Chapter 83: A Trap

Rasa's words made Danzo's pupils contract sharply.

He looked up to see Rasa hovering in the sky, his gaze filled with disdain. Danzo's face tensed, his expression turning grim.

"I've been discovered!?"

Being called a "rat in the sewers" did little to rattle him. He was not the type to be provoked by mere insults. Remaining composed, he tilted his head slightly and squinted his lone eye at Rasa.

"You're mistaken, Kazekage of Sunagakure. I came here to resolve the misunderstanding between us."

"A misunderstanding?"

Rasa raised an eyebrow, genuinely taken aback by Danzo's shamelessness. Still, he saw no harm in playing along. If anything, it might lower Danzo's guard.

"And what misunderstanding would that be?"

Seeing that Rasa had taken the bait, Danzo's tone became more natural.

"Naturally, it concerns the Third Kazekage. I never laid a hand on him!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Rasa's expression remained unreadable. His gaze shifted to Danzo's right arm and right eye.

"If that's the case, why don't you reveal your right arm and right eye for me to see?"

Danzo's left eye narrowed, his face darkening.

It was clear now. Sunagakure was determined to pin the death of the Third Kazekage on him.

If that was the case, there was no longer any reason for pretense. His voice grew cold.

"I'm curious. How did you come to know the secrets of my body?"

Initially, Rasa had intended to give a vague answer. But upon noticing the growing intensity in Danzo's expression, he suddenly changed his mind.

"Do you really think I'd tell you?"

Even without naming anyone, a statement like that would immediately make Danzo suspect that Konoha had a spy.

For all his shortcomings in diplomacy, Danzo was an expert in internal power struggles.

Sure enough, his expression darkened further.

Slowly, he placed his left hand on his right arm. With no attempt to hide his intent, his voice carried a murderous resolve.

"In that case, I'll just have to capture you and extract the truth from your mind myself!"

"Now!"

At Danzo's command, four Barrier Squad shinobi stationed at the four corners of the surrounding forest sprang into action.

They unfurled large scrolls onto the ground and swiftly formed hand seals, channeling chakra into them.

"Ninja Art: Four Violet Flames Formation!"

(AN: It is a non-cannon technique used in many fanfics. If you have not already known, most of the author's knowledge is driving from other fics instead of original source. Still, good if the story not being tied with cannon.)

In an instant, four beams of purple light shot into the sky, extending outward to form massive walls of burning violet flames. The barrier, stretching as wide as a football field, sealed off the battlefield.

This dramatic shift naturally drew the attention of both Konoha and Suna shinobi.

"Yes! Danzo-sama's plan worked!"

Aburame Ryūmai, brimming with confidence, turned to look at the Suna shinobi, expecting to see panic on their faces.

But what he saw instead unsettled him.

The Suna shinobi were completely unfazed. They continued fighting as if nothing had changed.

---

Inside the Barrier

Seeing the barrier fully activated with Rasa trapped inside, Danzo finally let out a breath of relief. Yet, for some reason, a flicker of unease crossed his eyes.

Despite being sealed within the Four Violet Flames Formation, Rasa showed no signs of distress. Instead, the only one who looked truly shaken was the red-haired Uzumaki orphan beside him.

A strange sense of dread crept over Danzo, but as he felt the immense power coursing through his right arm, his confidence quickly returned.

Lifting his chin like a victorious commander, he declared,

"Kazekage, if you tell me who leaked my secrets, I might consider changing my course of action."

Rasa's expression shifted slightly, a helpless look flashing across his face.

'Dear lord, why does he have to use these cringeworthy lines…?'

But just as quickly, Rasa regained his composure.

"Oh? So you think you've won?"

Danzo felt a drop of sweat roll down his temple, but he maintained his confident smirk.

"This barrier technique was developed by the First Hokage himself—Four Violet Flames Formation. It can even trap a Tailed Beast. Without my command, Kazekage, you cannot escape."

To his surprise, Rasa merely shook his head and smiled, his gaze filled with something unsettling—anticipation.

"No, Danzo… You're mistaken. I am not the one trapped with you. You are the one trapped with me!"

---

Meanwhile – Land of Rivers, Tsurumaru Castle

On the crumbling walls of Tsurumaru Castle, Shibi Aburame stood pale-faced, his gaze locked on the distance. Around him, most of the Konoha shinobi were sweating, hands trembling as they clutched their kunai.

A cold mist, laced with a suffocating killing intent, slowly crept around the castle. By the time Shibi's insects warned him of an attack, it was already too late.

From three directions, Sunagakure's forces had completely encircled Tsurumaru Castle—and their numbers continued to swell.

At that moment, even a fool could understand: Konoha had walked into a trap.

This had been Sunagakure's true objective all along. They had drawn Danzo and Konoha's top jōnin away, only to launch a crushing ambush.

Among those standing on the castle walls was a young Shisui Uchiha. From his vantage point, he could see through the mist-covered river channels outside the fortress. Everywhere he looked, Sunagakure shinobi, their forehead protectors gleaming in the dim light, emerged like ghosts from the fog.

Their numbers were at least twice that of Konoha's forces.

What was even worse, Sunagakure had brought far more jōnin.

A Konoha jōnin, gripping his kunai so tightly his knuckles turned white, turned anxiously to Shibi.

"Shibi-sama, what do we do? Even if we send a message to Danzo-sama now, it'll be too late!"

At that moment, Shibi Aburame fully grasped the gravity of their predicament.

He wasn't about to send his men to die in vain.

With a bitter smile, he gave his orders.

"Tell everyone to abandon all supplies. Chūnin will lead the retreat while jōnin provide cover. Move in teams of four and escape as fast as you can. Save as many as possible. And send word to the village if it is not already too late."

The shinobi's pupils shrank, but after clenching his fists, he nodded firmly.

"Understood."

With the command given, Tsurumaru Castle descended into chaos as Konoha shinobi rushed to evacuate.

Outside the castle, three figures watched the scene unfold. Pakura, Michikawa, and Chiyo observed the disarray in Konoha's ranks.

Chiyo smirked.

"Now is our chance. Attack!"

---

Back at the Barrier

Unaware of the disaster befalling Konoha, Danzo stood tall, his gaze locked onto Rasa with unwavering confidence.

"Enough talk. Once I take you down, all of your arrogance will become nothing but a joke."

His lone eye fixated on Rasa as his left hand reached for his right arm. His fingers moved steadily to unravel the bandages.

"Didn't you want to see my right arm? Very well. I will grant your wish."

The final layer of bandages fell away.

A golden sealing device, used to suppress the immense chakra within his arm, detached and clattered to the ground.

Then, his monstrous right arm was revealed.

It was unnaturally pale and lifeless, resembling the limb of a corpse. Five crimson Sharingan eyes lined its surface. Combined with the one in his right eye socket, that made six in total.

The grotesque sight sent a shudder through Hana. Her face paled as she struggled to even look at it. On the other hand, Rasa quickly overcame his initial disgust.

Instead of fear, a gleam of excitement flickered in his eyes.

"Five Sharingan on his arm. One in his right eye. And combined with Hashirama's cells. This mission might yield far more than I expected."

Smirking, Rasa clasped his hands together, preparing to strike.