In the center of the arena, Uchiha Shiro used Wood Release to conjure a chair, sitting on it quietly and admiring the chaos unfolding before him.
Danzo sat at his feet, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. If any threat to Shiro appeared, he was ready to pounce and attack without a moment's hesitation.
"Woof! Woof!" Danzo barked fiercely, howling at Minato and his ANBU guards.
Just moments ago, the shinobi and the dog had fought for several rounds. Perhaps because Minato had shown mercy, the two sides had fought to a standstill. After Hiruzen Sarutobi's death and the urging of his personal guard, Minato's expression finally hardened with resolve.
The Third Hokage is gone. Now, the only one who can protect the fate of the entire village is me, the one who was once the Fourth Hokage. He would no longer be lenient. Anyone who threatens the village will not be tolerated, no matter who they are.
An uncharacteristically fierce expression crossed Minato's face. "You and Danzo… I will end this now and avenge the Third Hokage!"
Shiro raised an eyebrow. "You must be mistaken. Hiruzen Sarutobi's death was caused by Orochimaru. If you want revenge, you should go after him. Besides, I'd advise you to hurry. He's about to escape." As he spoke, Shiro pointed in the direction Orochimaru had fled.
Minato Namikaze drew a kunai. "In our previous battle, I marked Orochimaru with my Flying Thunder God technique. He can't escape."
"His hands have also been sealed by the Third Hokage; his strength is greatly diminished. But you… you are different. My Hokage's intuition tells me that you are the most dangerous person in this village right now."
"Heh…" Shiro stood up, a faint smile on his lips. "I'll take that as a compliment. Since you've made up your mind, I suppose I'll have to take this seriously."
"Woof! Woof!" Seeing Shiro stand, Danzo immediately tensed, his face flushing with aggression as he took a fighting stance.
At that moment, an unexpected figure suddenly appeared between the two parties.
"Uchiha Shiro… I… I will kill you!"
After seeing who had arrived, both Shiro and Minato were stunned. It was Gaara. But now he looked like a monster, his left side still intact while his right half had been completely assimilated by the Tailed Beast within him.
One of the ANBU was shocked. "Oh no! He is… Shukaku of the Sand?"
Another guard frowned. "It seems the Sand Village is truly trying to destroy Konoha. They've even unleashed their ultimate weapon, the Tailed Beast!"
The first ANBU suggested, "This is a good opportunity. Since the Sand Village attacked first, we can take advantage of this battle to capture the One-Tailed Shukaku!"
Minato Namikaze shook his head, his expression cautious. "If we do that, the balance of power between the great nations will be broken. Konoha, possessing both the One-Tails and the Nine-Tails, would definitely be seen as a threat by the other three great nations."
The ANBU looked puzzled. "That shouldn't be a problem. I remember that the Cloud, Stone, and Mist villages all have two Tailed Beasts, don't they?"
"That's different," Minato explained. "The Tailed Beast we have is the Nine-Tails… If we add the One-Tails to our arsenal, I fear the other three great nations would be forced to form an alliance and attack Konoha."
While they were talking, Gaara had already launched his attack. "Haha! Go to hell, Uchiha Shiro!"
Gaara shot forward, appearing in front of Shiro in an instant and swinging Shukaku's giant, sandy palm. Shiro remained unmoved. It wasn't that he looked down on Gaara; he was simply confused.
"What's going on?"
"Gaara, I don't have any grudge against you, do I?"
"Why are you targeting me?"