Hammering Danzo

Watching the light in the vast area ahead being instantly swallowed by a shroud of darkness, Danzo could not help but be startled.

As a cunning old fox, he naturally recognized this jutsu in an instant.

A-rank Forbidden Jutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!

This was a forbidden jutsu specifically invented by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to counter ocular-jutsu clans like the Uchiha Clan!

How could such a brat from the Uchiha Clan have learned it?!

"Hmph! Foolish!"

"Do you really think you can win by relying on a genjutsu?"

"A forbidden jutsu of this caliber consumes a significant amount of chakra; he has likely drained the last drop of chakra from his body."

"He is just a brat after all, truly naive!"

After a brief moment of shock, Danzo sneered with contempt.

In his eyes, Natsume was merely a trapped beast putting up a desperate struggle.

Those Mangekyo Sharingan would be his in the end!

However.

The battle within the black shroud seemed to end very quickly.

It took no more than two or three seconds.

The massive curtain of darkness created by the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique was suddenly torn apart.

The next moment.

A vast expanse of scarlet light broke through the dawn, accompanied by a violent outpouring of chakra.

A gigantic dark red Susanoo suddenly manifested, appearing directly in its second form—a half-body construct complete with flesh, armor, and a weapon in hand.

Seeing this, Danzo was instantly horrified!

"How is this possible!"

"Wasn't this brat at the end of his rope?"

"How can he still manifest Susanoo?"

When Natsume fled just moments ago, Danzo was absolutely certain that the boy had nearly exhausted his ocular power and chakra.

But now.

Looking at this solid Susanoo figure and the imposing chakra fluctuations, there was not the slightest sign of chakra depletion!

He was even more ferocious than if he had taken a Soldier Pill!

Even a Soldier Pill wouldn't have such an effect!

It was absolutely hellish!

However, Natsume did not give Danzo any time to be dazed.

"Danzo! Didn't you say this mere Susanoo was nothing to fear?"

"Then let me have you try it!"

With a resounding roar.

A dark red chakra blade over ten meters long whistled through the air, slashing horizontally from the right, sweeping through the clouds and wind with the force of a world-splitting strike!

This strike, executed with the help of Susanoo, was simply too fast!

It was so fast that Danzo could not dodge in time, and the massive blade was already inches away.

The intense chakra pressure and wind pressure generated by the blade locked Danzo in place, sealing off his escape route.

Striving for a one-hit kill!

This was the true killing blow Natsume had prepared by staying behind to ambush Danzo!

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"

At the critical moment, the sense of impending death squeezed out all of Danzo's potential.

Ignoring the backlash of his chakra, he forcibly cast his jutsus instantly.

He erected three consecutive earth walls to his right as a defense.

At the same time, he spat out a massive blast of wind-style air waves from his mouth, attempting to use the recoil to break through the pressure of Natsume's blade and evade the strike!

Three earthen walls, nearly a meter thick, possessed astonishing defensive power.

Yet, before Natsume's Susanoo blade, they were no harder than butter.

Like a knife slicing through tofu, it easily cleaved through them and continued its strike toward Danzo.

Danzo, having only just jumped half a meter high by relying on the recoil of his Wind Style, watched helplessly as his Earth Style defense was shattered, the giant blade slicing horizontally straight toward him.

Terrified, his eyes widened, his soul nearly fleeing his body.

He let out a roar.

"No!"

The next moment.

The blade sliced through the air, and blood splattered.

Both of Danzo's legs were severed clean off, falling to the ground.

His upper body was sent flying by the shockwave, slamming heavily into the ground more than ten meters away.

For a moment.

The excruciating pain from his missing legs.

The humiliation of such a sudden defeat.

Coupled with a thick sense of absurdity.

...These emotions piled up together.

At this moment, it nearly caused this leader of Root, the mastermind behind the deepest darkness of Konoha, to collapse!

"How could this be!"

"My legs!!"

"This is impossible!!!"

Danzo lost his usual gloom, his face twisted as he shrieked.

Having dominated Konoha for so many years, he never could have imagined.

That he would be defeated in a single move by a ten-year-old Uchiha brat!

This was nothing short of a supreme humiliation!

On the other side.

Seeing that the single strike had failed to kill Danzo.

"Tsk! Dodged the fatal blow, did you?"

"Then have another!"

Natsume curled his lip.

Without a moment's hesitation, he controlled the Susanoo and swung the blade once more.

From top to bottom, it struck down toward Danzo with pinpoint accuracy.

This strike carried three parts more power than the last.

It was as if it intended to split the earth itself.

It arrived in a flash, giving Danzo no chance to react.

"BOOM!"

A massive roar erupted.

This strike, heavy as ten thousand jun, carved a deep trench nearly thirty meters long directly into the ground.

The shockwave alone blew down dozens of surrounding trees; the power was terrifying.

Such a heavy blow, let alone a ninja of flesh and blood.

Even a thick-skinned summoning beast would find it impossible to withstand.

Natsume did not believe that Danzo, that bastard, could survive such a heavy blow!

At this moment, the intense fluctuations of battle.

The powerful aura of chakra.

The tall and mighty figure of the Susanoo.

All quickly attracted the attention of many Konoha ninja who were in the midst of pursuit nearby.

It stood to reason that people would arrive here very soon.

It was time for him to leave as well.

However, just as Natsume prepared to depart.

Beside the deep trench carved by the blade.

A phantom figure gradually solidified and appeared.

It was that old thief, Danzo!

At this moment, Danzo lay in the mud in a wretched state, both legs severed, his mouth full of blood, forced to prop himself up with half a left hand while glaring at Natsume with extreme hatred and resentment.

Natsume's first strike just now had been far too vicious!

He had come within a hair's breadth of slicing Danzo in half at the waist!

Even so.

With his legs severed, Danzo was still severely wounded, barely able to staunch the bleeding from his stumps using chakra.

However, given the severity of these injuries, if he did not receive timely medical treatment.

Once the effect of [Izanagi] wore off, he would likely die regardless.

At the same time, watching Danzo "resurrect."

Natsume's pupils constricted, his brows furrowing slightly.

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, how could he not understand?

That bastard Danzo had undoubtedly utilized the Uchiha Clan's ultimate ocular technique: [Izanagi]!

Relying on this forbidden jutsu, he had distorted reality and illusion.

He had physically restored himself to the state recorded by his Sharingan, undoing the fatal attack he had just suffered!

In doing so, he had evaded that lethal strike!

Damn it!

So this is the ultimate ocular technique, [Izanagi]?

Although the price is the Sharingan "permanently losing its light," the effect is truly comparable to a miracle!

He had previously feigned exhaustion, showing weakness to the enemy.

This was all to make Danzo lower his guard.

Then, he had launched a fierce assault, each strike faster than the last.

He had specifically wanted to deny Danzo the opportunity to cast this forbidden jutsu.

Unexpectedly.

In a split second, he had still allowed this bastard to activate it!

Sigh!

He could only blame his own ancestors for being too brilliant, having developed such an extreme ocular technique.

And blame that old schemer Danzo for being too shameless!

To think he had stolen such an ultimate technique, and even plundered the Sharingan of Shisui and other clansmen!