Chapter 63 - Danzo's Reaction
Danzo tore open the letter, his expression darkening with every passing second as he read its contents.
His hands trembled ever so slightly, though he quickly masked his fury.
Kazane , standing across from him, smiled faintly, his tone laced with mockery.
"Danzo-sama, according to the Hokage's decree, not only is this army under my command, but so are you and your Root forces."
Danzo's fingers tightened around the parchment, his face twisting in outrage.
"Impossible!" he snapped. "This letter is a forgery. Hiruzen would never—"
Before he could finish, Kazane's smile vanished.
His eyes darkened, and in that instant—
A monstrous pressure filled the air.
Shura's Conqueror's Haki Killing Intent.
An invisible force descended like a tidal wave, crashing onto Danzo with an oppressive weight.
To him, Kazane's figure distorted, growing taller, larger, more menacing, as though a demonic war god loomed over him.
And he?
He felt like a helpless lamb, trapped before the maw of an insatiable beast.
His instincts screamed danger, warning him that even a single wrong move could mean instant death.
But—Danzo was no ordinary man.
He had weathered countless betrayals, sacrificed thousands, and clawed his way to power through blood and deception.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure the crushing weight of Kazane's aura.
"Kazane," he growled through clenched teeth.
"Do you truly intend to strike me down here?"
His voice held a dangerous edge, yet he remained defiant.
As much as Kazane's presence unsettled him, Danzo refused to believe that anyone in Konoha would dare attack him outright.
Not without consequence.
For a brief second, Kazane hesitated.
He had considered a more diplomatic approach, believing that keeping Danzo's Root forces intact could be useful for the upcoming war.
After all, even venomous snakes had their uses—so long as they were leashed properly.
Perhaps, he thought, it would be wise to tolerate Danzo for now.
But then—
Danzo scoffed.
"Hmph! A mere child, trying to intimidate me?"
He straightened his posture, regaining some of his composure.
"Hiruzen may have written this decree, but I will answer to him—not to you. In this war, you and your forces will follow my orders."
A cold silence followed.
Kazane's hesitation vanished.
Retreat? Compromise? Give this man an inch and he'll take everything.
'No... I refuse!'
Danzo had dug his own grave.
And Kazane intended to bury him in it.
Without another word, Kazane's leg shot forward—
CRACK!
The force of the kick sent Danzo hurtling backward, his body smashing through several tents, before finally colliding against a massive tree trunk.
"—!!"
Danzo coughed violently, blood spurting from his mouth.
His vision swam, consciousness fading rapidly.
And then—he slumped over, completely unconscious.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then—
"DANZO-SAMA!!"
A chorus of shouts erupted from his Root shinobi.
A squad of over a hundred elite assassins immediately encircled Kazane, their hands gripping their weapons.
Meanwhile, a group of medical-nin rushed toward Danzo, assessing his condition.
One of the Root commanders turned toward Kazane, his voice sharp.
"You attacked Konoha's elder?!"
"You dare—"
Kazane 's gaze swept over them, eyes cold as ice.
His presence alone was suffocating.
"Do you intend to defy your commanding officer?" he asked, voice eerily calm.
The Root shinobi flinched.
Kazane continued.
"Danzo disobeyed a direct order from the Hokage. He attempted to seize command of the army despite official documentation proving otherwise. His actions were treasonous."
He took a slow step forward.
"Do you wish to join him?"
The pressure in the air grew heavier.
The Root ninja hesitated.
They were loyal, yes—but their loyalty was to Konoha's stability first, not just to Danzo.
Moreover…
Not a single one of them had seen how Kazane moved.
One moment, Danzo was standing.
The next, he was flying through the air like a broken doll.
A brutal reminder of the sheer power gap between them.
Then, a voice broke the tension.
"Danzo-sama is still alive!"
The Root medic leader turned to his subordinates.
"Retreat! Take Danzo-sama to safety!"
Without waiting for further orders, the Root forces vanished, carrying their wounded commander away.
As they disappeared into the distance, Kazane turned toward the 2,000 Konoha shinobi standing behind him.
They had been silent witnesses to the entire ordeal.
Even among the seasoned Jonin, few could hide their shock.
Sasaki Akira, the army's vice-commander, stepped forward cautiously.
"Kazane -dono…"
"That was… reckless. Danzo is the Second Hokage's student. He is the Third Hokage's closest ally. This will not be ignored."
His voice held concern, but also… something else.
Respect.
Admiration.
Because for all the politics and scheming, there was something undeniably satisfying about seeing Danzo beaten down.
Kazane simply smirked.
"Relax, Sasaki-san. Right now, the Hokage needs me. He won't say a word about this—not until the war is over. And by then?"
His smirk deepened.
"He won't be able to stop me."
Sasaki studied him for a moment.
Then, finally, he sighed.
"...Understood."
He turned toward the rest of the forces.
"Alright! Set up camp and start preparing for battle!"
That Night – Command Tent
Inside the commander's tent, Kazane sat at the main table, joined by:
Sasaki Akira
Hizashi Hyūga
Might Duy
They had just finished their dinner, when Sasaki spoke.
"Kazane -dono, based on our intelligence, the Mist forces are roughly 30 kilometers away."
"Their commander is none other than the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi."
"His forces include—"
The remnants of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist
The Hōzuki Clan led by Mizunoyuki Izumi
The Kaguya Clan led by Taketori Souchou
Sasaki's expression grew grim.
"Kazane-dono, we need to reconsider our approach. We only have 2,000 shinobi, while the enemy boasts over 8,000. They have over 100 Jonin-level fighters, including one confirmed Kage-level enemy. We cannot engage them head-on."
His tone was urgent, pleading.
But Kazane simply grinned, resting his elbow on the table.
"Relax, Sasaki-san. Tomorrow morning…"
He leaned forward.
"...We're going to pay Yagura a visit."
A cold shiver ran through the room.
Sasaki's eyes widened in horror.