Burning

The eerie and frantically growing withered wood surrounding Danzo seemed to possess a life of its own, constantly expanding toward every corner of Konoha.

Twisted branches and dense roots spread rapidly, like a giant web, gradually shrouding the entire village in shadow.

Following Danzo's orders, the members of Root retreated quickly and in an orderly fashion, leaving only the core members behind to stand their ground with him.

Konoha ninja from both inside and outside the village arrived one after another to provide support, led primarily by Tsunade; they launched continuous attacks, attempting to shatter those wildly proliferating withered trees.

Tsunade's fists carried terrifying power, slamming into the withered trees blow after blow, each strike leveling an entire area.

Yet, the growth rate of these withered woods far exceeded her imagination; they recovered to their original state in the blink of an eye, becoming even denser than before, and Tsunade's efforts gradually began to seem futile.

At this moment, Danzo, at the core of the withered trees, had the countless Sharingan on his body releasing an evil and chilling crimson light.

The manic aura surging within those pupils made even Senju Tobirama feel a chill...

His expression was grave...

A visceral reaction...

The current Danzo might be performing a truly terrifying jutsu...

One related to these withered trees...

On the other side, seeing that Hiruzen had completely lost his fighting spirit, Senju Tobirama no longer hoped for his assistance.

He took a deep breath, his expression becoming colder and more resolute, and his hands moved in a blur to form seals...

Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!

Countless dense explosive tags appeared out of thin air, instantly sticking to Danzo's entire body like a rainstorm, surrounding him completely.

It was clear that he had just finished a series of preparations...

Immediately following this, Tobirama unleashed a Water Style jutsu, and sharp water blades crisscrossed, locking down Danzo's movement space like a strangulation.

He had no time to hesitate; he had to end this battle quickly and eliminate the threat posed by this former student he had once taught.

Danzo, however, did not look at Tobirama at all, his gaze remaining fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He took a slow step forward, walking toward Hiruzen step by step, completely ignoring the lethal water blades and explosive tags closing in on him.

"Hiruzen..."

Danzo's voice was low and hoarse...

"Is the Hokage, in your eyes and mine, truly meant to burn oneself to illuminate all of Konoha?"

"Yet you, right now... do not even have the courage to kill me."

Hearing these words, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head and looked at this former companion before him...

"Danzo..."

Danzo slowly approached him, the withered wooden blade in his hand slowly extended...

The tip of the blade pointed downward, as if inviting Hiruzen to end his life with his own hands.

"Kill me, Hiruzen."

"You are the Hokage, while Master Tobirama is merely a resurrected dead man..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze trembled violently, and countless images from the past flashed through his mind...

The wars he and Danzo had experienced together, the struggles for peace, the political maneuvering, and the bond and friendship that had always been difficult to sever.

The Sharingan in Danzo's palm suddenly opened, staring fixedly into Hiruzen's eyes.

In that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally understood that he could no longer retreat.

Tears flowed down, but within his heart, a will woven of resolution and pain finally arose.

In this moment, Hiruzen once again picked up his duty as Hokage!

"I'm sorry, Danzo..."

As the words fell, Hiruzen suddenly snatched the withered wooden blade Danzo had extended!

With one decisive slash, he accurately and swiftly severed Danzo's head...

Hiruzen closed his eyes...

His heart was filled with immense pain...

The moment the blood gushed out, Danzo's life abruptly ended...

Perhaps it only lasted for a brief second.

Yet, in that fleeting second, the entire Shinobi World seemed to shudder.

Two Sharingan on Danzo's body closed...

In the distance, Kakashi, who had just returned to the village with Jiraiya, felt his heart suddenly beat violently, as if something inside his body was stirring frantically.

And in the even more distant Land of Fields, Obito felt a similar violent heartbeat...

He took out a bottle...

Observing that Sharingan of Uchiha Yuan...

At this moment...

This Sharingan...

Began to spin rapidly, releasing a terrifying power unlike anything seen before.

The words Uchiha Yuan had spoken on the night of the clan's annihilation echoed clearly once more in Obito's mind:

"When the owner of a Mangekyo Sharingan enhanced by my left eye dies, the concepts and desires they held in life will be permanently converted into the ability of my right eye..."

Danzo was dead.

Even if it had only been for a fleeting second, the truth of his death had been established.

In that single second, the withered wood that had been growing eerily within Konoha surged wildly, covering more than half the village in the blink of an eye and swallowing all light and sound.

At the same time, in the archives of the Konoha Ninja Academy, a line of strange, clear text reappeared on the homework paper Uchiha Yuan had left behind long ago:

Danzo and Hiruzen are both people who hoped to become Hokage and illuminate the entire village...

The shadow of the fire will shine upon the village, and then new leaves will sprout once again...

This is the dream of every Hokage...

The pen fell...

The catastrophe began...

A terrifying, extreme heat suddenly erupted from the center of Konoha, like a raging fire of destruction that instantly swallowed streets, houses, and lives, plunging the entire village into a scene of tragic and desperate hell.

The high-temperature flames instantly ignited the withered wood into a roaring inferno, turning the entire village into a sea of fire as a horrific shockwave tore through the earth and buildings, filled everywhere with panicked cries and desperate screams.

In the distance, Kakashi stared at the scene before him, his heart filled with unspeakable fear and shock.

"This... what on earth is happening?"

The moment Danzo died, his desire to become Hokage...

Had been permanently converted into a terrifying power within Uchiha Yuan's right eye!

Right eye...

Do I have the left eye or the right eye in my hand?

Obito couldn't quite remember...

The only thing he was certain of was that his and Kakashi's Sharingan seemed to have received another massive boost...

This strange auxiliary ability really is...

However...

To achieve a world where only Rin exists, these enhancements are necessary...

Hiruzen Sarutobi collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the burning village before him, his heart filled with immense pain and despair.

He had personally ended the life of his lifelong partner and rival, yet he had also personally triggered this disaster.

"Danzo..."

His voice was low and mournful, filled with regret and sorrow: "What... what have you done?"

At this moment, the entire Konoha village had been reduced to a hellish world of flames.

The light of the Hokage that once illuminated Konoha had now become the fire that destroyed it.

Then, on the outskirts of the village, Danzo's figure appeared once more...

Watching the burning village in the distance, he looked thoughtful...

The surrounding Root ninja all appeared, gathering here...

Two Sharingan had been consumed...

Looking at his subordinates, Danzo spoke indifferently: "Let's go. We will leave Konoha for now. One day, I will return, as the Hokage..."

On the other side, Kakashi muttered to himself: "The shadow of the fire will shine upon the village, and then new leaves will sprout once again..."