Chapter 48: He's A Great Guy

Minato wasn't worried at all.

"Relax, Fugaku. He's not getting away."

With that, his Sage Mode faded.

He had never been particularly good at it anyway.

Meanwhile—

All five Sharingan on Danzo's arm had completely shut.

The balance between the Sharingan and Hashirama's cells had been broken.

Inside the hidden tunnel, Danzo felt a searing pain—

His arm began to swell. The cells were rejecting him.

"AHHH!"

His Hashirama-enhanced arm rotted away, turning into a pile of sludge.

"Damn it!"

He gritted his teeth.

"I'll have Orochimaru grow me a better arm. This experiment was a failure anyway."

As long as he was alive, he could always try again.

The arm was just a temporary transplant—

Once they perfected the research, he could replace it with a better one.

He didn't care at all.

Then—

A faint light appeared ahead in the tunnel.

"Looks like the exit!"

Danzo rushed forward—

But the moment he stepped outside, his face darkened.

Standing at the exit—

Were two people.

Fugaku. Minato.

From the very start, Ren had sealed every entrance in the entire Root base.

No matter how much Danzo ran—

He would always end up back at the beginning.

Minato had been waiting here for a long time.

"Danzo, prepare to die!"

This time, Minato wouldn't make the same mistake.

One clean strike—

And then a finishing blow to ensure he was truly dead.

Danzo stood there, missing an arm, his chakra nearly depleted from using forbidden jutsu.

In his current state—

He had no chance against two Kage-level shinobi.

"Fourth Hokage, spare me!"

Danzo took two steps back, his voice desperate.

"I have bled for Konoha. If you let me live, Root will be yours.

I will support you.

Can't you see? Hiruzen doesn't want to give up power.

I can help you keep him in check…!"

But Minato's voice was ice cold.

"I don't need you."

"Killing you will accomplish the same thing."

"Once you're dead, Root will be mine anyway."

Uchiha Fugaku's eyes burned with pure killing intent.

"Danzo, today you die.

For the Uchiha you've murdered.

For my clan."

There was no room for negotiation.

No second chances.

Danzo was cornered.

"Damn it… Don't push me!"

Danzo's eyes were filled with madness.

He still had one last trump card left.

But—

There was no way they would let him use it.

Minato slowly raised his three-pronged kunai.

Fugaku's Susanoo skeleton began to form around him.

They were ready to finish this.

Danzo's face twisted with rage.

"You forced me into this! If I die, I'm taking you both with me!"

There was no escaping—

Not from Minato Namikaze.

And maybe, deep down—

He already knew he was going to die.

All the resentment he had bottled up for years—

Exploded.

"I did this for the ninja world! For peace!

I am the hero of Konoha!

The title of Hokage should have been mine!"

During the Second Great Ninja War—

On the eve of Tobirama's death, Danzo had hesitated for just a moment.

And that hesitation had cost him everything.

The seat of Hokage. His dream. His legacy.

He had never gotten over it.

"Four Symbols Seal!"

Danzo ripped open his robe—

His torso was covered in sealing patterns, forming a yin-yang diagram.

This was the Four Symbols Seal.

Black liquid burst from his body—

The seal began expanding outward.

Fugaku immediately sensed the danger and leaped back.

The Four Symbols Seal was designed to pull everything within range into oblivion.

A suicide technique.

Danzo was trying to take them with him.

But Minato was already prepared.

His hands flashed through seals, activating a modified Flying Raijin technique.

This version allowed him to relocate objects to another marked location.

Just as the Four Symbols Seal reached its maximum range—

Danzo vanished.

He reappeared over the ocean—

And the seal detonated, sealing nothing but seawater.

Danzo was gone.

The King of Scapegoats had finally fallen.

Minato exhaled.

"It's over."

His expression was complicated.

Fugaku approached from the distance.

"I never expected so much to happen tonight.

Fourth Hokage, I believe my role here is done."

Now—

Only Root remained to be dealt with.

All the Root members in the base—

Had already been trapped in a genjutsu by Fugaku.

By the time they woke up, it would be over.

However—

They had witnessed Minato Namikaze's actions tonight.

And once they learned of Danzo's death, some of them might not take it well.

That was Minato's problem to deal with.

Fugaku left.

He needed time to process everything that had happened tonight.

Meanwhile—

After the battle ended, Ren Asakura teleported Orochimaru back.

This trip to Pluto would leave a lasting impression on him.

And it would teach him just how small he truly was—

Compared to the vast, mysterious universe.

Ren Asakura sighed as he looked at Orochimaru's broken and dying body.

He shook his head.

Orochimaru's once-cold eyes were now lifeless.

Immortality wasn't always a gift—

Sometimes, it was just another kind of torture.

Ren Asakura snapped his fingers.

In an instant—

All of Orochimaru's wounds disappeared.

Life returned to his body.

He could feel the passage of time again—

He could feel himself aging.

For the first time ever—

The man who had spent his life chasing immortality

Realized just how precious death really was.

"So? How was the trip? Not bad, right?"

Ren Asakura grinned at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru was silent for a long time—

Then, he finally spoke.

"I was foolish. Too small-minded. I never saw the world for what it truly was.

Immortality... is nothing but a joke.

But even so— I will not abandon my pursuit.

I have found a new goal."

He spoke with unshakable determination.

Ren Asakura nodded approvingly.

"Not bad! The kid can be taught.

So, what's next?"

Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed.

"I will become Hokage."

"I will lead this world toward the stars.

I have seen true peace.

Humanity is too small, too ignorant— they waste their time fighting each other.

They need a new leader to show them the way.

I will explore what lies beyond the ninja world."

It seemed—

This journey to Pluto had truly changed him.

Ren Asakura had deliberately shown Orochimaru the solar system during their travels.

And the effect was exactly as planned.

He had been properly "educated."

Lu Mingfei stood there, completely stunned.

What the hell just happened?!

Where was the arrogant, rebellious villain from before?!

"You know, competing for Hokage might be a little tricky," Ren Asakura said with a smirk.

"Come on— let's go see the current Hokage. I'm sure he'll understand your ideals."

Meanwhile—

The Root ninjas lay unconscious, trapped in an illusion.

Minato Namikaze stood among them—

Deep in thought.

Then, in the next instant—

Ren Asakura appeared with Orochimaru.

Ren Asakura grinned.

"Looks like everything went smoothly!"

Orochimaru chuckled— a mischievous, almost sinister laugh.

"Minato… you're even more impressive than I expected."

Minato's eyes narrowed.

"Orochimaru!"

Ren Asakura laughed playfully.

"Relax— Uncle Snake is a great guy!"

°°°

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