"All right, let him feel my art, un." Deidara sneered, plunging his hand into the clay pouch. After a few moments, several pale white birds formed in his palm, wings twitching ominously.
With a swift throw, the clay birds soared toward Danzo, hissing through the air.
Detonating Clay – C2 Birds.
"Tch!" Danzo cursed under his breath and hastily leapt to the side, evading the initial burst.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand – World Method!"
A barrage of black metallic spikes burst through the air as the puppet of the Third Kazekage, controlled by Sasori, launched an assault on Orochimaru. Nearby, the reanimated Third Kazekage also moved, mimicking the same technique.
A bizarre clash unfolded—two versions of the same shinobi battling, one a puppet masterpiece, the other a half-conscious revenant of Orochimaru's Edo Tensei.
Due to the limitations of Edo Tensei, which could not restore full strength or consciousness, Orochimaru's version was being overwhelmed. Seeing the tide turn, Orochimaru gritted his teeth and entered the fray himself, drawing his Kusanagi blade.
Hidden in the shadows, Sasuke Uchiha, his form cloaked and chakra suppressed, watched silently. The scene reminded him of the scenario in Ultimate Ninja Storm, where Deidara and Sasori confronted Orochimaru—only this version played out with altered stakes.
Two hours later, the Sharingan embedded in Danzo's arm had all been consumed. His left arm hung limp, broken. Though Deidara had also sustained multiple slashes from Wind Release techniques and was running low on chakra, he had successfully cornered Danzo.
In the canon timeline, Sasuke had slain Deidara without even activating the Mangekyō Sharingan, and later killed Danzo using it. Now, due to the lack of the curse seal and chakra suppression effects, all three combatants stood on nearly even ground.
Danzo had long desired to retreat but was continuously delayed by Deidara's relentless bombardment. Now, with Deidara staggering and his chakra depleted, Danzo seized his chance, escaping into the forest without hesitation.
"Damn it…" Orochimaru hissed. He couldn't pursue—not with Sasori's main body revealed. The puppet's offensive overwhelmed him.
I'll find another opportunity… Maybe he's heading toward the Land of Grass.
Orochimaru calculated while using the Kusanagi Sword to block the flurry of tail strikes from Sasori's true form.
Danzo rushed deeper into the woods, breathing heavily. The moment he felt no one chasing him, a faint sense of relief flickered—
Slick!
A blade pierced his chest from behind.
"Danzo. Your life ends here." A man stepped into Danzo's field of vision, clad in a cloak and a crimson demon-faced mask.
Danzo's eyes widened. The weapon had struck too fast—beyond the speed of sound.
The mask—it was hauntingly familiar.
That mask… it's the same one that appeared the night of the Nine-Tails' attack… Danzo's eyes trembled. The height, hairstyle—they were different. But the pressure was the same.
"W-Who are you?" he gasped, blood pouring from his lips.
If this man hadn't interfered with Minato's use of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal that night... if he hadn't nullified the Nine-Tails... my power in Konoha wouldn't have declined! That mask... it ruined everything!
"Hahaha... I am the only true Reaper in this world," Sasuke replied, tilting his head with cold amusement. With a clean motion, he withdrew the sharp spear, and Danzo collapsed.
Sasuke kept his distance. "All things in the universe turn to ash—Ryujin Jakka!"
Danzo barely raised his head, and before his eyes, flames erupted—a terrifying scene, identical to what he'd seen 12 years ago.
It really is him! Danzo clenched his teeth and staggered to his feet. "You… it was you that night!"
"It seems you've figured it out. But it doesn't matter. You'll be gone soon." Sasuke chuckled darkly as a whirlwind of fire erupted, engulfing Danzo and the surrounding trees.
Torch.
A tornado of searing flame spiraled, consuming Danzo.
Then suddenly—Danzo appeared behind Sasuke.
"You're not leaving alive!" Danzo yelled. Stripping his shirt away, his body glowed with curse marks—he activated Reverse Four Symbols Sealing.
Uchiha Kagami's eyes... that sealing jutsu...
But Sasuke had anticipated this.
"Torch – Blaze Ring." A circular wall of exploding flame erupted outward, launching everything in the vicinity away. The scorching fire quickly climbed onto the scattered debris, burning everything to ashes.
Danzo's sealing technique fizzled mid-activation. There was no time—only incineration.
Reduced to ash once more, Danzo's presence vanished for good.
Only after confirming that Danzo's reishi—his spiritual pressure—had fully dispersed, did Sasuke depart.
With his mission complete, Sasuke left the battlefield and climbed the rocky heights of Mount Kusanagi. He no longer needed to pursue Orochimaru; the Sannin would come to him. After all, with Danzo dead, Orochimaru's bargain had failed. And now Sasuke had leverage—Orochimaru's craving for the knowledge of Yoku's soul-forging technology would be his leash.
A month passed.
Ding!
System Notice: Sign-In #14 Complete. Reward Obtained — "Soul Separation Pills" x10.
Now he could briefly exit his physical form and operate as a spiritual entity, much like a Shinigami. The number of pills was small, and Sasuke wasn't entirely sure of their safety. If any of them contained foreign souls, he would have to reconsider their use.
---
Status Panel: Uchiha Sasuke (Alias: Reaper Without Moon)
Spiritual Pressure: 50,001
Chakra: 6,013
Zanpakuto: Ryujin Jakka, Kyōka Suigetsu, Senbonzakura
Kidō: Proficient
Hakuda: Proficient
Shunpo: Proficient
Kenjutsu: Adept
Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan (Three Tomoe)
---
Though Sasuke had not used the Sharingan much lately, it had somehow evolved into the three tomoe state. Living alone in the mountains, he discovered a new kind of peace:
"No one to watch. No one to fear. A perfect place to master Bankai without interruption."
After tossing the Soul Separation Pills into his system inventory, Sasuke stood and stretched.
"Let's continue… Scatter, Senbonzakura."
Drawing his Zanpakuto, Sasuke faced off against a towering specter, also masked.
The pink-bladed fragments of Senbonzakura shimmered, dancing like sakura petals.
Just as training commenced, a patterned serpent slithered to his feet and unfurled a scroll from its mouth.
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