A warmth spread through his chest, yet Danzo felt a chilling coldness envelop his entire being.
It was the sensation of death's approach.
Danzo stared in disbelief at the gaping wound in his chest, a fatal blow that had robbed him of his remaining life.
He, who had traversed the ninja world for countless years, never imagined he would meet his end in Konohagakure.
Even less did he expect to die at the hands of an unknown individual.
A lifetime of memories flooded his mind.
Meeting Hiruzen, training under the Second Hokage, gaining recognition, ascending to Konoha's upper echelons, and handling all the darkness that shrouded the village.
The greatest turning point in his life stemmed from that one decision.
If he, instead of Hiruzen, had volunteered to stay behind and fight, would the position of the Third Hokage have been his?
Then, he would have been Konoha's shadow, living in the sunlight.
And Hiruzen would have become Konoha's darkness.
Regrettably, Danzo would never get the answer.
Perhaps only in the Pure Land could he seek that answer from the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Danzo could only silently await the arrival of death.
In his blurred vision, he saw Kimimaro grasp his severed right arm.
"Congratulations, tourist, for successfully taking a photo with Shimura Danzo. You have received the reward: Hadō #90, Kurohitsugi."
Hearing the voice in his mind, Kimimaro's expression turned strange.
So even a handshake like this worked?
"No, even in death, I cannot let this person take the Scroll of Seals! Orochimaru is too dangerous; I must not allow him to continue harming Konoha!"
This thought flashed through Danzo's mind, and he made a decision.
Suddenly, a dangerous aura emanated.
Kimimaro immediately looked at Danzo.
Danzo exposed his chest, revealing black sealing markings.
"Reverse Four Symbols Sealing!"
Kimimaro's pupils constricted, and he instinctively activated Shunpo.
With a massive infusion of chakra, his speed doubled compared to before.
Just as he left his original spot, black blood erupted from Danzo's body, spreading in all directions with Danzo as the epicenter.
A formidable sealing technique, inscribed within the body beforehand, activated only upon death.
Everything within the reach of the black blood would be dragged into hell alongside Danzo!
Kimimaro, however, was prepared and had shifted his position at the first moment.
"So fast... This guy actually evaded the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing. In that case, I must at least protect the Scroll of Seals!"
Just as Danzo thought this, Kimimaro's figure had already reached the Scroll of Seals, grabbed it, and swiftly vanished.
His final plan also failed, and despair filled Danzo's heart.
"Hiruzen, was everything I did worth it?"
Danzo murmured, his body beginning to swell. Finally, with a thunderous boom, he engulfed the entire sealing room.
Kimimaro, who had departed, glanced back but paid no further attention.
Whether Danzo lived or died had little impact on him. He had already obtained everything he desired.
Taking out two space scrolls, Kimimaro sealed both the newly acquired Scroll of Seals and Danzo's right arm within them.
With this done, the Konoha Crush plan had concluded for him.
Kimimaro looked into the distance.
There, Orochimaru and the Third Hokage were locked in a decisive battle.
"This is..."
At this moment, the First and Second Hokage had vanished, and Orochimaru and the Third Hokage were in a stalemate.
The Third Hokage's hands gripped Orochimaru's shoulders, the Kusanagi blade piercing through his back. Enma, however, clutched the sword's hilt, preventing it from fully skewering the Third Hokage.
Orochimaru's expression was filled with agony, his usual composure shattered.
To outsiders, this scene appeared incredibly bizarre.
But Kimimaro knew what was happening.
The Third Hokage had resorted to his final technique – the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, summoning the Shinigami.
And only the caster and the target of the sealing could see the Shinigami.
This explained the eerie nature of the current situation.
Judging from the battle's state, the First and Second Hokage had already been sealed within the Shinigami's belly, leaving only Orochimaru.
This stalemate would likely persist for a while. If Kimimaro remembered correctly, it would last for over ten episodes.
Kimimaro immediately activated his Byakugan to its fullest extent, his vision encompassing everything within a two-kilometer radius.
"Konoha's counterattack has begun."
Non-combatants had been evacuated, and Konoha launched a full-scale counteroffensive.
Though Konoha had seemed to be in decline in recent years, a lean camel was still bigger than a horse. No matter how weakened, Konoha remained stronger than Sunagakure and Otogakure.
Once Konoha reacted and initiated a counterattack, the defeat of the Oto-Suna alliance was only a matter of time.
Moreover, Orochimaru's impersonation of the Fourth Kazekage had raised suspicions among many Suna ninja, creating cracks in the Oto-Suna alliance.
"He's here too."
Within the Byakugan's field of vision, a giant toad appeared, with a person standing atop it.
Jiraiya!
With the aid of Mount Myōboku's toads, Ryūchidō Cave's giant snakes were also swiftly repelled.
"It's about time to retreat. Otherwise, things might get messy."
In this war, Konoha appeared to have suffered significant damage, but in reality, their core strength remained intact.
Their greatest loss was the fall of the Third Hokage and Danzo.
However, whether this was a blessing or a curse for Konoha was uncertain.
Whether Orochimaru's plan aimed to destroy Konoha or rebuild it, perhaps only he himself knew.
But at the very least, from this day forward, Konoha's power would rapidly grow, gradually restoring its position as the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Kimimaro accelerated, heading towards the exam venue.
It was time to wrap things up.
"Damn it! Let go of me!"
Orochimaru glared at the Third Hokage with anguish, feeling his arms being stripped away.
"Cough, cough..."
The Third Hokage coughed, blood spraying from his mouth.
"It seems I lack the strength to take your entire soul. But at the very least, I shall take the ninjutsu you've learned! Orochimaru, after losing your arms, reflect upon your past life!"
With those words, the Shinigami specter seemed to receive a signal, and its short sword swung down!
The blade struck the souls of Orochimaru's arms, which the Third Hokage had pulled forth.
"No!"
Pain!
Soul-searing pain!
Cold sweat instantly covered Orochimaru's forehead, and a rare expression of distortion contorted his face.
"You old fool, how dare you take my arms!"
"Hehe, you were much cuter as a child, Orochimaru."
A smile graced the Third Hokage's lips as he slowly closed his eyes.
In his vision, Orochimaru's hideous visage gradually transformed into the adorable face of his childhood.
It was the image from their first encounter.
(End of Chapter)