At this point, only the final Sharingan on the back of Danzo's hand remained open. According to previous calculations, it should close soon as well.
The hatred etched across Danzo's features was rapidly transforming into pure madness.
"Stop! Stop this instant!"
"You insolent brat! Do you comprehend what I represent to Konoha?!"
"Do you wish to become an enemy of all Konoha?"
Danzo was speaking recklessly now, completely ignoring that he himself was one of the primary architects of the so-called "Konoha Collapse Plan." But Naruto's relentless assault showed no signs of abating. Whether he disbelieved Danzo's desperate words or simply didn't care about "becoming Konoha's enemy" remained unclear.
"Stop it, you damned brat!"
Seeing the eye on his hand beginning to dim, Danzo's aged face contorted with hysteria.
"You fool! Do you think I'm the only one in Konoha who knows the truth from that night?!"
"Think about it. Where did your parents' inheritance disappear to?!"
"Do you believe they're innocent in all this?"
Perhaps his last thread of sanity had finally snapped. Danzo actually began laughing maniacally as he implicated others in his crimes.
Naruto had some suspicions about who this "they" referred to. When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard these accusations, his fingers trembled visibly, and the guilt weighing on his face seemed to deepen considerably.
Strictly speaking, there hadn't been much monetary wealth in the inheritance left by Minato and Kushina. As a civilian ninja, Minato possessed no vast family fortune. His accumulated funds consisted mostly of village-distributed salaries. This portion had been confiscated, though it wasn't particularly significant, and some had been allocated for Naruto's daily expenses.
Although Kushina was the heir of the Uzumaki clan, she couldn't bring substantial wealth to Konoha. What proved truly precious were the secret techniques and jutsu that the village had seized. These represented priceless treasures in the ninja world.
Hearing this revelation, Naruto merely glanced toward the Third Hokage without speaking.
Seeing Naruto unmoved by his revelations, Danzo attempted other methods to disturb his mental state, but all proved completely ineffective.
Finally, he could only watch helplessly as Naruto's fist connected with his face, embedding his entire body into the ground. This time, his form didn't recover. It seemed the moment had finally arrived.
Naruto gazed down at Danzo, who appeared to have lost all signs of life, then silently bent down to extract him from the earth.
But at that precise instant, Danzo, who had seemingly perished with his head exploded, suddenly reappeared beside Naruto, launching a desperate attack.
Damned brat! Making me sacrifice this eye that could reshape the future! This Sharingan with the power of Kotoamatsukami. Then pay for it with your life!
At this moment, all of Danzo's previous madness and panic evaporated. Only bottomless killing intent remained visible in his expression.
He understood perfectly that after this battle, even the most optimistic outcome would mean defecting from Konoha Village, never again having any opportunity at the Hokage position. For Danzo, who had always considered himself the rightful next Hokage, this was a fate worse than death itself.
Therefore, even if he truly perished here, he would eliminate this demon fox brat who had ruined his lifelong ambitions.
Events unfolded too suddenly. Even the Hokage master-disciple duo in the distance couldn't intervene in time.
"Naruto! Be careful!"
But Naruto seemed to have anticipated this exact scenario. He effortlessly evaded Danzo's attack, then resumed his systematic assault.
For this final minute, Danzo had no opportunity to speak. Naruto's strikes came faster and faster, almost becoming afterimages. The moment Izanagi ended, Naruto immediately shifted his attack trajectory, instantly shattering Danzo's limbs.
"Ahhhh!"
Danzo managed only one agonized cry before collapsing to the ground. Naruto lifted the half-paralyzed Danzo with one hand, then spoke with chilling calm directly into his ear.
"Did you seriously believe I was as foolish as you? That eye was your final trump card, wasn't it?"
With those words, he directly tore away the bandages concealing the opponent's head. Sure enough, that right eye was now completely sealed.
"Kill... kill me..."
At this moment, Danzo spoke while coughing blood. Making him beg Naruto for mercy would be absolutely impossible.
"Don't worry, I'll grant that request after I finish something else."
After saying this, Naruto employed the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu under Danzo's shocked and bewildered gaze.
In an instant, countless Naruto clones filled the entire plaza, even positioning themselves on surrounding rooftops. These duplicates then scattered toward various districts of the village at tremendous speed.
The others present couldn't fathom Naruto's intentions. Only Orochimaru seemed to comprehend, chuckling softly before transforming into mud just as Jiraiya's gaze turned in his direction.
What had been standing there was merely a clone all along. Truly worthy of Orochimaru with his maximized survival instincts!
But now it seemed no one particularly cared about his whereabouts. Even Jiraiya was more concerned about Naruto's next actions.
Soon, Naruto's clones reached every corner of the village, awakening all those hypnotized by the Temple of Nirvana Technique and summoning them in the Hokage's name. This included major families whose compounds lay outside the village proper.
Clans like the Nara and Aburame, whose territories were relatively distant, only learned of the crisis when Naruto's clones arrived. The Hyuga clan, being closer to the action, had already detected something amiss.
In fact, when Orochimaru had commanded the hidden Sand ninja to act under the Kazekage's authority earlier, it was the Hyuga who had intervened to contain them. This also explained why Gaara's group in the Forest of Death hadn't received reinforcements.
Witnessing Naruto arrive, deliver a single sentence, and then depart without hesitation, a Hyuga elder looked questioningly at Hiashi Hyuga.
"...Let's investigate this situation."
Even Konoha's high-level advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, were "invited" to the scene by Naruto with a forceful attitude that brooked no refusal.
"What is the meaning of this? Third Hokage? Danzo? What's happening here?"
The two continued asking questions but received only a helpless shake of the head from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Other villagers and ninja who arrived began whispering among themselves. Some might have recognized Danzo. Seeing him covered in injuries and restrained by Naruto, their eyes showed profound disbelief.
Most incredible was the Third Hokage's acquiescent attitude throughout the entire situation.
Seeing increasing numbers gathering before the Hokage Building, Danzo vaguely understood Naruto's intentions.
"No, no! You cannot do this."
This old man seemed to have completely lost his previous resolve, but the current Naruto no longer planned to acknowledge him.
Observing sufficient people had assembled, Naruto stepped forward and spoke in a voice carrying to everyone present.
"I am Naruto Uzumaki! Son of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki! I believe certain people in this village should be aware of this truth, correct?"
Naruto's opening statement proved earth-shattering, immediately causing an explosion of discussion among the distant onlookers.
Naruto Uzumaki is the Fourth Hokage's son? Then he's a hero's child? If what this young man claims is true... what have we been doing all these years?
But Naruto didn't concern himself with their belief or disbelief, continuing his revelation.
"Twelve years ago, my parents died protecting this village during the Nine-Tails' attack! But they didn't have to perish! It was because of this individual! Danzo Shimura!"
Next, Naruto concisely recounted Danzo's actions on the night of the Nine-Tails attack, even using word-for-word what Danzo had confessed earlier.
Numerous villagers looked toward the Third Hokage with incredulous expressions, only to receive his tacit acknowledgment.
The atmosphere immediately became charged with tension.
Many present had been victims of that night's Nine-Tails assault. Even if a small portion of ninja harbored doubts, most villagers and ninja immediately regarded Danzo with contempt and hatred.
Observing how easily the villagers' opinions could be swayed, Naruto found the entire situation somewhat ironic. Previously they had been influenced by baseless rumors. Today they were affected by his few casual words.
How utterly ridiculous.
He also found it rather tedious.
Being the focus of so many malicious gazes for the first time, Danzo seemed unable to process this psychological assault.
"No, you cannot do this! You're not permitted to regard me in that manner! I am Konoha's root! I am Konoha's Hokage! No!"
Witnessing this old man's increasingly deranged behavior, Naruto decided not to waste additional time on him.
"Your guilt means nothing to me. But whatever my parents left behind, whoever appropriated it must return everything."
This demand was rather forceful. The expressions of several major clan leaders and the two advisors became visibly uncomfortable. But Naruto didn't care about their feelings.
He simply hurled the limbless Danzo high into the air, then gathered all his strength.
In an instant, muscles, Haki, and chakra activated simultaneously. Power was forcibly concentrated at this moment. Everyone present seemed to feel their hearts struck by a massive drumstick, creating a suffocating sensation.
Then, like at Baratie, Naruto unleashed a full-power technique from the giants: "Hakai!"
This time he lacked the powerful physique from the pirate world, but it didn't matter. He used chakra to forcibly compensate for part of the physical difference.
When Naruto's fist struck out, a massive shockwave instantly covered the sky before the Hokage Building. Danzo, bearing the full impact, almost instantaneously turned to dust and dispersed.
The momentum of this attack didn't cease, directly penetrating the Hokage Rock behind the building. The carved heads of the First, Second, and Third Hokage vaporized under this strike.
Whether intentionally or not, Naruto had slightly adjusted the trajectory, leaving the stone statue representing his father intact.
Everyone who witnessed this terrifying display immediately fell silent.
It could be said that before being attacked by Pain in the original timeline, no one in the village had ever seen, nor imagined, anyone could deliver such a devastating attack.
What would have happened if Naruto's punch had been aimed at Konoha Village itself?
Realizing this horrifying possibility, the clan leaders immediately ceased their discussions, suddenly becoming very reasonable.
Naruto slowly withdrew his fist. Behind him, a massive hole penetrated through everything.
"Who's in favor, and who's opposed?"
Complete silence.
In an inconspicuous corner somewhere, a figure resembling a giant Venus flytrap slowly sank into the ground. Perhaps due to the distance, or because there were too many people present, even Naruto's Observation Haki failed to detect this scene in time.
...
Many significant events occurred following that day.
Naruto's punch not only pierced through the Hokage Rock but also seemed to penetrate certain people's stubborn hearts.
First, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi claimed he had suffered incurable injuries during this chaos and formally resigned from his position as acting Hokage, citing his inability to continue serving.
So Konoha's leadership began searching everywhere for a successor as Fifth Hokage.
The primary candidate was Jiraiya, one of the "Legendary Sannin" and a genuine Konoha ninja. But this old pervert seemed to have anticipated this development and had vanished somewhere before the advisors could locate him.
Perhaps only Naruto Uzumaki, currently his "disciple," knew his whereabouts.
But when it came to Naruto, everyone seemed to maintain a tacit silence. There was no feasible way to discuss "dealing with" Naruto. They could hardly hold him accountable for eliminating Konoha's advisor, could they?
After all, the deceased had raised no objections.
Whether it was major clans like the Hyuga or the two advisors, they all seemed to temporarily ignore this "Konoha Genin."
Yes, because the Chunin Exams were interrupted, the Konoha 12, including Naruto, all failed to successfully advance. But they were fortunate.
The Sand and Sound Village groups faced real consequences.
For the Sound ninja who were Orochimaru's loyal followers, Konoha's handling was decisive: humanitarian elimination.
As for Gaara, the Sand Village jinchuriki, and other important candidates, the other side had reluctantly paid considerable compensation before retrieving them.
This decision was made after consultation among Konoha's remaining leadership.
Naruto had no intention of interfering in this matter.
Honestly, he had significantly reduced his trips to the streets these past few days. After all, for ordinary villagers and ninja previously influenced by rumors, suddenly being told "Naruto isn't a monster, but rather a hero's son" was too jarring. They simply couldn't adjust immediately.
But they couldn't treat Naruto with the same terrible attitude as before either. Even setting aside Naruto's personal deterrent power, just the charge of being "politically incorrect and not thoroughly implementing the Will of Fire" would be overwhelming.
And Naruto couldn't tolerate their awkward attempts at friendliness, so he simply avoided the streets entirely.
He usually remained home, studying the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques, having Konohamaru run errands for whatever he needed.
Speaking of which, this "good grandson," Konohamaru, deserved mention.
Perhaps influenced by Naruto, after learning part of the truth despite his confusion, he ultimately chose to stand on Naruto's side.
And Naruto? He enjoyed being around pure-hearted children like Konohamaru. He felt that spending time with these kids significantly improved his mood.
(TL NOTE: Unfortunately, my LOTR: Playing Minecraft in Middle-earth book was mistakenly flagged as spam on Webnovel and removed. I'll re-upload it under a different title by tomorrow at the latest. Thank you for your patience!)