"Lord Danzo, are you sure about this?"
At the port controlled by Konoha, Minato Namikaze stood with a face full of concern as he looked at Danzo Shimura.
Danzo was holding a piece of paper, which was rapidly being consumed by flames.
From the half-burnt remains, one could still make out the characters for "Transfer Order".
That’s right—this was the emergency order just delivered by an Anbu ninja, officially transferring Danzo from the Southern Front to ...
"We… won?"
Sitting in his office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the battle report from the southern front, his face filled with disbelief.
Although it was expected that Konoha would achieve victory once Mitokado Homura was no longer dragging them down, the speed of this turnaround was simply too fast!
Sharing his astonishment were Konoha's two advisors, Koharu Utatane and Mitokado Homura.
Especially the latter.
After all, while he was in charge, Konoh...
In the world of shinobi, the title of "disciple" was far more than just a label—it was a form of inheritance.
This inheritance encompassed ideals, beliefs, status, and power.
Otherwise, how else could all four of Tobirama Senju’s disciples have risen to become Konoha’s Elders and Advisors?
If Shisui were to truly become Danzo’s disciple, this direct master-student bond could very well allow him to represent the Uchiha clan in Konoha’s core leadership in ...
Kirigakure’s defeat was utterly inevitable.
As the flames in the port gradually died down, the invasion was officially over.
Amidst the chaos, the enemy had been completely unable to mount an effective counterattack.
Instead, infighting erupted as they scrambled for escape, plunging them into even deeper disorder.
Seeing this, Minato did not hesitate—he led the charge.
Right behind him, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hizashi, and the other Konoha shinobi s...
Terumi Mei’s terrified pupils reflected the imposing figure of Danzo, who loomed like a god of slaughter.
With Wind Release chakra enhancing his attack, he swung his massive blade with deadly force.
In such a sudden and desperate moment, Terumi Mei had no time to weave a jutsu—she had never expected her meticulously planned acid mist to be so easily neutralized!
With no other choice, she instinctively pulled out a kunai to block the incoming strike.
Cla...
The fierce Wind Release chakra easily sliced through the wooden floor, whistling sharply as it slashed toward the two men!
Ao reacted swiftly, dodging to the side just in time to evade the attack.
The wind blade brushed past him, leaving a massive gash in the wall behind him.
However, the same could not be said for Fuguki Suikazan, who was trapped by a genjutsu. He took the full brunt of the Wind Release slash, and blood sprayed from his body!
“Damn it!...
Fuguki Suikazan finally gave in.
Although he knew that Danzo’s mysterious jutsu, which allowed him to evade all harm, must come with a huge cost and couldn’t be used easily, he didn’t dare to take the gamble.
Because if he lost, he would not only lose all of the Mizukage’s trust but also face the relentless pursuit of the entire Kirigakure!
As a member of Kirigakure’s assassination unit, Fuguki Suikazan was well aware of how terrifying they were.
...
"So, Kirigakure is planning to run away, huh?"
High above the battlefield, Shimura Danzo hovered in the air, his body partially dispersing into paper fragments, a result of his mastery over Paper Release. From this vantage point, he observed several large sailing ships approaching the harbor.
There were no ninja aboard these ships. This meant they weren’t for deploying reinforcements—they were here to evacuate the Kirigakure forces back to the Land of Water.
"...
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been utterly shattered.
In the original timeline, they were decimated by Might Duy, who opened the Eighth Gate in a furious sacrifice, turning them into nothing more than a tragic memory.
But under the butterfly effect of Danzo’s actions, their fate was even worse. They had now been reduced to merely two surviving members—and one of them didn’t even have a sword…
As Kirigakure’s most elite combat force in this ba...
Land of Fire, Konoha, Hokage’s Office.
As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi had lost count of how many cigarettes he had smoked that day.
But no amount of smoke could suppress the anger burning inside him.
His hands trembled as he held the letter in his grasp.
"That damn Danzo! What does he take me, the Hokage, for?!"
Indeed, the letter in Sarutobi’s hand was from Danzo, written before he left Kikyo Mountain.
It detailed Danzo’s next mo...
No one knew if it was the sight of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen’s corpses that stirred the Jōnin present, but the moment Danzo finished speaking, they roared in unison, “Yes!”
Amid the deafening response, Mitokado Homura’s face turned ashen. Still unwilling to concede, he muttered, “Danzo, replacing the commander requires the Hokage’s written order…”
Before Homura could finish his sentence, Minato Namikaze appeared at his side, placing a hand lightly on his...
In the southern region of the Land of Fire, within the temporary camp of the retreating Konoha forces:
Hyūga Hizashi, tasked with security, suddenly looked up, his eyes vigilant. "Someone is coming!"
Unlike other scouting ninjas, the Byakugan allows a 360-degree view, enabling Hyūga clan members to detect movement in all directions, including the sky.
Hearing Hizashi's warning, the nearby ninjas quickly grabbed their weapons, bracing themselves.
The repea...
Fuguki Suikazan had left.
Before departing, he had tried to take Samehada with him, but Danzo refused.
Although Danzo didn’t plan to use Samehada as his weapon, it was still one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist—an important bargaining chip Danzo intended to use in future negotiations with Kirigakure.
After all, ending the war with Kirigakure and convincing them to turn their attention toward Sunagakure would not be an easy task.
By the time Minato ...
For the first time, Samehada tasted the chakra of the Eight-Tails and was instantly intoxicated.
It seemed utterly mesmerized, beginning to wriggle slightly in Fuguki Suikazan’s grasp.
“What’s going on, Samehada?!”
Fuguki felt the weapon's restlessness and quickly created some distance between himself and Danzo.
But even so, Samehada continued to struggle violently, trying to break free from his hold.
“Damn it!”
In frustration, Fug...
“Boom!!!”
Terrifying explosions ravaged the battlefield, with black smoke and flames chasing after Fuguki Suikazan like relentless demons.
Feeling the continuous explosions behind him and the massive number of explosive tags propelled toward him by the blast shockwaves, Fuguki’s face turned grim.
Who the hell is this Shimura Danzo?
That damned ANBU intelligence—they said this old man was scheming, ruthless, and only particularly skilled in Wind Rele...
Why is he here?
Wasn't he supposed to have died in the explosion?
Countless questions filled Jinpachi Munashi’s mind as he struggled to comprehend what was happening.
But Danzo had no intention of answering his confusion. Instead, he opened his mouth.
“Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!”
A dense air bullet shot out from Danzo’s mouth, spinning rapidly as it slammed into the terrified Jinpachi Munashi.
Danzo’s mastery of Wind Release ...
“Kekekekeke!”
Amid a chilling laugh, Mangetsu Hozuki's real body emerged from the dispersing mist.
He stared at Danzo, who was trapped in the Water Prison Jutsu, and sneered.
“Foolish old man. Did you really think I’d lose my composure over just a few words from you? Naive!”
Fuguki Suikazan approached and stood beside Mangetsu Hozuki, sneering as well.
“The so-called ‘Darkness of the Shinobi’... turns out to be nothing special.”
Comb...
"Looks like you're quite confident in your strength."
Fuguki Suikazan hoisted his massive Samehada, glaring menacingly at Danzo.
"Though I don’t know how you’re able to use Wood Style, if you think it alone is enough to defeat us, then you’re far too naive!"
His fiery red hair suddenly shot upward, transforming into countless senbon-like needles that rained down on Danzo like a storm.
"Needle Senbon!"
"This technique... it’s somewhat similar ...
The first reaction from Fuguki Suikazan and the others was sheer confusion—What the hell is this?
But their confusion was short-lived. They immediately noticed the densely packed black seals inscribed on the papers and the large 爆 ("explosive") character in the center.
A powerful sense of danger swept over them in an instant.
"Explosive tags! Get out of the way!"
Fuguki retreated without hesitation, holding Samehada in front of him as a shield.
T...
Besides Biwa Juzo with the Kubikiribocho (Executioner Blade) and Kuriarare Kushimaru wielding the Nuibari (Sewing Needle), the remaining members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen soon arrived on the battlefield.
They were:
Raiga Kurosuki, the wielder of the Thunder Swords: Kiba, with dark green hair, matching green eyeliner, and bandages wrapped around his entire body.
Fuguki Suikazan, a towering figure with twin buns, sharp teeth, and the massive bandaged blade Sameha...
As the Eight-Tails’ chakra within Minato gradually stabilized, Danzo couldn’t help but marvel again at this man’s innate talent.
Not only did Minato possess an extraordinary gift for space-time ninjutsu, but his chakra control was equally exceptional.
It was no surprise, really—without such precise control, Minato wouldn’t have been able to develop techniques like the Rasengan, which embodied the pinnacle of chakra shape transformation.
After about five ...
The war hospital ward at Kikyo Mountain was shrouded in silence.
Minato was carefully evaluating the feasibility of Danzo’s plan.
Shikai was agonizing over how to hold off Sunagakure’s forces once Danzo and Minato left.
Meanwhile, only Aburame Ryoma and Uchiha Shisui gazed at Danzo with admiration.
“Is this the reason you summoned me here, Danzo?”
Suddenly, a female voice broke the silence.
Everyone turned toward the doorway, where a b...
Things rarely go as planned.
Just as Danzo finished his analysis of the situation, reality slapped him hard in the face.
Aburame Ryoma suddenly appeared in the hospital room, bringing urgent news.
“Mitokado Homura's Konoha forces have suffered a crushing defeat on the Water Country battlefield and are on the brink of annihilation. The Hokage has ordered Jōnin Minato Namikaze to provide immediate support!”
Danzo nearly blacked out upon hearing the repor...
“Haah... haah...”
Outside the hospital room, Nonou Yakushi leaned against the bathroom wall, breathing heavily. Her ample chest rose and fell rapidly, her eyes filled with fear, confusion, and disbelief.
Even now, she couldn’t fully process what had just happened.
Had Lord Danzo... thanked her?
That devil-like Danzo actually thanked her?
“I must be going crazy.”
Nonou splashed cold water onto her face, trying to snap herself out of i...
Victory.
The Battle of Kikyo Mountain was won!
This exhilarating news spread rapidly through Konoha, prompting countless villagers to take to the streets in joyous celebration.
After all, this was the most morale-boosting battle since Konoha entered into conflict with the other four great nations.
Repelling both the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Sand villages in one stroke was a monumental achievement that greatly invigorated Konoha's forces.
Many had alre...
After a prolonged standoff, Sunagakure and Kumogakure finally retreated.
Witnessing this, all the Konoha ninjas and civilians stationed in Kikyo Castle erupted into deafening cheers.
“We won!”
“We held the line! We won!”
“Long live Konoha!”
“Long live Lord Danzo!”
“Long live Lord Danzo!”
Amid the thunderous cheers, the hearts of every ninja and civilian were united as one.
They shouted Danzo’s name, celebrat...
As another Wind Style expert in Konoha, aside from Danzo, Minato's attack was naturally infused with powerful Wind Style chakra.
Feeling the sharp pain at the back of his head, A reacted immediately, decisively abandoning his attack on Danzo and instead using the Body Flicker Technique to dodge to the side.
But Minato Namikaze, hailed as the Yellow Flash, was just as quick to react.
He immediately threw a specially crafted kunai, closely following A's movements.<...
Danzo felt incredible—his back didn’t ache, his legs didn’t feel tired, and his energy was through the roof.
That was his current state.
There was no denying it—Tailed Beast Chakra was remarkable.
Danzo was so impressed that he was seriously considering capturing a Tailed Beast just to use it as a personal power source.
Whenever his chakra ran low, he could simply use Chakra Devourer to absorb some, instantly replenishing his reserves.
He eve...
The chaotic airflow stirred up dust across the battlefield, ruffling Danzo’s short black hair slightly, but it couldn't waver the determination in his eyes.
A few seconds later, a shorter figure wearing a mask appeared slightly behind and to the side of Danzo.
It was Uchiha Shisui, who had accompanied him on this mission.
Despite Shisui’s incredible speed, he still lagged slightly behind Danzo, who had used the Dance of the Shikigami to fly ahead.
If it...
As the Yin and Yang chakra swirled and gathered in the mouth of the Eight-Tails, a suffocating aura of destruction enveloped Kikyo Castle.
Even the ninja from Sunagakure and Kumogakure couldn’t suppress their trembling. This was fear etched deep into human instincts.
“So this is the power of a Tailed Beast?”
Many couldn’t help but mutter in awe. For most, this was their first time experiencing the terror of a Tailed Beast’s might firsthand.
“Ple...