"Ah, really, I can come back just by thinking about it?"
Naruto maintained his relentless assault, each strike calculated to maximize Danzo's suffering without granting him the mercy of a quick death.
Are you watching me now too... Father?
The word caught in his throat, refusing to be spoken aloud. Perhaps because of his true mental age, he simply couldn't accept this reality so quickly.
Regarding the Nine-Tails, however, Naruto harbored absolutely no desire for reconciliation.
What a complete joke!
Yes, the beast had been controlled by someone else when it committed those atrocities, but his parents had still perished because of its actions. He couldn't fathom the excruciating pain his mother must have endured, her body pierced through just hours after giving birth to him.
Regardless of the Nine-Tails' lack of intent, Naruto would never show it mercy. Did they seriously expect him to suddenly smile and forgive everything? The fact that he hadn't returned to that mental space to beat the creature senseless already demonstrated incredible restraint.
From the external perspective, Naruto had barely paused after hearing Danzo's revelations. His hands never stopped their systematic destruction. That brief flicker of ominous chakra had vanished entirely. Whatever additional taunts Danzo spewed fell on deaf ears.
"If I were in your position, I'd conserve my energy and compose some final words."
"What did you say?!"
"Ignorant demon fox brat! Are you completely blind? You cannot harm me!"
Danzo's speech came out in ragged bursts because Naruto's strikes were too frequent. He could only manage words during the split seconds when Izanagi reset his physical state.
"Do you assume I'm half-blind like you?"
Unlike his opponent, Naruto could speak with perfect clarity between attacks. He openly mocked the man whose right eye remained concealed behind bandages.
"That so-called 'invincibility' of yours has clear limitations, correct?"
Though phrased as an inquiry, Naruto's tone conveyed absolute certainty.
Panic flashed across Danzo's features as he opened his mouth to deflect, but Naruto cut him off.
"At regular intervals, one of those eyes embedded in your flesh closes permanently. The seventh eye on that grotesque arm of yours just went dark. Your invincibility period is nearly finished."
As a veteran of countless battles, Naruto had immediately recognized the connection between Danzo's impossible ability and those transplanted Sharingan. His deduction proved remarkably precise.
The technique Danzo wielded, Izanagi, truly was an "invincibility jutsu" powered by consuming Sharingan ocular energy. It granted literal invincibility by rewriting any harmful reality into mere illusion.
Had an actual Uchiha clan member cast this technique, it would function like a standard ability with cooldown periods, potentially lasting much longer. But Danzo could only treat those stolen Sharingan as expendable resources.
With every secret exposed under Naruto's analytical gaze, Danzo abandoned his attempts at verbal misdirection. His mind, thoroughly corrupted by decades of scheming, desperately searched for escape routes from this impossible situation.
What options do I have? What can I possibly do?
Given current circumstances, his remaining four eyes, including Shisui's precious ocular power, could sustain him for perhaps four more minutes. The Naruto before him clearly intended no mercy. Glancing toward his supposed ally Orochimaru, who continued observing the battle with obvious entertainment, it became clear the snake ninja had zero intention of intervening.
That treacherous snake! Doesn't he understand that once I'm eliminated, he'll face the same fate?
Yet as the saying goes, heaven rarely seals every possible exit. Perhaps Danzo possessed some twisted form of luck, which might explain how this manipulative fossil had briefly claimed the Hokage position in alternative timelines, even if only temporarily.
"Lord Danzo!"
Multiple voices shouted as five masked Root operatives burst onto the battlefield. Their sudden appearance brought a coordinated barrage of jutsu.
Shadow manipulation techniques, various mid-level fire and water releases, all launched simultaneously. Most shocking was one Root member actually employing the First Hokage's signature Wood Release, though the scale was pathetically small compared to the original, barely matching the weakened Reanimation version.
These Root operatives had previously dispersed throughout Konoha according to Danzo's orders, casting the Temple of Nirvana genjutsu on civilians. After completing that mission, they had unfortunately encountered the Toad Sage Jiraiya.
However, Jiraiya's merciful nature proved to be their salvation. He had merely rendered them unconscious rather than executing them outright. Upon realizing the gravity of the situation, he had rushed directly to the Hokage Building.
Had Naruto discovered their civilian-targeting actions, it would have meant immediate execution.
Jiraiya's moment of compassion had provided Danzo with a precious opportunity to break free.
These Root ninjas struck with devastating precision and timing. Before either Jiraiya or Hiruzen Sarutobi could properly respond, their coordinated assault had already reached Naruto.
While Naruto's physical superiority allowed him to shrug off most attacks, techniques like the shadow bind and that modified Wood Release still managed to briefly restrict his movement. Though the hindrance lasted mere seconds, it provided sufficient opportunity for the "invincible" Danzo to create distance and attempt flight.
The Root members who launched this suicidal assault were immediately subdued by Jiraiya and Hiruzen. Their sacrifice mattered little, as long as they granted Lord Danzo even a fragment of hope.
Seizing this fleeting chance, Danzo flashed backward to create space between himself and Naruto, then immediately performed a summoning technique without hesitation.
"Summoning Jutsu: Baku!"
A nightmarish creature resembling an elephant with an elongated trunk materialized from nowhere. From its cavernous mouth erupted tremendous suction force, attempting to drag Naruto off balance.
Under Danzo's horrified gaze, Naruto simply walked through the technique's area of effect as though completely unaffected, disappeared in a flicker, and struck again. The summoned beast was also casually swatted aside by Enma, who had resumed his original simian form.
Another eye on Danzo's corrupted limb sealed itself forever.
"How does despair taste? Are you finally experiencing true fear?"
"You briefly entertained the illusion of escape."
Perhaps only Danzo's current mental state matched the frigid tone of Naruto's voice. He had returned to the exact same hopeless stalemate as before. Naruto employed no jutsu whatsoever, simply crushing him through overwhelming physical dominance.
The assault's speed was so relentless that Danzo couldn't properly execute any techniques. Even if he managed to activate something, effective solutions seemed nonexistent. Naruto wasn't the type to stand around courteously while enemies powered up their ultimate attacks.
"Observe carefully. Your life has entered its final countdown phase. As you witness death's approach firsthand, do you also taste fear? Experience despair?"
Today marked a complete eruption of Naruto's long-suppressed negative emotions. Previously, he would never attempt psychological warfare during combat. But confronting Danzo specifically, granting him a quick death would constitute excessive mercy.
Witnessing Naruto's dramatically altered demeanor, Jiraiya moved to intervene but found himself restrained by his former teacher. Hiruzen Sarutobi understood with painful clarity that ultimately, the village bore responsibility for the injustices suffered by Naruto and the Minato family. Particularly after learning that his old comrade Danzo had orchestrated that tragic night, even his naturally hesitant and forgiving nature couldn't manufacture excuses for such betrayal.
Jiraiya's concern wasn't for Danzo's welfare. He simply worried about seeing such a promising young shinobi like Naruto have his worldview corrupted by this walking embodiment of evil.
Under everyone's tense observation, yet another eye on Danzo's grotesque appendage closed with finality.
Death approached one step closer.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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