As he spoke, Itachi slowly pressed down with the small dagger protruding from the Totsuka Blade's gourd against the skin of Danzo's cheek, dragging it across inch by inch.
The pain of the Totsuka Blade acting directly upon his soul made Danzo scream.
"Argh!"
It was not merely pain to his soul. It was accompanied by an overwhelmingly intense sense of humiliation.
He had once been Konoha's Hokage's Assistant, second only to one man and above tens of thousands, as well as the leader of Root. When had he ever suffered such humiliation?
Now, he only hated himself for not being ruthless enough back then, for being so greedy—greedy for the cooldown of Shisui's Mangekyo Kotoamatsukami, believing he could keep Itachi under his control forever.
But it was all too late. Now, he was nothing more than a prisoner. He could not even seek release from his suffering; that depended on his tormentor's mood.
Next, Itachi used every method he had learned in Root for torturing captives and interrogating intelligence upon Danzo.
From top to bottom, the Totsuka Blade's dagger left not a single intact spot on Danzo's soul.
Halfway through, Mikoto and Fugaku were even afraid the scene would become too bloody, so they covered little Sasuke's and Boruto's eyes and ears.
Finally, another half hour passed. By now, Danzo's soul had begun to turn transparent. He no longer had the strength to move even a finger. He lay dying on the ground, his wails having stopped as his body twitched continuously.
Itachi rose to his feet. After repeatedly confirming that Danzo had completely lost the ability to resist, he released him from the Totsuka Blade. His soul simply lay there on the ground.
Then, he dispelled the Susanoo gourd beside him and sat in a nearby chair. A