When Danzō hastily cast a disbelieving glance toward the location of the Baku, all he could see was a vast tsunami‑like a surge of magma that swallowed the beast's enormous body whole.
Like scalding water poured onto a ball of fluffy cotton, he watched helplessly as Baku's body visibly deflated—as though every bit of air inside were being squeezed out at once.
Moments later, the blazing magma splashed across the ground, setting the earth itself ablaze.
The Baku was gone—that was the undeniable fact before Danzō's eyes.
And he could clearly sense that the beast had not voluntarily dispelled the summoning technique at the last second.
In other words…
The terrifying heat of the magma had vaporized Baku's body!
His summoning beast…
Was dead!!!
Just as Uchiha Chizumi had "killed" Danzō a moment earlier, he had now slain Baku. The difference was that Danzō could rely on the Uchiha clan's Izanagi to rewrite reality, whereas Baku had only managed a single scream before dying on the spot.
The scattered magma on the ground quickly converged into a human shape. Uchiha Chizumi's unharmed body appeared in Danzō's field of vision, and Danzō saw him slowly turn around.
Fresh blood trickled from the corners of Danzō's mouth—he had clenched his jaw far too hard.
Yet under the minute‑long effect of Izanagi, it was as if nothing had happened in the blink of an eye.
"U! CHI! HA! CHI! ZU! MI!"
His fury had reached its peak.
…
Hiruzen Sarutobi's mood grew heavier as he and his men reached the area ravaged by the battle's aftershocks.
He saw block after block of houses shredded by Wind Release…
He saw Konoha civilians pouring into the open streets in panic…
He looked out at the devastation in the distance.
Hiruzen, too, was livid.
He never imagined Danzō would be so reckless—summoning the Baku inside the village and even letting it unleash such destructive jutsu in Konoha.
All just to kill Uchiha Chizumi? Were Uchiha shinobi really that intolerable a thorn in his side?
Enough to endanger civilians?
"…Huh?!" At that moment Hiruzen froze, his expression dark.
He had just seen a skyful of magma surge toward Baku.
When the magma dispersed…
Danzō's summoning beast was gone.
"Could it be…?" Hiruzen's pupils contracted. If his guess was right, Uchiha Chizumi's strength would have to be reevaluated.
…
Wind blades sharp enough to cut kunai grazed Uchiha Chizumi's cheek; thumb‑sized wind bullets punched several‑centimeter‑deep holes into him.
Chizumi used no fancy moves—he simply pivoted and drove a punch straight through Danzō's chest.
The light faded from Danzō's eyes.
Strangely, the "corpse" slid off Chizumi's arm, and in the briefest instant the lifeless eyes abruptly regained their gleam.
Danzō leapt back a distance; thick vines sprouted from his right arm and shot toward Chizumi!
"So once Izanagi is activated, no matter how many times you die in one minute, it still counts as only one death? I see."
After "killing" Danzō several times, Chizumi had roughly worked out how this golden‑finger ability functioned.
He caught one incoming vine; magma ignited it at once and reduced it to charcoal.
"Wood Release: Poisonous Flower Field!!!"
But—
The other vines blossomed into vivid flowers. As hot winds swept past, the blooms hurled clouds of pollen thick enough to obscure vision, spreading in every direction like a light sandstorm.
Since his Wood‑Style trump card had already been exposed, Danzō no longer held back.
Clapping his hands together, eyes gleaming with hatred, he roared:
"Wood Release: World of Trees Wall!!!"
His right arm slammed the earth, turning into wood and burrowing deep. Roots raced toward Chizumi, burst from the ground, and wove together into a spherical cage.
A defensive Wood‑Style jutsu—now repurposed to imprison Uchiha Chizumi.
Or rather…
To trap the rapidly spreading pollen!
"Even with a lava‑type power that mimics Hydrification, you can't be invincible, Uchiha Chizumi! Water Release, sealing jutsu—those are your weaknesses! And poison gas… that has to be a weakness too! This pollen can even dissolve internal organs!"
Danzō panted. He had never believed any ability in the ninja world was truly unbeatable.
Even Uchiha Shisui, with his awakened Mangekyō Sharingan, had been forced into flight by Danzō's schemes and ultimately thrown himself off a cliff.
As another three‑tomoe Sharingan in his right arm finally closed—
Danzō stared at the Wall holding Chizumi.
He had lost yet another Sharingan.
Tonight's sunk costs were already intolerable.
Damn Uchiha brat…
Just die already!
…
"Danzō!"
"What do you think you're doing!!!"
A roar brimming with fury raced toward him from behind.
Turning his scowling old face, Danzō saw Hiruzen Sarutobi rushing in with a large squad of Anbu.
Their aggressive stance drew a cold snort from Danzō.
If the "Monkey" hadn't kept shielding Uchiha Chizumi, that inherently evil brat would've been dealt with years ago.
At that moment Danzō noticed more people arriving from the opposite side.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Fugaku…"
For the newcomer was Uchiha Fugaku, leading a contingent of Uchiha shinobi!
"Where's Chizumi…" Fugaku stared ahead. In the devastated area he saw only Shimura Danzō.
From the other side, the Hokage and his people were also approaching.
But Chizumi was nowhere in sight.
A heavy feeling settled in Fugaku's chest.
Even though Chizumi's existence might endanger his eldest son, Itachi, the Uchiha clan could not afford to lose such a formidable asset.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly Fugaku saw the strange wooden cage ahead ignite spontaneously. At the same moment, Danzō turned in disbelief.
—BOOM!!!
A torrent of magma shot skyward, tearing the Wall to shreds; the poison‑laden vines were already ash.
Bathed in magma, Uchiha Chizumi rocketed forward like a loosed arrow, closing on Danzō in an instant!
"Chizumi! Wait!!!"
Fugaku blanched—the Hokage was already present; if Chizumi attacked now…
"Chizumi! Stop!" Hiruzen's heart lurched as well.
But—
Right before the Hokage's eyes, Uchiha Chizumi drove a searing magma arm straight through Danzō's back!
Danzō's eyes bulged; his neck froze mid‑turn.
His incredulous gaze fixed on Chizumi's profile.
The second transplanted Sharingan in his arm was fading.
"How many more eyes do you have left for me to burn through?"
The death‑like whisper sent a chill down Danzō's spine.
For the first time, he felt fear.