CHAPTER 204

The Death of Shimura Danzō

After being exposed, Naruto smirked disapprovingly. "Don't talk big. Even when I left the village, you failed to surpass my strength. After becoming a high-ranking Konoha official, you neglected your training. Can your body still keep up?"

Naruto's words made Danzō's face turn livid.

These were the same words he had once used to mock the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Now, having them thrown back at him stung. Even with the power of the Dragon Vein, he knew he might not be a match for the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

After his Wind Release technique failed to faze Naruto, Danzō realized conventional ninjutsu was ineffective. But Naruto, rather than relying solely on his techniques, decided to close the distance.

As the saying goes, "Fists fear the young." Against an aged warrior like Danzō, whose best days were behind him, brute force was the best approach.

After several exchanges of fists and kicks, Danzō's right arm began to go numb. He desperately attempted to retreat, but Naruto intercepted him mid-air with a powerful strike, sending him crashing to the ground.

With a sharp pop, a kunai pierced Danzō's heart. His face contorted in disbelief.

Naruto stepped back casually, quietly waiting. Within seconds, Danzō's body reappeared in an open space several meters away, his expression betraying fear.

Naruto's voice was indifferent. "Izanagi is an impressive technique, but how many times can you resurrect yourself?"

Danzō ignored the taunt, scanning his surroundings as if searching for Uchiha Shisui in the shadows. Yet, even after maximizing his Dragon Vein perception, he found nothing.

"So, Shisui never came to this timeline… That's a relief."

With that, Danzō released the limiter on his right arm, revealing multiple Sharingan embedded into his skin. A twisted grin spread across his face. "Little Naruto, you can kill this old man as many times as you like… but you only have one life."

Naruto's response was a Rasengan.

The impact shook the towering structure around them. The Dragon Vein chakra coursing through the Lost Tower became unstable, causing the walls to tremble.

"The Fourth Hokage's technique is indeed strong," Danzō sneered, dodging the next attack. "But how many times can you use it?"

Danzō had noticed something critical—Naruto lacked the presence of the Nine-Tails. That meant he had a finite chakra reserve.

Naruto's expression darkened. Chakra depletion was his greatest concern.

Had Kurama still been with him, he would have entered Sage Mode and overwhelmed Danzō with Rasenrengan, easily suppressing Izanagi's revival with sheer numbers. But without that power, he had to be strategic.

Forming a hand seal, Naruto summoned multiple Shadow Clones that attacked from all sides. Meanwhile, his real body slipped underground, maneuvering beneath Danzō's position before striking at a blind spot—eliminating another of Danzō's lives.

Then, he used a Sealing Jutsu to prepare a trap, cutting into Danzō's arm with a kunai coated in slow-acting poison.

Izanagi allowed Danzō to rewrite reality, making himself immune to death within a short window. With thirteen Sharingan, he had roughly ten minutes of invulnerability. Instead of wasting chakra in a fruitless fight, Naruto opted to stall until the technique's time limit expired.

As the battle shifted, Danzō grew anxious. He attempted to bait Naruto by feigning openings, but Naruto ignored them, blending seamlessly among his clones.

Nine minutes passed.

Then, Naruto launched his final offensive. A razor-sharp Wind Blade sliced through Danzō's defenses, leaving deep wounds across his body.

Danzō staggered. His breathing became ragged.

Naruto slowed his advance, deliberately prolonging the moment.

In a last-ditch effort, Danzō shattered his own heart, reviving himself once more with Izanagi. He reappeared behind Naruto in an instant, thrusting his hand into Naruto's abdomen.

Immediately, intricate Cursed Seals spread across Naruto's body, restricting his chakra flow.

Danzō reached out, yanking off Naruto's mask. Seeing his young, determined face, he sneered.

"Without the Nine-Tails, you're nothing. Just submit and become my puppet."

He lifted his eye patch, revealing Shisui's Sharingan. With a single glance, he activated Kotoamatsukami.

Naruto's pupils dilated, his body stiffening like a marionette. His vacant stare met Danzō's with eerie stillness.

A controlled enemy was a valuable asset, yet something felt… off.

A nagging unease crept into Danzō's mind. His eyes narrowed as he examined Naruto's expression.

Then—

Naruto's gaze snapped back into focus. The intricate seals covering his body dissolved into nothingness.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto reappeared behind Danzō.

Kunai flashed.

Steel pierced through Danzō's Sharingan-imbued eye. A thick trail of blood dripped down.

"The Flying Thunder God… And you ignored Kotoamatsukami?!" Danzō staggered back, gripping his ruined eye in horror. "Shisui's Mangekyō… You saved him."

His body convulsed as Hashirama's cells surged out of control. His flesh swelled grotesquely, twisting with unnatural mutations.

Naruto coldly watched from a distance.

Retrieving Shisui's eye had rendered Danzō powerless. The Wood Release backlash alone was already killing him. Coupled with the volatile Dragon Vein chakra inside his body, his fate was sealed.

Naruto deliberately distanced himself, wary of Danzō's Reverse Four Symbols Sealing technique.

Danzō realized it too late. Every scheme he had crafted, every failsafe, had already been unraveled.

And yet, one question remained.

Why?

Why had Naruto defected?

Why had he sided with the Uchiha?

Their gazes met. Naruto's lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"I gave Konoha a chance. They squandered it."

"As for why I helped the Uchiha? That's on you. Your own machinations handed me their loyalty. I suppose Konoha still thinks they control their Jinchūriki."

"…I see." Danzō exhaled, his expression unreadable. "Had I raised you myself, Konoha would have gained an unstoppable weapon."

Naruto chuckled darkly. "No… If that were the case, my first Tailed Beast Bomb would've destroyed the Hokage Building. I don't forget debts—but I always settle them."

Danzō's gaze darkened. "One last question."

"In Uzushio's vision… What future awaits Konoha? Will you conquer the Fire Country? Or retreat overseas, playing pretend with your Ninja Village?"

Naruto met his gaze.

"You're in no position to ask, old man. I actually had no intention of killing you. You were useful in keeping Konoha stagnant. But you chose to run."

"You—"

Danzō never finished his sentence.

His body was consumed by rampaging Wood Release, spiraling into grotesque, uncontrolled growth.

The monstrous mass absorbed the unstable Dragon Vein chakra, morphing into an abomination, spreading in all directions.

Naruto silently watched.

Danzō Shimura, the man who had orchestrated countless betrayals, had met his end—not by the hands of another, but by the very power he had sought to control.

And Naruto… had already moved on.

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