"Your Dream?"
Danzo couldn't take it anymore. Trembling with fury, he roared, "You traitorous scum who betrayed The Leaf how dare you speak of ideals?!"
"You're wrong again, Lord Danzo." Yuto chuckled softly. "Killing the ANBU guarding you and defecting from the village—now you're the real traitor here."
"I never killed them!" Danzo snapped.
"If we stood before the Hokage right now, who do you think he'd believe—me or you?" Yuto countered.
"You—you damn brat you're worse than the Uchiha!" Veins bulged on Danzo's forehead.
It finally hit him—this little bastard was framing him! And the worst part? He had no way to explain himself!
"Heh, what a brilliant scheme." Orochimaru suddenly spoke up, smirking. "Hayashi Yuto… you've been waiting for this moment ever since Danzo recruited you into ROOT, haven't you?"
"Not quite." Yuto shook his head with a light laugh.
"Oh? Are you saying this was just… convenient timing?" Orochimaru sneered.
"I've known for a long time that Lord Danzo has a… special interest in talented shinobi. He'll go to great lengths to pull them into ROOT." Yuto explained. "Two months ago, I just so happened to do a little something in the Land of Waves that caught his attention."
Danzo sucked in a sharp breath. "You… you mean—"
"So it wasn't Lord Danzo who chose me. It was me who chose him." Yuto smiled, dropping the final bombshell. "Oh, and all those incriminating documents in Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands? I was the one who handed them over."
"Hayashi Yuto, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Danzo finally understood. From the very beginning, this little demon had played him like a damn fiddle.
No—not just him! Even Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura had been dancing in the palm of his hand!
Horrifying.
Only now did Danzo truly grasp the terrifying genius standing before him.
"Fascinating. Truly fascinating!" Orochimaru licked his lips, grinning wildly. "The shinobi world's been stagnant for decades, and now you show up!"
"Lord Orochimaru, your research is truly impressive." Yuto turned to him, still smiling. "But from the start, you were looking in the wrong direction."
"Oh? And what direction should I have been looking in?" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, his pride as a scientist bristling.
He could admit he'd been outmaneuvered in schemes—but when it came to research, he refused to bow to anyone.
"That unique oppressive force field? It wasn't an obstacle. It was the right path all along." Yuto said plainly. "It's called Reiatsu."
"Rei…atsu?"
"Had you kept developing it, today might've ended differently."
"How the hell do you know about—?!" Orochimaru's composure cracked, his face twisting in shock.
That force field had been an accidental discovery—even Kabuto hadn't been present. So how…?
"Every experiment, every research note—yours and Lord Danzo's—I've seen it all." Yuto's grin widened. "So really, I should thank you both. Working with you has been…delightful."
"You treacherous little—!"
Danzo's teeth ground together, his face contorted in rage. "I'll kill you with my own hands today!"
Fury.
Pure, unfiltered fury burned through Danzo's veins, giving him just enough strength to stagger to his feet.
Never in his worst nightmares had he imagined that the subordinate he'd trusted like a disciple was actually a scheming, manipulative monster. Danzo, the master puppeteer, was finally experiencing what it felt like to be the puppet.
And it was agonizing.
That agony morphed into raw, hatred—the kind that demanded he tear this boy apart, reduce him to pulp!
Then—something changed.
Danzo's eyes shifted, turning bestial.
"Ghk—!"
White foam burst from his mouth as a flowing, bone-like substance rapidly encased his face, spreading across his entire body.
"This… this is—?!" Orochimaru's eyes widened. "The beast transformation?! How is it this fast?!"
"Beast transformation?" Yuto shook his head. "If done correctly, it's called Hollowfication. Shattering the illusory limits of shinobi… and gaining true power."
"What an ugly sight. I doubt Lord Danzo appreciates his new look." Orochimaru smirked.
By now, Danzo's body was covered in jagged spikes, his limbs twisted into claws—a grotesque fusion of man and monstrous porcupine, his eyes devoid of human thought.
"Ah, my apologies, Lord Orochimaru." Yuto's gaze slid to him, amused. "You'll be joining him soon."
"You're bluffing. My transformation progress is—" Orochimaru's words died as white foam suddenly gushed from his own mouth. "Wh—what?! How?!"
"Indeed." Yuto nodded cheerfully. "Normally, you'd need two more months to reach this stage. But as thanks for your and Lord Danzo's… contributions, I accelerated the process."
"You—!"
Orochimaru looked ready to combust. Since when was this how people expressed gratitude?!
"Remember Test Subject No. 9, Lord Orochimaru?" Yuto's grin turned razor-sharp. "Its mutation was my little gift to you. In other words… I wanted you to develop rapid regeneration."
"Why?!" Orochimaru fought to keep his voice steady.
"Simple. It allowed me to extract more precise data from you."
"Hayashi Yuto, I swear I'll kill you!"
Orochimaru's composure shattered. He lunged—only for the bone mask to fully consume his face mid-motion.
"Just as I thought—intense emotional spikes do speed up the hollowfication progress." Yuto observed, his tone eerily reminiscent of Orochimaru's own clinical fascination.
His words only drove Orochimaru deeper into despair. With one final snarl, the Sannin hissed
"Hayashi Yuto… I hope you die screaming."
"A loser should accept defeat with dignity. Maybe then I'd respect you." Yuto tossed Orochimaru's own words back at him, waving dismissively. "Goodbye, Lord Danzo… Lord Orochimaru. You both made excellent test subjects."
The only response was an inhuman roar, scattering birds from the trees.
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