Chapter 88: The Final Phase

A voice, dark and menacing, like something from the depths of hell, sent a violent tremor through Danzō's entire body.

With the last of his strength, he gripped a kunai and thrust it toward Rasa.

Slash!

The blade effortlessly pierced Rasa's back, yet it did nothing to stop his outstretched arm.

"Arg!!!"

Danzō let out a gut-wrenching scream as his right eye—the Sharingan—was mercilessly gouged out.

At that moment, he finally understood. Earlier, he had driven a blade through Rasa's heart, yet the man remained standing as if nothing had happened. Now, looking at him closely, Danzō realized the truth.

Rasa's body was not entirely human. Half of it was sand.

"The abilities of the Hōzuki Clan… No, the Iburi Clan?!"

A chilling realization hit him. Rasa had come for his Sharingan all along.

Calmly, Rasa retrieved a small bottle of saline solution and dropped the freshly plucked Sharingan inside.

Danzō's pupils shrank in horror. The memories his Sharingan had captured replayed in his mind, and as he looked at the man before him, a terrifying conclusion surfaced. His body trembled, and he instinctively took several unsteady steps backward. Pressing a trembling hand against his bleeding, empty eye socket, he weakly thought:

'I see… So, he has the power to steal Bloodline Limits?!'

But Danzō did not dare to say it aloud.

He knew that as long as he remained silent, there was still a sliver of hope for survival. However, if he spoke those words, his fate would be sealed.

Then, something unexpected happened.

"Danzō, do you want to live?"

Stunned, Danzō struggled to keep his balance. Panting heavily, he rasped,

"What… What do you mean? You're not going to kill me?"

Rasa smirked, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"Why would I kill you? Leaving someone like you alive in Konoha benefits Sunagakure far more."

Danzō was lightheaded from blood loss, but he immediately recognized the opportunity.

"Cough…! Cough…! Name your conditions…"

If he survived today, he could reclaim everything he had lost.

Rasa, on the other hand, had no reason to refuse such an easy chance to take his spoils. Even as a Kazekage, he wanted everything his enemy possessed.

"First, hand over the summoning scroll for Baku."

Without hesitation, Danzō formed a hand seal. A scroll materialized before them, landing with a soft thud.

Rasa manipulated his sand to grab it, unrolled it briefly, then nodded in satisfaction.

"I've heard Konoha has a Sealing Scroll that contains numerous forbidden jutsu. Hand it over."

Danzō's face darkened. His vision blurred, his body swayed, and blood trickled from his lips as he croaked,

"The Sealing Scroll… is in the village. I don't have it with me…"

"Oh? Is that so?"

The Spear of Shukaku materialized once more in Rasa's grasp.

"In that case, what a pity."

Danzō gritted his teeth. He had no choice. With great reluctance, he pulled out another scroll.

"This is not the full Sealing Scroll, but it contains some of the jutsu recorded in it."

Rasa's sand lifted the scroll from his weakened hands. After skimming through its contents, a satisfied smile crept onto his face.

"Edo Tensei… Eight Gates… Impressive. These are quite the treasures."

Beaming, Rasa stored the scroll away.

"That's enough. You may leave now… but only you."

Danzō's pupils shrank. He understood what Rasa meant.

But without the slightest hesitation, he turned and walked away.

---

Outside the Four Violet Flames Formation

Konoha's shinobi remained locked in combat against the forces of Sunagakure and the colossal Avatar of Shukaku.

Against the Avatar's absolute defense, the Konoha jōnin found themselves at a severe disadvantage. Its towering form seemed almost invincible, and with Sunagakure's shinobi providing cover, sheer numbers alone were not enough to turn the tide. Though Konoha had more soldiers on the battlefield, overwhelming their enemies was proving nearly impossible. Worse still, they had already suffered heavy casualties. Any more losses, and their morale would crumble beyond repair.

Just then, in the distance, the Four Violet Flames Formation dissipated, drawing everyone's attention.

Had Danzō emerged victorious? Or was it Rasa?

That question loomed over every Konoha shinobi as they watched the scene unfold.

Rasa, suspended on a floating cloud of golden sand, advanced slowly. The Konoha forces scanned the area behind him, searching for any sign of Danzō, but the space was empty. Instead, two Uchiha jōnin noticed something unusual—atop the golden sand, a red-haired girl stood with an expression of sheer disgust. In her grasp, she held a severed, pale white arm. Embedded in the flesh were four distinct Sharingan, their scarlet glow unmistakable.

The two Uchiha jōnin stiffened, their hands trembling in fury. There was no mistaking it—that arm did not belong to Rasa. The truth was obvious.

Danzō had stolen Sharingan from their clan through unknown means and implanted them into his own arm. And now, Sunagakure had taken possession of it.

The realization spread quickly among Konoha's jōnin. There was only one conclusion to be drawn—Danzō was most likely dead. If even his arm had fallen into the Kazekage's hands, his fate needed no further explanation.

But this was not the time to dwell on his demise. The real concern now was survival.

Unlike the grim faces of Konoha's forces, the shinobi of Sunagakure were overjoyed.

Their Kazekage had triumphed.

And now, only one task remained—eliminating the remaining Konoha forces.

Rasa wasted no time. He raised a hand, his voice steady and commanding.

"Finish the rest of them."

"Yes!"

With Rasa entering the battlefield, the tide shifted instantly. Outnumbered or not, Sunagakure's forces now held the overwhelming advantage. The battle turned into a massacre. One by one, Konoha's shinobi fell, forced into a desperate retreat.

Within ten minutes, it was over.

The battlefield lay silent, painted in the aftermath of destruction. The results were staggering. Against Rasa's overwhelming strength, only five Konoha jōnin managed to escape. Among them, by sheer coincidence, were the two Uchiha shinobi.

Some of Rasa's men seemed eager to pursue, but he raised his hand once more, halting them.

"Enough. Do not chase prey that has nothing left to lose."

"Yes!"

The mission had been a resounding success.

Of the twelve elite jōnin from Sunagakure's covert operations unit who had accompanied Rasa, nearly all had sustained only minor injuries. Not a single one had perished.

Such a lopsided casualty count had never been seen before in Sunagakure's conflicts against Konoha. For the first time, Sunagakure's shinobi felt as though their village stood on equal footing with their longtime rival.

They gathered around Rasa, their expressions filled with admiration.

One of the covert unit members, Sand Rat, stepped forward, his voice brimming with respect.

"Congratulations, Kazekage-sama! You have slain Danzō and avenged the Third Kazekage and our village!"

The others quickly echoed his words, their voices carrying a rare sense of triumph.

But Rasa shook his head.

"No... I let Danzō go."

"Eh?!"

Twelve jōnin stared at him, stunned into silence.

Not missing a beat, Rasa took advantage of their confusion to further cement his authority.

"Remember this," he said, his tone unwavering. "The strongest fortress is always destroyed from within."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the severed white arm still clutched in Hana's hands.