Hearing Danzō's words, Arata didn't deny them. Instead, he said:
"You've handled yourself much better than he did. Looks like losing the Hokage position back then made you a lot more decisive."
The "he" Arata referred to was, of course, the now-dead Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But when Danzō heard himself compared to Hiruzen, he felt little satisfaction. He immediately caught the implication in Arata's words—Arata somehow knew about Tobirama's test back then.
Before Tobirama Senju went off alone to face the Land of Lightning's forces, he had asked who would volunteer to hold the rear. At that moment, Hiruzen answered without hesitation.
On the spot, Tobirama named him Hokage.
Only later did Danzō realize Hiruzen had prepared that answer in advance. He knew Tobirama would test them in a critical moment and select someone who showed responsibility.
So in essence, Hiruzen wasn't Tobirama's most valued candidate—he had simply said the right thing at the right time.
Because of this, Danzō had long looked down on Hiruzen. In his eyes, the old man lacked true resolve, always clinging to life and avoiding decisive action unless absolutely forced. That hesitation had cost the village battles it didn't need to lose and lives that didn't need to be sacrificed.
After seeing Hiruzen's true nature, Danzō only despised him more and began planning his own path to power. His schemes over the years weren't bad—he just never found the right opportunity.
What he never expected was that the real variable would be Arata. Because of Hiruzen's decision to target Arata after he grew close to Tsunade, their entire favorable situation had been ruined.
Danzō now regretted not trying to recruit Arata back then. If he had used the Root of the Heart curse mark to control him early on, a Kage-level fighter like Arata could have been firmly in his grasp, instead of becoming a mortal enemy.
But regrets were useless.
Even if he had tried to recruit Arata, someone like Arata would never have joined his faction. And if Danzō had tried to force it, it would've ended in a fight anyway—either Arata dying or Danzō failing. In either case, he would've lost that asset.
What Danzō didn't know was that even with a second chance, he could never have controlled Arata. Arata already possessed top-tier speed back then, comparable to Kage-level fighters. Even if he couldn't win, escaping would never be a problem.
Still, Danzō understood himself well. With his suspicious nature, he'd probably still choose assassination over recruitment.
Though he knew this battle was likely to end badly for him, Danzō didn't beg for mercy or ask Arata to spare the Shimura clan.
The Shimura were never a large clan. Years of warfare had already taken many of their members. His promising nephew had also died at Arata's hands. In this war alone, hundreds more Shimura ninja had fallen.
The clan was effectively finished. Soon, Danzō might be the only one left.
If not for the loyal followers he'd gathered, he'd already be a lonely old man.
He knew some of this was due to Hiruzen's manipulation, but he also knew his clan lacked strength. Even if protected for a time, they would eventually fall to war. So unlike Hiruzen, he never overly sheltered his clansmen.
Instead, he focused on recruiting elite ninja in Konoha who weren't loyal to Hiruzen. He valued these outsiders more.
Facing Arata's killing intent, Danzō quickly steadied his emotions and made the first move.
He opened with an S-rank Wind Style jutsu:
"Wind Style: Hurricane Severing Dance!"
With a shout, a hurricane nearly a hundred meters wide erupted. White flashes of razor-sharp wind blades flickered within it. Anyone caught inside would likely be shredded instantly—even a Kage-level ninja could lose combat ability in a moment.
Yet Arata stood still, as if he'd forgotten to dodge, allowing the storm to bear down on him.
This was no simple Wind Style—the power was immense. Its speed even approached peak Kage level. Even late-stage Kage might struggle to evade it.
Of course, this was Danzō's trump card—his strongest jutsu. With only early-Kage chakra reserves, he couldn't use such jutsu freely.
His hand-seal speed was also impressive, top-tier even by Kage standards in Arata's critical eyes.
But expecting a mere Wind Style to kill Arata was wishful thinking.
In the next instant, Arata glared—and a blue skeletal giant manifested around him, fully enveloping his body.
When the devastating hurricane struck the skeletal giant, it failed to cause even the slightest ripple.
This was the terror of Susanoo.
In the original story, even the dying Itachi Uchiha, plagued by illness, used a skeletal Susanoo to block Sasuke's S-rank Lightning Release: Kirin—a jutsu that summoned natural lightning and ranked among the most powerful S-class jutsu.
Yet it still couldn't break Susanoo's defense.
That showed Susanoo's durability exceeded the limits of S-rank techniques.
Of course, the user's strength mattered too. If Arata were the one using Kirin, it could even damage a Complete Body Susanoo.
Seeing Susanoo, Danzō's expression grew more solemn. He clearly understood what that skeletal giant represented.
But even knowing that, he didn't show fear.
Instead, he suddenly charged toward Arata at explosive speed—fast enough to make even Arata's eyes brighten slightly in surprise.
However, Arata instantly saw through Danzō's intention.
He vanished on the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Danzō.
The skeletal giant swung its blade down—
A lightning-fast slash cut through the air.