The Root ninjas readied themselves for an intense confrontation. While they believed in Danzo, they knew they wouldn't be able to defeat Akuro without his help. Akuro's past record, despite absence of any high-profile kills, was rather stellar. Seeing Akuro's disdain for them, their confidence grew exponentially. However, just when Fu was about to launch his deadly attack, Akuro disappeared! His speed was so ridiculous that the experienced Root ninjas couldn't follow him with their bare eyes!
Sensing a foreign presence among their ranks, Torune and his two comrades' eyes moved slightly. Their eyes widened in horror as they saw Fu's severed head suspended in the air, frozen for a moment before beginning its descent. Just above his neck, a faint, crackling arc of blue light shimmered, a lingering afterimage from a lightning-imbued slash too fast for their eyes to track. A beat later, Fu's headless body began to collapse, blood trailing in its wake.
Danzo's expression darkened. Three Root ninjas had already lost their lives before he arrived. His heart bled to see another one fall. Worse, he understood the rest wouldn't stand a chance. He was the only one who had managed to follow, even if barely, Akuro's movements. He thought, 'The Lightning Chakra Mode. His speed is almost on par with the Raikage. Tsk, I should have taken the risk of removing the seals when we were talking.'
Since he wanted information from Akuro, Danzo had refrained from unleashing the full extent of his strength. Removing the intricate seals placed on his body might have provoked Akuro, risking the chance to uncover the secrets this ancient figure held. But as he watched his subordinates fall like flies, regret gnawed at him. Perhaps he had miscalculated.
He quickly weighed his options, cold logic guiding his thoughts, when suddenly, his lone eye flickered. For the briefest moment, something caught his attention, something subtle, unexpected. A glint formed in his eye as he calculated how to take advantage of this opportunity!
Despite the loss of their comrade, none of the Root were emotionally impacted. Their shock stemmed only from the sheer suddenness of the act. Without a heartbeat of hesitation, Torune lunged forward, both arms extended, aiming to infect Akuro with his lethal toxins. Simultaneously, the Root ninja, who had prepared the Wind jutsu, opened his mouth, preparing to unleash Infinite Breakthrough at point-blank range. The final Root ninja charged in tandem, chakra coursing through his blade, eyes locked onto Akuro's vital points.
But their coordination, training, and unique talents crumbled before the insurmountable gap in power.
Torune, mere inches from his target, caught a flicker of movement. He saw a streak of bluish-white light arcing down at an impossible angle. His final thought was one of helpless realization before the blade cleaved him cleanly from crown to groin, splitting him in two with surgical precision.
In the same instant, a blinding spark flared at the tip of Akuro's finger. The lightning bullet streaked forward like a divine judgment, piercing through the heart of the wind-natured ninja mid-breath, silencing his jutsu before it could ever leave his lungs.
The final Root ninja closed the distance, his chakra-forged blade swinging in a deadly arc toward Akuro's neck. But before steel could meet flesh, Akuro's form blurred, vanishing like mist in the wind.
A fraction of a second later, the ninja froze mid-step, his breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened in terror as he found himself face-to-face with death. Akuro's lightning-imbued blade hovered mere millimeters from his neck, humming with raw, lethal energy. The searing heat of the chakra blade singed the skin at his throat.
But before the sword could complete its arc, Akuro vanished once more, retreating like a phantom into the shadows. A barrage of Vacuum Bullets whistled through the air, piercing through the space Akuro occupied moments ago. Had he continued swinging his blade, he would have been pierced despite the protection provided by his cloak.
Fu's headless body fell to the ground at this moment. Moments later, his head, the two halves of Torune's body and the other third Root ninja's body fell to the ground too. The last remaining root ninja breathed a sigh of relief and thought, 'Danzo-sama saved me. Another moment and I'd have met the same fate as Fu. However…'
Worry filled him again. He hoped Danzo didn't stop removing his seals to help him. He was about to turn his head when he heard Danzo's voice, "Focus on the enemy."
The Root ninja was relieved as a sharp clatter rang behind him. The heavy metallic bracer encasing Danzo's right arm loosened and dropped to the ground with a dull thud, sending a brief tremor through the soil. A faint hiss of chakra surged from beneath the cloth wrappings, signaling that the seals restraining his power were beginning to unravel.
Akuro gazed at Danzo as well and thought, 'Hmm, that was quick. Eh, not really. There are still some seals remaining, though it shouldn't take much time to remove those either. Regardless, he has finally acted…
Hehe, this should be fun. The Darkness of Konoha… the man who moved nations from the shadows, heir to the Second Hokage's will, and rival to the only second shinobi ever named God of Shinobi… I wonder if you'll entertain me as much as Orochimaru.'
Due to the limited number of rank S ninjas, an opportunity to fight against them was rather rare. Though Fujin had faced quite a few, especially during his vacation, he still felt a need for more 'sparring' partners. Someone as experienced and resourceful as Danzo was perfect for this. Fujin couldn't help but feel a bit excited.
Danzo took a step ahead and said in a monotonous tone, "Akuro, your opponent is me. You'll pay the price of messing with Konoha!"
Danzo's chakra flared aggressively and leaked a killing intent stronger than any Fujin had ever sensed. His title, 'The Shinobi of Darkness', wasn't for show. His killing intent was the most disgusting aura Fujin felt. Danzo's eye was locked onto Akuro's mask. Unknown to his opponent, Danzo's mind was more focused on the space behind him!
——
A few moments ago, when Fu was looking at Akuro to use his Mind Body Switch jutsu, he saw Akuro vanish from his sight and a bluish light heading straight at his throat. Realizing he wasn't fast enough to dodge, he used his jutsu out of desperation and instinct despite not having a target. As a result, his spirit escaped his body moments before he was beheaded by Akuro. Danzo had noticed the same, due to which a glint had appeared in his eye. However, it wasn't that simple.
Fu drifted in the dark, an ethereal whisper torn from flesh and bone. The moment his jutsu activated, he had felt his body, his anchor, vanishing beneath him in a burst of light and pain. It was gone! There was no return.
Yet, he wasn't done.
'This is death, isn't it?' Fu thought, his consciousness floating, light and unmoored. No body, no warmth and no second chance. There was no fear in the thought, only cold acceptance and a growing, burning purpose.
Danzo still stood behind him. And Akuro, the monster who tore through them like paper, remained unscathed. He thought, 'If I can give Danzo-sama even the slightest opening… if I can rattle Akuro for just a moment…'
His soul pulsed, the essence of his will flickering defiantly against the pull of the afterlife. Normally, the Mind Body Switch Technique followed a straight, narrow path. It wasn't as flexible as the Spirit Transformation jutsu developed by Dan. They couldn't fly freely like how Dan or Fujin could and if someone else got in between them and their target, their spirits would enter that being instead of their target.
But this time was different. There was no body to return to. There was no consequence left to fear. The limiters of hesitation, of survival, were stripped away. Fu asked himself, 'What do I have to lose now?'
For the first time, Fu felt free. Free from failure, free from fear. That freedom became his focus. The sheer force of his resolve slowed his forward drift, reined in his momentum. Bit by bit, his spirit twisted, defying the technique's nature. A feat few in the Yamanaka clan could ever achieve, and one none had attempted at the brink of death.
'I can still fight!' He muttered to himself with conviction! His spirit turned, not toward a random host, but toward Akuro. His thoughts sharpened, 'I don't need a body. I just need one opening. One second in his mind. That's all! I shall take an ancient expert down with me!'
And with that conviction, his translucent form surged, bearing down on Akuro's spirit like a dagger in the dark. It was at this moment that Danzo's chakra flared and his killing intent leaked out. Danzo's killing intent didn't display his hatred, but was merely a distraction. To give Fu the best chance, Danzo wanted all of Akuro's attention to be focused on him!
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