Gouged out! Danzo's last lifeline

"Oh no..."

After reviving, Danzo had intended to find an opportunity to eliminate Xia Yu in secret. He had never expected Xia Yu to reveal his secret to everyone outright.

"Damn it, why does this guy know my right arm has Sharingan on it!"

Danzo looked utterly bewildered, but the reason no longer mattered to him.

Once a secret became public knowledge, it was no longer a secret.

The killing intent in Danzo's heart grew stronger. There was still room to turn things around, and he planned to kill Xia Yu as quickly as possible before he revealed any more secrets.

Just then, Inoichi Yamanaka furrowed his brow, immediately pointed toward a nearby dark alley, and shouted, "Lord Hokage, Lord Danzo isn't dead! I sensed his chakra!"

"He isn't dead?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively let out a long sigh of relief. Deep down, he did not want Danzo to die.

But when he came to his senses, he felt deeply conflicted.

Surviving under those circumstances, along with that strangely snow-white arm covered in Sharingan-there was only one way he could have lived...

Danzo, I feel like this time... I won't be able to protect you. Just what have you been doing behind my back! That strange white color... don't tell me you also transplanted Lord Hashirama's cells...

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood rooted in place, his head lowered in thoughtful silence, while the surrounding ninja looked bewildered.

With the way things had developed, they could no longer tell whom they should attack.

Seeing the Third remain silent, Shikaku Nara, who had already seen through the situation, steeled himself and commanded loudly, "Everyone, please capture... Lord Danzo at once! That Sharingan arm was highly suspicious. To uncover the truth, we must question him!"

Shikaku Nara was Konoha's strategist. Aside from the Hokage and the advisers, he alone had considerable authority, and the ninja were all willing to listen to him.

Just then, an enraged Danzo charged straight out of the dark alley and roared, "You dare attack me? Are you trying to rebel!"

His white right arm covered in Sharingan was displayed openly before everyone.

He no longer even wanted to keep up the act.

Since everyone had already seen it, there was no point in hiding it any longer.

Killing Xia Yu to silence him was what mattered most!

"Summoning Technique: Baku!"

An enormous Dream-Devouring Beast, Baku, appeared right before Uchiha Xia Yu.

Baku was exceptionally large, several times bigger than even Xia Yu's Susanoo.

"Awooo!"

Baku opened his huge mouth and began sucking furiously at Xia Yu. The powerful suction surpassed a raging wind. None of the nearby houses escaped; all were sucked into pieces by Baku.

"Oh no! Hurry and protect the villagers nearby!"

"Damn it! Has Lord Danzo gone mad!"

"Ugh!" The raging wind made Xia Yu's head ache as well. His Susanoo began to warp and was nearly unable to hold out.

"Damn it, my eyes are clearly the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan now, so why is the Susanoo I summon still in its basic skeletal form? Is my talent really that poor!"

"If I could summon a Complete Body Susanoo straight away, why would I fear this puny Baku!"

Complaining about his talent, Xia Yu forced his eyes open against the hurricane and rapidly formed hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A fireball shaped like a small meteor shot from Xia Yu's mouth. Before Baku could react, he sucked the huge fireball straight into his belly.

"Awooo!"

The scent of meat wafted past.

The heat was visible to the naked eye...

Baku was nearly cooked...

Danzo paid no heed whatsoever. At some point, he had appeared behind Xia Yu. He had been waiting for this opportunity all along.

Under Baku's suction just now, the Susanoo's form had already begun to warp and peel away slightly.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"

Xia Yu had seen this combo in a video before. From the moment Baku appeared, he had known Danzo would come from behind.

Before Danzo could spit out his wind bullets, Xia Yu spun around in an instant and controlled his Susanoo to punch Danzo into the ground, pounding him into a puddle of flesh.

Before long, the puddle of flesh disappeared.

Danzo appeared nearby, completely unharmed.

"Brat, why can you always see through my moves!"

"Take a guess!"

"..."

"Danzo, you're using our Uchiha Clan's precious Sharingan as revival coins. Don't you think that's a terrible waste!"

"Hmph, the Sharingan are precious indeed, but haven't you already fathered plenty of reserves for me? Once I kill you, I'll take charge of all your children!"

Hearing this, Xia Yu dropped his usual playful expression and replied with utter seriousness:

"Danzo, you actually dare set your sights on my children! I was going to spare you long enough to confess your crimes in public before you died, but it looks like I was still too kind. Die right now!"

At that moment, Xia Yu was truly furious.

Perhaps because of his anger, the Susanoo's aura suddenly began to surge. Large amounts of muscle appeared around its skeleton, and solid blue armor began taking shape piece by piece!

"Th-this is impossible!" Danzo had thought the Susanoo would slowly fade after being maintained for so long. He had never expected it not only to remain, but to evolve!

"Xia Yu, just how strong are you...!"

A trace of fear suddenly arose in Danzo's heart.

Yet what frustrated him even more was that he could no longer move.

Beneath his feet, a dark shadow had connected to his own.

"The Shadow Imitation Technique?"

Not far away, Shikaku Nara knelt on one knee, staring fixedly at Danzo.

Soon, several chains appeared around Danzo, binding him tightly in place.

Kakashi held one end of the chains, and Might Guy held the other.

Kakashi said quietly, "Lord Danzo, your actions today have already injured villagers and destroyed many houses. As Konoha ninja, we won't show mercy to anyone who harms the village, no matter who they are. You..."

Before he could finish, an enormous blue fist descended from above.

It was Xia Yu's Susanoo's fist.

"Die, Danzo! I'm going to kill every last one of your lives!"

"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

Just as the fist was about to land, two equally enormous palms blocked Xia Yu's attack.

As Choza Akimichi strained to hold back the Susanoo's fist, he loudly urged:

"Xia Yu, Danzo has already been caught by Shikaku. He can't escape! He can't die until we've clarified all his crimes. Please trust us. We'll see that you get justice."

Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi also appeared before Xia Yu and said solemnly, "Xia Yu, there are too many things about Danzo that need investigating. Rest assured, I'll investigate personally..."

Personally? Heh...

You really know how to keep yourself out of trouble...

Xia Yu sneered inwardly.

Naturally, he understood that these two old men were the same kind.

Without the Hokage's tacit approval today, how would Danzo have dared openly send people to assassinate him in the dead of night?

But Xia Yu also knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage, after all. He still had to show him some respect.

Or rather, it was not yet time to fall out with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Xia Yu dared to make an enemy of Shimura Danzō;

But making an enemy of Hiruzen Sarutobi meant making an enemy of all of Konoha. Leaving aside whether he could defeat Hiruzen himself, Might Guy and a host of elite ninja were right beside the Hokage. With his current strength, he could not win.

He would have to take the long view and father more children first.

"All right, Lord Hokage. Sorry for the trouble, then. Almost everyone present today saw the Sharingan on Danzo's right arm. They are proof of his sins. I trust you won't let personal feelings interfere..."

Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a couple of awkward chuckles and waved to Ibiki Morino, signaling for him to escort Danzo to prison.

"Wait! I have something to say to Danzo."

Xia Yu suddenly spoke up and walked slowly over to Danzo.

Danzo no longer wore his usual grim face. Instead, his expression was full of resentment as he spoke in a voice so faint that only Xia Yu could hear:

"Xia Yu, if I'd known you were this strong, I should have had Itachi kill you before he left that night! How did you learn the secret of my Sharingan arm! Did my subordinates tell you!"

Only Danzo's subordinates, Orochimaru, and Kabuto Yakushi knew about his Sharingan arm.

By all rights, Xia Yu should not have known.

That was also what baffled Danzo most.

Xia Yu chuckled. "Why should I tell you, you old bastard? You're finished. Everything you've built up over your lifetime will be destroyed today."

"Hmph!" Danzo said nothing, merely snorting coldly.

Indeed, his reputation among Konoha's ninja was probably already beyond saving.

But he had not given up yet, because he had a secret trump card that only he knew about.

It was the Sharingan in his right eye socket, which had originally belonged to Shisui Uchiha.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi refused to protect him, he was already prepared to use Kotoamatsukami to control him. This was his last lifeline, and his most effective ultimate move.

Yet in the next second, something utterly unexpected happened to Danzo.

In a flash, Xia Yu's hand suddenly moved with divine precision, forcibly gouging out Danzo's right eye.

Just as he had done to Shisui Uchiha two years ago...

Danzo was utterly stunned.

"Why...!!"

This guy!! Why does he even know the secret that my right eye is a Sharingan! Nobody knows about this but me!