Danzo's arm swelled uncontrollably, its off-white skin hardening into wood.
The overgrown timber shoots at Simu like a big spear. Though made of wood, its sheer force could easily pierce a stone city wall.
Danzo's face grew paler as the long log extended. Unlike Senju Hashirama, the true master of Wood Style, Danzo lacked the chakra to sustain it for long.
The giant tree rumbled as it surged upward, drawing the attention of Konoha Shinobi rushing to the scene.
From the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood with his hands behind his back, sighing as he closed his eyes.
"I never thought you'd go this far in studying the First Hokage's cells, Danzo."
The Five-Tails' expression darkened.
"This presence… it's his power."
Every tailed beast knew the terror of that man.
And now, in Danzo, the Five-Tails sensed that same oppressive aura.
Only…
"The wielder is different this time, isn't he?" Simu said with a faint smile.
Facing such a devastating attack, Simu remained calm, a relaxed smile on his face.
He swung his mace, and rolling thunder flashed above.
Charging head-on toward the oncoming giant log, he leaped forward. At that moment, black markings spread across his face— Sage Mode activated!
Natural energy surged toward him, draining even the strength from the towering tree before him.
A terrifying aura radiated from Simu, materializing into turbulent, dark red lightning that wrapped around his mace. Then, with a powerful strike, he brought it crashing down.
"Sage Art: Consecutive Strike – Yin Naraku!"
The colossal wooden structure clashed with the descending lightning-infused strike, shaking the battlefield.
Bolts of lightning twisted into massive serpents, writhing wildly in the air.
"RAAHH!!"
A deep roar erupted from Simu as the energy around his mace surged again.
The blinding crimson lightning lit up the entire battlefield, turning the land blood-red.
With great force, Simu pressed down, determined to crush everything beneath his strike.
The relentless surge of power finally forced the mace to tear through the surface of the massive wooden structure.
Then, as if shattering a critical threshold, the raging thunder ripped the giant tree apart like the jaws of a beast.
Splinters and debris flew in all directions, only to be swallowed by the blinding electric light.
Simu's seven-meter-tall body descended with the thunder, and for a brief moment, the world fell silent.
Then— BOOM!
The suppressed lightning erupted in full force, unleashing a devastating shockwave that annihilate the ground within a thousand-meter radius.
The battlefield lay in complete ruin.
Thick clouds of dust and debris were caught in an invisible force, swirling outward in a violent spiral.
A fierce wind lashed mercilessly at every Konoha shinobi rushing to the scene.
Among them was Might Dai.
The storm tossed his hair into a wild mess.
As the dust settled, all that remained was a scorched battlefield where the lush forest had been reduced to barren, crimson earth.
Staring at the ground, now four or five meters lower than before, Might Dai clenched his fists.
If he had stepped into that attack range just moments earlier… he might not have walked away unscathed.
The other Konoha shinobi watched the battle with a mix of awe and apprehension.
Akimichi Choza scratched his head and asked,
"Are we sure Simu even needs our help?"
The others exchanged uncertain glances, unsure how to respond.
Finally, Uchiha Bakugo stepped forward.
"Regardless, Danzo was once a Konoha elder. He holds vital village secrets—we cannot let him escape."
"Everyone, surround the battlefield!"
The Uchiha ninja immediately followed his command, forming a perimeter around the area.
Meanwhile, the Anbu remained indifferent.
Years of manipulation had left the Uchiha clan with a tarnished reputation, and many Anbu operatives had no interest in cooperating.
Uchiha Bakugo, however, didn't bother arguing.
Their presence was merely a formality—he never believed Danzo could escape Konoha while being hunted by Simu.
As the dust settled, a massive silhouette emerged from the haze.
It was Five Tails—with Simu standing beside it.
"Your Sharingan should be almost used up."
Simu gazed through the swirling dust, locking eyes with a figure at the bottom of the massive crater—Danzo.
At this moment, six of the seven Sharingan on his right arm had closed forever.
Unlike in the original timeline, where he had ten, this Danzo had only one eye left—meaning he had just one minute of invincibility remaining.
Danzo coughed, his breath ragged.
His once-pale face had wither, his entire body withering.
Originally, his Sharingan had helped him maintain a fragile balance against the Hashirama cells in his body.
But after his fierce battle with Simu, that balance had collapsed.
Now, the awakened Hashirama cells surged with overwhelming vitality, relentlessly consuming the rest of his body.
With only one Sharingan remaining, he could no longer suppress their rampage.
Danzo was now beyond saving—his body was doomed.
Yet, even in this broken state, his eyes remained sharp.
Through labored breaths, he rasped:
"For Konoha... I must kill you here!"
Danzo slammed his pale right hand into the ground.
"Wood Style: Roots Burial!"
His already unstable arm disintegrated completely as thousands of roots burst from it, piercing deep into the earth and greedily absorbing nutrients.
Simu's eyes narrowed.
He sensed something was wrong and immediately shouted:
"All Konoha shinobi, evacuate the battlefield—now!"
The very next second, the ground trembled violently.
Countless huge trees erupted from below, their roots twisting and writhing, threatening to devour everything in their path.
As the largest being on the battlefield, Five Tails was the first to be trapped.
Thick roots coiled around its body, constricting it tightly—so tough that even its razor-sharp horns couldn't break free.
Worse still, the roots were draining its chakra.
Dark red chakra gushed from Five Tails, rapidly absorbed and converted into nutrients, causing the trees to grow even more wildly.
Lush green canopies spread across the massive trunks, further reinforcing the towering forest.
This was Danzo's last stand, a desperate technique fueled by the last remnants of his strength.
Even a tailed beast couldn't break free.
But there was one flaw—this jutsu spared no one, friend or foe alike.
Anyone who entered the battlefield was instantly trapped by the branches, their chakra drained and converted into nourishment—including Danzo himself.
Simu raised his hand, and the Ame no Murakumo Sword materialized in his grip.
With a single sweeping slash, he cleaved through several massive branches blocking his path.
Seeing Five Tails struggling in the endless sea of trees, Simu immediately dispelled the summoning.
At that moment, over a dozen massive branches, each over a hundred meters long and ten meters thick, lunged at him from the side.
Without hesitation, Simu shifted back into human form.
His body became elemental, allowing him to phase effortlessly through the dense forest.
The scale of Danzo's jutsu was so immense that even the Konoha shinobi surrounding the battlefield couldn't escape.
One by one, they were being ensnared, their chakra rapidly drained.
"This is Wood Style... The power of the First Hokage... Why is it here?!"
Desperate, they slashed at the branches with their kunai—but their once-sharp blades barely left a mark on the iron-like wood.
Even when someone managed to sever the branches with Wind Style ninjutsu, new ones immediately grew back, wrapping around them once more.
Among the trapped shinobi, Uchiha Bakugo, the strongest on the field, barely held his ground using Fire Style to burn the encroaching wood.
"Get out of here now!" he commanded.
Suddenly, a flash of light illuminated the battlefield.
A figure appeared, his coat emblazoned with the word 'Justice' standing out clearly.
"It's Lord Simu!"
Relief washed over the Konoha shinobi as they saw him—only to be replaced by shame moments later.
They had come to help, yet now they were the ones being rescued.
Simu landed lightly on a branch when a familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
"Congratulations, Kizaru's imitation value has reached 90%."
"Drawing ability..."
"Extraction successful!"
"Congratulations! You have obtained the Awakened Form of the Light Fruit."
In that instant, Simu felt a profound transformation within his body.
Though he had already pushed the Sparkling Fruit to an incredible level, this was something entirely new.
At this moment, it felt as if—
I am the Light Fruit.
I am the light itself!
Countless rays of golden light erupted from Simu's body, illuminating the battlefield.
He slowly spread his hands, the wind swirling violently behind him.
Then, as if tearing through space itself, golden weapons of pure light emerged, forming an arsenal behind him.
These were special constructs created through the Light Fruit, each one possessing power and durability same as Ame No Murakumo Sword.
This was the ultimate form of the Light Fruit—
Not only did it enhance Simu's speed and elemental abilities, but it also allowed him to solidify light itself, forging it into devastating weapons!
Raising a hand, Simu slowly swung it downward.
His coat billowed as he parted his lips and uttered softly—
"Sage Art: King's Treasure."
In an instant, tens of thousands of light-forged weapons rained down like a divine storm!
A thousand flashes streaked across the battlefield.
The once impenetrable forest of steel-like trees—
Was reduced to nothing but dust under the power of the flash!
One after another, golden blades of light sliced through the branches, shredding them to pieces!
Yet, despite the overwhelming assault, not a single Konoha ninja was harmed.
In just a single second, the once dense, towering forest was reduced to nothing but bare, lifeless stumps.
Simu stood amidst the devastation, a slight smirk curling at the corners of his mouth.
"So this... is what it feels like to awaken a Devil Fruit?"
.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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