Danzo Defects!

The Third Hokage wore combat gear and held an iron staff resembling the legendary golden cudgel. He crouched on top of a telephone pole...

"Let's finish this quickly!" Danzo said in a low voice.

"Yes!"

All five had mastered the Body Flicker Technique to a high level. They became afterimages and attacked the Third Hokage from all sides!

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

The Third Hokage formed a hand seal with one hand, and five identical figures rushed to meet their attackers!

Unlike the Shadow Clones in the anime, which vanished in a puff of smoke at the slightest touch, the Third Hokage's clones fought their enemies like real people.

"Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"

A pair of thin hands emerged from beneath one assassin's feet!

The assassin tried to escape, but it was already too late. He was dragged underground in an instant, with only his head left above the surface.

The Third Hokage raised his iron staff, ready to smash the man's head in, but the assassin was a veteran who had survived countless battles. He wasn't going to go down so easily.

"Earth-Fish Projection Technique!"

The earth around the assassin rippled like water. He moved swiftly like a fish beneath the surface, dodging the iron staff that came crashing down from above.

"Boom!" The staff smashed a huge crater into the ground. In the end, the Shadow Clones were still only clones, and the assassins dispelled them one by one. The Third Hokage was about to be forced onto the defensive again!

"Why hasn't Orochimaru made a move yet? Is he waiting for the snipe and the clam to fight so he can reap the rewards?" the Third Hokage wondered. But he wasn't relying entirely on Orochimaru. He had another trump card!

The clang of weapons rang out in a rapid rhythm, like the beating of a drum. The fighters moved so quickly they seemed like afterimages. There were no flashy clashes of ninjutsu, only deadly strikes from their short blades!

Suddenly, someone raced over from the distance, his short white hair and a short sword strapped to his back. It was none other than the man known as Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo!

Sakumo was incredibly fast. As he sped along, his white hair looked like a streak of lightning!

His gaze fixed on an assassin wearing a Shura mask. Before he even reached him, Sakumo reached behind his back and drew his short sword. Lightning Release Chakra flowed down his arm and into the treasured blade passed down through his clan.

Blue arcs of electricity crackled across the blade, writhing like silver snakes.

"Clang!" The assassin naturally recognized the legendary White Fang. He gripped his weapon tightly and met the attack with all his strength! But when their weapons clashed, a wave of numbness traveled through his weapon. He could barely hold on to it, and his body stiffened for an instant.

What happened next made his heart tremble: Sakumo's short sword had cut clean through his weapon! It was the Hatake Clan Sword Technique! He channeled his Lightning Release Chakra into the weapon, coating the blade and making it vibrate at a high frequency!

Pfft... One slash took the assassin's head!

The corpse crumpled to the ground, blood spraying from the severed neck. Sakumo had seen plenty of people die by his blade. He paid no more attention to the dead assassin and charged at another one!

"Just as expected of you, Sakumo. Your art of killing really is chilling," Orochimaru rasped from the shadows, licking his thin lips.

Orochimaru had been the one to report Danzo's assassination plot to the Third Hokage. Danzo had wanted to use him to get rid of the Third Hokage—but wasn't Orochimaru also using the Third Hokage to get rid of Danzo? Danzo knew many of his secrets. Besides, in Orochimaru's eyes, the Third Hokage was a far better investment than Danzo.

If they both died in the fight, that would be even more perfect...

He hadn't expected Sakumo, who had been away on a mission, to suddenly show up in the village. He had still underestimated his own teacher.

The winner was clear. Now was the time for him to lend a helping hand.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru raised his arm, and countless snakes shot out, surging toward the battlefield!

The moment the remaining four assassins were bound by the snakes, Sakumo and the Third Hokage finished off their respective opponents!

"Damn you, Orochimaru, you traitor! You betrayed me, and you'll pay for it!" Danzo cursed inwardly. But the situation had already turned against him. It was two against three, and his opponents were no ordinary fighters—they were Orochimaru, Sakumo, and the Third Hokage!

As long as the green hills remained, there would be no shortage of firewood. If this place wouldn't have him, there'd be somewhere else that would! Time to get out of here!

One of the assassins tore open his clothes, revealing them packed with Explosive Tags. Seeing their opponent was going for a mutual kill, the three hurriedly retreated!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"

After a series of violent explosions, only billowing smoke remained.

The Third Hokage spoke, breathing slightly hard. "Declare Shimura Danzo an S-rank missing-nin! Notify all the villages!"

"Yes!"

Sakumo and Orochimaru answered in unison.

"Damn you, Hiruzen! Orochimaru! Konoha! I'll be back!" Danzo burrowed underground for two miles before daring to surface. He made his way to his secret hideout. It held not only the ninjutsu and money he had spent years collecting, but also his greatest treasure: a child with the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai!

The child looked about one or two years old, with big eyes and a dazed, adorable expression.

Danzo picked up the child. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Several kunai fitted with Explosive Tags struck various spots around the hideout.

Danzo packed all his belongings into a sealing scroll and gazed deeply at the village in the distance. This was the place he had devoted half his life to! I'll be back! Danzo swore to himself. After a long while, he looked away, turned, and vanished in a few flickers.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Amid the explosions, Danzo's most secret hideout in Konoha went up in flames and was reduced to rubble. It was just like his life in Konoha: half a lifetime spent in darkness, ending in ruins, with nothing left!

Obito had missed the exciting assassination drama outside. Instead, he was happily engrossed in a TV show at Tsunade's house.

A popular program was playing on the television. Tsunade was reclining on the sofa opposite it, while Obito nestled in her arms, his head resting against her soft, fragrant body. A faint, sweet scent drifted to his nose now and then.

Tsunade even fed him potato chips from time to time. If he could just ignore the way Shizune kept staring at him, as if her gaze had hooks, he'd be in heaven.

Shizune sat alone on a single-seat sofa, looking aggrieved as she ate the potato chips she usually loved. But today, they tasted bitter...

"Shizune, I'm thirsty. Could you get me a drink?" Obito couldn't take Shizune's little glares anymore. They were like thorns in his back!

"Sure." Little Shizune's eyes lit up. She set down her chips and bounced over to the fridge to get a drink. She skillfully dragged over a little stool, climbed onto it, and opened the fridge door. Row after row of alcoholic and soft drinks filled the shelves.

Shizune's eyes shifted as she called out, "What do you want to drink?"

"Cola's fine," Obito called back.

"Okay. Where's the cola? Can you come over? I can't find it," Shizune called.

"Isn't the cola right in the most obvious spot?" Obito asked, confused.

"But, but I can't see it!"