days passed one after another.
As nobles and merchants from various places arrived, a secluded island near the Land of Waves began to buzz with activity.
This previously uninhabited island, thanks to the relentless investment of En Oyashiro, had its infrastructure fully developed in just four short months.
Not only did he build an incredibly luxurious hotel on the island, but he also integrated a variety of entertainment facilities.
The most eye-catching of...
As the situation in the Land of Hot Springs grew increasingly tense, Kumogakure began to ramp up its support for the Hidden Hot Water Village.
Every day, large quantities of weapons were delivered to the front lines, and a small number of Kumogakure ninjas began to secretly join the conflict under the guise of rogue ninjas.
Of course, neither Kumogakure nor Konoha openly intervened; instead, they engaged in a covert struggle within the Land of Hot Springs.
Even ...
"An envoy from the Hidden Hot Water Village?"
Upon hearing about the Hidden Hot Water Village, the Fourth Raikage's already gloomy expression turned even darker.
He could easily guess the purpose of their visit without even opening his eyes. It was always the same—asking for people, money, weapons...
Although it was irritating, what could A, as the Raikage, do?
The Land of Hot Springs was a crucial gateway for Kumogakure to access Konoha, serving as a s...
“Boom!!”
With a terrifying roar, the barrier surrounding the training ground couldn't withstand such an intense attack and shattered instantly.
Aburame Ryoma and Hatake Kakashi were sent flying violently, crashing into the surrounding walls like two solid cannonballs.
Fortunately, Danzo hadn't used his full strength in that strike. Otherwise, even with the protection of their Tailed Beast Cloaks, they would have likely ended up severely injured. Even so, it st...
A massive amount of white steam swirled above the training ground, gradually coalescing into an extremely ferocious dragon.
Accompanied by a sharp, piercing sound of electricity, countless arcs of lightning emerged from the white dragon.
In an instant, the battlefield was illuminated by intense flashes of light!
The dragon, enveloped in lightning, let out a thunderous roar.
It twisted its massive body, resembling a dazzling sword, and plunged directly to...
In the dark, sunless depths of Konoha's Root headquarters, two figures slowly made their way to the training ground.
Both wore gray-white standard flak jackets and masks bearing the symbols of Root, corresponding to the codenames [Horse] and [Dog].
That's right, standing face-to-face on the training ground were Konoha's two jinchūriki, aside from the Nine-Tails—Aburame Ryoma and Hatake Kakashi.
It had been half a year since they became jinchūriki.
Du...
Danzo's speech not only caused a significant stir within the village but also sent ripples as far as the Land of Rice, thousands of miles away.
Uchiha Shisui, Konoha’s plenipotentiary minister stationed in the Land of Rice, was holding the latest edition of The New Interpretation of the Will of Fire and remarked calmly,
"It seems my teacher is preparing to make a move in the realm of ideology..."
As Danzo’s chief disciple, Shisui was well aware that his teache...
The next day, Danzo's speech on the new interpretation of the Will of Fire naturally made the front-page headline of the Shinobi World United News
Terms like "new interpretation of the Will of Fire," "new world," "ideology," and "system" quickly spread.
Many began speculating about the deeper meaning behind Danzo's speech.
This led to the New Interpretation of the Will of Fire, published by the Shinobi World United News, selling out in record time!
To be ...
Just as everyone thought the entrance exam would conclude with Uchiha Itachi taking first place, a figure suddenly appeared in the training ground.
When the teacher, Daichun, who had experienced numerous brutal wars, recognized the newcomer, he was stunned.
The figure who had suddenly appeared was none other than the hero of Konoha, praised and revered by the villagers!
"It's Lord Danzo!" one student shouted, and soon the entire training ground erupted in excite...
"Today is the trial for the new semester. The results of this trial will be sent directly to the Hokage's office. Please take it seriously!"
As soon as the semester started, the homeroom teacher, Daichun, emphasized seriously.
He was wearing Konoha's green flak jacket, with a forehead protector on his head, a veteran Chunin.
Due to severe injuries sustained during the Third Great Ninja War, he was assigned by the higher-ups to teach at the ninja academy.
Be...