019 Unknown as the Shadow

Naruto held the hot, blood-soaked eyeball in his hand.

Orochimaru tossed him a bottle filled with culture fluid.

"Thank you~" Naruto said with a grin.

After thanking him, he opened the bottle and carefully placed Shisui's eye optic nerve still attached inside, then stored it away.

So this is the eye Danzo sealed during his final battle with Sasuke... 

Naruto thought. I could break the seal myself, but it would be a hassle. It's much better getting it like this...

Suddenly

"AAAH!!"

The power surged out of control. A tree burst from his right shoulder, growing wildly toward the sky.

"No, if this keeps up, I'll be devoured by the First Hokage's cells!"

With a sharp snap, Naruto gritted his teeth and broke off his own right arm. He collapsed, breathing hard.

Danzo lost his claws and fangs. He's just a paper tiger now.

A rustling sound.

Paper butterflies filled the air, gathering into the form of Konan.

"Yo~" Naruto greeted with a smile.

Konan replied coldly, "Looks like things went smoothly."

"More or less," Naruto said calmly. "I burned through nearly 20% of my chakra…" 

Then he asked, "What about Sasuke?"

"I did as you said, kept him busy. But that kid's stubborn. He kept chasing me. I figured time was almost up, so I pulled back."

"I see," Naruto smiled. "Sounds like Sasuke, alright."

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. Sage Mode had picked up something. He glanced toward the forest behind him and sighed.

"…So they're coming after all."

Konan added, "One of his subordinates is a girl with sharp sensory skills."

Orochimaru said, "That must be Karin. She was once a capable subordinate of mine. Like you, Naruto-kun, she's a descendant of the Uzumaki clan and has strong sensory abilities."

Naruto nodded with a hint of nostalgia. "Yeah... I know."

After a short while, the Taka Squad arrived, stopping some distance from Naruto and the others.

Sasuke had a dried scab of blood near his left eye. 

He scanned the chaotic battlefield, and when his gaze landed on the fallen Danzo, his expression turned cold. Then his eyes locked on Naruto's back, covered by a cloak.

A strange emotion flickered in Sasuke's eyes, then vanished.

He demanded, "Naruto, what is going on!"

Naruto didn't turn around. He spoke calmly, "Sasuke, I helped you get rid of Danzo. As you can see, he has lost his power and has become a useless person..." 

Though his voice was steady, Naruto's emotions were tangled. He still didn't face Sasuke.

Sasuke clenched his fists and shouted, "Who allowed you to meddle in other people's business?!"

Naruto finally moved. "Your original plan was to attack the Five Kage Summit, right? But with your current status, that would only make things worse. You'd end up the enemy of the entire ninja world. Is that really what you want?"

With that, Naruto raised his hand and removed the mask from his face. Slowly, he turned to face Sasuke.

The snow and wind seemed to quiet for a moment.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What happened to your left eye?"

Naruto answered, "It's from Nagato, the man who once tried to destroy Konoha and fought me. He gave me this eye before he died."

In his heart, Naruto thought: Someday, this eye will belong to you, Sasuke...

Behind Sasuke, the now child-sized Jūgo suddenly recognized Naruto's face. "I remember now! He's the one who attacked me near the river!"

"...Hah."

Sasuke closed his eyes and exhaled. "Naruto, it looks like you've been busy behind my back. But I don't have time to deal with you right now."

Swish!

With his cloak billowing, Sasuke stepped forward, heading straight for Danzo.

Naruto watched silently, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. So you're really going to kill Danzo, Sasuke...

He didn't want Sasuke to go through with it but he knew it was useless to try stopping him.

Sasuke was still consumed by hatred, and with Obito feeding that anger, words wouldn't reach him.

If he doesn't vent now, it might lead to even worse consequences later...

With that thought, Naruto quietly stepped aside and let him pass.

Crack!

Lightning flickered in Sasuke's hand, forming into a blade. He glared at Danzo and coldly demanded, "Tell me, was it you who ordered Itachi to carry out the Uchiha massacre?"

Danzo panted, hunched over and staring at his ruined right arm. His remaining left eye still held three Sharingans.

Even without his arm, traces of Hashirama's cells remained in his body, just enough to activate Izanagi one more time.

"I asked you a question!!!" Sasuke roared.

Danzo replied weakly, voice low but steady. "So... you've already learned the truth. Looks like Itachi didn't stay silent after all..."

Sasuke's eyes suddenly turned icy. "So it's true..."

Danzo replied in a low voice, "Yes... it's true."

Sasuke's gaze sharpened further. "Just as I thought..."

In a flash, Danzo reached to his side, pulled out a Sharingan, and shoved it into his right eye socket.

The remaining Hashirama cells in his body activated, quickly connecting the optic nerve.

He formed a hand seal with one hand, a pale, twisted smile creeping across his lips.

Sizzle!

Izanagi... activated!

Without hesitation, Danzo turned and sprinted away at full speed.

"Hmph."

Sasuke snorted coldly, his cloak flaring as he took off in pursuit.

"You really think you can run?"

His left eye locked onto Danzo's retreating back.

—Amaterasu!!

Fwoosh!

Black flames exploded to life, engulfing Danzo in fire.

"AAAHHH!!"

Danzo screamed as he fell, rolling across the ground in agony.

But in the next moment, the burning body vanished, an illusion. Danzo's real body reappeared farther away, still fleeing.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What the...!?"

Naruto called out, "Sasuke! He used Izanagi, which made him immune to death for a short time! 

The effect won't last longer than a minute! Push him hard, keep the pressure up, and you can finish him!!"

Sasuke said nothing, but his eyes flickered with intensity.

"Hah... hah... hah...!!"

Danzo ran for his life, but his chakra was nearly drained. Desperation filled his heart.

"Am I really going to die here…? Is this the end for me, an old man?"

Clatter!

Suddenly, Sasuke stopped chasing.

Everyone was stunned. "Sasuke... why?"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said coldly. 

"Let him live for now. Revenge carried out by someone else isn't enough to fulfill the Uchiha clan's true justice."

He slowly turned around, his Mangekyō Sharingan glowing with a deep, unreadable emotion.

"And especially not by you, Naruto... You're the one I least want to take my place."

In the falling snow, Danzo's battered figure limped away fading into the background.

"..."

Naruto and Sasuke locked eyes, and for a moment, time seemed frozen.

Whoosh!!

A swirling vortex appeared out of nowhere, Obito, masked and silent, descended into the scene.

Meanwhile, farther off at the entrance to the Land of Iron, a group of Konoha shinobi raced through the snow.

Leading them were Hinata and Sakura.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Sasuke-kun..."

Conflicting beliefs, destinies, and emotions, were about to collide.

.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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