"So, who should be the first to light the gong?"
Uchiha Yōko's clear and melodious voice was like a death knell tolled by the Grim Reaper, turning into the most terrifying curse in Shimura Danzō's ears.
He collapsed to the ground, his single eye reflecting nearly a thousand pairs of Red Eye burning with Mitsudomoe, each eye filled with a chilling coldness and indifference that belied his age.
Last words?
What last words could he possibly say?
All his life's schemes, ambitions, and " Will of Fire " were reduced to the biggest joke in the Shinobi World by that man's casual glance.
We lost.
They lost so thoroughly, so mercilessly.
No!
I, Shimura Danzō, have not yet lost!
An extreme resentment and madness, like a final burst of energy before death, resurfaced on his wrinkled old face!
He is the "Root" who has secretly protected Konoha for decades! He is the most steadfast inheritor of the Will of Fire! Even if he dies, he must not die like a dog at the hands of these Uchiha brats!
If I'm going to die, I'll drag the future of these Uchiha down to hell with me!
Hahahaha!
Danzo suddenly let out a maniacal laugh, like that of a night owl. He used his last bit of strength to struggle to sit up from the ground, his one eye sweeping venomously across the Yōko, across all the Uchiha children, finally fixing on the huge screen of light in the sky—the figure of the god still sitting on the throne!
" Uchiha Gen'yō! You think you've won?!"
He roared and ripped open his shirt, revealing a chest covered in hideous scars and bizarre magical marks!
"I have dedicated my entire life to Konoha! This body of mine is the last bulwark to protect Konoha!"
"You can destroy Konoha's buildings, you can kill Konoha's ninjas, but you will never have a complete, subjugated Konoha!"
"Let me use this last ' Will of Fire ' to give you Uchiha scum the grandest funeral imaginable!"
He clasped his hands together abruptly, and a jet-black Chakra, filled with the aura of death and destruction, surged wildly from his body!
"The Inner Four Symbols Seal!!!"
He actually wanted to use this ultimate Sealing Jutsu, which would lead to mutual destruction, to seal everything within a radius of several miles—including himself, and the future of these thousand Uchiha —into eternal darkness!
"Oh no! Stop him!"
"That old madman!"
Uchiha Shō and the others' expressions changed, and they were about to step forward.
But at that moment, a figure moved faster than any of them, and in a way that surprised everyone!
A white shadow appeared silently behind Danzo like a ghost.
It was a figure covered in dust and looking disheveled, but whose golden snake eyes gleamed with a calculating light that was calmer and more frantic than ever before.
Orochimaru!
" Lord Danzo, your ' Will of Fire ' is truly moving."
Orochimaru's androgynous, hoarse voice, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, whispered in Danzo's ear.
"But times have changed."
Your approach is outdated.
Before he could finish speaking, Orochimaru suddenly shot out, and a specially made Cursed Seal, gleaming with a purple, sinister light, swiftly and fiercely struck Danzo on the Danzo of the neck!
"Well--!"
Danzo felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then a cold and domineering force instantly invaded his meridians. The Chakra, completely sealed and suppressed in an instant!
The devastating black Chakra of "The Reverse Four Symbols Seal " receded like a tide, disappearing without a trace.
"You— Orochimaru! You traitor!"
Danzo turned his head with difficulty, staring intently at his "ally" who had delivered the fatal blow at his most crucial moment with an incredulous and venomous gaze.
"Traitor?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, a playful yet cruel smile spreading across his face.
"No, I am simply a scientist who pursues the truth."
"And now—" Orochimaru slowly turned around, not Danzo again. He straightened his already tattered clothes, and then, in front of billions of viewers worldwide, he did something that left everyone speechless.
His knees buckled, and he prostrated himself respectfully before the enormous screen of light in the sky and the god seated on the throne, kowtowing deeply.
He shouted in an unprecedented tone, filled with humility and fervor:
"The great ruler of the Divine Kingdom, the supreme Uchiha Lord Gen'yō!"
"Your humble servant Orochimaru has finally witnessed the arrival of a true 'god'! The absolute control you have demonstrated over the laws and truth far surpasses the comprehension of us mortals!"
"From this day forward, Orochimaru is willing to offer you everything! My loyalty, my wisdom, all my research findings, including—"
He suddenly reached out and, as if catching a chick, pulled Danzo, who had completely lost the ability to resist, from behind him to his front.
"Including this 'living experimental subject' that contains the cells of the First Hokage, countless Sharingan, and all the dark secrets of Konoha!"
"I only ask for your forgiveness! I only ask to be qualified to follow behind you and glimpse the eternal truth of higher dimensions!"
These words were spoken with great emotion, yet were extremely humble and shameless!
The whole world fell into a deathly silence at that moment.
In the underground chamber of the Capital of Wind, Ebizo stared in disbelief, the teacup in his hand falling to the ground with a "crack" and shattering into pieces.
In Iwagakure, Kitsuchi and the others exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with contempt and disdain for Orochimaru, this "traitor who served three masters."
Meanwhile, in the Divine Grace Hall of the Moon Palace, Tsunade looked at the insignificant figure on the light screen, trembling with rage.
"Shameless! Despicable! Orochimaru! You are a disgrace to the Sannin!"
However, Uchiha Gen'yō, sitting on the throne, merely watched this scene with interest, his golden, Kamui eyes revealing no emotion whatsoever.
He neither accepted nor refused.
He was like a high and mighty god, coldly watching the spectacular performance of the ants at his feet.
Just when Orochimaru thought his "pledge of allegiance" was about to be accepted, a cold voice, as if from the deepest hell, slowly rang out from behind him.
"Who gave you permission to touch our Uchiha's 'prey'?"
Orochimaru's body stiffened abruptly!
He turned around with difficulty, only to see that the man in the Akatsuki cloak had silently appeared behind him.
Uchiha Itachi!
His Mangekyō Sharingan, like blood-red Uzumaki, was coldly staring at Orochimaru, his gaze as if he were looking at a dead man.
Orochimaru felt as if his very soul had been frozen by those eyes!
Danzo in his hand was snatched away by an invisible force and floated in front of Itachi.
As Itachi looked at the pathetic state of the man he had personally killed, one of Konoha's greatest sinners, now reduced to a "pledge of allegiance" in someone else's hands, a barely perceptible hint of disgust flashed in his eyes.
He slowly reached out and aimed his hand at Danzo's forehead.
"The lord is not interested in your 'research findings'."
Itachi's voice was calm, yet filled with an undeniable sense of judgment.
"He just wanted the whole world to see the fate of traitors."
"As for you—" Itachi's gaze returned to Orochimaru, the curve of his lips becoming incredibly playful, yet also incredibly dangerous, "A snake that knows how to read the wind is indeed a little more useful than a stubborn old dog."
"However, it is in the nature of a snake to devour its master."
"Tell me, what should I do to make you more 'obedient'?"