Chapter 58: The Death of Shimura Danzo

"You have ten Sharingan embedded in your arm," Hyuga Gakuya's voice slithered into Danzo's ears like a demon's whisper, shattering his final thread of hope. "Each time you resurrect, one eye closes. There are seven still open. Am I right?"

Danzo's legs buckled, and he slumped against the wall to stay upright. All his trump cards—completely exposed by Hyuga Gakuya.

"In the next few minutes," Gakuya said coldly, "you'll die seven more times. Let's continue."

In the blink of an eye, Gakuya reappeared behind Danzo, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed his head viciously into the stone wall—flesh and blood burst apart on impact.

"First time."

"Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves!" Danzo reappeared behind Gakuya, spitting out a barrage of powerful wind bullets from his mouth.

Gakuya's eyes shifted into Mangekyō Sharingan, and a radiant green skeletal structure manifested around him. The wind blasts struck it but left no mark.

The skeletal frame quickly morphed into a half-bodied giant. The titan raised a massive blade and cleaved Danzo cleanly in two.

"Second time."

Danzo resurrected again, materializing a short distance away.

Susanoo's hand conjured a spinning magatama—like a chakra cannonball—and hurled it straight at him.

The Yasaka Magatama exploded on impact, erasing Danzo once again.

"Third time."

This time, Danzo didn't reappear nearby. He had hidden himself.

But Gakuya's Mangekyō eyes faded and were replaced by the Tenseigan. Instantly, his body was enveloped in vibrant blue chakra, and five black Truth-Seeking Orbs hovered behind him.

"Hiding is pointless," Gakuya muttered, eyes locking onto Danzo's hiding spot.

Three of the orbs transformed into massive arrows, wreathed in powerful gales.

They pierced through wall after wall, finally impaling Danzo through the chest, obliterating his body completely.

"Fourth time."

With the Tenseigan's piercing insight, Gakuya had no trouble locating Danzo again.

Another arrow redirected mid-air, ripping through Danzo's body once more.

"Fifth time."

"Sixth time."

"Seventh time."

In a matter of seconds, Danzo had burned through all seven of his remaining lives. Slumped against the wall, he gasped for breath. Every Sharingan on his right arm had shut. His entire arm had withered into a lifeless tree, still rooted beside him.

Gakuya and Kabuto approached the defeated man.

"I'm guessing you were planning to activate the Reverse Four Symbols Seal," Gakuya sneered.

"Unfortunately for you, I happen to have a subordinate from the Uzumaki Clan. Wanna test whether I can undo your jutsu?"

Danzo stared into Gakuya's eyes. "You saw through my thoughts… is that your eye's power?"

"That's right. I saw how you'll die—gruesome and pathetic."

Truthfully, Gakuya couldn't control those glimpses of the future. They came at random, impossible to summon at will. But right now, he was bluffing—to stop Danzo from activating the seal.

Before Danzo could react, Gakuya appeared right in front of him and slammed a palm into his chest, forcefully disrupting the jutsu that was coiled within his chakra system.

Even the chance to take others down with him had been stripped away.

"Don't worry," Gakuya added coldly, "tomorrow, your dear friend Hiruzen Sarutobi will be joining you."

"You bastard!" Danzo roared in rage.

"Why the attitude?" Gakuya spread his hands mockingly. "Weren't you the one who invited us to help kill Sarutobi? Why so upset now?"

Danzo clenched his jaw tight. He had made a deal with a snake—and now the snake had turned around and bitten him. Was Konoha truly doomed because of one moment of carelessness?

The Kotoamatsukami was still in Orochimaru's possession, and now Konoha once again stood on the edge of destruction.

Danzo's gaze dulled. Regret surged in his chest as he thought of his teacher, Tobirama Senju.

"Yours," Gakuya said, turning to Kabuto, who was already itching to act.

"Yes, Lord Gakuya," Kabuto replied with utmost reverence. Gakuya had fulfilled his initial promise—delivering Danzo, the man responsible for everything, right into his hands.

"You take your time," Gakuya said as he turned to leave. "I'm off to check out Danzo's little collection."

"Understood," Kabuto answered with a sinister smile, adjusting his glasses as he turned his gaze to Danzo. It was just the two of them now.

As Danzo struggled and thrashed, trying to crawl away, Gakuya walked deeper into the Root base. With the Tenseigan, he'd spotted a treasure trove earlier.

For all Danzo's talk of "protecting Konoha" and "safeguarding the ninja world," for all his ambition to become Hokage—when it came down to it, he didn't even have the guts to pick up a kunai and end his own life.

...

Gakuya arrived at a hidden chamber. Inside, rows of glass containers held Sharingan in various states—some single tomoe, some double, and others fully matured.

After all, the fattest loot from the Uchiha Clan's massacre had been claimed by Obito, who single-handedly took out their elite police force.

Gakuya didn't hesitate. Activating the Bloodline Seizure technique, black flesh oozed from his body and shattered the glass. He absorbed every last eye.

Switching back to the Sharingan, Gakuya could feel his ocular power rising to a whole new level.

After fully digesting the power boost, Gakuya returned to find Kabuto had finished his work. Danzo's body had been sealed into a scroll.

"Now," Gakuya said, "forge an alliance agreement. Say that the leader of Otogakure, Chiba Mokushū, assisted Danzo in assassinating Sarutobi Hiruzen. In return, Konoha would support Otogakure's expansion—providing economic aid, tech, and educational support."

"Most importantly: Konoha will loan the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to Otogakure as a living weapon, free of charge."

"Make it sound as humiliating as possible. We need Danzo to look desperate—willing to do anything to become Hokage."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

"As expected of you, Lord Gakuya."

He understood what Gakuya intended: with such a document, Otogakure would stand on the side of righteousness.

"Make sure you keep a copy," Gakuya said. "When the time comes, we'll let Konoha 'discover' it."

...

Root's base sat on the outskirts of Konoha, with soundproofing that ensured the recent battle hadn't been heard.

All of Root's ninja had already been eliminated by Gakuya. There was no one left to warn Hiruzen.

Even if someone discovered the aftermath, it wouldn't disrupt tomorrow's Chūnin Exams. The audience would include not just the Fire Daimyō, but the Wind and Lightning Daimyōs as well, along with the Kage of Konoha, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure—and elite nobility from across the lands.

Unless Sarutobi Hiruzen died, the exams had to proceed. It was a matter of honor for Konoha and the Land of Fire.

And Gakuya only needed to wait.

Now all he had to do was clean the blood off himself.

He returned to his rented quarters and washed up, while Kabuto went off to prepare for the next day.

...

Meanwhile, across the village, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat upright in bed, suddenly jolted awake from sleep.

He lit his pipe and took several deep drags, trying to calm his pounding heart. That uneasy feeling still lingered.

A veteran of countless battles, Hiruzen had learned to trust his sixth sense. It had saved his life more times than he could count.

Could something be about to happen during tomorrow's Chūnin Exams?

"Lord Hokage." A masked ANBU appeared at the door.

"Increase the number of ANBU deployed tomorrow. And summon Jiraiya and… call the others."

He hesitated, nearly saying Tsunade's name—but he knew. Even though Tsunade had overcome her fear of blood, she had long lost faith in him. She wouldn't come at his call.

"Understood."

The ANBU bowed and vanished to carry out the orders.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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