Amidst the dust and debris kicked up by the Wind Release technique—
"Pfft... That old man's crazy..." Kuriarare Kushimaru spat out a mouthful of dirt as he pushed himself up from the ground, grumbling in irritation.
A large-scale jutsu like that, when anticipated, hardly had any real effect on enemies. All it did was waste chakra needlessly.
"It was likely meant to cover their retreat," the leader of the Yuki Clan remarked as he stepped out from the ice, a trace of admiration in his gaze.
"How boring... Then let's make them pay twice over for their escape..." Kushimaru's tone was filled with disdain, and his eyes gleamed with cruelty.
"But who's going after those three rats?"
"Mizukage-sama, they're all old foes. Let me handle this one," the Yuki Clan leader stepped forward and requested permission.
Against Uchiha Kade, who had already lost an arm, he was confident he could finish the job.
"You all stay here and take care of him. I'll go myself." Without waiting for a response, the Fourth Mizukage vanished from sight.
As the dust gradually settled, the ground had been torn up, leaving deep furrows. What was once a dense forest had been completely reduced to barren land, with nothing but exposed yellow earth stretching out for hundreds of meters.
Danzo stood at the center, panting heavily. The rapid and intense chakra expenditure was pushing his limits.
Despite the encirclement of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the Yuki Clan leader, he actually felt a sense of relief.
Casting a brief glance in the direction where Uchiha Kade had escaped, he murmured,
"Good luck, Elder... My survival depends on you now."
The moment the Fourth Mizukage appeared, Danzo finally understood the source of the unease gnawing at him.
His concealment had likely been seen through from the start. His instincts screamed that this man was incredibly dangerous.
Then, seeing the severed Sharingan taken from the head of the Fourth Elder, and the way the Mizukage prioritized attacking Uchiha Kade's body—
A theory formed in Danzo's mind. The Fourth Mizukage seemed particularly interested in the Sharingan.
Ever since the Second Hokage took power, the Uchiha Clan had rarely been allowed to leave the village, significantly reducing the chances of obtaining their eyes...
The Mizukage's departure confirmed Danzo's gamble—
Compared to him, the Fourth Mizukage was far more interested in the Sharingan.
However, his current predicament was still dire.
Surrounding him, over a hundred smooth ice mirrors had formed a dome, encasing everyone inside. The Yuki Clan leader had already merged into the mirrors, his reflection appearing in every one of them.
This was the signature technique of the Yuki Clan.
"Now then, time to string you up..." Kushimaru was the first to attack. His long sword, Nuibari, shot forward, aiming to pierce Danzo in a swift strike. Danzo dodged easily.
Jinin Akebino leaped high into the air, swinging his Kabutowari (Helmet Splitter). Explosive tags rained down like shuriken.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hah—!
Danzo barely landed from his previous dodge before being forced to block with a kunai coated in Wind Release. The impact sent him flying backward from the sheer force.
Whoosh!
His arm throbbed with pain from the tremendous force, but before he could recover—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Forcing himself to endure, he deflected Nuibari's rapid thrusts with his kunai.
Sensing the incoming blue energy sphere from behind, Danzo immediately recognized it as an attack from the wielder of Hiramekarei.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Unleashing a powerful gust at the ground, he propelled himself forward with the wind's pressure.
Not only did he evade the incoming attack, but he also closed the distance to the Ice Crystal Mirrors, gathering chakra in his hand to form a Rasengan—
Danzo had no intention of engaging in a prolonged battle here. He couldn't afford to be trapped.
The ice mirrors grew closer—
"Ice Release: Needles!"
A dense barrage of razor-sharp ice needles forced Danzo to halt.
Even a moment's delay allowed the next wave of attacks to close in.
"Rasengan!"
Danzo had no choice but to unleash his gathered Rasengan in response—
…
Pushed away once more from the edge of the Ice Crystal Mirrors, he frowned.
Though they were only at the level of elite jōnin, the precision and lethality of their sword techniques were terrifying.
And with the Yuki Clan leader providing support, the battle was slipping further from his control.
'These bastards are tough... I can't drag this out any longer...'
Danzo pulled away the bandages over his eye, revealing a three-tomoe Sharingan.
"He has a Sharingan too... Everyone, be careful," the Yuki Clan leader warned from within the mirrors, his tone serious.
The group immediately heightened their vigilance.
The brief exchanges earlier had already made it clear—this old man was no easy opponent.
"...Even if I die, I'll take one of you with me..." Danzo's voice was low and chilling.
With that, he launched into a ruthless offensive.
His desperate, all-out assault combined with impeccable taijutsu momentarily suppressed Juzo Biwa, Ameyuri Ringo, and Jinin Akebino—three of the most combat-savvy swordsmen.
Even while dodging Nuibari's needle-like strikes, he continued to press forward.
…
"This old bastard's gone mad—stay sharp!" Juzo retreated after parrying a vicious strike, clutching a wound on his chest that was beginning to bleed.
For a brief moment, he felt real fear.
Fuguki Suikazan rushed in, brandishing Samehada. The sword's ability to absorb chakra made Danzo hesitate.
As the three swordsmen pressed him back—
From behind, Kushimaru's crazed laughter rang out.
"Hahahaha! Nuibari Style: Ground Spider Stitch!"
The swordsmen instinctively leaped away—
Countless iron wires, hidden beneath the earth, snapped upward, coiling tightly around Danzo.
"Laugh all you want... You're coming with me."
Instead of retreating, Danzo surged forward through the narrowing gaps of the tightening steel threads, closing in on Kushimaru.
With a flash of his Vacuum Blade—
Kushimaru's laughter abruptly stopped. He cursed his teammates for not stalling Danzo just a bit longer—
But there was no time to think. He blocked with Nuibari, but in doing so, the steel wires ensnared both of them together.
The wires didn't continue constricting, merely holding them in place.
If they tightened further, both would be sliced to ribbons.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!"
Ringo Ameyuri plunged her twin blades into the ground. Visible currents of electricity surged along the metal wires.
Sparks erupted as lightning coursed through their bound bodies, making their hair stand on end.
"Guh... Haha... Die...!" Kushimaru gritted out, his face contorting from the electric jolts, yet filled with twisted glee.
From the side, Fuguki and Jinpachi Munashi charged in, dragging their massive swords.
Danzo smirked.
"Oh? Looks like you never studied physics properly..." He gripped the two ends of Nuibari embedded in the ground, his Sharingan gleaming coldly.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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