Danzo: Hiruzen, Save Me!

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at his old friend before him, feeling an incomparable sorrow in his heart.

Danzō, you spent your entire life guarding against the Uchiha, yet who would have thought that in the end, you would fall at the hands of an Uchiha and become a dog for one. How truly pathetic.

To this day, Sarutobi Hiruzen still feels as if he is living in a dream. Not long ago, he was still sitting in the Hokage office, wielding power and influence as the supreme Hokage. Then, in the blink of an eye, the Hokage was gone, the Land of Fire was gone, his old friend had been controlled, and even he himself had become a missing-nin, a traitor to his country.

How ridiculous, how laughable, how utterly absurd this all is!

A dignified village Hokage has turned into a traitor, while an Uchiha who should have been branded a usurper, a rebel, and a true traitor—Uchiha Brahman—has become the Hokage and the President of that ridiculous Empire.

Why, why would Uchiha Brahman, who had no reputation before this and was completely transparent, suddenly possess such powerful strength?

Even Enma, who had accompanied him for many years and possessed a body of indestructible diamond, was sliced into two and died at the hands of Uchiha Brahman.

They once speculated that the reason Uchiha Brahman gained such immense power was because of those eyes. However, Itachi Uchiha also obtained such eyes, yet how could a mere Itachi Uchiha be mentioned in the same breath as the noble and powerful Uchiha Brahman? Even after awakening those legendary eyes, the Mangekyo Sharingan, Itachi Uchiha's strength was still completely incomparable to Uchiha Brahman's.

It is incomprehensible, completely incomprehensible. No one can understand why Uchiha Brahman could obtain such powerful and terrifying strength. It is as if he were the reincarnation of the legendary Sage of Six Paths. Looking at Uchiha Brahman, Sarutobi Hiruzen is reminded of one person: Madara Uchiha. Perhaps only the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi of that era, could have killed the current Uchiha Brahman.

But the First is already dead!

"Sarutobi! You finally came! Save me! Now that Lord Brahman is away, hurry and take me away from here!"

Shimura Danzō looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen—this old friend, now a traitor and a pariah—and his eyes lit up. He immediately revealed a pleading expression and began to slowly approach Sarutobi Hiruzen, much like a brown bear that spots a human, approaches nonchalantly, and then pounces to devour them.

"Sarutobi, you know me. The thing I hate most in this life is the Uchiha clan. How could I ever agree to an Uchiha becoming Hokage! This is all because I am being controlled by Lord Brahman! Save me!"

Shimura Danzō continued to close the distance while speaking words meant to lower Sarutobi Hiruzen's guard. Praise Brahman! This pariah actually walked right to my door; he truly has a death wish.

Do you think I am still that foolish, ignorant low-class pariah who doesn't know what the True Dharma is, or what the Heavenly Dao is?

No, I, Shimura Danzō, have now turned over a new leaf, repented, escaped from the hell of the sea of suffering, and become an elderly citizen of the Empire with correct values and great ideals and burdens. I am an orthodox citizen of the Empire.

I, Shimura Danzō, am a good citizen, not a traitor or a low-class pariah like you, Sarutobi Hiruzen!

The me of today is no longer the me of yesterday.

"Danzō! You really weren't being controlled!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the approaching Shimura Danzō, his heart softening with a sense of inexplicable emotion. He knew it; Uchiha Brahman's control had loopholes. He did not have the ability, nor was it possible for him to control everyone; such control must have its limits.

Now that Uchiha Brahman had taken the Konoha ninja to other villages, it was just as he had expected: after Uchiha Brahman left, Danzō's control had been lifted.

They had already conducted experiments, finding someone who hadn't been injected with the Sacred Blessing Serum and administering it to them. Afterward, they checked that person's memories, even mentioning Uchiha Brahman's name, but the person showed no reaction, and there were no memories of loyalty toward Uchiha Brahman within their mind.

From this, they could infer that the Sacred Blessing Serum was merely a medium Uchiha Brahman used to control people; it did not mean that one was instantly controlled upon injection.

They even speculated that this method of control used by Uchiha Brahman had a limit, and that if he tried to control too many people at once, he might lose his grip.

Otherwise, what? Could it be infinite control? How could that be! Uchiha Brahman is just a man, not a god; how could he possess such powerful strength?

"No, Sarutobi, I was controlled, but now that Lord Brahman has left, I have temporarily gained my freedom!"

Shimura Danzō shook his head as he reached Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"So that's how it is! Danzō, you..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, just about to say something, when in the next instant, he saw Shimura Danzō pull a golden syringe from his sleeve and stab it into him.

The next moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen's body dissolved into smoke and vanished.

"A Shadow Clone! Damn pariah! Aren't we friends? To come see me and only dare to send a clone—is this your sincerity! Sarutobi Hiruzen!!!"

Shimura Danzō looked at the spot where Sarutobi Hiruzen had vanished and let out an angry roar. So close, just a little bit closer! Sarutobi Hiruzen, how can you be so ungrateful!

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, I was going to bestow the great blessing upon you for the sake of our old friendship, and yet you are so ungrateful!"

Shimura Danzō said with regret. He and Sarutobi Hiruzen had been friends for many years, after all. Even though one had become an orthodox citizen of the Empire and the other a pariah and savage worse than a stray dog, he didn't want to deny that friendship; he wanted to help Sarutobi Hiruzen escape the ranks of the pariahs. But why, why?

Why didn't he trust him!

On the other side, in Kumogakure.

Killer B stood at the village entrance.

"Don't know how Big Brother and the others are doing. Uchiha Brahman—never heard of such a guy!"

Killer B pondered. He wasn't worried that A would fail. No matter how strong Uchiha Brahman was, how strong could he really be?

Their Kumogakure had mobilized the entire village; they could fight an entire ninja war with this force. Besides, the ninja from Kirigakure should have set out by now as well. That madman Uchiha Brahman, who dared to incite a war, might already have been killed by his big brother by now.