At that moment, the one-minute duration of Izanagi expired.
Tobirama moved swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, Danzo's head flew off his shoulders. His face was frozen in disbelief as his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Yet, as expected, his form shimmered before vanishing into nothingness. The next instant, he stood once more, completely unharmed, having activated Izanagi again.
From a safe distance, Senju Tobirama watched calmly, his strategy unchanged.
Danzo clenched his fists, feeling nothing but boundless despair.
Three Sharingan remained.
"The dog-walking tactic… interesting," Shinomiya Uzumaki remarked with a smirk, watching Tobirama toy with Danzo like a predator toying with its prey.
Danzo's glare burned with hatred. It was this damn brat who kept interfering! If not for him, there might have still been a chance to escape.
"Oh? Do you hate me that much?" Shinomiya Uzumaki chuckled. "I just love seeing you like this—so desperate to kill me yet completely helpless."
Tobirama shot Shinomiya a glance. His methods were ruthless, his personality unorthodox, yet… oddly effective.
Another minute passed.
Before Tobirama could strike again, two figures suddenly appeared at the scene—Hatake Kakashi and Namikaze Minato. They had rushed in upon sensing the battle.
Kakashi's eyes widened beneath his mask as he took in the surreal sight before him.
First and Second Hokage?
And… Danzo?
What kind of absurdity was this?
His gaze shifted toward his mentor, Minato, seeking answers.
Minato, however, was just as perplexed, though his eyes narrowed when he spotted Shinomiya Uzumaki.
"You... what exactly is going on here?" Minato finally asked.
"Oh, it's simple," Shinomiya replied nonchalantly. "Danzo played with fire, tried to use a forbidden Uchiha technique, and now he's paying the price."
Then, with a grin, he added, "We're just doing some... house cleaning. If you two want in, feel free. No need to hold back—this is justice at work. Oh, and there's a reward involved. You like rewards, don't you?"
Minato and Kakashi exchanged a glance.
It didn't take long for them to process the situation.
When Minato's eyes met Danzo's, a flash of disapproval crossed his face.
Danzo saw this as an opportunity.
"Kakashi! Help me subdue that brat!" Danzo shouted desperately. "He's manipulating the situation, confusing Nidaime, and turning Konoha against itself!"
Then, turning toward Minato, he pleaded, "Fourth Hokage! As Konoha's leader, you must act! This criminal must be eliminated before he corrupts the village!"
His voice was righteous, but his words were meaningless.
Kakashi and Minato merely stared at him, unfazed.
Danzo's heart sank.
They… they know him?!
His gaze darted back to Shinomiya Uzumaki, who was watching the scene unfold with an amused smirk.
Danzo gritted his teeth.
"It's almost time," Shinomiya reminded, his tone light.
"Izanagi is about to expire again. Before that happens, let's settle this."
Shinomiya tapped his chin as if contemplating something. Then, with a mischievous grin, he declared,
"Let's make it fair—each of us will land nine attacks. If you survive, we'll let you go. If not… well, that's up to fate."
Danzo's face darkened like a stormy sky.
The surrounding shinobi gave Shinomiya strange looks.
Nine attacks each?
Danzo wouldn't even survive one.
Still, Shinomiya Uzumaki acted as if this was a perfectly reasonable proposal.
Danzo refused to speak, his body tense.
Shinomiya took his silence as agreement.
"Great! I'll go first."
With that, he clapped his hands together, his chakra surging violently.
A powerful energy erupted from his body, causing those around him to turn their heads in surprise.
"Finally, I get to see the group leader in action," someone muttered.
"Wood Style, huh?" Tobirama noted. "Just like my brother."
But just as Shinomiya prepared to unleash the Wood Dragon Technique, two more figures suddenly appeared.
Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.
Shinomiya quickly withdrew his technique to avoid harming them.
"Huh? What are they doing here?" he mused.
Behind him, space distorted as Kamui's vortex opened. Obito, Kushina, and Rin emerged.
"Well, look at that. Now we've got a full house," Shinomiya said, grinning.
Obito's voice carried a hint of amusement. "You really called in everyone, huh?"
Minato sighed. "Looks like we won't even need to intervene."
Shinomiya gestured toward Danzo. "That just means more people get to have fun before we send him off."
Obito raised an eyebrow. "I doubt he can even withstand one of my Susanoo's punches."
Shinomiya nodded thoughtfully. "That's fair."
But before any of them could act, the battlefield shifted.
Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward, his face darkened with rage. His Sharingan spun rapidly, locking onto Danzo with a murderous glare.
Lightning crackled as Chidori flared in his palm.
Without hesitation, he charged.
This attack was for the fallen Uchiha.
"Chidori!"
Danzo barely had time to react before the electrified strike came hurtling toward him.
His eyes narrowed, and he instinctively responded.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Taking a deep breath, he released a razor-sharp gust of wind toward Sasuke.
The two jutsu collided in a shower of sparks and wind pressure.
Crack!
Chidori sliced through the wind, but its power visibly weakened.
Danzo frowned.
Impossible!
How did Sasuke become this strong?
There was no time to dwell on it. Danzo grabbed a kunai, coating it with a wind-enhanced chakra blade.
The next instant, he met Sasuke's attack head-on.
Sparks flew as lightning clashed against wind-enhanced steel.
Boom!
The force sent Sasuke skidding backward.
"Tch…" Sasuke wiped blood from his lip and glared.
Wind countered lightning—it was an unfavorable matchup.
But…
He was an Uchiha.
And Fire Style countered Wind!
His eyes blazed with renewed determination.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A scorching wave of flame erupted toward Danzo, swallowing him whole.
A deafening explosion followed.
As the smoke cleared, Danzo emerged—his clothing burned, his expression twisted in fury.
But Sasuke was far from finished.
His Sharingan gleamed.
Lightning crackled.
Flames roared.
This battle was far from over.
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