Chapter 75: Worthy of My Trust
The Root ninja were too shocked to say anything more, as Lord Danzō had once again been instantly engulfed by the Fire of Heavenly Retribution. And this Root ninja also knew the consequences of using the "Reaper Death Seal."
Whether successful or not… it required the caster's own life as a price to summon the Shinigami!
This was one of the most dangerous S-rank forbidden jutsu recorded in Konoha's Scroll of Seals!
As the Root ninja hesitated…
He suddenly found his two comrades glaring at him with menacing gazes.
The Root ninja, Gen, clenched his teeth fiercely.
After taking a deep breath.
He rapidly performed hand seals.
Serpent - Boar - Ram - Rabbit - Dog… Serpent! After completing nine seals, just as Danzō's "Izanagi" was activated once again, Gen, as if throwing caution to the wind, slammed his hands together. A large portion of his chakra was instantly drained, and his cheeks visibly sunken.
"Ninja Art…"
"Reaper Death Seal!!!"
Danzō didn't sense anything unusual, but Gen's entire body instantly stiffened.
He distinctly felt a bone-chilling coldness emanating from behind him.
When he subtly glanced backward, a massive, eerie Shinigami phantom was reflected in his eyes.
This…
Is…
The Shinigami?!
The Root ninja's eyes suddenly widened. He saw the Shinigami's grotesque, curse-marked arm instantly pierce through his body! The arm extended forward, grasping Danzō.
The power from the Shinigami penetrated Danzō's body.
Slowly pulling out the soul within him.
"Wait…" Danzō painfully squeezed out a sentence: "Wait four seconds… Wait… until the Izanagi effect ends…"
Four seconds.
Flashed by in an instant.
Under the Root ninja's extreme willpower, sweat pouring down his face, the Shinigami phantom behind him spat out a short blade from its mouth.
The Shinigami's other arm caught the short blade, and its enormous, ethereal body leaned forward, decisively slashing at Danzō's leg souls.
But the cut was too high.
It almost cut Danzō's soul in half at the waist!
The pain from his soul made Danzō's eyes widen more than anyone else's.
"Seal…"
"SEAL!!!"
The moment the Root ninja, Gen, shouted out the two words in his last moments of life, Danzō's leg souls, held by the Shinigami, suddenly burst into a ball of crimson Fire of Heavenly Retribution.
As the flames rose, the terrifying face of the Shinigami phantom visibly showed a trace of astonishment.
Its hollow eyes seemed to momentarily express a human-like confusion.
At the same time.
Another Root ninja, quick-witted, instantly used his ninja blade to sever Danzō's physical legs and quickly pulled Danzō's upper body away from his legs.
Danzō's severed physical legs also simultaneously ignited with the Fire of Heavenly Retribution!
"Lord Danzō, it's a success!" The Root ninja, holding the blood-stained ninja blade, breathed a sigh of relief as he immediately reported to Danzō.
But before Danzō could even relax, the intense burning pain of the flames struck again, continuously stimulating his mind and will.
It left him completely bewildered.
"Hiss! Wh-why is it still hissing AHHHHHH!!!!"
Even though the souls and bodies of both legs had been severed.
That bone-chilling pain still seemed to be connected to him.
It was as if it was an incurable disease, impossible to completely eradicate!
Even if the Fire of Heavenly Retribution and his leg souls were sealed within the Shinigami, the sensation of spiritual connection seemed not to have been severed! Or perhaps the power of the Fire of Heavenly Retribution surpassed that of the Shinigami!
The Shinigami's seal could not block the soul-burning pain!
The scorching flames of Absolute Justice were ceaselessly incinerating the multitude of evils upon Danzō's body, every single moment!
Not giving Danzō a moment's respite, every single second.
The Root ninja holding the blood-stained ninja blade was stunned. He realized that Lord Danzō had "rejoiced" too soon. And Lord Danzō's sudden idea seemed to have caused him even more tragic torment.
Uchiha Ikeizumi's dōjutsu…
Was it truly unresolvable?!
...
Not long after.
The ANBU ninja dispatched by Hiruzen Sarutobi finally arrived.
The ANBU ninja were astonished to find that what greeted their eyes was not a miraculously escaped Shimura Danzō.
But half of Danzō, transformed into a "charred corpse."
Moreover, this half of Danzō seemed to be enduring extreme pain beyond their imagination, his agonizing screams comparable to the wails of demons.
They also heard desperate words filled with negative emotions mixed in with the screams, such as "why," "how is this possible," "I can't take it anymore," and "just kill me already."
This sent shivers down the spines of the ANBU ninja.
This Root of Konoha…
Was he truly okay?
"…Danzō, let us take over." An ANBU ninja glanced at the two Root ninja corpses on the ground and said to the other two somewhat helpless Root ninja.
He immediately knelt down and performed medical ninjutsu on the half-bodied Danzō.
Though it wouldn't completely heal Danzō.
It would at least reduce the blood loss.
One of the two remaining Root ninja interjected coldly and warily: "What are you going to do with Lord Danzō?"
The ANBU ninja replied expressionlessly: "This is the Hokage's order. Furthermore… Shimura Danzō is no longer the leader of Root; he is no longer your superior. In this situation, are you two still going to obstruct us?"
Root ninja: "…"
...
Outside the Yamanaka clan compound.
The nearly thousand Konoha ninja, attracted by the commotion and gathered, dispersed one after another upon realizing that the conflict had finally ended.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Fugaku, his voice hinting at something as he sighed: "Fugaku, thank you for standing with this old man tonight."
Fugaku's eyes had returned to their original state.
He spoke with a complex expression: "Lord Hokage, this is what the Uchiha clan should do. I have always hoped that there would be no internal strife in Konoha Village. If Ikeizumi makes any outrageous moves, I will do everything in my power to stop him."
"After all… Ikeizumi's justice, in the end, is only what he perceives as absolute justice, not Konoha's justice. That child, many times, does not put Konoha first."
Fugaku paused, then added: "As the Uchiha clan head, I have failed to properly restrain my clan members. This is my fault."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, indicating that Fugaku didn't need to apologize.
Let alone Fugaku, could he, Hiruzen Sarutobi, even control Ikeizumi?
Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Ikeizumi's unruliness better than anyone.
He reached out and patted Fugaku's shoulder.
"I hope you are worthy of this old man's trust, Fugaku." With these words, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but cast a rather complex gaze upon Uchiha Ikeizumi, who was not far ahead.
Tonight…
Was destined to be another sleepless night!
....
Inoichi Yamanaka finally emerged from the ruins of the Yamanaka clan compound.
A group of Yamanaka clan elders and children followed him.
He picked up his frightened daughter, Ino Yamanaka.
This usually very serious Konoha jōnin now had a face filled with lingering fear. It was clear he was terrified that his clan members would be caught in the conflict and killed by Danzō.
After putting Ino down, Inoichi Yamanaka held Ino's small hand and quickly walked behind Uchiha Ikeizumi.
"…Ikeizumi!"
Uchiha Ikeizumi paused his steps slightly, turning to look at Inoichi Yamanaka.
"Thank you." Judging from the devastated landscape, Inoichi Yamanaka knew that Uchiha Ikeizumi must have held back when using his Lava Release.
Because the greatest destruction to the surrounding buildings was caused by Wind Release. At least Ikeizumi didn't let the lava affect the Yamanaka clan compound.
"From now on, no matter how you choose to carry out your ['Absolute Justice'] in Konoha. The Yamanaka clan will support you."
Inoichi Yamanaka said earnestly.
....
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