A battle between shinobi is not only a clash of jutsu—it's also a contest of information.
This is especially true in the early stages of the ninja world's history, when the difference in power between combatants was often minimal.
To defeat Kakashi's Team 7, Momochi Zabuza had even gone so far as to fake his own death just to gather intelligence on them.
Even though the end result was still his defeat, it proved how vital information truly is.
For Senju Haruto—who had watched the events of the Naruto world play out before—knowing everyone's secrets was one of his greatest advantages.
"How did you figure out the exact time limit?" Uchiha Itachi asked without hesitation.
When Danzō Shimura revealed his arm embedded with multiple Sharingan, there wasn't even the slightest flicker of surprise on Haruto's face.
It was as if he had known about it all along.
"I've killed Danzō once before," Haruto replied matter-of-factly. To him, it wasn't much of a secret.
"And now… it's just a matter of repeating the process a few more times."
With that, Haruto strode toward Danzō in long, unhurried steps.
The Root operatives in the area moved to intercept him, but with their level of skill, they had no chance of stopping him now.
Using the Byakugan's full 360-degree vision, Haruto tracked every incoming attack, every movement, and every approach.
Apart from Danzō himself, the rest of the Root ninja fought in predictable ways—either throwing shuriken and kunai or casting mid-tier B-rank ninjutsu.
A smaller portion tried to close the distance with taijutsu or kenjutsu.
As Haruto drew nearer, Danzō's breathing grew heavy.
He could use the Uchiha clan's forbidden technique, Izanagi—but its duration was extremely limited, and the chakra cost was far from small.
Ten uses left? Danzō glanced at the eyes on his arm, then immediately formed seals for a summoning jutsu.
Boom!
A thunderous sound split the air as a huge plume of smoke exploded outward.
Danzō took the opening to suck in a deep breath.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Countless blades of wind sliced through the dispersing smoke, aiming straight for Haruto's vital points.
Through the Byakugan, Haruto recognized Danzō's summoned beast instantly—
The Baku.
A creature capable of generating immense suction with Wind Release, pulling enemies toward it to be devoured. Danzō had once used it in perfect coordination to tear through Sasuke's Susanoo.
Whoosh!
As Danzō unleashed the Vacuum Serial Waves, the Baku opened its massive jaws and inhaled with terrifying force, creating a windstorm so strong that Haruto felt himself being dragged forward against his will.
The vacuum blades were seconds away from tearing into him.
But Haruto didn't panic. He simply brought his palms together in a sharp clap.
Snap!
The sound was crisp, decisive.
"Wood Release: Wooden Golem Technique!"
Chakra surged down into the trees beneath him, causing them to swell, twist, and transform into a towering wooden giant.
Haruto leapt onto its back, channeling chakra into his feet to stabilize his stance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several Vacuum Serial Waves slammed directly into the golem, leaving only shallow cracks on its wooden surface.
The Root operatives couldn't even scratch it.
Itachi's eyes tracked Haruto and his creation—the golem was even larger than the one he had seen before.
Could its defense rival Susanoo's?
This battle wasn't just a joint assault on Danzō—it was also Itachi's chance to gather intel on Haruto.
The last time Haruto had used the Wooden Golem, it had been purely for intimidation, not actual combat.
But seeing it tank Danzō's Wind Release with barely a mark was enough to shock him. Without Susanoo, his only option against such a defense would be evasion.
Danzō, on the other hand, was no ordinary ninja. He knew the Uchiha clan inside and out. Even against Shisui Uchiha, he had never slipped up.
Trying to trap him with genjutsu would be no easy task.
While Itachi weighed Haruto's capabilities, the massive golem surged forward, making the surrounding Root operatives gasp in unison.
Even Aburame Torune froze in disbelief, his worldview shattering.
Is this really a battle between shinobi?
The towering golem shrugged off Danzō's wind attacks entirely. Its strength and speed rivaled those of the most agile jōnin.
If Torune himself had to face Haruto and that golem, even retreat would be nearly impossible.
"Damn it…"
Danzō's lips curled into a grimace. He had thought the Baku would give him an opening, but Haruto seemed to know his every move before it happened.
"Not a single opening…?"
Frowning, Danzō could only watch as the golem ignored the Baku's gale-force suction, reached out with a massive arm, and clamped its wooden fingers around the beast's jaws.
Rumble…!
With sheer brute force, the golem slammed the Baku to the ground.
The Wooden Golem's defense was so overwhelming that it could theoretically catch a Tailed Beast Bomb and throw it back.
Haruto didn't even need Sage Mode to overpower the Baku.
The moment the wind pressure vanished, Haruto exploded forward and appeared right before Danzō, his hand snapping around the man's throat.
Crack!
A clean, sharp sound—the neck breaking instantly.
But this only caused one of the Sharingan on Danzō's arm to close forever.
"You really are strong," Danzō said, stepping back as his neck seemingly reformed under Izanagi's effect. His gaze on Haruto was complex.
"I once performed human experimentation, seeking to restore the power of the First Hokage to Konoha.
"But what I got… was an inferior imitation.
"And after I poured everything into him, Hiruzen Sarutobi stole him away from me.
"But you…"
"You've walked down the wrong path. Hiruzen's weakness will only lead Konoha into decay—just like Hashirama's policies did.
"Like Shisui, you cling to a tiny village despite having the power to rewrite the shinobi world.
"You cling to your clan.
"Even the peace Hashirama built had an expiration date—the moment of his death."
Danzō's voice rose into a raw, almost hysterical shout. He could never understand why so many people supported Sarutobi and his ideals.
"…True enough."
Haruto nodded in agreement—but that didn't mean he wouldn't kill him.
Shnk!
Haruto drove a kunai clean through Danzō's left chest, the blade punching out through his back.
"Let me see… that's eight more times I'll have to kill you."
He shrugged casually, then glanced over his shoulder at Itachi.
"You want to take a few turns?"
Uchiha Itachi: "???"