I Am Danzo Shimura, I Am Konoha's Root

Danzo, restored to the peak of his strength, was truly formidable. He had turned an ordinary C-rank ninjutsu into something with the effect of an A-rank technique.

A fierce gust swept toward the battlefield.

Fire Release inherently countered Wind Release, not to mention that these flames were not formed from chakra alone. Danzo's wind failed to blow away the surrounding fire.

But Danzo had no intention of giving up. He charged straight into the battlefield, nimbly dodging every fireball shot at him.

As he rapidly closed in on Shisui, the Root ninja became even more fearless in the face of death at Danzo's arrival.

Danzo casually unleashed exquisite Wind Release techniques.

Vacuum Sphere, Vacuum Wave, Vacuum Serial Waves, and Wind Release: Shuriken flew relentlessly toward Shisui.

Relying on his powerful Body Flicker Technique, Shisui flawlessly evaded Danzo's attacks. However, the surrounding area suffered tremendous damage. Fortunately, the villagers were under the protection of the Konoha Military Police Force, and there were no casualties.

The battle reached a stalemate.

"Danzo, if Konoha still means anything to you, surrender now. Aren't you afraid of harming innocent villagers?"

"For Konoha, a few insignificant sacrifices are necessary."

Seeing the situation, Ren could no longer sit still. "Shisui, hold Danzo back. I'll come over as soon as I finish off Root."

Ren stopped launching the rain of fire and recalled the fireballs.

He then shed his robe and instantly assumed Human Torch's form. Without the slightest hesitation, Ren charged at the many Root ninja at high speed.

Whenever he reached a Root ninja, a simple punch was enough to kill them and reap their souls.

Meanwhile, Shisui began fighting Danzo directly. Unlike that reckless Sasuke, Shisui's style was not all brute force.

It was filled with calculation and wisdom, and the clash between the two left the onlookers utterly astonished.

"So this is Danzo's strength? He may be a bad man, but I have to admit, he's incredibly strong."

"I think the Hidden Sand Village's Kazekage is completely unworthy of the title. Didn't Danzo always want to become Hokage? He might as well join the Hidden Sand Village and become Kazekage."

"Kid, do you think you're funny? By your logic, all our Hokage have been unworthy of their titles."

"So this is Shisui the Body Flicker? How does he do that? They look like solid clones, but attacks just pass right through them."

Amid the crowd's amazement, Ren had already dealt with the Root ninja. After arriving beside Shisui, he said, "Shisui. Use that move. Let's end this quickly!"

Shisui nodded gravely. The Sharingan in his eyes instantly transformed into four-bladed pinwheels, while a giant chakra warrior radiating green light rose from the ground.

"What is that? That chakra... it feels like I'll die if it so much as touches me!"

"Is that really ninjutsu?"

The members of the Uchiha Clan, however, were ecstatic. This was the strongest power of their Uchiha Clan.

The power of a god: Susanoo.

At the same time, a question arose in some of their minds: who was stronger, Shisui or their clan head?

If Ren knew what they were thinking, he would probably say, I've really brought shame upon the Uchiha Clan.

To be honest, if they were only comparing destructive power, Ren was certainly stronger than Shisui.

But in a one-on-one battle against an opponent like this, Shisui undoubtedly held the advantage for now.

Ren's strengths lay in high-speed flight, mowing down large groups, and devastating wide-area attacks that did not distinguish friend from foe.

Danzo could no longer remain calm in the face of Susanoo, but the insufficient quality and quantity of his Sharingan constantly affected the balance within his body.

With tremendous willpower, Danzo suppressed the restless Hashirama Cells. If he released that suppression, he would probably turn into a giant tree before long.

Shisui's Susanoo also wielded a short katana, though "short" was only relative to Susanoo itself.

Though enormous, Susanoo moved as nimbly as a real person, slashing again and again as Danzo dodged in every direction. At last, he failed to evade one strike in time.

The katana was about to cut him down. Danzo had not yet wiped out the Uchiha Clan, so naturally, he did not know Izanagi.

If that strike landed, Danzo would probably die on the spot.

Even in despair, Danzo refused to stop struggling. He no longer suppressed the restless Hashirama Cells.

"Wood Release: Violent Gun Tree."

Without forming hand seals, Danzo grew countless branches from his right arm and used them to block Shisui's attack.

"Ah! Is that Wood Release?"

"Are you blind? If that isn't Wood Release, what is it?"

"But why can Danzo use Wood Release?"

The onlookers immediately broke into heated discussion.

Naturally, Ren heard their whispers. He swiftly arrived before Danzo.

"Danzo Shimura, you truly are insane. You actually disturbed the First Hokage's corpse and conducted human experiments. Who knows how many lives you have sacrificed for all this?"

Danzo looked at Ren, intending to retort, but then met a pair of strange eyes burning with flames.

"Danzo Shimura, you are guilty!"

"Judgment Eye."

Ren drove his Hellfire to its utmost limit, sending it through Danzo's pupils and into his heart.

Danzo's heart was subjected to interrogation after interrogation.

In a laboratory somewhere in Konoha, members of the Senju Clan stood in line to receive Hashirama Cell transplants.

After being injected with Hashirama Cells, every one of them became agonized, their faces twisted in pain.

Some instantly turned into giant trees. Others struggled desperately and held on for a while, only to eventually become trees as well.

Everyone died. Danzo observed every test subject in silence as members of his teacher's clan marched one after another to their deaths. His heart did not stir in the slightest.

Ninja should sacrifice themselves and willingly die!

Afterward, the Third Hokage halted the Hashirama Cell experiments.

Danzo found Orochimaru and resumed the human experiments.

This time, the subjects were no longer willing members of the Senju Clan. Danzo abducted countless ninja and civilians from the village and other parts of the Land of Fire—children, adults, and the elderly alike.

The result was still that no one survived, but there was good news. Orochimaru told him that adults could not withstand the erosion of Hashirama Cells. Only newborn infants had any hope of success.

For Konoha, a few sacrifices were worth it!

Danzo then gathered fifty healthy infants from various places. Once again, without exception, they all failed. Danzo felt no guilt whatsoever.

Everything was for Konoha!

Then Danzo finally heard a faint heartbeat. He took that child away without telling Orochimaru or the Third Hokage. Danzo simply kept the infant for himself.

Hiruzen! I will silently protect Konoha.

The Third Shinobi World War broke out, and Konoha needed more intelligence.

Danzo went to the Konoha Orphanage, took all the children hostage, and forced Nonō to rejoin Root. At the same time, he discovered a promising talent—a born spy.

Nonō knew too many secrets. This threat had to be eliminated, so he sent that child named Kabuto to kill her.

Anyone who threatened Konoha had to be eliminated!

In the later stages of the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha's only remaining enemy was the Hidden Stone Village.

Danzo personally led Root to the Land of Rain, disguised as Stone ninja, and continuously slaughtered Hidden Rain Village ninja. They also burned, killed, and plundered ordinary villages.

As he watched village after village, places without even a single ninja, be destroyed, Danzo's heart remained utterly unmoved.

As long as it was for Konoha, no matter how many people died, it was worth it!

Recently, word came that Akatsuki intended to form an alliance with Hanzo. With Hanzo's immense strength added to Akatsuki, they would undoubtedly threaten Konoha. This alliance had to be destroyed.

Danzo once again killed large numbers of civilians from the Land of Rain, then brought their bodies before Hanzo and claimed that Akatsuki had done it.

The suspicious Hanzo decided to wipe out Akatsuki.

As Danzo watched Akatsuki's leader die by his companion's own hand, his heart once more swelled with boundless pride.

Hiruzen! Once again, I have protected Konoha.

Framing Orochimaru, assassinating Hiruzen Sarutobi...

One event after another flashed through Danzo's heart. He felt not the slightest regret or guilt. Everything was for Konoha!

At last, Judgment Eye ended.

In that brief instant, Danzo had endured countless interrogations of his heart, yet nothing had shaken his will.

The awakened Danzo immediately roared.

"I am Danzo Shimura! I am Konoha's Root!"