Mutual Destruction

On the other side, although the two men tried their best to control their emotions, their heaving chests betrayed the truth completely.

All of this was keenly captured by Uchiha Chen.

Initially, he had harbored doubts about whether Shimura Danzō was truly behind this.

Previously, blaming everything on Shimura Danzō had been nothing more than a habitual thought.

After all, as the 5.5th generation "Pot Kage," it was always safe to let him take the fall.

However, the various signs before his eyes now undoubtedly proved that his guess was correct.

As for the reason, it was no longer important.

In the eyes of Uchiha Chen, Shimura Danzō had long since become a tool to vent his anger once his utility was exhausted, and as for the fate awaiting him, death would likely be the lightest punishment.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Chen revealed a cunning smile at the two men before him and said coldly, "Thank you for telling me that this was indeed Danzō's doing."

"Rest assured, I will definitely 'entertain' him well in the future."

"To thank you, I will personally send you on your way."

Having said that, he stepped forward and drew a Kunai, preparing to end their lives.

Yet, just as he approached, a sudden, drastic change occurred!

Perhaps realizing that the distance between them had closed to a certain point, the two heavily wounded men exchanged a glance and, disregarding their injuries and enduring excruciating pain, tore off the tattered clothes that had long since fused with their flesh.

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere, blooming in the air like a flower of gore.

They exerted all their strength, refining the last trace of chakra within their bodies and spreading it across their entire frames.

Immediately following, a shocking scene unfolded: on their blood-drenched bodies, pitch-black sealing patterns began to emerge. These patterns, like mysterious incantations, exuded an ominous aura.

Standing not far away, Uchiha Chen witnessed everything, his expression instantly turning grave. A thought flashed through his mind—he recognized this as the signature sealing technique of Shimura Danzō!

It was the trump card used against Second Pillar in the original work, the Double Reverse Four-Symbols Sealing Technique that had sacrificed a life to seal an entire bridge.

Although it hadn't sealed a person, it was a powerful sealing technique that had forced both Uchiha Obito and Second Pillar to flee in panic at the time.

Uchiha Chen knew the lethality of this technique and retreated rapidly without hesitation.

Fortunately, the activation speed of this sealing technique was relatively slow, giving Uchiha Chen time to escape.

However, just as Uchiha Chen had cleared the danger, he suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold strike from all directions.

He whipped his head around, stunned to discover that the ink-like, viscous seals on the two men had begun to fuse together!

Then, two voices roared in unison, echoing through the sky: "Double Reverse Four-Symbols Sealing Technique!"

Before the words had even faded, the originally slow and limited-range seal suddenly merged into one, its speed and range increasing exponentially.

In the blink of an eye, Uchiha Chen was engulfed by the sudden seal.

Watching himself about to be sealed, Uchiha Chen could no longer suppress the anger in his heart and began to curse loudly.

Far away, the two men heard the cursing and finally couldn't help but reveal the first smile they had shown since the battle began.

To them, being able to eliminate a powerful enemy for Lord Danzō before they died was truly a supreme honor.

As the seal activated, a massive, transparent barrier expanded at an astonishing speed, enveloping the surrounding hundreds of meters.

When the sealing process concluded, the barrier instantly retracted, sucking in the shattered earth, withered branches, and the trapped Uchiha Chen along with it.

Only a smooth, deep pit remained in place, along with two broken corpses.

As everything gradually calmed down, a figure slowly emerged at the edge of the barrier. The newcomer walked with light steps, eyes fixed on the terrifying scene before him, shaking his head while clicking his tongue.

"That old dog Danzō, sending two such powerful killers to take my life—it really is quite a surprise!"

As his voice fell, the figure gradually revealed himself in the sunlight, which had been cleared by the sealing technique.

Surprisingly, this person was none other than the Uchiha Chen who had just been sealed!

It turned out that ever since the Majestic Destroyer Flame ended, the cautious Uchiha Chen had once again utilized the Shadow Clone technique, allowing his main body to slip away quietly under the cover of the flames.

After all, if his guess was correct, these two were likely dispatched by Shimura Danzō and might be hiding some means of mutual destruction.

To ensure his own safety, he had decided to let the Shadow Clone test them first.

As expected, both men were equipped with the Double Reverse Four-Symbols Sealing Technique.

With this, the mastermind behind the scenes had surfaced.

As for the fact that the sealed Shadow Clone had not transmitted any information back upon dissipating, Uchiha Chen did not care.

After all, this sealing technique was the best proof.

The more Uchiha Chen thought about it, the angrier he became; he even wanted to commit suicide immediately to use Izanagi to be reborn, then go straight to cast Kotoamatsukami on Shimura Danzō just to vent his emotions.

However, when he thought of Uchiha Izumi waiting in the cave in fear, he had to temporarily suppress his inner rage and add another entry to the debt he owed Shimura Danzō.

After all, the location of Root was extremely hidden, and Uchiha Chen had not specifically investigated it, so he did not know its exact location—let alone the fact that even if he did, he could not break in.

Although he was powerful now and possessed Izanagi, meaning he was almost immortal, he was still not a peerless powerhouse capable of sweeping across the world like Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara.

Therefore, he could only rely on Kotoamatsukami to gradually control everyone.

As his thoughts drifted, the surging anger in Uchiha Chen's heart gradually subsided.

To avoid leaving behind any clues, he thoroughly destroyed the two corpses and wiped away all traces. Then, exhausting nearly all of his chakra, he utilized an Earth Style technique he had yet to master to finally fill in the massive, hundreds-of-meters-deep crater.

After completing this tedious yet essential cleanup, he rushed without pause to the front of the cave, prepared to rescue Uchiha Izumi.

After all, the intense battle and the subsequent cleanup of the battlefield had consumed a considerable amount of time; now that everything was finished, it was time to get her out as soon as possible.

As Uchiha Chen began to weave hand seals rapidly, gradually unraveling the technique sealing the cave entrance, a petite figure appeared not far from there—at the very spot where Uchiha Chen and Uchiha Izumi had first been ambushed.

Looking at the magma that had already completely cooled before her, she gently covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes brimming with tears. As if witnessing a scene of utter despair and suffocation, her body involuntarily slumped slowly to the ground.

However, just as her emotions were on the verge of a total collapse and she was about to burst into tears, an extremely intense fluctuation of chakra, accompanied by a massive explosion, echoed from a distant location.

Upon sensing this abnormal fluctuation, the figure who had been slumped on the ground suddenly seemed to realize something, and the sorrow on her face instantly transformed into joy.

She quickly raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, then stood up without hesitation and sprinted toward the direction of the sound.