316-320

Chapter 316: "Kill Me? You're Not Worthy."  

"BOOM!"  

Danzō’s Vacuum Great Bullet actually managed to block the Susanoo’s spear strike—even shattering the weapon itself!  

But before Danzō could even sigh in relief…  

The Susanoo sprouted four additional arms, each gripping a new spear, all thrusting toward him at once!  

"Danzō… DIE!"  

Uchiha Sasuke’s roar was filled with madness, his ocular power surging wildly. The Susanoo’s speed skyrocketed.  

"Tch—!"  

Danzō barely had time to react before the spears impaled him—his body riddled with gaping holes.  

"Danzō… If you hadn’t forced us to the outskirts of Konoha, if you hadn’t treated us like outcasts… the Uchiha would never have rebelled! We would never have been massacred!"  

"My parents… my clan… they wouldn’t have been slaughtered! I wouldn’t have been forced to live with this hatred, gasping for revenge every single day!"  

"DANZŌ—!!"  

Sasuke’s expression was unhinged, his killing intent sharper than ever. Dark, frenzied chakra erupted from his body.  

His right eye pulsed—  

"Amaterasu!"  

Black flames erupted across Danzō’s body.  

"Cough—! Y-You even know Amaterasu?!" Danzō choked on his own blood, eyes wide in disbelief.  

"Burn. Burn to ashes!"  

Amaterasu—flames from the heart of the sun, temperatures beyond imagination. The perfect tool for erasing an enemy from existence.  

"You little brat… Killing me won’t be that easy!!"  

With a final, venomous snarl, Danzō was reduced to nothing—not even bones remained.  

But just as Sasuke let out a breath…  

WHAM!  

The Susanoo was blasted from behind.  

"Guh—!"  

Sasuke coughed blood, the impact rattling his organs. He whipped around—  

And froze.  

Danzō stood there, unharmed.  

"What…?"  

For a second, Sasuke wondered if he was trapped in a genjutsu. But no—his Sharingan detected no illusion.  

How the hell was Danzō still alive?!  

"Surprised, Uchiha brat?" Danzō sneered. "You’re centuries too early to kill me!"  

He bit his thumb, slamming his palm onto the ground—  

"Summoning Jutsu!"  

POOF!  

A massive, bandage-wrapped elephant-like beast materialized before Sasuke.  

"Baku—devour him!" Danzō commanded.  

Then, he formed another seal—  

"Wind Style—"  

"ROAR—!"  

The summoned beast Baku unleashed a terrifying suction force, dragging even the Susanoo toward its gaping maw. Sasuke struggled, but resistance was futile.  

And Danzō?  

"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Bullet!"  

Seizing the moment, he rained down attacks on the immobilized Susanoo.  

BAM! BAM! BAM!  

The Susanoo shattered like glass. Sasuke was yanked out of its protection, helpless as he hurtled toward Baku’s jaws.  

"Die, Uchiha Sasuke!"  

Danzō’s eyes gleamed with murderous triumph as he unleashed one final technique—  

"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"  

A razor-sharp blade of wind screamed toward Sasuke.  

For the first time in this battle…  

Sasuke felt true fear.  

Chapter 317: Izanagi  

"You think killing me is that easy?!"  

Sasuke’s right eye flared, and Susanoo erupted once more—snatching him from the jaws of death just before Baku could devour him. The spectral warrior raised its arm, blocking the incoming Vacuum Wave with its body.  

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"  

Sasuke’s hands flew through seals, unleashing a ten-meter-wide inferno straight into Baku’s gaping maw.  

"ROOOAR—!"  

The summoned beast shrieked in agony before vanishing in a puff of smoke, the suction force disappearing with it.  

But before Sasuke could even breathe—  

Danzō was already upon him.  

The elder’s mouth bulged with chakra, a lethal technique brewing—  

"Amaterasu!"  

Sasuke’s Mangekyō spun, and black flames erupted across Danzō’s body.  

"Guh—! Damn you—!"  

Danzō’s flesh charred to ash in seconds.  

Yet—  

"Heh… Impressive… for a brat."  

A voice.  

Sasuke’s blood ran cold as Danzō reappeared, unharmed, behind him.  

"What… the hell…?"  

The Konoha shinobi watching gasped. How many lives did this man have?!  

Elsewhere…  

"Nii-san! What kind of jutsu is this?!" Rin gasped, gripping Yoru’s sleeve. "He just—he just came back from being burned to nothing!"  

Yugito’s ears perked up, equally baffled.  

Yoru smirked. "A dirty trick of the Sharingan. Don’t worry—he’s running out of ‘lives.’"  

"Sharingan?!" Rin’s eyes widened. "But Danzō isn’t an Uchiha! And what do you mean ‘lives’—?"  

Yoru merely chuckled, leaving her fuming.  

Four minutes. Four deaths.  

Sasuke had unleashed Amaterasu, Susanoo’s blade, lightning-fast strikes, and even Kirin—each time reducing Danzō to a corpse.  

Yet each time, the elder returned, smirking.  

"Give up, Uchiha brat. You can’t win." Danzō dusted off his robe, pristine as ever, while Sasuke bled, panting. "I wield a power beyond your grasp. Try again in your next life."  

With that, he lunged—  

"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Bullet!"  

The blast vaporized the ground where Sasuke stood. From the debris, a whirlwind of razor-edged shuriken shot forth, aiming to dice him alive.  

"This is the end, Uchiha Sasuke!" Danzō crowed.  

"Tch—!"  

Sasuke swung his sword, deflecting the storm—  

Only for Danzō to slam him into the earth, a hand pressed to his chest.  

"Self-Binding Curse Jutsu!"  

Black seals crawled over Sasuke’s body, paralyzing him.  

Danzō wrenched the sword from his grip, raising it high—  

"Die."  

The blade plunged—  

BOOM!  

A surge of chakra exploded from Sasuke’s body, shattering the seals and ripping Danzō’s sleeve apart.  

For the first time, his bandage-wrapped arm was exposed—  

Pulsing with embedded Sharingan.  

Dozens of them.  

A collective shudder ran through the crowd.  

"That’s…" The Raikage’s voice was hoarse.  

"An entire arm… of stolen eyes…?" Ōnoki’s face twisted in disgust.  

Even Konoha’s elders paled.  

Danzō had crossed a line no shinobi should ever tread.  

Chapter 318: The Fall of Danzo Shimura  

He actually implanted so many Sharingan…  

There was no doubt—Danzo had conducted countless forbidden human experiments in the shadows.  

This was a cardinal sin in Konoha!  

And yet, this man had the audacity to do it anyway.  

"Dan…zo…!!!"  

When Sasuke saw the rows of Sharingan embedded in Danzo’s arm, his vision burned crimson with rage.  

How dare he?!  

Not only had Danzo manipulated the Uchiha clan into rebellion, not only had he orchestrated their massacre—but he had even desecrated their corpses, stealing their eyes and denying them peace even in death!  

"I’LL TAKE YOUR LIFE MYSELF!!!"  

With a roar, Sasuke’s Susanoo erupted—a twenty-meter-tall spectral titan clad in armor, its eyes gleaming with murderous intent. In an instant, its lightning spear pierced straight through Danzo’s chest.  

"Let’s see how many more times you can cheat death!"  

Like a demon unleashed, Sasuke impaled Danzo onto the stone bridge, pinning him like a specimen.  

But—Danzo vanished again.  

Only to reappear behind Sasuke.  

Before he could act, another spear thrust forward, killing him once more.  

Danzo disappeared again… and this time, materialized atop a distant pillar.  

He glanced at his arm.  

Only three Sharingan remained.  

A cold sweat formed on his brow.  

Sasuke… had grown stronger mid-battle.  

This was bad.  

"Chidori!"**  

Before Danzo could react, Sasuke’s voice crackled through the air like lightning. All he saw was a pair of blood-red eyes—then searing pain erupted in his chest.  

Sasuke had closed the distance instantly, delivering a fatal blow.  

"Two eyes left, Danzo. How much longer can you squirm?"**  

Sasuke’s voice dripped with venom.  

"I don’t know what Sharingan technique you’re using, but I’ve figured it out."  

"Every time you die, one eye on your arm closes."  

*"And in the brief moment before it shuts, you’re invincible—untouchable by any attack."*  

"But…"  

Sasuke raised his hand.  

"I’m not the same as before. I’ve grown stronger."  

"Your end is here, Danzo."  

With a crushing grip, the Susanoo squeezed Danzo into pulp.  

"Come on, Danzo. How many more lives do you have left?"**  

Sasuke’s cold gaze scanned the battlefield, waiting.  

Ten seconds later—Danzo reappeared, now fifty meters away, his expression noticeably tenser.  

Sasuke smirked.  

"What’s wrong, Danzo? Suddenly scared?"**  

The Susanoo lunged forward, its lightning spear tearing through the air like a bolt of judgment.  

Danzo barely dodged, his face strained.  

"Hmph. Think dodging will save you?"**  

Sasuke’s right eye flared.  

"Not even close."  

A second spear, faster than the first, blitzed toward Danzo mid-air.  

"Tch—!"**  

Danzo’s pupils shrank—he couldn’t dodge in time.  

One more hit, and he’d be down to his last life.  

"Don’t underestimate me, brat! I won’t lose like this!"**  

With a snarl, Danzo’s right arm suddenly swelled, transforming into a massive tree that shoved him aside.  

"SHINK—!"**  

The spear impaled the tree instead—barely sparing Danzo.  

He severed the mutated arm and scrambled back.  

"Run all you want. It won’t save you."**  

Sasuke’s lips curled into a predatory grin.  

*"Hakkyoku."*  

Where his gaze fell, destruction followed.  

"BOOM!"**  

Danzo’s body exploded without warning.  

"Now… one life left."  

Sasuke’s grin widened, madness flickering in his eyes.  

Victory was so close.  

Even if he couldn’t slaughter all of Konoha’s elders for the Uchiha massacre—  

Killing Danzo would be enough.  

"Uchiha brat… Must this be a fight to the death?"  

This time, Danzo reappeared three hundred meters away, his voice uncharacteristically strained.  

"A fight to the death?"**  

Sasuke laughed—then his expression twisted into pure hatred.  

*"Of course it is."*  

*"DIE, DANZO!"*  

*"Shunshin!"*  

To Danzo’s shock, Sasuke dismissed his Susanoo, keeping only minimal defenses—and in an instant, his speed multiplied.  

A single blink—  

And Sasuke was already in front of him, Chidori roaring in his palm.  

At the same time, his right eye glowed, readying the next strike.  

But this time—  

Danzo didn’t dodge.  

"GUH—!"**  

He took the Chidori straight through his chest, shocking Sasuke.  

Then—he understood.  

Danzo’s face was resolute, as if staking everything on this moment.  

He has a last resort… but it only works at point-blank range!  

Sasuke immediately tried to retreat—  

"You think I’d let you escape now?!"  

Danzo grabbed Sasuke’s arm, his right eyelid peeling back—  

Revealing a crimson Mangekyō Sharingan.  

"What—?!"  

Sasuke’s eyes widened.  

*"Kotoamatsukami!"*  

Danzo didn’t explain.  

A tsunami of mental energy slammed into Sasuke’s mind, trying to rewrite his will.  

*"Tsukuyomi!"*  

Sasuke fought back with his strongest genjutsu.  

"BZZZT—!"  

The clash of their spiritual energies warped the air itself, invisible yet deadlier than any physical battle.  

*"GET OUT OF MY HEAD, DANZO! YOU’RE NOT WORTHY TO CONTROL ME!"*  

Perhaps because Sasuke was a true Uchiha, his Sharingan’s power was purer.  

Or perhaps his Eternal Mangekyō simply outranked Danzo’s stolen eye.  

Chapter 319: Itachi, Protecting Konoha Once Again  

In the end— 

The clash of spiritual power concluded with Uchiha Sasuke successfully deflecting Danzō’s attack.  

Once again, Danzō was trapped in the Tsukuyomi realm.  

But this time, Danzō had truly reached his end. 

"Guh!"  

Uchiha Sasuke ripped out Danzō’s Mangekyō Sharingan—the eye that once belonged to Uchiha Shisui—returning it to the hands of an Uchiha.  

Danzō coughed up a mouthful of blood, his expression withered, his chakra so depleted he could barely breathe.  

"Danzō… your time is up."  

Sasuke unsheathed his sword, its cold gleam flashing as he swung down. 

"Shunk!"  

The blade ran red. The end of a villain.  

"You—"  

Danzō’s eyes widened, flickering with rage, regret, and unwillingness—before all emotion drained away.  

The light in his eyes faded. His breathing stilled.  

The cunning warlord, Shimura Danzō, had fallen.  

"Amaterasu!"  

To ensure Danzō had no tricks left, Sasuke set his corpse ablaze, leaving nothing behind.  

"Lord Danzō!!!"  

The Root operatives stood frozen in shock.  

Danzō… was dead?  

Killed by Uchiha Sasuke?  

It felt unreal.  

Sasuke remained on guard for a long while. Only when Danzō failed to reappear did he finally turn to Yoru.  

Yoru dispelled the barrier, and Sasuke bowed. 

"Thank you."  

"Not bad. You’re stronger than I expected."  

With a brief praise, Yoru turned to the Konoha elders. 

"Well, the show’s over. Apologies for the disturbance."  

"Now that matters are settled, we’ll take our leave."  

He motioned to Yugito, Reiko, and Sasuke, preparing to depart.  

"You think you can just leave?!" 

"White Flash—stay where you are!"  

The Root members, like cats with their tails stepped on, blocked Yoru’s path.  

"You want me to stay?" Yoru ignored the Root operatives, instead smirking at Koharu Utatane. "Are you sure about that, Elder Utatane?"  

"Stand down! How far will you fools take this?!"  

Koharu paled at their audacity.  

Do they not realize who they’re provoking?! 

Do they want to drag all of Konoha into ruin?!  

"Elder, please—avenge Lord Danzō!" 

"Justice for Danzō!"  

The Root members stood firm, refusing to back down.  

"Avenge him?" Yoru scoffed.  

In an instant—faster than anyone could see—he appeared before them. 

"You think ants like you stand a chance?"  

"Boom!"  

With a single glare, a crushing, icy pressure erupted. The sky darkened, the air warped.  

The Root operatives collapsed to their knees, spines buckling under the weight.  

"You can’t even withstand my presence, yet you dare seek revenge?" 

"Pathetic."  

The pressure intensified, cracking the earth beneath them. The operatives were driven into the ground, faces flushed with strain.  

"Enough!" Koharu’s voice cut in, her face ashen. 

"This ends now. White Flash—leave!"  

"Oh? You order me around just because they challenged me?" Yoru’s smile turned dangerous. 

"Do I look like a pushover to you?"  

"What more do you want?!" Koharu snapped.  

"Nothing. But I’ll leave when I feel like it."  

The entire crowd tensed—especially Koharu.  

Idiots! she wanted to scream. 

He was about to leave! Now look what you’ve done!  

Just then—  

"Whoosh!"  

A figure materialized before Yoru: a young man with raven hair and a cold, solemn face. 

"Let this end here."  

Sasuke’s eyes widened in shock and joy.  

The others recoiled as if seeing a ghost. Koharu was speechless.  

"Uchiha Itachi," Yoru mused. "After everything Konoha did to you—the betrayal, the suffering—you still protect them?"  

"Not them," Itachi said calmly, eyes closed. 

"But unnecessary conflict goes against your own goals." 

"We agreed to protect something greater. I won’t let you break that vow."  

Yoru chuckled. "Fine. For you."  

The pressure vanished.  

"Let’s go, Yugito, Reiko."  

This time, no one dared stop them.  

Sasuke stared at Itachi, voice trembling. 

"You’re alive… I’m glad."  

Tears streamed down his face—no trace of the ruthless warrior from before.  

Itachi flicked his forehead gently. 

"Tears don’t suit a man."  

"The road ahead is long. Keep growing stronger."  

"Yeah!"  

For once, Sasuke looked like a child again—radiant with happiness as he followed Itachi and Yoru’s group toward the gates.  

But just as they reached the exit—  

"Sasuke! Wait!!"  

A bandaged Naruto sprinted toward them, panting.  

"Naruto… here to stop me again?" Sasuke feigned indifference.  

"No." Naruto’s answer surprised him. "Not this time."  

"Then why are you here?"  

Chapter 320: The Land of Water Makes a Mess  

"I came to tell you this—no matter where you go in the shinobi world!" 

"Remember this: you, Uchiha Sasuke, will always be a part of Team 7!"  

"I… Uzumaki Naruto… will train harder and grow stronger!"  

"One day, I’ll be strong enough to bring you back to Konoha. Until then, you better wait—and you better train too!"  

"When that day comes, I’ll make you eat your words!"  

Hearing this, Uchiha Sasuke scoffed. "I’ll be waiting. But don’t think for a second I’ll let a dead-last like you surpass me."  

"Then it’s a promise!"  

With Sasuke accepting his challenge, Naruto clenched his fists. "Three years from now—we meet at the Valley of the End!"  

Sasuke smirked. "Hope you don’t chicken out."  

A duel with Naruto? Fine. 

But returning to Konoha?  

That wasn’t happening.  

And he’d never let Naruto surpass him.  

"Not a bad promise."  

"You better step up your game, Sasuke. Naruto’s growth rate is no joke."  

Yoru glanced at Naruto and Sasuke, a playful glint in his eyes.  

How would the Valley of the End clash play out now that he’d altered the story? 

And where would Uchiha Sasuke’s path ultimately lead?  

He couldn’t wait to find out.  

"What?! Uchiha Sasuke stormed Konoha and killed Danzō Shimura?!" 

"Itachi Uchiha is alive—showed up in Konoha and struck a deal with Yoru?!" 

"Holy hell, Yoru wrecked the village, took down the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, and Tsunade in one move?! How is he that strong?!"  

By the next day, news of Konoha’s chaos had spread across the shinobi world—leaving everyone stunned.  

Just how much stronger could Yoru get?!  

Kirigakure  

"Yoru-chan, must you stir up trouble everywhere you go? Can’t you ever lay low?"  

Terumi Mei sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she faced Yoru.  

"Hey, it wasn’t my fault! The Third Hokage tried to stop Sasuke from killing Danzō. You know I couldn’t let that slide—you know how wary I was of that old snake." 

"If Sasuke wanted to take him out, why not let him?"  

Yoru lounged on a chair, legs crossed, feigning innocence.  

"Ugh, you always have an excuse. Fine, I give up."  

Mei dropped the subject and handed him a scroll. "The Land of Water’s dealing with a massive corruption scandal—even a few of the Mizu Shōkai’s elders are involved." 

"The shogunate’s too scared to act. They’re asking for your call."  

Yoru’s relaxed expression sharpened.  

"Corruption, huh…"  

He unsealed the scroll—and nearly laughed. 

All three vice presidents of the Mizu Shōkai were implicated. No wonder the shogunate hesitated.  

Removing them would destabilize the entire trade network.  

And the shogunate lacked the authority to punish them—only Yoru himself could.  

He kept reading. 

Half of Water Country’s officials were involved.  

No wonder they’d panicked.  

If he were in their shoes, he’d tread carefully too. One wrong move, and the Land of Water’s alliance could collapse overnight.  

"But letting it slide isn’t an option." 

"If they think ‘the law won’t punish the majority,’ they’ll only grow bolder."  

Snapping the scroll shut, Yoru stood. "I’ll handle this myself."  

"Good. This needs your touch." Mei studied him. "But please keep the fallout contained. Stability comes first."  

Her meaning was clear: Execute the ringleaders. Punish the rest lightly. 

Losing too many officials would cripple the nation’s progress.  

"Relax, Nee-san. I know what I’m doing."  

Yoru flashed a grin—though whether he actually agreed was anyone’s guess.  

Water Country Capital – Council Hall  

"How do you think Lord Yoru will rule on this?" 

"Probably just a slap on the wrist. You can’t punish everyone—who’d be left to govern?" 

"Right? Even the ministers are involved. He won’t risk chaos by executing them." 

"He’s not reckless enough to—"  

"Lord Yoru has arrived!"  

The hall fell silent as Yoru strode in, every official bowing under his piercing gaze.  

Seating himself on the throne, he rested his chin on one hand, voice deceptively calm.  

"Two years. That’s all it took for some of you to forget who’s in charge."  

A collective shiver ran through the room.  

Something in his tone—icy, lethal—suggested their predictions were very wrong.  

Yoru’s eyes swept over the ministers, then the shogunate representatives.  

"Since the investigations are complete, let’s proceed."  

He rose, descending the steps as the crowd parted.  

"Ladies and gentlemen… you’re about to witness a spectacle."  

Striding into the courtyard, he ordered:  

"Minister of Justice—bring out the prisoners. We’ll hold a public trial here." 

"I hear even the border garrison sent protesters. They caused quite a scene in the capital?"  

His voice was calm. Too calm.  

"Y-yes, my lord. They’ve been… detained."  

The minister’s hands trembled.