"Swish, swish, swish…"
Five figures landed one after another atop the ruins of Root. Staring at the massive trees that had erupted from the wreckage, four of them turned their eyes toward Jia.
Jia slowly shook his head. "No one in Root has the ability to unleash Wood Release of such destructive power. Not even I could do this. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the person ANBU has been investigating all this time."
Uchiha Kumo, who had just joined this small council gathering today, didn't fully understand what Jia meant. But even without the details, he could guess. The one they were talking about was clearly none other than Uchiha Shion.
At his side, Namikaze Minato gave a faint nod, his expression heavy.
Was it really Uchiha Shion?
The Flying Thunder God Technique, Wood Release, and just now that eerie, chilling chakra—another new ability?
Even as the Fourth Hokage representing the authority of the Leaf, Minato had no desire to make an enemy of someone like Uchiha Shion, who fought alone yet wielded such overwhelming power. And looking around… Root was finished. What he couldn't confirm yet was whether Danzo…
"Boom!"
With a thunderous crash, a massive tree shoved aside fallen boulders. From within, a thick branch carried the completely unscathed figure of Uchiha Shion into the air.
"Well, you guys came quick. Quite the lively crowd today, huh?"
Minato ignored Shion's casual smirk and instead asked with a frown, "Was this your doing? And Danzo—did you kill him too?"
Shion shrugged, spreading his hands. "Dead. To make sure that old dog didn't have any trick left to resurrect himself, I chopped his body into pieces and burned it to ash with Fire Release."
He scratched his head, glancing back toward the ruins. "You won't be finding his ashes, though. The collapse buried everything. Even I don't know where they are now."
Dead?
Minato's brow furrowed deeper. "Uchiha Shion… by killing one of Konoha's high council, you've guaranteed that the Leaf will hunt you down. Originally, I didn't want to raise my hand against you."
Shion caught the meaning immediately—Minato was warning him to run before the village came after him.
But then…
"Swish!"
Three more figures descended with their escorts, landing on the ruins.
At the front, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rang out sharply as he glared at Shion suspended above on the trees. "Where is Danzo?!"
Shion lazily pointed toward the wreckage. "That old dog? I chopped him into meat paste, burned the remains to ash with Fire Release. Thanks to Izanagi, he resurrected several times—pretty troublesome, honestly."
"You bastard!!"
Hiruzen roared, slamming a hand to the ground. "Summoning Technique!"
Smoke burst forth, revealing the Monkey King Enma. The great beast's stern eyes locked on the massive trees behind Shion.
"Hiruzen, how… how can this be Wood Release?"
Floating in midair atop the giant tree, Shion waved his hand dismissively. "No need to rush things. Who knows? If I slip up, I might kill you by accident."
As he said this, Shion's eyes flicked briefly toward a certain pair of eyes in the crowd. They locked for a heartbeat before Shion turned away and beckoned with his hand.
"Rumble…"
From the great tree at his side, branches twisted together into a gigantic wooden sphere. Slowly, it contracted and split apart, revealing a grotesque, horrifying lump of flesh within.
Shion looked toward the two Uchiha present. "This one… I think you'll recognize."
On the twisted flesh-monstrosity, a single face remained. Its eyes opened, but where pupils should have been were only two empty, blackened pits.
Uchiha Kumo's face drained of color. "Katon! Uncle Tezuka's son! How could he be…?"
The words jolted Uchiha Shisui as well. That name had once shone in Konoha as a genius of the clan, a hero of the Leaf. How could he have ended up like this?!
Shisui fixed his eyes on Shion, his voice grim. "Who did this? Was it Danzo?"
Shion nodded faintly, then turned his gaze toward the Third Hokage, who was grinding his teeth so hard he looked ready to shatter them. "Root's decay ran deep. All for the sake of stealing the powers of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara, Danzo carried out countless experiments."
"Experiments demand subjects. At first it was foreign shinobi, even civilians. But after one particular case, he turned his eyes inward—back onto Konoha itself."
As he spoke, Shion looked toward Jia, who stood behind the Fourth Hokage, and gave him a thin smile. "As the only Wood Release survivor, you of all people should know. Orochimaru and Danzo's experiments claimed countless Leaf lives, didn't they?"
"Impossible!!"
The Third Hokage's furious shout cut the air. "I shut down all Wood Release research years ago because the sacrifices were too great! Danzo wouldn't have dared—!"
He broke off when Shion cut him a sharp glance and instead asked Jia directly:
"Tell the Third how Danzo ordered you to kill Hatake Kakashi and steal his Sharingan."
All eyes turned to Jia. The silence stretched. At last, his silence and expression gave its own confirmation.
Sarutobi Hiruzen staggered slightly, as though struck in the chest.
For the moment, no one knew what to believe—but the weight of the truth was crushing.
Then one of the advisors, Koharu Utatane, stepped forward. "Uchiha Shion, whatever Danzo may have done, it was an internal matter of Konoha. It was not your place to kill him."
Homura Mitokado nodded sharply. "Wood Release or not, you won't leave Konoha alive today."
Perched above on his living wooden throne, Shion laughed coldly. "You advisors really are like that old dog Danzo. What gives you the courage to speak to me this way? Your power? Or just your so-called authority?"
"Swish!"
In a blink, Shion's form vanished from the treetop. When he reappeared, he was right before Homura, his blade already falling.
"Shhhk!"
"Clang!"
Two kunai struck Shion's blade at the last instant, diverting its path. What should have been a clean decapitation instead carved a deep diagonal slash across Homura's shoulder.
"Splurt!"
Blood sprayed as Homura collapsed, nearly cleaved in half. Shion disappeared again, instantly back atop his towering tree.
"Bang!"
Homura lay unmoving in a widening pool of red.
The Third Hokage's eyes went bloodshot with fury, but Minato seized his arm, holding him back.
Shion chuckled. "If we're talking, let's talk. Don't spit empty threats—especially those of you with no real strength. Or do I need to remind you what happens if I pay you a midnight visit?"
His gaze shifted to Minato. "Tell me, Fourth Hokage—should I decide to unleash the Flying Thunder God and level half of Konoha, could anyone here stop me from walking away unharmed?"
Minato's voice was calm, but steel lay beneath it. "If you try, then it depends—will your soul be able to come back too?"
The Dead Demon Consuming Seal…?
Shion scratched his head. That jutsu couldn't truly kill him, but… would his soul manifest as Uchiha Shion, or as Uchiha Kumo?
He couldn't risk exposing his disguise.
With that thought, he waved his hand, sending the broken form of Uchiha Katon to Shisui's feet.
"His life force is nearly gone. If the Yamanaka arrive in time, they should be able to retrieve his memories. As one of Danzo's test subjects, he won't have been sealed with a self-destruct curse."
Shisui's eyes trembled as he stared at his disfigured clansman. A flicker of gratitude crossed his gaze.
Danzo… deserved death.
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled heavily. He turned to Shisui, then to the Fourth Hokage. His voice was weary, aged.
"I am old. Danzo, as one of Konoha's leaders, has already fallen. Even so… can we not allow him to be laid to rest with dignity at the Memorial Stone?"