" Lord Gen'yō..."
How can this final sin be purified?
Uchiha Itachi's icy voice, resonating through the Chakra, echoed clearly atop the desolate Hokage Rock and reached the Divine Grace Hall high above.
Billions of viewers around the world held their breath.
They looked at the man on the screen, holding a bloody container, like a judge from hell, and then at the rotting flesh at his feet, indistinguishable from human flesh, still twitching slightly, named " Shimura Danzō ".
Purification?
The word, when used to describe such a heinous devil, sounds both sacred and chilling.
Should he be torn to pieces? Or reduced to ashes? Or perhaps burned to ashes along with his soul by Amaterasu's black flames?
Just as everyone was speculating about what cruel methods this god of the new era would use to end this symbol of "evil" from the old era, Uchiha Gen'yō's voice, filled with supreme majesty and utter indifference, slowly descended from the throne.
The voice seemed to be the law of the universe, announcing an established fact.
"Itachi, you've asked the wrong question."
"Sin cannot be 'purified'."
"Because as long as it existed, it would leave a trace."
No matter how you try to wash it away, that filth will be forever etched on the scroll of history.
Gen'yō's words startled Itachi slightly and left the audience around the world deeply confused.
It can't be purified? What should we do then? Should we just let it go?
"So--"
Uchiha Gen'yō's voice suddenly changed, becoming like an eternal, unyielding ice, filled with an absolute and unquestionable sense of judgment!
"The best way to deal with sin is not through purification."
"Instead—eradicate it completely from its very root of existence!"
"Let him, along with everything he represents and everything he believes in, become a nothingness, a dream that never happened!"
Existence erasure?!
These four words struck like a black lightning bolt, piercing the hearts of everyone!
What does this mean?! Are they going to kill him and erase everyone's memories of him?!
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had already given up hope and closed his eyes to await death, suddenly opened his eyes upon hearing these words! For the first time, his cloudy old eyes revealed an extreme fear that was even more profound than the fear of facing death!
Death is not frightening. For a ninja, death is merely the end of their destiny.
But to be completely erased from the level of "existence" is like all the struggles, all the protections, all the sins, and all the glory of one's life becoming a complete and utterly meaningless joke!
This is a thousand times more terrifying than death!
"No... no..."
The pile of mangled flesh beneath his feet seemed to understand these words. Shimura Danzō's already scattered consciousness flickered with a final burst of life. He opened his half-open mouth, and a desperate, leaky roar escaped his throat.
"No... no... I... was wrong... please... please..."
He would rather be slowly sliced to death! He would rather be burned by Amaterasu! He would rather just silently become nothingness!
He lived his entire life to leave his "mark"! The Hokage Position! Unifying the Shinobi World! All his ambitions ultimately stemmed from proving his "existence" to his dearest friend who was forever bathed in sunlight!
If even "existence" itself is denied, then what was the point of his life?!
"It's too late."
Uchiha Gen'yō's voice was devoid of any pity. He simply and slowly raised the Hand of God, enveloped in golden light. That finger seemed to be the only key to unlock the gate of "nothingness."
"Itachi, and my children."
"Look carefully."
"This is the ultimate solution to those parasites who attempt to pollute the world with their filthy will."
" Kamui ·Existence erasure."
The moment the words fell, the Hand of God gently swept downwards, as if lightly crossing out a name from a book that recorded the "world".
Buzz--!!!!
A pure white beam of light, indescribable in words, crashed down from the heavens!
The light was neither dazzling nor scorching. It was like nothingness itself.
The beam of light precisely enveloped the mass of rotting flesh known as " Shimura Danzō ".
There were no screams. No struggles. No collisions of energy.
Under the horrified and bewildered gazes of billions of people around the world, Shimura Danzō's body began to "fade" within the pure white pillar of light.
It's like a drop of water falling on a watercolor painting; the rich, vibrant colors begin to spread and dissipate rapidly, eventually turning into a pure blank space.
His body disappeared inch by inch. First his limbs, then his torso, and finally his ugly head, which still bore traces of extreme fear and resentment.
It all happened in no more than three seconds.
The pure white beam of light, along with Shimura Danzō within it, vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
The summit of Hokage Rock was left with only an empty ground stained with blood and a pool of unidentified liquid emitting a foul odor, proving that a terrified life had indeed just passed by.
Is it over?
A young Uchiha child looked at the open space and tilted his head uncertainly.
He felt as if something was slipping away from his mind. Was there someone just there? Who was it? What did they look like? What was their name? Why couldn't he remember anything?
It wasn't just him! The entire Uchiha army, including Uchiha Shō, and even the elite Uchiha Yōko, subconsciously frowned. Their memories were shrouded in a thick fog, becoming blurry and indistinct. They only remembered that their lord had just executed a heinous enemy. But who was that enemy?
No! That's not right!
Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan suddenly contracted! He stared intently at the empty space, his powerful eye energy frantically circulating as he resisted the memory-correcting power from a higher dimension!
He remembered! He remembered it clearly! That man Shimura Danzō! He was the one who stole Shisui's eyes! He was the one who caused countless tragedies for the Uchiha!
That face! That hatred! Even if Uchiha Itachi were to become a vengeful ghost, he would never forget it!
But... why is that face becoming increasingly blurry in his mind? Is that deep-seated hatred fading away like ink diluted with water, little by little?
Is this what "erasure of existence" means? Can it even erase the deepest emotional imprint, like "hatred"?
What a terrifying and domineering power!
For the first time Uchiha Itachi felt an absolute, soul-deep awe for the "lord" who sat enthroned on the divine throne!
This is the true power of "God"!
Unlike the Uchiha members who only felt a "blurred" feeling, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were completely plunged into an unprecedented panic!
Their memories of " Shimura Danzō " were rapidly fading away like sand paintings scattered by a whirlwind! They only remembered that they seemed to have an important "ally" with whom they had worked for decades. They had done many shady things together, shared countless secrets, and fought against a common enemy together.
But who is that ally?! And who is that enemy they're fighting alongside?!
A gaping, unfillable black void has appeared in their memories! And this void itself represents the most extreme, the deepest fear!
"Ah--!!!"
Utatane Koharu, the old woman already on the verge of madness, had her psychological defenses completely shattered at this moment! She clutched her head and let out a scream ten times more piercing than before! The feeling of helplessly watching her "past" being dug away bit by bit was more agonizing than any torture!
Mitokado Homura collapsed to the ground, his whole body trembling violently like a sieve. His wrinkled old face was twisted into a grimace of extreme fear, making him look even more terrifying than a demon!
He didn't want to die! Even more, he didn't want to be "forgotten"!
He abruptly raised his head, his cloudy old eyes filled with pleading tears. He looked at the only one still standing on this battlefield, their former "leader" —Hiruzen Sarutobi!
With all his might, he stretched out his trembling hand toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, letting out the most humble and desperate wail of his life!
" Hiruzen! Save us!!"
"We don't want to... we don't want to be... like him, completely forgotten!!"