Hyper Beam!

The powerful ninja who had made a name for himself as Body Flicker Shisui on the Mist Battlefield—Uchiha Shisui.

He made his move.

His imperceptible illusionary clones darted through the crowd as Shisui used the hilts of his blades to knock Root ninja unconscious with pinpoint precision.

Even though he had decided to act, he still couldn't bring himself to kill his fellow village ninja.

Fugaku turned and saw what was happening.

Shisui... Even you couldn't hold back...

Then let's end this quickly!

The Root ninja were already struggling to withstand Uchiha Sora's large-scale jutsu. Now, with the Uchiha Military Police Force throwing themselves into the fight, they soon began to show signs of collapse.

The two sides had never been evenly matched.

Nearly all the village's ninja were fighting the Nine-Tails. At the start, Danzō had been able to hold the Uchiha back by virtue of his position as the Hokage's advisor.

Of course, if Uchiha Sora hadn't summoned Rayquaza and Fugaku hadn't revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan, Danzō really would have had the strength to suppress the Uchiha.

Amid the chaos of the battlefield, Shimura Danzō and Uchiha Sora seemed completely at ease.

After unleashing a massive Majestic Destroyer Flame, Sora seemed to have entered a cooldown period. He stood atop Rayquaza's head, looking down at Shimura Danzō.

Shimura Danzō, however, was watching Fugaku.

In his mental ranking of threats, the Mangekyō Sharingan was unquestionably number one.

Until he figured out Fugaku's Mangekyō abilities, he absolutely couldn't act rashly!

He'd even already decided that if Fugaku got too close, he would abandon the Root ninja without hesitation and run for it himself.

As for Uchiha Sora...

Heh. Just a brat who got lucky and contracted a powerful summoning beast. He's no threat.

That strange snake... and its enormous life force... Could it be a dragon from Ryūchi Cave?

I'll ask Orochimaru about it later.

"Are the stacks maxed out?"

Uchiha Sora spoke in a low voice.

Rayquaza let out a deep growl in reply.

"Just unleash everything you've got. I'll adjust our aim."

Though they had met less than ten minutes ago, the Sacred Loan Contract had brought the two to a level of perfect understanding.

Rayquaza's body leaned back slightly, the markings along its length radiating an intense light.

It opened its enormous mouth, and a brilliant, bright-yellow Energy Ball gathered inside.

The Energy Ball spun and compressed, distorting the surrounding air as its energy accumulated.

No sensory abilities were needed. Anyone who wasn't blind could see how terrifying the attack's power was.

This stance...

The other colossal creature had just demonstrated it.

"How is this possible... It can use a Tailed Beast Ball?!"

"Impossible! It's not a Tailed Beast!"

"But that pressure..."

Fugaku, whose eyesight was the sharpest among those present, quickly judged the power of the jutsu.

"Everyone, scatter!"

Damn it! The Fire Style just now was one thing, but can't he see our clansmen are here too? How can he use a jutsu of this scale?!

Uchiha Sora slowly raised a hand and pointed it at Shimura Danzō like a pistol.

Shimura Danzō furrowed his brow. As a ninja, he was no stranger to a sense of danger.

"Relax."

The corners of Uchiha Sora's mouth lifted slightly.

"It's not something like a Tailed Beast Ball... It's just..."

Crack—

Rayquaza suddenly swallowed the Energy Ball. With nowhere else to go, the rampaging energy surged straight into Uchiha Sora!

The scorching torrent of energy tore at his chakra pathways. Fine cracks appeared across his body, deep red light shining through them as steam billowed out.

The intense pain stimulated his brain, and Uchiha Sora felt an overwhelming exhilaration.

He pointed his fingertip at Shimura Danzō.

"Scum who take root in the darkness must find this too bright."

Hyper Beam!!

—

—

Fwoosh!!!

A pure-white beam wrapped in azure lightning surged down from above, carrying devastating power. Everything in its path, whether rock or building, was reduced to dust!

The Doton: Earth-Style Wall that the Root ninja had poured all their strength into was as useless as paper pierced by a bullet.

Danzō took a deep breath and exhaled sharply.

Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!

Invisible wind blades slashed toward the beam, their shrill whistle stabbing at the eardrums.

Bang!!

Without a doubt, the beam smashed through the wind blades!

Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!!

Shhk-shhk-shhk-shhk-shhk—

One wind blade after another relentlessly shredded the lightning along the beam's surface, sending tiny sparks flying.

Uchiha Sora raised a hand and poured in even more energy.

Fwoosh!!

The beam was like a red-hot giant blade cleaving through ice. The transparent outlines of the wind blades warped and twisted before being completely annihilated amid an ear-splitting series of explosions!

Only then did Shimura Danzō realize how serious the situation was.

But... it was already too late!

Shhk!!

The beam pierced Shimura Danzō's chest, leaving behind a burn the size of a fist.

It happened in an instant.

The traces of energy lingering in the air and the turbulence left by the exploding wind blades proved that none of this was an illusion.

It announced...

An overwhelming disparity in power!!

Thump—

Shimura Danzō's body fell limply backward and crashed to the ground.

"Lord Advisor!!"

"You... You actually dared to kill the Hokage's advisor!!"

The few Anbu ninja who had rushed over were the ones shouting. They had been there earlier, too.

Aside from the sensory ninja, the Root ninja hadn't said a word.

They had undergone professional training. No matter what happened, they wouldn't make a fuss.

Fugaku, who had repeatedly declared he would kill Danzō and purge the court, was stunned too.

He really...

He really had killed Shimura Danzō!!

That man known as the Darkness of the Shinobi World... Was he really dead just like that?!

Atop Rayquaza, Uchiha Sora let out a long breath and lowered his hand.

"Did you think it was over, brat?"

A cold voice rang out behind him, accompanied by a sharp Vacuum Blade!

Shhk!!

A kunai infused with Wind Release chakra pierced Uchiha Sora through the heart!

Uchiha Sora turned his head, a mocking smile on his lips.

"Didn't the Second Hokage teach you that Shadow Clone Technique is used to gather information?"

"Using Izanagi as a resurrection token is wasteful."

!!!

Danzō's one visible eye narrowed to a pinprick. He was even more shocked than when he'd learned Fugaku had a Mangekyō!

Poof!!

The pierced Uchiha Sora burst into a cloud of smoke.

It was perfectly normal that Danzō hadn't seen through the Shadow Clone Technique. After all, the Second Hokage had developed it to counter the Uchiha, and even the Sharingan couldn't see through it.

What had shocked Danzō was...

How did he know about Izanagi?!

No, there was nothing strange about him knowing Izanagi. The real question was, how did he know I used Izanagi?!

Poof!!

Behind Danzō, Uchiha Sora leaped high into the air and swung a heavy kick into his face, sending him flying.

Danzō shifted his position in midair, intending to launch another attack the moment he landed.

His eyes were fixed on Uchiha Sora, murderous intent blazing in them!

He didn't notice the kunai that shot out from his blind spot.

Whoosh—

The kunai flashed with a bright, silvery gleam, slicing through the bandages covering half of Shimura Danzō's face.

Though he immediately raised a hand to cover it, even an ordinary ninja could see that flash of crimson in that instant—let alone the Uchiha...

In Shimura Danzō's eye socket was something that shouldn't have been there.

It was...

A Sharingan!!

Shisui clenched his teeth so hard his youthful face was nearly contorted. Three tomoe spun rapidly in his eyes.

"Scum..."

"What did you do to Grandpa Kagami?!!"