Chapter 116
Danzo no longer cared to play games. Over the past few days, things had become crystal clear.
He had to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Whether for his own dream of becoming Hokage, or to purge what he deemed a cancer on the village—the Uchiha Clan—this time, he would act.
Especially after the suggestion Haruta gave him... whether or not Haruta had meant it or even realized the implications.
Pulling the Hyuga to his side, boosting his own prestige, cornering the Third Hokage into a position where he couldn't compromise—Danzo had already planned it all out.
"And besides… Hiruzen's away from the village. He's busy with external affairs. This is my chance," he murmured to himself. Everything—timing, setting, manpower—was in his favor. Not taking action now would be a betrayal of everything he'd built.
"Lord Danzo, I've come today because there are important matters I wish to discuss with you."
Shisui kept his head low, not meeting Danzo's gaze. But inwardly, his chakra was already surging—his thoughts buzzing with questions that had long demanded answers.
"Why do you, a man who claims to serve the Hokage, target the Uchiha so relentlessly?!"
"…Huh?"
For once, the icy mask on Danzo's face cracked, a flicker of surprise crossing his usually unreadable features.
Wait… wasn't I supposed to question him about the Uchiha's rebellion?
Why's the script flipped?
Still, Danzo recovered quickly, letting out a cold scoff. "And just who do you think you are, brat, to stand in judgment of me?"
"You don't deserve to question me. Everything I've done has been for Konoha!"
"You're part of the ANBU. Open your eyes. Look at what your clan has become!"
"Stop twisting the truth!" Shisui suddenly raised his head, fury flashing in his ordinary, unactivated eyes.
"If people like you hadn't labeled the Uchiha as 'evil' from the start, how would things have come to this?!
"You blamed us for the Nine-Tails incident without hearing us out! Refused to let us help during the crisis, then manipulated public opinion to drive us to the outskirts of the village!
"You basically told the villagers we were guilty. And the real culprit? It was Uchiha Obito—a traitor! Not us!"
"Obito was still one of your clan, wasn't he?" Danzo's voice was cold, but even he couldn't ignore the sudden weight pressing on his heart. This kid was sharper than expected.
"He was a rogue ninja, yes—but he carried Uchiha blood. If we suspect the Uchiha, why should we let you act freely?
"I've walked the shadows of the shinobi world longer than you've been alive. I've seen the ugliest truths. I can't allow any unexpected variables!"
"No, you don't fear the unexpected—you expect the worst from us. You never once trusted us."
A trace of sorrow appeared on Shisui's face, but the fire in his eyes only grew fiercer.
"You won't even let us leave, because you're afraid we'll retaliate. You want us to rebel, because only then can you point at our corpses and tell the world, 'Look! The Uchiha were monsters all along!' Isn't that right, Shimura Danzo?!"
As he spoke, Shisui's eyes shifted into the Mangekyō Sharingan. In an instant, an oppressive, violent chakra burst out from within him.
Danzo's eyes widened—part shocked, part furious.
So the brat really does have it!
"Couldn't solve the Uchiha problem, so now you're coming after me instead?" Danzo hissed.
He had always been Konoha's foremost hawk, known for his hardline stance. Everyone in the upper echelons knew his hatred for the Uchiha. But he never expected someone to actually strike at him.
And not just anyone—a Mangekyō wielder.
Even Danzo couldn't suppress a flicker of panic.
Wait... wasn't I supposed to be the one attacking him?
Buzz—
In the next instant, Shisui's chakra surged into Danzo's mind. The world around him grayed out—the trees, the air, even time itself.
The moon above now bore the distinct, swirling pattern of Shisui's Mangekyō, spinning slowly, pounding against Danzo's psyche.
"Enemy attack! Protect Lord Danzo!"
The moment Shisui moved, the ROOT operatives in the shadows sprang into action.
But Shisui didn't flinch. A short blade appeared in his hand, and without hesitation, he slashed down.
Schlick—
A wet, slicing sound echoed through the temple ruins. Danzo's head dropped to the ground, blood spraying across Shisui's face.
Shisui stared down at the body, heart pounding.
He hadn't expected it to be that easy.
But the persistent buzz of insects, the flare of hostile chakra, reminded him—this wasn't over yet.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
He didn't spare Danzo's corpse another glance. Leaping into the air, he formed seals at lightning speed. A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, engulfing the clearing in searing flames.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
Even a basic jutsu became terrifying in Shisui's hands. The ROOT agents didn't dare take any chances. A towering wall of water surged up, clashing against the flames.
Boom—
Steam exploded outward, blanketing the battlefield in thick mist.
Shisui's crimson eyes scanned the fog. His decision was instant—retreat.
Danzo was dead, but this fight was far from over.
And Shisui wasn't a fool. This needed to be pinned on "internal conflict."
Let it be known that he died at the hands of his own people. That would be his gift to the Uchiha—a way out.
"It's time."
With a quiet murmur, he vanished into the mist. A blur of motion—Shunshin no Shisui had earned his name.
In less than a second, he reached the forest's edge.
If he made it past the trees, no one could catch him.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
But then, a sharp, slicing wind blasted toward his back. The sheer force halted his steps—and worse, his body felt stiff, unmoving.
He turned.
Danzo, the man he had just decapitated, was standing again.
"Impossible…"
Shisui's mind reeled. That cut—he knew it was real.
Whish-whish-whish—
A barrage of kunai pierced the air. Shisui barely dodged, his ANBU reflexes kicking in.
But the ROOT agents had already locked onto him. Blades swung from all directions, their masked faces expressionless, killing intent radiating from them.
No mercy. No survivors.
Steel clashed in the mist, so fast that even afterimages blurred together. Haruta fought back with everything he had, but a single question gnawed at his mind—
"What's going on here?!"
That was no clone. No substitution. His chakra confirmed it. So how did Danzo revive?
"Wait… could it be—"
Realization struck him like thunder.
After forcing some distance, he glared at Danzo.
"You used Izanagi! You implanted a Sharingan?!"
"That's right," Danzo replied coldly, sounding almost smug. "You know, your grandfather—Uchiha Kagami—was a loyal man. He died protecting this village."
"And his grandson dares raise a hand against me—the Hokage's advisor?"
"If not for his eye, I might've died. Consider it your grandfather's final gift to Konoha."
Danzo pulled off his bandages, revealing the dull, burned-out Sharingan in his right eye.
At that moment, Shisui snapped.
He'd seen shameless men before—but never one who dared cloak himself in righteousness while using the eye of the man he claimed to honor.
"You dug out my grandfather's eye… and call it a gift?!"
"Shimura Danzo, you deserve death. And this time, I'll make sure it sticks!"
But ROOT wasn't done.
"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!"
A nearby ninja clasped his hands, and with a buzzing roar, a swarm of insects burst from his body, darkening the sky as they surged toward Shisui!
"Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch!"
Another ROOT ninja responded in a flash. In an instant, he finished his hand seals, launching an invisible mental force straight at Shisui's mind.
At the same time, the ground beneath Shisui stirred—dark shadows like inky tendrils slithered up and coiled around his legs, binding him in place.
But Shisui remained composed, his eyes still locked on Danzo.
"The Yamanaka Clan's Mind Technique... the Aburame Clan's bugs... and some unknown sealing art, huh?"
He muttered to himself, eyes spinning faster.
"But this is far from enough."
Buzz—
A violent surge of ocular power exploded from his Mangekyō Sharingan, instantly shattering the mental attack trying to invade his mind.
Green chakra flared around his body, sweeping down his legs and effortlessly dissolving the black ink-like jutsu trying to trap him.
Then, his hands blurred through hand seals as a roaring surge of chakra erupted outward.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
A blazing torrent of fire shot skyward, lighting up the night like a second sun. The inferno crashed into the approaching insect swarm, incinerating them by the thousands.
But it didn't stop there. Shisui's Mangekyō spun furiously as the green chakra around him twisted and transformed—ribs of energy burst forth and expanded, growing rapidly until a towering green figure emerged.
A Susanoo.
Danzo's eyes twitched as the monstrous chakra entity took form before him. Fear—raw and involuntary—gripped his heart.
He hadn't forgotten. As a child, he had once seen the legendary battle between Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage. This same energy—the same power—now stood before him again.
Even with all his preparation, even knowing what to expect, Danzo still felt his gut twist.
But soon enough, fear gave way to greed.
This kind of eye... this kind of power... Only in my hands can it truly guide Konoha down the right path!
"You've made your choice, Uchiha Shisui," Danzo barked, forcing calm into his voice.
"You are no longer a ninja of Konoha. You are now a traitor!"
"Whether I'm a traitor or not doesn't matter," Shisui replied coldly. "What matters is that you—Shimura Danzo—must die."
Shisui wasn't interested in any more words. His vision was already blurring from overuse of his Mangekyō—he had to end this fast.
If the commotion drew in more forces from Konoha, things could spiral out of control.
But then—Danzo suddenly chuckled, the sound low and mocking.
"You think you have me cornered?"
His eyes gleamed with a sinister light as he turned toward the forest and shouted, "Are you still hesitating? Don't tell me you're clinging to your old friendship!"
"Don't forget your mission in ANBU. Or have you lost interest in Orochimaru's intel?!"
A deep sigh echoed through the woods.
From the trees stepped a familiar figure.
Shisui's heart stopped. His eyes shifted slightly, and his entire body froze in place.
Haruta.
The man Shisui least wanted to see here.
Haruta's mood wasn't great. Honestly, he felt like Danzo was ruining his vibe. He'd come here expecting to sit back, observe, and maybe munch on some metaphorical popcorn. Sure, he'd predicted a fight tonight—but he'd hoped to stay out of it.
After parting ways with Kakashi, Haruta had been waiting quietly. He didn't know when exactly Kakashi and the others would act—after all, he wasn't someone with access to the Hokage's exact schedule.
But Danzo's behavior had tipped him off.
The man was planning to move tonight. Which meant... he probably knew something. Maybe even everything.
That was why Haruta had fed Kakashi a fake lead—just in case.
And with Tsunade also away from the village… everything added up.
"So you were cut out of the inner circle after all, Danzo."
Following his original plan, Haruta had staked out a hidden vantage point—just close enough to watch, far enough to avoid the initial clash. As long as no one forced his hand, he'd rather stay a spectator.
Unfortunately... Danzo lacked patience, and his ROOT subordinates were more reckless than he expected.
"At this rate, by the time I 'inherit' what's left of ROOT, there won't be anything left to salvage. Damn bugs."
"Haruta…"
Shisui's voice trembled slightly. His expression darkened to its limit.
He never wanted this. Never wanted to face Haruta.
"It's been a while, Shisui."
Haruta walked forward with a calm, unreadable expression. He wasn't wearing a mask, his voice quiet yet clear.
"I really didn't think it'd come to this. You've made the wrong choice, Shisui."
Shisui said nothing. But his mind buzzed with doubt. Was this all a setup? Had Haruta been baiting him from the very beginning?
Or… was there something deeper at play?
But Haruta didn't let him speak. The more Shisui talked, the more vulnerable he'd become. So before he could say anything, Danzo interrupted with a sneer.
"Uchiha Shisui… I'll admit, you're strong. Interesting, even."
Danzo's eyes were filled with disdain. "But even Uchiha Madara fell to the power of Wood Release. Compared to him, you're not even close."
"Today is your grave, Shisui. Haruta, do it. I know it's painful to strike down a comrade, but don't forget your mission."
"I'll give you what you want—Orochimaru's secrets. Just leave me his eyes."
Orochimaru's intel?
Shisui's face twisted.
But before he could respond, Haruta replied first.
"I understand, Lord Danzo."
The sigh vanished from his face, replaced by utter blankness. He gave Haruta no time to respond.
"Shisui… I'm sorry. You chose the wrong path. Tonight… this ends."
Rumble—
The ground exploded as countless vines erupted from below. The Wood Release surged toward Shisui's Susanoo like a living tsunami.
"Damn it…"
Shisui cursed under his breath and leapt back, but his Susanoo's mobility was limited.
Susanoo was powerful, no matter the stage. But unless it reached the fifth form, its weaknesses were still glaringly obvious.
The early forms were more shield than sword—great for defense, but limited in offense or speed.
Stage One: basic ribcage protection. No weapons.
Stage Two: full humanoid form, armed and far more dangerous.
Stage Three: armored up, with increased attack and defense—but still stationary. No legs.
High-sounding terms called it a "fortress of war," but in reality? For a fast enemy, it was just a very durable target.
Only Stage Four, where the Susanoo gained legs and mobility, turned it into a true terror of the battlefield. Even Madara preferred that version.
Stage Five? That was no longer something mortals could comprehend.
Shisui's current Susanoo was at Stage Two. Powerful, but rooted to the ground.
Haruta's Wood Release surged forth, tearing the ruined temple apart and engulfing the area like a tidal wave. Even the ROOT members had to scatter to avoid the devastation.
"Lord Danzo, please withdraw. The Wood Release doesn't discriminate—if you're caught in it, it'll tear you apart too."
Danzo gave a reluctant nod. He was familiar enough with this technique to respect its danger.
"Don't forget—bring me his eyes," Danzo reminded again.
But Haruta frowned.
"Lord Danzo, I can't afford to hold back against Shisui. One slip, and I'm the one who'll die."
"Also… this can't go public. It would damage your reputation."
"…What do you mean?" Danzo narrowed his eyes.
But then—he understood.
Crap. It really can't get out.
Everyone in the upper echelons already knew Danzo's hatred for the Uchiha. If he tried to claim Shisui attacked him unprovoked… who'd actually believe him?
Sure, he was Hokage's advisor. People would pretend to believe him. But behind closed doors?
No one would buy it.
Especially not when it looked like he'd lured Shisui out first.
His intent was obvious: kill Shisui, use it to warn the entire Uchiha Clan.
And right now, his political standing in the village wasn't solid. The Hyuga Clan hadn't fully aligned with him yet, and if Hiruzen got wind of this—
"I've been played?!"
Danzo was furious. Even if Shisui hadn't come to him, he would've found Shisui himself. The only thing that changed… was the narrative.
Now it looked like Shisui had struck first.
"Tch. I get it. Just do it."
He turned away, angry and bitter. He, the aggressor, had been outmaneuvered.
"Ryoma, Kaze—let's go!"
Danzo barked, leaping into the trees. His two subordinates followed without question.
As their silhouettes vanished into the night, Haruta stood still, muttering under his breath:
"You were too confident, Danzo."
In the end, even if Uchiha Shisui "died" tonight… the blame would still fall on you.
With that final thought, Haruta eased his control over the Wood Release. Without his chakra, the vines began to weaken and wither.
Boom—
A thunderous explosion tore through the clearing. The vines summoned by Haruta shattered into fragments, and in the same instant, a green-hued Susanoo materialized before him!
"Haruta, you..."
Shisui froze as he caught sight of Haruta standing there in silence. Just as he was about to roar in anger, he saw Haruta subtly gesture upward.
With a sideways glance, his Sharingan caught the faint flutter of insects dancing in the air.
"Don't blame me, Shisui. I've treasured our bond these past three years... but this time, you crossed the line."
Haruta blinked, but his voice was cold—devoid of any warmth.
"Assaulting the Hokage's advisor is a grave offense. I have no choice but to kill you."
Buzz—
Golden chakra burst from Haruta's body, wrapping him in an aura of brilliance. In that same heartbeat, an invisible shockwave exploded outward, scattering the insects as if they were nothing.
Whoosh—
Like a tear in the fabric of space, Haruta appeared before Shisui in an instant!
"Your mission failed. I didn't expect Danzo Shimura to actually come back from the dead... but don't worry. As long as I'm here, we can still pull this off. Just follow my lead."
Even as he spoke, Haruta's fist crashed into Shisui's Susanoo with terrifying force.
The impact nearly made Shisui cough up blood.
The Susanoo was powerful, but it wasn't his actual body. Just like a child holding a shield—strong against blunt force, but if a grown man slammed a hammer against it, the shock alone would rattle the child.
And this shock? It was monstrous. Haruta's punch shattered the Susanoo like glass!
"That's... Izanagi! A forbidden Uchiha technique... I didn't think he could actually use it..."
Shisui gritted his teeth, pain blooming in his chest. He regenerated his shattered Susanoo even as he counterattacked, his voice low and strained.
"Damn it... I didn't think it would come to this!"
"Plans never survive the battlefield," Haruta said flatly. "Don't panic. All you need to do now... is cooperate."
He emphasized the last word, his tone leaving no room for doubt. This entire scenario hadn't followed Shisui's plan—it had always followed Haruta's.
"No need… Just kill me," Shisui said quietly, a bitter sigh escaping him.
He looked up at Haruta, pain etched into his features.
"The mission's a failure. All that's left is suffering—for the Uchiha, for the village. I meant to leave this life to Itachi.
I would assassinate Danzo. Itachi would kill me, completing the cycle of sin. I even left a letter for him. Only he would be able to find it... he'd understand why I did what I did.
But I didn't anticipate Danzo having this contingency. Everything's ruined. The only way forward now is with my death."
Hearing this, Haruta's brow twitched.
This plot... why does it feel familiar?
Wait a second—wasn't this just like what Uchiha Itachi did to Sasuke?
Only... Shisui chose to eliminate the source of the problem, while Itachi chose to spare the source and remove those who wanted to destroy the system.
Even the way they left a path forward differed. Shisui wanted to give the clan a chance. With Danzo dead, Itachi—son of the clan head—would be hailed as a hero.
The Third Hokage might've used that to bring the Uchiha back into the fold... a tamed Uchiha, with Itachi as the model.
But Itachi? He left a future only for his little brother. The rest? He sent them all to the afterlife.
"You two were like brothers... So why does one act like a human, and the other like a tragic god?" Haruta couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
But he quickly shook his head and said coldly, "You are going to die. But how you die—that's my call. Officially, yes—you're dead."
"What do you mean by that?" Shisui asked, still on the defensive, launching attacks with his Susanoo while Haruta deftly evaded.
"We'll talk about it after your 'death,'" Haruta replied, still keeping an eye on their surroundings. Then, he smiled.
"Honestly, I didn't have to help you. But we've spent three good years together. That counts for something.
And besides... I still need you for my plan. Now answer me this—do you trust me?"
Trust?
Shisui nodded without hesitation, but a bitter smile soon followed.
"Of course I trust you... but what can we even do now? Me... the Uchiha... we've already—"
"Shut up. I'll say it one last time—just follow my lead," Haruta snapped.
This time, Shisui said nothing. He calmed himself and gave a small nod. Whatever happened next... he'd leave it to Haruta.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
"Survive. Strengthen your Susanoo as much as you can. If we're going to put on a show, it's got to be convincing. Because I'm going all out."
"...?"
Shisui looked visibly stunned.
Was this help? Or was Haruta planning to actually finish him off for real?
---
Elsewhere in the forest—
"Lord Danzo, what are your orders?"
Danzo's subordinates had surrounded the area. As the sound of explosions echoed through the trees and golden light flashed in the sky, confusion flooded the Root operatives.
"Wait and watch," Danzo said simply.
But he, too, was confused.
This fight… it wasn't what he expected. Shouldn't it be Wood Release vs Susanoo?
Yet while the Susanoo was unmistakable, Haruta wasn't using Wood Release at all—his entire body was radiating golden chakra.
"What is this technique? Sage Mode?" Danzo muttered under his breath. Regardless of what it was... this wasn't something he could approach lightly.
And that annoyed him. Every day, he knew less about Haruta. Sarutobi Hiruzen was hiding more and more from him!
Buzz—
Suddenly, an icy force pierced the sky. In the distance, the Susanoo began to grow, surging with violent chakra that shook the surrounding air.
Even from afar, they could see it—the Susanoo had armored itself, rising over thirty meters high. Like a mountain of war, it loomed with terrifying pressure!
Danzo clenched his fists.
"...Mangekyō Sharingan."
His eyes burned with greed and desire. Power like this—it was everything he'd ever wanted for Konoha.
"Haruta... Don't disappoint me."
And then—light.
The golden radiance exploded like a sun at midnight, turning night into day.
"Wh—what... is that?!"
Danzo and his subordinates stared in shock as Haruta rose into the air, bathed in that divine glow.
Elsewhere in the forest—
Uchiha Itachi was already on his way.
He'd received a note from Shisui earlier that day, asking to meet. But when he arrived at the training ground, all he found was a letter.
It told him to head into the forest—there was something left behind for him.
"Shisui... what are you trying to do?"
Itachi's heart pounded with unease. The tone of the letter—it read like a farewell.
He rushed into the woods without hesitation, his instincts screaming that something had gone terribly wrong.
Boom—
A massive chakra shockwave made him stop in his tracks.
His head snapped up. In the distance stood a green Susanoo, towering like a living mountain.
He knew that chakra signature. It was Shisui's.
"Susanoo..."
As the son of the clan head, Itachi had been privy to many secrets. He knew exactly what that technique meant.
But using it within the village... what had Shisui done?
"You still struggle?"
A voice rang out as golden light once again split the darkness.
A shining figure ascended to the heavens—radiant, divine. His voice, amplified by chakra, rang out clearly for all to hear.
"Uchiha Shisui! Lord Danzo said today would be your grave. But for you to wield such power... it's admirable.
Now let me show you my strength!"
As those cold words fell, golden chakra surged violently, coalescing around Haruta's right hand.
It gathered, roared, burned—until it forged itself into a blazing golden sword, radiant as the sun.
"Forgive me, Shisui... Ka-me-ha-me-ha!"
With the swing of that blade, a deafening explosion echoed across the land.
Shisui's Susanoo, vast as a mountain, was cleaved clean in two.
The golden sword didn't stop there—it carved through the earth itself.
BOOM!
The ground quaked. Dust rose like a tsunami, blanketing the entire forest.
A massive chasm split the earth, and the shockwave that followed tore through everything—trees snapped like twigs, and even a distant hill began to collapse.
"What's happening?!"
"An earthquake?!"
Within the Hidden Leaf Village, countless people were jolted awake, rushing from their homes to feel the trembling ground beneath their feet.
Warning! Warning! Unknown chakra detected in the village! High threat level! Alert protocol activated!
The Sensory and Barrier Teams went into a frenzy. They didn't know what had happened—only that two monstrous chakra signatures had appeared within Konoha.
And one of them... exceeded anything they could comprehend.
"Shisui!!"
Itachi clawed his way from the rubble, bloodied and battered. He didn't care.
All he wanted was to find Shisui.
But it was too late.
The Susanoo had vanished.
All that remained... was a golden figure, still standing tall in the sky above.
"Lord Danzo... are you all right?"
On the other side of the battlefield, the members of Root—including Danzo—were in just as sorry a state.
And far more afraid.
The shockwave from Haruta's golden blade didn't just annihilate the battlefield—it blasted across the forest and straight into the squad watching from the sidelines. In fact, they might've had it worse.
"Get off me. I'm fine!"
Danzo shoved aside a bloodied Root operative and staggered forward, ignoring his own injuries.
The green Susanoo had completely vanished. All that remained was scorched earth, a shattered landscape—and a gaping rift in the ground that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Danzo looked up slowly. High above, the golden figure floated like a god descended from the heavens. For the first time in decades... Danzo trembled.
"What is this power...?"
He whispered, but deep inside, he already knew the answer.
This wasn't a jutsu.
This was divine power.
...
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