'So, that's the ratio?'
Watching Deidara's hand seals, feeling the constant surging of his chakra and the weaving together of different chakra natures—
Kitagawa Gen's eyes lit faintly. He seemed to have grasped the key to this jutsu!
At that moment, Deidara finally completed his preparations.
White motes of light condensed, shaping into a warped, translucent barrier. The barrier formed a cone, within which terrifying energy began to brew.
In the next instant, white radiance burst forth, carrying boundless might as it crashed down upon Gen.
The sight made Gen recall the moment back in the Land of Earth, when Ōnoki's Dust Release descended from the sky.
Only—
'So this is how it is. I think I understand now.'
As the white light came crashing down, the smile on Gen's face bloomed. He had truly figured out how it worked!
The complete ratio.
The precise degree of fusion.
The result achieved when all the chakra merged together.
He had grasped it all!
'Though… Deidara deliberately fired wide. Not bad, really. In that case…'
Gen drew a deep breath. As he looked up at Deidara in the sky, the chakra in his own body began to stir.
...
"Has Danzō shown any movement recently?"
In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen asked in a low voice as he looked at the ANBU standing nearby. Jiraiya and Tsunade were both present.
"Hokage-sama, no unusual reports so far. After all, we can't enter the Root base, and Danzō-sama hasn't left it either."
"I see."
Hiruzen bit down on the stem of his pipe, lost in thought. Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade's darkened expression, then quickly spoke up.
"Hey, old man, why don't you just confront him directly? Wouldn't that be easier?"
"You…"
Hiruzen shook his head helplessly.
"That's not how this can be handled. Especially now—it would only bring even greater trouble."
"I know you can't move against him now. But what about before?"
Tsunade knew the larger picture well enough, but her mood was foul.
"I'm completely certain—it's Grandfather's altered cells. And the only one who could have accessed them is him. Old man, I want you to be decisive."
"I understand."
Of course Hiruzen understood what Tsunade meant. She wanted him to act once the Chūnin Exams were over.
It left him frustrated, but the truth was he could no longer cover for Danzō.
"For now, I'll loosen the restrictions on him, keep him from growing too wary. I'll also find an opportunity to speak with him directly, so that when the time comes, there'll be fewer complications."
"That's good."
Though he hadn't said much, Tsunade understood what her sensei meant.
Even if it seemed a little far-fetched, considering the situation between herself, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, she couldn't press the matter further.
"Let's leave that aside. Jiraiya, how is your research coming along?"
Seeing Tsunade soften her stance, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately shifted the subject.
"And what about the preparations for this year's Chūnin Exams?"
"I've already found the two strands of chakra inside Naruto."
Jiraiya answered seriously. He nodded and smiled.
"I can confirm they're from Minato and Kushina. I can awaken them. The only problem is, I haven't figured out how to maintain the seal without letting those two chakra reserves get consumed. So…"
"Mm. Work faster on that."
That was good news. Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, and Jiraiya went on with a grin: "As for the Chūnin Exam arrangements, don't worry, old man. Everything is already—"
[Boom!]
Before he could finish, a deafening explosion suddenly resounded outside!
"What's going on?!"
The blast jolted all three of them. At once they rushed to the window, where they saw, in the distance, a mushroom cloud silently rising into the sky.
At the sight, Hiruzen clutched his chest and turned toward Jiraiya in disbelief.
"This… this is what you call 'everything prepared'?!"
...
All throughout Konoha, people stood frozen in shock, staring at the sight.
"What's happening to the village?"
Kankurō, who had just entered the village alongside the Suna shinobi, gawked at the mushroom cloud in disbelief. He couldn't help turning to Baki.
"It's really this dangerous?"
"Gaara, what's wrong?"
On the other side, Temari looked anxiously at her younger brother. At that moment Gaara had both hands pressed to his head, wracked with pain.
Inside him, the One-Tail seemed to be going berserk!
...
"What is happening?"
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the village, Shimura Danzō and his Root operatives also looked toward the village in confusion.
From afar, they too could see a mushroom cloud rising.
Before Danzō could make sense of it, two figures slowly stepped out of the forest.
At once, they caught his attention.
When the three of them finally stood face-to-face, all froze in astonishment.
The three men stared at one another in silence, their eyes filled with disbelief.
After a long moment, the red-haired man finally spoke in a low voice: "Long time no see, Shimura Danzō."
"It's you."
Shimura Danzo stared at the one who had appeared, his face ashen and grim.
The moment he saw Nagato's face, he froze in disbelief.
Even though Nagato looked completely different now, Danzo recognized him instantly!
"Did Hanzō of the Salamander sell me out to you?"
"Or could it be… that Hanzō of the Salamander is already dead?"
Beside him, Orochimaru licked his lips, unable to hold back a hoarse laugh as he spoke.
But even as he laughed, he was already thinking about running.
'That fool Danzo—so it was Hanzō he managed to find?'
Looking at the situation now, Orochimaru couldn't be clearer: he had been dragged into this mess by Danzo.
That self-righteous fool went looking for Hanzō, but did he really never consider the possibility that Hanzō was already dead?
'And this guy… something's not right about him.'
Staring at the red-haired man, whose face was gaunt like a corpse, even Orochimaru felt a moment of uncertainty.
But those Rinnegan eyes—he could never mistake them!
"Hanzō of the Salamander is dead?"
Danzo's expression darkened, while Nagato slowly nodded.
"That's right. He's been dead for a long time. He died before you… and soon, you'll be joining him."
At that, Nagato paused, then turned his head toward Orochimaru.
"It's been a while, Orochimaru. I didn't expect the other person he mentioned would be you."
"I didn't expect it either… that they'd be foolish enough to find you of all people."
Orochimaru was more than a little uneasy now. He had firsthand experience with the power of the Rinnegan.
"Even if you are a traitor, there's one thing I'm curious about."
Nagato's voice was calm, his demeanor as if everything already lay within his grasp.
"What is your purpose this time?"
"Shimura Danzo."
Orochimaru answered immediately, without hesitation. Then, glancing at Nagato and his companions, he couldn't resist flicking his tongue across his lips.
"But if you want to broaden your scope a little, perhaps I can be of some use as well."
"Oh?"
Nagato arched his brows, faintly intrigued.
Had it been before, he might have acted right away. But after suffering two heavy setbacks, he had become far more cautious.
At least now, he was willing to hear what Orochimaru had to say.
"I don't know what your plan is, but whatever it may be, Konoha is not easy to deal with at the moment."
Orochimaru's tongue darted out again. Right now, all he wanted was to keep Nagato steady. After all, there was no way he believed Nagato had come here alone.
"Leaving aside the Chūnin Exams, which guarantee Konoha will be on high alert… that Kitagawa Gen alone won't be easy to handle."
"I've suffered a heavy defeat at his hands. To the point where even landing a proper counterattack was nearly impossible. That boy has likely already surpassed Namikaze Minato."
"With him around, whatever you plan to do will be exceedingly difficult, won't it?"
"Go on."
After a brief silence, Nagato finally spoke, and Orochimaru immediately continued.
"That's why I think I can help you. At the very least, this time, we can cooperate. After all, I know Konoha better than anyone."
And just like that, Nagato and Orochimaru began their exchange without the slightest restraint.
Although Nagato very much wanted to kill Orochimaru, he did not fully trust Uchiha Obito's ability to handle matters.
As unreliable as Orochimaru might be, since he had shown up in Konoha, there was no reason not to make use of him.
Orochimaru himself had no faith in Akatsuki, but since he had stumbled into this, it seemed like the perfect chance to push forward his "Konoha Crush Plan"—and have someone else take the blame.
In that case—
He certainly wouldn't hold back!
As long as he was careful, he believed he could still slip out of Konoha safely.
'Bastards…'
Their arrogant, dismissive attitude made Danzo's fists clench tight.
How dare they look down on him like this?!
Still, being underestimated wasn't necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, it meant he might have a chance to escape.
'Are these maniacs' target really my Konoha?'
Danzo's face was grim. To him, Konoha belonged to him alone. Even at nearly seventy years of age, he still firmly believed he would one day become Hokage.
'They all seem wary of that Kitagawa Gen?'
But Danzo caught onto that crucial detail. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to speak so highly of Kitagawa Gen!
'In that case, as long as I make it back to the village center, then they—'
[Thud—]
[Thud—]
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard the dull thud of heavy bodies dropping behind him.
And that sound… it was disturbingly like corpses hitting the ground.
[BOOM—]
The next moment, a violent surge of chakra erupted behind him, accompanied by thunderous shockwaves.
He turned, only to see countless Root shinobi already sprawled lifeless across the ground!
"Danzo-sama… run…"
Aburame Torune lay collapsed on the ground, coughing up blood as he forced the words out.
At the same time, Yamanaka Fū was hurled through the air, smashing into the earth with a heavy crash. His entire body had turned a blotchy, dark purple—obviously poisoned!
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind whistled from behind him. Instantly, Danzo drew a kunai and spun around to block.
[Clang!]
He managed to deflect the strike, but his pupils dilated in shock—
because the thing that had attacked him was nothing but a severed arm!
"Not bad—you're pretty quick on your feet."
In the next instant, a figure lunged out of the shadows, driving a brutal kick into Danzo's chest.
His defenses shattered instantly, and his body was sent crashing backward.
"So you're Shimura Danzo?"
A deep, icy voice rang out once again.
"I hear you're a Wind Release shinobi. I've long admired your reputation. How about lending me your heart for a while?"
"You—"
Danzo tried to speak, but his senses suddenly caught on to something. In a flash, he leapt back and formed a rapid series of hand seals.
A violent gust roared forth, scattering the kunai flying in from the flanks. Only then did he see the red-haired figure stepping into view.
"Excellent Wind Release. This is exactly what I'm looking for."
The red-haired man regarded Danzo with cold detachment, his face devoid of expression.
"I heard you fought Chiyo for a long time—and practically won. So how about lending me your body? I'm very curious how you managed to defeat her."
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