"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!!"
Danzo roared in a low voice, losing his composure.
His voice was filled with absurdity and the fury of being utterly fooled.
How could it be a Wood Clone?
Could a Wood Clone unleash a ninjutsu on the scale of Advent of a World of Flowering Trees?
Also, with that amount of chakra, how could a Wood Clone possibly achieve that?
Furthermore!
From the moment Yao left his house this morning to the Chunin Exam arena.
Then to being invited to Root!
His Root ninja subordinates had been monitoring Uchiha Yao the entire time; Uchiha Yao had never left their sight!
There was simply no time, and no opportunity, to swap with a Wood Clone!
It was no exaggeration to say that in order to obtain Uchiha Yao, and to ensure "Kotoamatsukami" would be foolproof.
Danzo had taken great pains and planned for a long time, fearing any mistakes.
Danzo couldn't be blamed for being so cautious; there was no helping it.
Although Kotoamatsukami was powerful, its cooldown time was over ten years.
And Danzo was already 70 years old; in his remaining lifetime, this was his one and only chance to use it.
How could Danzo not be extremely cautious with such a precious trump card?
So, starting very early on, Root had strengthened its surveillance of Yao.
Especially today, the surveillance was tight to the extreme, ensuring that every move of Yao was under control, eliminating any possibility of "stealthy substitution."
Danzo had to confirm that the one who truly came before him was the genuine Uchiha Yao... the main body!
Not a clone!
But now...
The Uchiha Yao who was hit by Kotoamatsukami had actually turned into wood.
"Wood Clone... It was actually just a Wood Clone... How could it be a Wood Clone? How could it be a Wood Clone?"
Danzo clutched his empty, bleeding eye socket, his body trembling slightly. Anger! Disappointment! Pain! Despair!
He was unwilling!
Days of painstaking planning, all gone to waste in an instant. Danzo hated it!
"Heh..."
Yao let out a soft chuckle from not far away. "Why is it impossible? My dear Lord Danzo!"
"For these twelve years, did you think... I was truly ignorant of your Root's surveillance on me?"
"Especially this past month, you guys wished you could even record how many times I took a dump, right?"
Yao's tone was teasing, but it made Danzo's heart sink continuously.
Danzo remained silent, clutching his empty eye socket, silently admitting it.
Indeed!
For today!
Danzo had mobilized almost all available hidden forces to monitor Uchiha Yao twenty-four hours a day.
"But unfortunately!"
Yao's voice carried a hint of unconcealed lightness:
"All your planning, your caution, your Kotoamatsukami... were all within my expectations!"
"That's why I split half my chakra early on to create a Wood Clone realistic enough to pass for the real thing!"
"This Wood Clone has existed for a long time!"
"The sole purpose of his creation was to guard against you!"
"No! That's not right!"
"To be precise, it was to guard against the Kotoamatsukami in your hand!"
"Today's events prove that my caution was correct!"
"You..."
Danzo suddenly raised his head.
"You knew long ago that I possessed Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō? And you knew the specific ability of Kotoamatsukami?"
Danzo was somewhat incredulous!
Shisui's Mangekyō right eye was an absolute secret!
Except for Uchiha Shisui himself, who had long since "died," there should be no fourth person in this world who knew!
How did this Uchiha brat find out?
"Hehe..."
Yao smiled. "My dear Lord Danzo, what I know far exceeds your imagination!"
"To be honest!"
"Not only do I know you have Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō right eye!"
"I also know where that left eye, which you failed to snatch before Uchiha Shisui died... is!"
Danzo trembled all over, a look of disbelief in his eyes.
The obsession with Wood Release!
The craving for the Sharingan!
Had long been integrated into Danzo's soul. It could even be said that he was more paranoid and fanatical in this regard than Orochimaru.
So.
Back then, when he learned that Uchiha Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
And possessed the ocular jutsu "Kotoamatsukami" that he dreamed of.
Danzo was ecstatic and planned the attack without hesitation.
Unfortunately.
That attack only half succeeded; Danzo got the right eye, but the left eye went missing.
This became one of Danzo's biggest regrets and obsessions!
Over the years.
He had never given up searching in secret, but he had always come up empty-handed.
This Uchiha brat actually knew the whereabouts of the left eye?!
"That Mangekyō... where is it? Tell me quickly!"
Danzo's voice was dry and hurried, carrying urgency.
Danzo's reaction was completely within Yao's expectations.
For a paranoid fanatic who treated Sharingan as collectibles.
The temptation of the whereabouts of another Mangekyō was unparalleled.
"Seeing as you're about to die, I'll let you die knowing the truth!"
Yao smiled leisurely. "Back then, after you snatched his right eye, Uchiha Shisui dragged his broken body and fled."
"He didn't return to the clan but found Uchiha Itachi instead."
"He entrusted his remaining left eye to Itachi!"
"Then, after entrusting everything, he threw himself into the river and committed suicide."
"In other words, Shisui's Mangekyō left eye has been in Uchiha Itachi's hands all these years."
"Uchiha... Itachi!!"
Danzo squeezed the name through his teeth, filled with shock and rage.
That executioner of the clan massacre!
That pawn he thought was completely under his control had actually concealed such important intelligence!
Shisui's Mangekyō left eye was actually in the hands of this spy!
"Not only that!"
Yao's tone rose slightly, carrying a hint of amusement. "Uchiha Shisui's tragic death allowed Uchiha Itachi... to successfully awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"Speaking of which, Lord Danzo, you really contributed greatly to Uchiha Itachi's achievements today!"
"Bastard! Uchiha Itachi... that scum! Traitor!"
Danzo's chest heaved violently, flames of anger burning in his single eye.
"Sure enough! The evil Uchiha clan has blood of betrayal and concealment flowing in their bones! They are all untrustworthy evil wretches!!"
While growling, Danzo began unwrapping the bandages on his right arm.
"Although I don't know why you know all this!"
Danzo stared coldly at Yao, his tone gloomy and full of killing intent. "But none of it matters anymore!"
"Today, I will eliminate you, this scourge, for the sake of Konoha!"
Squelch!
Before Danzo could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt a heart-rending pain from his right shoulder.
He looked down in astonishment.
Only to see his right arm had been severed at the shoulder, detached from his body.
Yao had appeared at some point, grabbed the severed arm, and vanished.
The next instant.
Yao reappeared on that thick vine, holding the bandaged severed arm in his hand.
"You...!!!"
Danzo clutched the bleeding stump of his right shoulder with his left hand, shocked and furious.
This bastard not only gouged out his right eye but had now even severed his right arm.
Hateful! Hateful!!
Yao weighed the severed arm in his hand, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth:
"Danzo, since I know you have Shisui's Mangekyō and am crystal clear about the effects of Kotoamatsukami..."
"Then guess whether I also know that you have 10 Sharingan transplanted onto this arm of yours?"
Yao used a kunai to cut open the bandages on the severed arm. The pale skin was covered with densely packed Sharingan.
Exactly 10 of them, no more, no less. It was horrifying!