With lightning crackling in his palm, the younger Uchiha rushed forward, his Chidori roaring like an angry storm. He wasn't going to let Danzo escape. Not this time.
Danzo barely had time to react before the attack slammed into him. His body convulsed from the impact, but just as quickly—
His form flickered.
When the dust settled, Danzo stood there, unharmed. But one of the Sharingan eyes embedded in his arm had shut.
Sasuke's breath hitched. He gritted his teeth.
"What the hell…?"
The seasoned warriors watching from the sidelines immediately understood what had happened.
Madara Uchiha sneered, his arms crossed as he watched the scene unfold.
"Tch. This pathetic fool. Even against an attack like that, he resorts to Izanagi instead of dodging?"
The insult cut deep.
"It's one thing to use forbidden techniques," Madara continued, his Sharingan narrowing. "But to rely on them so sloppily? You were given the power of the Uchiha, and this is how you use it?"
Tobirama Senju, who had remained silent until now, felt his face twitch in irritation.
"I trained this idiot," Tobirama muttered under his breath, his expression darkening.
"Yes, you did," Madara smirked. "You took our Sharingan and stuffed it into a coward. Look at him now. He couldn't even avoid a simple attack with the Body Flicker Technique, and he calls himself the leader of the Root?"
Tobirama clenched his fists. He wouldn't admit it, but Madara had a point. Danzo was a disgrace.
Meanwhile, Souta Kazuki stood with his arms crossed, watching everything unfold with a look of growing frustration. He had wasted 100 million ryo reviving Danzo, and now this fool was getting humiliated in front of everyone.
If Danzo died again, he would have to pay another 50 million to revive him.
"Hell no," Souta muttered under his breath. "I'm not wasting another ryo on this bastard."
Danzo, still dazed, started to comprehend his situation. He wasn't in some illusion. He had actually died before. And now… he had been resurrected.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the strength return to his body. It was like he had been restored to his prime—perhaps even stronger than before.
His grip tightened.
This was his chance.
The Hokage seat was still within reach.
If he could defeat the legends before him—if he could surpass them—he could seize the position he had long coveted.
His Sharingan spun wildly. He could feel the cells of Hashirama coursing through him, empowering him beyond his previous limits. He could—
BOOM!
A second punch from Fugaku's Susanoo sent him flying like a ragdoll.
Danzo coughed violently, rolling across the dirt before slamming into a shattered tree trunk. His mind reeled from the pain, but before he could recover—
Sasuke was already there.
"You're not escaping this time," Sasuke hissed, lightning flashing in his palm as he drove another Chidori straight into Danzo's chest.
Another Sharingan on Danzo's arm shut.
Another Izanagi used.
Madara groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"This is painful to watch," he muttered.
Tobirama sighed, shaking his head. "You think I'm enjoying this?"
Bang!
Uchiha Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he watched his attack once again fail to permanently kill Shimura Danzo. Even though he was puzzled, he did not let hesitation creep into his movements. Controlling Susanoo, he raised its massive sword once more and slashed fiercely at Danzo, his rage boiling over.
"Heh… Danzo?! You're just a stinking rat hiding in the gutters! I wonder if you'll die this time?!"
The massive sword cleaved through Danzo's body, only for his figure to reappear again, unharmed.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun rapidly as he clenched his teeth in frustration. "Tch… What the hell is this? I killed him!"
Around him, the gathered shinobi of Konoha watched in stunned silence. Could Danzo really possess such power? Was this the strength of someone who had almost become Hokage?
Senju Tobirama, standing among them, palmed his face and sighed deeply. "This… this is embarrassing."
At that moment, Danzo sneered.
"Heh… Uchiha Sasuke! Who gave you the audacity to raise a hand against a Konoha Elder?! The Uchiha clan truly is an evil bloodline! Your brother was a traitor who slaughtered his entire clan, and now you follow in his footsteps!"
Sasuke's murderous aura exploded.
"You bastard! You don't deserve to speak my brother's name!" His voice dripped with venom. "I've already learned the truth. If it weren't for you, my brother wouldn't have been forced to take up the blade against his own people! It was all because of you!"
Susanoo roared as Sasuke commanded it to strike once again.
"Today, I—Uchiha Sasuke—will restore the glory of my clan by personally ending your miserable life! A wretch like you doesn't deserve to breathe in this world!"
With a deafening boom, the colossal chakra avatar swung its blade once again.
Yet, just like before…
Danzo reappeared, standing as if nothing had happened.
Sasuke's mind reeled. "Again?!"
He wasn't the only one frustrated. The shinobi observing the battle exchanged glances, confusion evident in their expressions.
Danzo, however, was unfazed. He glanced around, his eyes scanning the area with sharp precision. His expression subtly shifted upon realizing something—he was surrounded. The strongest shinobi of Konoha stood all around him, watching his every move.
But none of that mattered.
Danzo smirked. The advantage is mine.
His body was in peak condition. The Sharingan in his arm still gleamed with power. This time… he wouldn't fail.
This time, he would become Hokage.
The Genius Move—Kunai vs. Susanoo!
Then, to everyone's shock—
Danzo pulled out a simple kunai.
Without hesitation, he flickered forward, appearing directly in front of Sasuke's towering Susanoo. His arm tensed, and with all his might, he stabbed the massive chakra construct with the kunai.
CLANG!
Silence.
Nothing happened.
Danzo's kunai shattered into two useless fragments.
The battlefield fell into an eerie stillness.
Even Sasuke—whose anger had burned uncontrollably moments ago—could only blink in stunned silence.
Uchiha Madara, watching from the sidelines, suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahahahaha! Is this guy an idiot?!" Madara howled, clutching his sides. "He actually thought he could stab Susanoo?! With a kunai?!"
Even Senju Hashirama, standing beside him, couldn't hide his confusion.
"I… I don't get it. Just now, Danzo seemed so confident… I thought he was about to unleash some terrifying secret jutsu! But then he just…" Hashirama trailed off, scratching his head.
Uchiha Izuna turned to Senju Tobirama, his crimson eyes flashing with amusement.
"Oi, Tobirama," Izuna said, smirking. "Are you sure this guy is really your student?"
Tobirama's face twitched. "He's not my student!"
Izuna crossed his arms. "Come on, Uchiha Tobirama, you're ugly, stupid, and evil… but I didn't think you were such a bad teacher!"
"You…!" Tobirama's face turned red with fury. "Evil Uchiha! How many times do I have to tell you?! My name is Senju Tobirama! And I never taught Danzo! This idiot is not my disciple! You think I would produce such an incompetent shinobi?!"
The Unraveling of a Fool
Meanwhile, Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku stood to the side, observing the ridiculous scene.
Minato rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Xiaohei, didn't they say Danzo was a master of Wind Release? Maybe this kunai move is some hidden ace in the hole?"
Fugaku sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Da Huang… you're overthinking things. Do you really think that after what we just saw… Danzo's kunai was part of some grand strategy?"
Minato fell silent. "...Yeah, no. That was just pure stupidity."
The absurdity of the moment left the entire battlefield dumbfounded. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo's longtime comrade and former Hokage of Konoha, had his head in his hands.
"Danzo…" Hiruzen muttered under his breath, "what are you doing?"
But Danzo refused to acknowledge reality. In his mind, he was still the mastermind, still the true Hokage of Konoha. He clenched his fists, his single remaining kunai shaking from the force of his grip.
"Damn you all!" he roared, his voice filled with frustration. "I am Danzo Shimura! I am the one who will protect Konoha from the shadows! I am—"
Sasuke sighed.
"Shut up, you moron."
Susanoo's hand grabbed Danzo like a child swatting a fly.
CRACK!
Danzo's body crumpled as he was slammed into the ground, and the battlefield erupted into laughter.