Izanagi

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

No one had expected Shimura Danzō to actually dare attack the Hokage!

But Tobirama Senju's expression did not change. He merely extended his palm slightly.

He actually caught the air bullet Danzo spat out with his bare hand!

Although the air bullet subsequently pierced through Tobirama's palm, the wound healed on its own in no more than a second.

"Danzo, even now, you refuse to repent? You still dare attack the Hokage in public?"

Though Tobirama Senju continued questioning him, his hands did not stop moving. He flung a shuriken at Danzo.

Shimura Danzō barely dodged the strike. His expression shifted uncertainly as he saw Tobirama Senju raise his fist, clearly intending to kill him, and he suddenly threw back his head.

"Someone, stop him!"

Shimura Danzō's face twisted savagely as he roared those words.

Bang!

The wooden roof shattered, and dozens of figures burst in through the windows.

Danzo had always been cautious. Even in his own home within Konoha, he kept a group of Root guards close at hand.

The Root ninja whom Danzo had brainwashed would not heed an order from Tobirama Senju, the Hokage. To them, Danzo's commands were absolute.

"Stop him!"

In his panic, Danzo issued the order to the Root ninja while he himself sought to flee amid the chaos.

The Root ninja swarmed toward Tobirama Senju and the other two.

But at that moment—

Tobirama Senju made his move.

"Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade!" Tobirama Senju created a rapidly spinning vortex in his hand. The vortex coiled around his arm like a drill made of water.

Just by looking at it, every Root ninja knew how powerful the technique was. Being pierced by it could only end badly.

"Whoosh!"

The water blade in his hand was like a beast released from its cage. In the cramped wooden house, the Root ninja had nowhere to retreat and could only raise their weapons to block it.

But before that water blade, every weapon was like mud, shattering on contact. As the weapons broke apart, the enormous water blade struck directly into the ninja's bodies.

Like a mining drill, the Root ninja standing before Tobirama Senju were ground into fragments by that technique.

Tobirama Senju hurled the water blade in his hand, completely smashing apart the already overburdened wooden house. Then, as if it possessed a life of its own, the water blade flew toward the desperately fleeing Danzo.

"Boom!"

The high-speed impact of the water blade created explosive sonic booms in the air.

Very soon—

The water blade appeared above Shimura Danzō's head and, before his terrified eyes, viciously pierced into Danzo's back.

At once—

Shimura Danzō's eyes bulged as his blood and energy surged wildly. He felt the rapidly flowing water blade pulverizing his internal organs.

He could feel the life force in his body rapidly draining away.

So this was Sensei's strength?

As Tobirama's disciple, Danzo had never seen Tobirama display his full strength before his death. That had given Danzo the illusion that he could kill Tobirama Senju.

At that moment, Danzo felt that his desires and ambitions were utterly laughable.

Strength was the foundation! With strength, he could obtain everything he wanted! The Hokage position? It would be his for the taking!

"Sensei, I was wrong... but I haven't lost yet!"

Shimura Danzō, who had been lying on the ground, barely able to breathe, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

"I still have my final trump card. If it succeeds, the Hokage position will be mine!"

He roared inwardly.

Unnoticed by anyone, a Sharingan on the arm wrapped in bandages slowly closed.

The few remaining Root ninja who had been holding back Tobirama Senju all stopped attacking, their expressions turning blank.

Most of them were machines Danzo had forcibly controlled, capable only of obeying orders. The meaning of their lives was to make Danzo the Hokage.

But Lord Danzo seemed to be dead...

For a moment, they lost their reason to live.

But was Danzo really dead?

Others might not know, but there was no way he could fool Tobirama Senju.

With all those revival coins on Danzo's arm, he could probably die several more times.

Therefore—

During the brief moment the Root ninja were stunned, Tobirama Senju had already formed two high-pressure water blades in his hands.

His gaze sharpened. With a powerful throw of both hands, he sent the water blades flying toward Danzo's corpse.

The two water blades flew one after the other.

Everyone's eyes turned toward Tobirama Senju's attack.

They could not understand it. Wasn't Danzo already dead? Who was the Second Hokage attacking?

They understood soon enough.

Danzo's corpse seemed to fall out of nothingness and slowly rose to its feet. The moment he appeared, his face was the color of liver.

"How is this possible? How did he discover it? Could an Uchiha really have died and told him?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Danzo's mind.

Yet even if he racked his brain to the point of bursting, he could not figure out how Tobirama Senju knew he was not dead.

The water blades flew toward Danzo at tremendous speed.

"Damn it, do I have to waste another Sharingan?"

Shimura Danzō's heart trembled.

There was no time for him to think further. He formed hand seals with all his strength.

"Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree!"

Danzo's right arm instantly created a gigantic tree that blocked the attack before him.

"Boom!"

The water blades crashed into it head-on. Their immense power pierced straight through the tree, but the blades slowed greatly after breaking through, successfully giving Danzo a chance to evade.

Danzo breathed a sigh of relief and calmed down, then turned and fled at top speed.

The next instant—

"Squelch!"

It was the sound of flesh being pierced.

"No!"

Shimura Danzō cried out in horror.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the arm implanted with several Sharingan. He watched as a water blade pierced through it and severed the entire arm.

This time, Tobirama Senju's target had not been Danzo, but his arm. The first feint had allowed Danzo to evade only to lower his guard, after which Tobirama severed his arm and deprived him of Izanagi, his means of revival.

The plan had succeeded.

Danzo's arm had been cleanly severed.

But he still could not let down his guard. After all, one of Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan still remained in Danzo's right eye.