Danzo Grows into a Great Tree

Shimura Danzō was indeed quite skilled at winning people over.

Even after becoming an S-rank rogue ninja, he still had loyal subordinates willing to follow him to the bitter end.

Thus, even while fleeing, Shimura Danzō maintained a grand procession. Dozens of Anbu formed a combat formation around him, protecting him at its center.

At the rear of the massive group, even more Anbu and researchers carried all kinds of documents, instruments, weapons, scrolls, and money.

This made it very easy for Shazo to follow their trail and catch up to Shimura Danzō.

"Ha! Danzo has spent too long living high and mighty. He's completely lost his sense of danger?"

"You're a rogue ninja. You're running for your life, not some pioneer leaving Konoha to start a new venture."

"Since you don't mind exposing yourself and you're carrying so much wealth, I'll gladly help myself to some of it."

It was not that Shazo did not want to take everything. He simply had no spatial ability, and with only two hands and storage scrolls, there was only so much he could carry.

Still, Shazo was in an excellent mood. Standing to the side of Root's procession, he pressed his palms together once more. Chakra surged wildly from his body as he used the Wood Release Secret Technique for the third time.

[Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence]

Under Shazo's control, the giant trees grew in an orderly fashion, forming rows of thick wooden walls that surrounded the entire Root force and separated the convoy carrying the valuables from the combat and guard units.

Only then did Shazo attack the fighters.

The Root ninjas experienced what it must have felt like to fight Hashirama Senju fifty-five years ago. Everywhere they looked were branches and roots as enormous as giant pythons.

One careless move, and branches or roots would wrap around their limbs. Once their movements were restricted, they would swiftly be cocooned like insects, then dragged into layers upon layers of branches and vanish from sight.

Among the branches and roots were terrifying wooden spikes. Anyone pierced by one instantly became a human-shaped potted plant.

There were no Konoha Ninja here to watch, so Shazo had no interest in severing the victims' nerves.

The agonizing pain made those Root potted plants howl miserably, but by then, even death was beyond their reach.

As Shimura Danzō watched the dense giant trees rise up around him, he completely lost his mind. He roared, "Genin Shazo, how dare you try to wipe me out!"

"Damn you, Hiruzen Sarutobi! You actually failed to control this madman!"

The creaking groan of twisting wood and the screams of Root ninjas echoed through the sky as the forest's assault grew even fiercer.

Shimura Danzō's face twisted. He tore off his black robe, then pulled his right hand free from his white inner robe, revealing an arm densely wrapped in bandages.

He ordered the last Root ninja guarding his side, "Ryoma, find the enemy's location, then work with me to kill him."

Aburame Ryoma removed his hood, revealing the tattoo at the corner of his mouth. He answered respectfully, "Yes, Lord Danzo."

Immediately, countless Kikaichū crawled out from his body. The insects spread their wings and flew into the forest in every direction, searching for Shazo's location.

Shazo quickly sensed the Kikaichū and could not help laughing.

"I'm not like the Senju Clan, relying entirely on the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai. I myself possess chakra of every nature and have learned countless ninjutsu."

"Though they are spells from the Cultivation World, their power is certainly satisfying."

"In a vast forest, there is only one truly terrifying disaster: fire!"

Shazo brought his ten fingers together in front of his mouth, puffed out his cheeks, and forcefully exhaled.

[Fire Style: Dragon Flame Annihilation]

The flames pouring from Shazo's mouth formed an enormous, lifelike dragon head. Its whiskers, horns, scales, fangs, and beard were all clearly visible.

The flaming dragon opened its blazing jaws and unleashed a roar that shook the soul.

The sound waves formed orange ripples that spread through the air, igniting everything they touched.

Trees, leaves, human bodies, and even the stealthy Kikaichū were all reduced to ash in an instant.

Even the Kikaichū burrowing underground were roasted until they gave off a rich aroma.

Losing more than half of his Kikaichū in an instant severely injured Aburame Ryoma. He could no longer suppress the turbulent chakra within his body, suffering a grave Internal Injury.

After spitting out a large mouthful of blood, Aburame Ryoma finally felt a little better. He hurriedly warned, "Lord Danzo, be careful. His Fire Style is extremely strange."

Shimura Danzō stared blankly at the forest that had been reduced to charcoal in an instant and muttered, "I can see that."

Aburame Ryoma controlled his Kikaichū to consume his blood and could not help asking, "With Fire Style this powerful, is that man really from the Senju Clan?"

Shimura Danzō laughed bitterly. "Heh. You are mistaken. A ninja like him is precisely what a Senju Clan ninja should be like, just like my teacher, the Second Hokage."

"Now I truly believe that he is the contingency my teacher arranged, one meant to watch over Hiruzen Sarutobi and me."

He shouted, "Shazo! Have you decided that I am already harmful to Konoha?"

Shazo unexpectedly answered. His voice made it difficult to determine his direction or location, yet every word was clear. "Hmph. Does that even need asking?"

"Ever since Nawaki and Dan Katō died, the harm you caused Konoha has been obvious."

He made up his lies with perfect confidence. "But at the time, you had been protecting Konoha wholeheartedly. Your merits outweighed your faults, so no one dealt with you."

"When you used fake missions and rumors to force Hatake Sakumo to commit suicide, your faults had already outweighed your merits. But your existence was still necessary then, so you were barely tolerated."

"On Nine-Tails Night, you hid away, forged Hokage orders, and prevented the Uchiha Clan from joining the battle. You should have died then."

"Unfortunately, I had only just inherited my duties at the time. I was weak as a chick and unable to act, so I could only wait."

"Today, you also had a hand in the Uchiha Clan massacre. Judging from the consequences of their destruction, it will be a tremendous blow to Konoha and may even trigger another war."

"Therefore, I have determined that you and Root should no longer exist."

"Shimura Danzō, do you have any objections to what I have said or to my judgment?"

Shimura Danzō chuckled. "None. You are right. All of it is right! I admit it!"

"But why do you not mention the Uchiha Clan's problems? Why do you not mention Hiruzen Sarutobi's problems?"

Shazo sneered. "The Third Hokage is still useful. He needs to guard the Hokage position for the Fifth Hokage. When the time comes, I will naturally make him step down."

"As for the Uchiha Clan, I know they had problems. But their gravest problem was merely an instinctive reaction forced upon them by you and the Third Hokage."

Danzo howled, "So what if they had no choice? The evil Uchiha Clan was preparing a coup! Were they not at fault?"

Shazo smiled faintly. "Of course they were at fault. That is why the Uchiha Clan's patriarch, elders, and Jonin all died. They cleansed their sins with their lives."

"You should pay for your sins with your life as well, shouldn't you?"

The moment Shazo said, "You should pay for your sins with your life as well," Shimura Danzō screamed.

Fresh young leaves sprouted from his right arm, from shoulder to fingertips. In an instant, a canopy grew upward while roots developed downward.

Shimura Danzō was enveloped by the rapidly growing trunk and turned into a great tree.