Second Hokage-sama, You're Not Dead!

"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"

Danzo spat out a sharp gust of wind like a Kamaitachi, slicing the two Cloud Ninjas in front of him clean in half.

Seizing the chance, another Cloud Ninja struck from the left, aiming straight for Danzo's left kidney.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"

Kagami squeezed out the last of his Chakra, exhaling a blazing dragon that instantly engulfed that Cloud Ninja.

He Shunshin'd to Danzo's left side.

"Danzo, your right eye..."

"Gouged out by those Cloud scum!" Danzo wiped the blood from his right cheek in one swipe and kept fighting.

At this moment, all he wanted was to kill every last Cloud Ninja here!

"Can you still hold on?"

"No problem, I can take a few more! Watch out!..."

Seeing two Cloud Ninjas emerge behind Kagami, Danzo quickly shouted a warning.

But it was too late.

Kagami, his Chakra completely drained, couldn't even use a jutsu to defend himself.

"Water Release: Water Wall!"

"Lightning Style: Grateful Lightning Jutsu!"

A massive surge of water swiftly enveloped Kagami, and the lightning carried within the current paralyzed him on the spot.

As Kagami was frozen in paralysis, Three Kunai with Explosive Tags attached flew in and embedded themselves in his chest.

"Boom--!"

A violent explosion erupted, blasting the surrounding water into a thick mist...

That force was more than enough to blow a ninja to shreds.

"Kagami!"

Danzo roared, his hair standing on end in fury.

The Cloud Ninjas, meanwhile, were overjoyed, clapping and cheering—after suffering such heavy losses, they'd finally taken one down!

This Konoha Elite Jonin was truly formidable, still managing to kill so many of their own even in this state.

Too bad, they had to die here today!

Daring to use the alliance meeting as a pretext to assassinate the Second Raikage—these bastards could not be spared!

Clearly, these Cloud Ninjas had been deceived by their village.

They mistakenly believed these Konoha ninjas were the murderers of the Raikage, hence their relentless siege.

The next moment, just as the Cloud Ninjas were celebrating, A figure gradually shifted from nothing to solid on the left side of the explosion's smoke, near Danzo's position.

It finally took the form of Kagami Uchiha.

"Kagami, how did you?!!"

Watching Kagami slowly materialize, returning from death, Danzo was utterly bewildered.

But Kagami's left eye had gone white and blind, and he panted as he explained:

"[Izanagi]. A forbidden jutsu of the Uchiha Clan. It can erase any events unfavorable to the user within a certain timeframe, turning what's advantageous into reality."

"The Uchiha have such a powerful forbidden jutsu?"

Danzo was deeply astonished, never imagining the Uchiha possessed a secret technique like this!

So envious!

So wanted!

"Want to learn? I can teach you! But you need a Sharingan to activate it. And after using it, that Sharingan goes permanently blind..."

Kagami joked breathlessly.

He already knew he couldn't escape his fate, so he didn't mind cracking a couple of jokes.

Of course, the main reason was that he planned to entrust his remaining right eye to Danzo, for him to bring back to the village.

Better that than leaving it to these Cloud Ninjas.

After all, he had drained all his Doujutsu power, unable to even use [Izanagi] again.

"Hmph! Just an inherited Kekkei Genkai. My Shimura Clan's Wind Style is equally unmatched in the Ninja World, and won't lose to your [Sharingan]!"

Danzo swung his Kunai, stabbing another Cloud Ninja to death, and retorted proudly.

Kagami shook his head and didn't argue.

He reached only for his right eye, ready to pluck out this [Sharingan] and hand it to Danzo.

"Danzo, my right eye, I leave it to..."

Before Kagami could finish his words.

Suddenly, several screams rang out from around them. He sensed a familiar figure turn into a flash of silver light, madly reaping the remaining Cloud Ninja nearby.

In just a few seconds.

The remaining seven or eight Cloud Ninja all fell dead.

The next moment.

That flash of light stopped right in front of Kagami and Danzo.

"Danzo, Kagami. Sorry, I'm late!"

Tobirama Senju sheathed his blade as he spoke, offering a bold reassurance.

Though he hadn't recovered much Chakra either, thanks to his Elder Brother's Medical Ninjutsu, his injuries were mostly healed. Dealing with these Cloud Ninja rabble was naturally no trouble.

At this moment, the [First God of Speed in the Ninja World] had finally returned!

"Hokage-sama!" Kagami cried out in joy, utterly invigorated.

"Second Hokage-sama, you're not dead!" Danzo was equally shocked, his jaw nearly dropping off.

"What, were you hoping I'd die in battle?"

"No, no, how could that be!"

Danzo quickly defended himself. And after confirming that Lord Tobirama was still alive, he felt immense joy in his heart.

Yes!

Lord Tobirama wasn't dead!

Then that Monkey wouldn't become the Third Hokage just yet!

He still had a chance!

In that moment, Danzo was overjoyed, feeling like his whole life had brightened up, with a future full of promise!

Tobirama glanced at the two of them.

Both were heavily injured, their Chakra exhausted. If he had arrived even a moment later, Kagami would almost certainly have died!

This also indirectly confirmed that the intelligence he'd heard from the future, thirty-four years later, was largely accurate.

"Danzo, your right eye?"

"It's nothing, just a minor injury."

Having regained hope, Danzo, though physically exhausted and weak, was mentally exceptionally spirited.

Just one right eye.

As long as he was alive, nothing was a problem!

"Kagami, did you use [Izanagi]?"

Tobirama saw Kagami's already blind left eye and instantly guessed the truth.

"Yes."

"That kind of Forbidden Jutsu really shouldn't be used recklessly. But it looks like you were both at death's door, so there was no helping it."

Tobirama sighed, not blaming them.

If only he had arrived sooner, it wouldn't have come to such a bloody end.

"Second Hokage-sama, what about those Kinkaku Force? They?..."

"Don't worry about them. I've killed them all."

"What? Kinkaku and Ginkaku too?"

"That's right, I killed them both!"

Tobirama admitted it very calmly, though Kinkaku had only been killed thanks to his Elder Brother.

But the fact that his Elder Brother had traveled from the past and saved his life was too bizarre and hard to explain.

For now, it was better to keep it hidden.

Of course, he wasn't boasting either.

If he were at full strength, just Tobirama alone was confident he could take down Kinkaku and Ginkaku!

"Amazing! As expected of Hokage-sama, to single-handedly wipe out the entire Kinkaku Force in that state! Too strong!" Kagami praised sincerely.

He once again believed deeply in Lord Tobirama's power!

"Hahaha, those Cloud Ninja beasts all deserved to die!"

Danzo also laughed with great satisfaction. Right now, he wished he could kill every last Cloud Ninja.

Watching the two of them, Danzo and Kagami, reinvigorated, Tobirama couldn't help but feel a quiet melancholy.

Perhaps what that Immortal Natsu Yuu said was right.

If he truly fell in battle, the blow to Danzo, Monkey, and the others would be unimaginably severe!

But now.

As long as he survived, it would be a tremendous boost to their courage and conviction.

From this one point alone, for the rest of their lives, they would never fear [Kumogakure] again!

Compromise and cowardice were not necessarily the best choices.

Courage and conviction were also part of the Will of Fire!

"What about Monkey and the others?"

"They should have already crossed the [Land of Lightning] border. We're responsible for drawing the border Cloud Ninja's attention."

"A diversion to lure the tiger from the mountain? Not a bad tactic. Alright, let's move out too. Catch up to them as soon as possible, then return to the village. The sins [Kumogakure] committed today will soon be repaid tenfold!"

"Understood!"

"Yes!"

Danzo and Kagami replied with resounding vigor, the fighting spirit blazing fiercely in their hearts.