At this moment, Danzo had not yet transplanted the right arm infused with Orochimaru's Hashirama cells, but his right eye had already been implanted with the Sharingan of Uchiha Kagami.
After all, the technical requirements for eye replacement weren't high—even ordinary medical ninjas had a high success rate.
Danzo's eyelids twitched wildly, and his right eye, the Mangekyo Sharingan, spun uncontrollably. Yet he could do nothing.
He finally understood why Ten Roots died so easily, and why the Third Mizukage fell to Takayama Haru.
Because Takayama Haru was simply too powerful!
There was no way to resist him.
Genjutsu had no effect.
And this tree root had pinned him down, rendering him immobile while continuously absorbing his chakra.
"Danzo, you deserve to die! You actually stole the Sharingan of our Uchiha Clan—the eye of the great Fire Deity himself!"
Everyone froze, their faces filled with disgust as they looked at Danzo.
Uchiha Kagami, known as one of the twin prodigies of that era alongside Sarutobi Hiruzen, died of illness at the young age of 25.
When was his eye stolen?
It had to be grave robbery!
Uchiha members trembled with rage, blood streaming from their eyes as their Chakra Vision Eyes flared open!
But when they locked eyes with Danzo, blood spurted from their mouths.
In this battle of chakra, the Uchiha lost in an instant.
The Fire Deity's Chakra Vision Eye was simply too powerful.
"Return the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan!"
A furious roar from an Uchiha followed by him collapsing.
"Master in a flash!"
Uchiha Fugaku cried out in grief, "Lord Takayama, what is going on?! Who will give our Uchiha Clan an explanation?!"
"Danzo, how did you become like this..."
Sarutobi looked at the bound Danzo, a tear slipping from the corner of his eye.
When they parted ways, Danzo had said, "You are the sunlight of Konoha, and I am its hidden root in the shadows."
Was this the root?
No, it was poison!
Sarutobi's eyes hardened. He picked up the Adamantine Staff and smashed it down toward Danzo's head.
This strike held the resolve of the Saru who chased the sun.
To personally send off this old friend—this was Sarutobi's final wish for Danzo.
"I'll carry you the rest of the way."
Danzo watched Sarutobi raise his staff and suddenly laughed.
"Sarutobi, you finally strike at me!"
"Izanagi!"
Izanagi was a forbidden Uchiha technique!
But it had been engraved in the Sharingan of the Fire Deity.
In a short span of time, all damage suffered—including death—becomes an illusion, while beneficial effects are made real.
A forbidden art that allows the user to convert reality and illusion freely.
But the cost—once cast, the eye permanently loses its light.
Rumble!
Boom!
Sarutobi's full-force strike turned Danzo into a bloody pulp!
The ground shattered, the impact rippling outwards. Nearby buildings lost bricks, collapsed.
This was Sarutobi's full power.
Was Danzo finished…?
Suddenly, the pulp reassembled into a full body!
Everyone gasped, eyes wide with horror, stepping back!
"What's going on?!"
Danzo coldly shouted, releasing a terrifying wind blade from his mouth.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
Dark ninja screamed in alarm.
"Careful, Lord Takayama!"
"Takayama!"
Danzo's attack was abrupt and ruthless, like a thunderbolt.
Swoosh!
The vacuum wave slashed toward Sarutobi!
He reacted quickly, casting a teleportation technique, but not fast enough—a deep gash tore across his face, blood spraying.
"Danzo!"
Sarutobi roared, but then noticed—the vacuum wave's reach extended past him, toward the genin and chunin behind!
Everyone panicked as the deadly jutsu raced toward them!
Takayama Haru stepped forward, forming hand signs.
"Wood Style—Yuanbao Wall!"
A defensive wall of layered wood rose but was cleaved apart by the wave. Fortunately, five or six layers later, the attack dissipated.
Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief and glared at Danzo.
Danzo bit his thumb, slammed his hand on the ground.
Intricate symbols spread outward—he was summoning a beast!
Takayama Haru recognized it instantly—it was a summoning formation.
A blast of smoke erupted as the ground trembled.
Soon, the mist cleared—a beast with an elephant-like head but clawed limbs appeared, its head wrapped in bandages.
"That's Danzo's summon—Montapir!"
As it roared deafeningly and opened its maw toward the crowd, Sarutobi shouted, "Lie down!"
Takayama Haru instantly summoned a massive wooden dragon.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
The beast could use wind-style jutsu too!
Swoosh!
The dragon was sliced in half—but that only created two dragons, which coiled around the beast.
Everyone was stunned. In a flash, Takayama Haru had subdued the giant summon.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi, face bleeding, could only shout commands…
Many glanced at him with mixed emotions.
Countless dark ninja chased Danzo, who used his vacuum wave to escape.
"Vacuum Wave!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Danzo's attack speed increased, like death's scythe, mowing down those behind him.
"Careful!"
"Get out of the way!"
The destruction was immense—houses, trees, stones—torn apart.
Fortunately, most buildings were empty.
Sarutobi trembled with rage. Danzo still wasn't dead?
The pursuit went beyond Konoha, nearing the Forest of Death.
Just then, a golden light fell from the sky.
"Danzo, you think Izanagi will let you escape?"
"Shimura Danzo, stay for me!"
Namikaze Minato had arrived.
Trees fell as Minato closed the gap rapidly.
Danzo panted. He had fled far, using much chakra. Even his summon Montapir was left behind.
Suddenly—sharp sounds of flying weapons.
"Hmph! Flying Thunder God Technique? Wishful thinking."
Danzo recognized the technique instantly. As Tobirama's student, he was familiar with it.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Link!"
Massive gusts shredded the flying kunai marked with the jutsu.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Mist churned as vacuum waves devastated the forest.
Trees collapsed. Danzo saw Minato blocked and smirked, turning to flee.
"You want to kill me? Too naive!"
But as he turned, he froze.
Takayama Haru stood before him.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!"
Short, rapid bursts of wind chakra shot out like bullets.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each one drained Danzo's chakra and disrupted the air.
Takayama Haru vanished.
Danzo's face turned grim. "So fast?!"
Suddenly, a screech like a thousand birds came from behind the crowd.
Takayama Haru appeared.
Danzo turned, horrified. "No, you're using Flying Thunder God…"
Blinding lightning filled his vision.
"No escape!"
Takayama Haru's hand, wrapped in lightning, pierced Danzo's chest.
Danzo, the infamous schemer, vomited blood, his eyes filled with contempt, rage, hatred—and regret.
He regretted not acting personally, choosing instead to send ten subordinates.
Perhaps the result would've changed.
His vision dimmed.
"What technique…?"
"Lightning Blade!"
Before he finished speaking, Danzo was dead.
Konoha's shadow died with him.
Takayama Haru withdrew his hand. Danzo collapsed.
Just then, trees exploded and Minato appeared.
"Takayama Haru!"
He stared at Danzo's body in shock.
How had Takayama Haru moved faster than him again?
"Minato, take the body back."
Minato nodded. "Yes!"
Then realized—he was carrying a corpse for Haru again. This wasn't the first time!
"Takayama Haru…"
But Haru had vanished again.
"..."
Minato sighed, picked up the corpse, and left.
...
Back in Konoha, members of the dark unit were arresting senior leaders from the Shimura, Domito, and Mito clans.
Seeing Takayama Haru return, they greeted him respectfully.
"Lord Takayama!"
Passing ninja bowed to him in reverence.
Tsunade treated Sarutobi's face wounds, quietly amazed.
When had Takayama Haru earned such respect?
Sarutobi saw Haru return empty-handed, eyes flickering.
Did Danzo escape?
He held mixed feelings—love and hate for his old teammate.
As Danzo once said, Sarutobi was the light, he was the darkness. Together they had stabilized Konoha after the Second's death.
But Danzo had changed—dark, ruthless, cruel, a traitor.
Even so, Sarutobi hoped he wouldn't die by Haru's hand.
Yet Minato soon returned with the corpse.
Sarutobi felt a hollow in his chest.
Danzo was dead.
So be it…
He exhaled. "We've announced Danzo betrayed Konoha. His crimes were grave. Takayama Haru has slain him."
"The Shimura, Mito, and Self-Sacrifice clans' elders will be investigated by the dark unit, court adjourned. Haru will oversee the case."
Tsunade was surprised.
"Sensei's move isn't just to reassure the village—but also a message to grandma. Haru's prestige is rising—soon equal to us Sannin…"
She supported the decision—Haru represented the Senju Clan, as did she.
...
On the Hokage Rock, a shadow watched everything.
His eyes spun with three tomoe.
Uchiha Madara had been observing—but didn't intervene.
"Danzo was a useless schemer—malicious but weak."
"Sarutobi chased the sun, tried to learn Hashirama's kindness, but doesn't understand what it means."
The figure vanished.
...
That night, deep within the dark unit, Sarutobi sat alone before Danzo's corpse. Guards stayed far away, not daring to listen.
He held a flask of sake.
"Danzo, you really deserved it."
"But now, nothing matters."
"We're old—we shouldn't stand in the way of the young."
He poured a drink for Danzo, spilled some on the floor, drank the rest, and walked away.
...
That night, Mito Uzumaki found Haru.
"Takayama Haru, the fall of the three great clans and Danzo's death bring joy—but also burden to the Third Hokage."
"He regrets today's events and feels weary. He has begun discussing with clan heads his plan to pass the Hokage mantle."
"He wants to pass the burden to the next generation."
"The mission from the Cloud Village is incoming. You'll lead the team."
"This is your rite of passage. When the time comes, the Third Hokage will step down—and you'll become the next Hokage."