Chapter 44: This Is Style

A single Sharingan already consumed a massive amount of chakra—let alone the five densely packed into Danzo's arm.

If it weren't for the Hashirama Cells suppressing the burden, even with Kage-level chakra reserves, Danzo would have been reduced to a dried-up corpse in an instant.

After the First Great Ninja War, following the death of the Second Hokage, Danzo—under the tacit approval of the Third Hokage—began researching Hashirama Cells, even going so far as to transplant them into himself.

"Five Sharingan in total?"

Minato Namikaze stood on high alert.

When Sasuke killed Danzo in the future, Danzo had already amassed eleven Sharingan, including Shisui's right eye, which possessed the mind-controlling ability Kotoamatsukami.

However, at this moment, Danzo had yet to obtain Shisui's eye.

And this was not yet the infamous arm that would eventually hold ten Sharingan.

The balance between Hashirama Cells and Sharingan had to be precisely maintained; otherwise, the host would suffer severe backlash.

Clearly, at this point in time, Orochimaru's research had not yet reached perfection.

A few years later, after the Uchiha Massacre, the fully enhanced Ten-Sharingan Arm would emerge—replacing Danzo's current one and significantly boosting his strength.

A true version upgrade.

Right now, his arm was merely Version 1.0.

Once he collected enough Sharingan, he could upgrade to Version 2.0.

"Since you've seen my secret, Fourth Hokage, you'll have to stay here!"

Danzo extended his hand, preparing to form hand seals.

The three-tomoe Sharingan on the back of his palm spun ominously.

But just as his hands met, a three-pronged kunai came flying at him.

The surrounding Root ANBU immediately drew their weapons, ready to counter Minato's attack.

However, Minato simply smiled—as if everything was going exactly according to plan.

From the darkness, a pair of crimson eyes, as deep as blood, locked onto Danzo's grotesque arm.

Konoha Year 48—The Third Great Ninja War had just ended.

The Uchiha Clan had suffered catastrophic losses during the war. Many of their young elite shinobi had died—some perishing so thoroughly that not even a body remained.

They had given everything to protect Konoha.

And now, Fugaku Uchiha was staring at Danzo's arm.

Suddenly, all those strange disappearances of Uchiha during the war began to make sense.

Why did so many of his clan's most talented members vanish without explanation?

These were Jonin-level shinobi—all of whom had unlocked their three-tomoe Sharingan.

Why had some of them gone to war and never returned, their deaths classified as simple casualties?

Now he knew.

Someone had been stabbing them in the back.

And worse—it had been one of their own.

The Root ANBU stationed nearby suddenly wavered, their eyes glazing over before they collapsed to the ground—one after another.

They had all been caught in a powerful genjutsu—a level of illusion so overwhelming that it instantly incapacitated over a dozen elite Root shinobi, including several Jonin-level fighters.

The enemy was, without a doubt, a Kage-level powerhouse.

"What?!"

Danzo's expression shifted ever so slightly.

But that fraction of a second of hesitation—

To the Fastest Man Alive, Minato Namikaze, it was nothing short of a death sentence.

A golden flash streaked across the battlefield.

Before Danzo could even react, a blade of cold steel flashed before his eyes.

In the next instant—

His torso was split cleanly in half, from shoulder to lower waist.

Blood exploded into the air.

Most of his organs had been sliced apart—including his heart.

The yellow blur vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

And not a single drop of blood had stained Minato's clothes.

Now that's what you call style.

Killing a Kage-level opponent without a speck of blood on you—

Still looking as effortlessly clean and dashing as ever.

"I, Danzo, refuse to die here!"

Danzo tried to speak, but all that came from his mouth was blood.

His body swayed before collapsing heavily onto the ground.

Death was near.

In that moment, he saw his entire life flash before his eyes.

A final, fleeting montage—something that everyone seemed destined to experience before dying.

Minato Namikaze stood over Danzo's weakened form.

There was no need to strike again.

Without activating Izanagi, Danzo only had one life to lose.

And now, he no longer had the strength to even move.

As time passed, the last traces of his life force would inevitably fade.

"Even though you've fallen into darkness, I can't deny that you were once a hero of Konoha," Minato said, his voice calm.

"Under the Second Hokage's command, you fought off many of Konoha's enemies. Just let it end here. At least, no one will ever know about the things you did."

His blue eyes regarded Danzo with a detached gaze.

Even if Tsunade were here, not even she could save him from these wounds.

The next step was dealing with Root.

With Danzo dead, Root would need to be absorbed into Konoha's official chain of command.

—-—

From his vantage point above, Ren Asakura watched the scene unfold with an indifferent expression.

"Minato just made a mistake. A serious one."

"He didn't finish the job."

"Clearly, he hasn't read How to Be a True Master of Survival—a book that details the art of deception across countless worlds."

"If any of those legendary survivors were here, Danzo wouldn't even have ashes left."

"His bones? Vaporized."

"And they'd make sure to frame someone else for the entire thing—probably the Third Hokage."

Minato, in the end, was still too soft-hearted.

Yes, Danzo had committed countless crimes, but he was still part of Konoha.

A high-ranking official.

Minato didn't want to be too ruthless in his methods.

"Just die here."

---

From the shadows, Fugaku Uchiha stepped forward.

Dressed in his Jonin uniform, his Mangekyō Sharingan burned bright red in the darkness, locked onto Danzo's right arm.

"This bastard… How dare he?!"

"The Uchiha Clan is part of Konoha too. How could he do something so heinous to his own comrades?"

The Uchiha were known as the Clan of Love.

When their emotions reached a certain threshold, a unique chakra would surge within their brains, awakening and evolving their Sharingan.

But Fugaku had already reached the pinnacle of the Sharingan.

The Mangekyō.

To evolve further—

To obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—

He would need to exchange eyes with another Mangekyō user.

---

"I'm sorry, Fugaku. I'll take care of this."

Minato's voice was serious, leaving no room for doubt.

Fugaku met his gaze and nodded.

"I understand, Fourth Hokage. You brought me here to show me all of this. That means you trust me."

"From now on, the Uchiha Clan will stand behind you—unconditionally."

In that moment, the two men became accomplices.

Minato was the mastermind, and Fugaku was the collaborator.

"Good. I'll work to repair the relationship between the Uchiha and the village. Without Danzo interfering, there's a real chance for peace. The Uchiha are part of Konoha—just like everyone else."

Fugaku nodded.

With the Hokage's promise, the burden on his shoulders felt just a little lighter.

---

Minato had already devised a strategy.

The real reason the Uchiha had been pushed aside was due to:

Misunderstandings and false rumors

Suppression by the higher-ups

The Uchiha's own methods—as the Konoha Police Force, they often enforced the law with harsh, aggressive tactics

Many civilians had come to fear and resent the Uchiha.

But there was a solution.

Increase transparency in law enforcement

Make policing more open to public oversight

Allow civilians to observe and understand how the Konoha Police Force operates

These were modern governance concepts that Minato had adapted from contemporary systems.

A true partnership between police and civilians—

Only through mutual understanding could true harmony be achieved.

°°°

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