Defying the Law, Achieving Spiritual Connection

"Forbidden Technique: [Izanagi]."

"Danzo! Your wretched life is truly like a dung beetle—stinking and stubborn to the end!"

Natsume stared at Danzo, his eyes burning with rage as he gritted his teeth and cursed.

"Cough, cough..."

"Dung beetle? What is that?"

Danzo coughed up blood, his brow furrowing in confusion even as he seethed with resentment.

He could not fathom it.

Natsume, this brat, was clearly at the end of his rope.

How could he recover so rapidly and unleash such power!

Had he known the boy could still manifest [Susanoo], he would never have revealed himself so rashly!

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now.

This cunning brat had indeed outplayed him, forcing him to pay the heavy price of both his legs!

Fortunately!

He still held a trump card.

He had taken a Sharingan from Shisui!

He had also secretly obtained the forbidden technique [Izanagi] from within the Uchiha clan!

That was what had saved his life.

Otherwise, he feared he would have ended up just like that deep trench beside him—hacked into a pulp of flesh and blood!

Terrifying!

Having narrowly escaped death, Danzo dared not hesitate.

He struggled to tear away the bandages wrapped around his right arm with his teeth.

Revealed was an entire right arm grafted with Wood Release cells created by Orochimaru, along with two living Sharingan!

The sight of those fresh eyes embedded in his arm was enough to make one's scalp tingle; they looked utterly twisted.

One had to wonder how this guy, Danzo, managed to sleep at night.

"Sharingan! Wood Release cells!"

"You animal!"

Natsume deliberately cursed, feigning ignorance of the truth.

Danzo, however, did not care about Natsume's insults.

Disgusting or sinful, it mattered not.

As long as it granted him power.

As long as it allowed him to become stronger, to ascend to the position of Hokage with greater distinction, and to lead Konoha toward glory.

What did any of that matter?

Besides, had he not grafted the Sharingan, had he not known [Izanagi], he would have been dead just moments ago.

"Brat! Didn't expect this, did you..."

"Cough, cough—"

"You've lost!"

Danzo let out a strained, mocking laugh and raised his 'Sharingan right arm.'

He prepared to activate [Izanagi] again at any moment, lest his opponent attack during the interval of the forbidden technique.

Clearly.

As the leader of Root, combined with the brutality of the Third Shinobi World War and the high casualty rates of various high-risk missions.

For this guy, secretly seizing the corpses of Uchiha clansmen to harvest their Sharingan was no difficult task.

It was likely because he had tasted the power and wonder of this [Kekkei Genkai] after his initial grafts.

That was why this guy would stop at nothing to strike at Shisui!

And why he would push the plan to exterminate the Uchiha clan so relentlessly from the shadows!

Two Sharingan, plus that right eye of Shisui's.

The old man Danzo held a total of three Sharingan in his possession.

In other words, he could activate 'Izanagi' at least three times, for a total duration of three minutes!

Could he hold out for three minutes?

Of course he could!

If not for Izanagi, he could have slaughtered Danzo again in less than three seconds!

But that three-minute window of "invincibility" granted by Izanagi was a real headache.

After all, forget three minutes; if he dragged this out for even one more minute, countless Konoha ninja would swarm the area.

By then, he would be a turtle in a jar.

Of course, this ambush was not without its results.

At the very least, he had severely wounded Danzo, crippled his legs, and forced him to activate Izanagi, thereby wasting Shisui's precious Mangekyo Sharingan.

It could be considered the elimination of a major threat!

After all, the ability of Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, Kotoamatsukami, was truly terrifying!

If he were not careful, even he could be controlled by it!

That would be the end of everything.

In short, it was not a loss.

Moreover, a living Danzo could harm and weaken Konoha far more effectively than a dead one...

"Lost? A loser like you has the nerve to judge others?"

"Isn't your goal just to become Hokage?"

"You were already broken, and now that your legs are crippled, I'd like to see what you'll use to become Hokage!"

"If you're so afraid of death, why even bother fighting for the position of Hokage?"

Natsume's mockery instantly sent Danzo into a rage.

Missing out on the position of Hokage over twenty years ago due to a single moment of hesitation was the deepest, most melancholic knot in his heart!

To be mocked by a Uchiha brat in his early teens—mocked for his lifelong ambition and pursuit—was simply unbearable.

It left him burning with shame and fury, unable to accept the reality.

"You!"

"Brat, enjoy your arrogance while you can."

"In a moment, I will strip the tendons from your bones and make you wish you were dead!"

Danzo's face was dark and gloomy as he cursed with extreme resentment.

Having held a high position for many years and operating from the shadows, he had cultivated enough composure.

Despite the raging fire in his heart, he did not lose his reason and continued to maintain the forbidden technique Izanagi to ensure his immortality!

Regardless, he only needed to wait a moment longer.

Plenty of Konoha ninja would gather to surround this brat.

When that time came, the ultimate victor would still be him!

Swish, swish, swish—

In a few moments, a steady stream of Anbu ninja arrived.

They hurriedly shielded Danzo and surrounded Natsume.

However, under the intimidation of the massive Susanoo Demon God, no one dared to launch a direct assault.

At the same time, not far away, the Third Hokage Sarutobi arrived in a hurry, leading several heads of the great clans.

"Danzo!"

"Lord Danzo!"

"How can this be!"

Looking at the scene of devastation and the critically wounded, dying Danzo, the crowd that arrived behind him was struck with absolute horror.

They could hardly imagine that Danzo, that old schemer, would actually lose to a ten-year-old boy who should have been at the end of his rope.

And to lose so miserably at that!

At the same time, seeing the Hidden Leaf Village reinforcements arrive, Natsume was certain that he could no longer kill Danzo.

He had no choice but to retract his Susanoo and prepare to leave.

After all, though he was strong, he did not yet have the power to contend with the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

What's more, there was still that old immortal, Sarutobi.

The reason he had chosen not to clash head-on with the Hidden Leaf Village was precisely because of that guy, Sarutobi!

Don't be fooled by the fact that the man was old and frail, his strength far from his peak.

That title of "Professor of Ninjutsu" wasn't just for show; his overall strength was at least at the mid-to-high Kage level.

Most importantly, the man also possessed a bug-like sealing jutsu: the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

It was a move that could be called the ultimate "one-for-one" trade.

Didn't you see how that eerie, snake-like Orochimaru had fallen to it?

Natsume didn't want to be in the middle of a fight only to be snatched away by the Shinigami summoned by that old geezer Sarutobi, dying in such an inexplicable way.

This was the fundamental reason Natsume had chosen to lead his clan in defecting from the Hidden Leaf Village.

Otherwise, with just himself and Fugaku, the two of them piloting two Susanoo mechs would have been enough to slaughter their way in and out of the Hidden Leaf Village seven times over.

At this moment, Sarutobi looked at the miserable Danzo, a trace of pity and anger rising in his heart.

Although Danzo had many flaws and was ambitious, he was, after all, his old comrade-in-arms and an old acquaintance.

Moreover, over these many years, he had made many contributions to the development of the Hidden Leaf Village and had shouldered many sins.

That was why Sarutobi had indulged him time and time again, shielding him...

"Notify the medical team, provide aid immediately!"

Sarutobi quickly issued the order.

Several ninja hurriedly took Danzo and retreated.

Only then did Sarutobi look toward Natsume in the distance, his eyes carrying a hint of suppressed anger.

"Uchiha... Natsume... is it? What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Leaving the Hidden Leaf Village! Of course, from your perspective, it's a defection..." Natsume admitted candidly.

"Why?"

"Third Hokage, how can you even ask why? The decision to annihilate the Uchiha clan—didn't you tacitly approve of it? Or did you expect me to stay in the village and wait for death?"

Natsume sneered, questioning him with sharp, biting words.

"You!..."

Sarutobi roared in anger, but he didn't know how to defend himself.

After all, as the Hokage, he was vaguely aware of the threat Danzo had issued to Itachi regarding the clan's extermination...

Furthermore, it would have been difficult for just Itachi and Obito to slaughter the entire Uchiha population of several hundred people in such a short time.

Those Anbu and Root ninja hidden in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike, were the main force!

Itachi was merely a convenient scapegoat.

"Sigh... Natsume, surrender!"

"As long as you are willing to surrender, the village will show leniency..."

After a moment of contemplation, Sarutobi could only attempt to persuade him to give up.

Unlike Danzo, he knew very well that if this monstrous Uchiha youth fought to the death, he would inevitably cause massive casualties to the Hidden Leaf Village!

He might even claim the lives of dozens of precious Anbu ninja...

"The village will show me leniency? How laughable!"

"Third Hokage, what exactly is a village? Is a village just wherever the Hokage happens to be?"

Sarutobi quickly denied it: "Of course not! The village is composed of its people; the villagers who inherit the Will of Fire are the true Hidden Leaf Village!"

"Then is our Uchiha clan not considered a part of the village?"

"Of course you are, but..."

Sarutobi was rendered speechless once again.

The logic remained the same; the "Uchiha Clan Annihilation Plan" decided by the Konoha high command was certainly not something to be proud of.

"In the name of the greater good, you strip others of their lives!"

"Is this the Will of Fire you speak of? Is this the legacy you inherited from the First Hokage and the Second?"

"The current Konoha is truly rotten to the core..."

Natsume rebuked him loudly.

Only then did he sigh with a lingering sense of melancholy.

"Enough, no more nonsense."

"From this day forth, I, Natsume Uchiha, lead half of the Uchiha clan in a formal defection from Konoha!"

"If you have the ability, come and kill me!"

"I'll be waiting for you!"

Natsume let out a long whistle, his sharp gaze sweeping across all the Konoha ninja in the vicinity.

The intimidation caused the group of Anbu ninja to feel their scalps tingle, and they instinctively took half a step back.

Then.

[Reverse Summoning Technique]--Activate!

With a "poof" sound.

In an instant, a cloud of white mist exploded outward.

Natsume vanished from the spot entirely.

And in a heartbeat, he appeared at the predetermined assembly point a hundred miles away...