They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 257 Hiruzen Sarutobi: Konoha can live without me, Hiruzen Sarutobi, but it cannot live without Danzo Shimura!

"The Third Raikage is dead?"

Danzo Shimura's words immediately stunned the few surviving people present.

Even Fugaku Uchiha, whose brain was throbbing with pain and who was consumed by the agony of losing his Sharingan, involuntarily stopped wailing and began to seriously consider the meaning of Danzo Shimura's words, making sure that he wasn't hallucinating because of the intense pain.

After all, that's A, the current Raikage of Kumogakure!

The titles of "Strongest Shield" and "Strongest Spear" resound in the hearts of every ninja in the world.

Thanks to his impressive battle record and his leadership in developing Kumogakure, which was in ruins after the death of the Second Raikage, into the second strongest village in the ninja world, there is even a saying in the ninja world that the Third Raikage was the strongest in the ninja world at that time.

And yet, this very person died?

Not to mention that each of the five great ninja villages is one of the strongest ninjas in their respective villages, the fact that the Third Raikage once held such a prestigious reputation made it hard for the people present to believe the news.

Moreover, looking at Shimura Danzo unharmed, with even his bandages completely removed, it was impossible to tell that he had been through a fierce battle.

Even if Danzo Shimura had the advantage of timing, location, and support and defeated the Third Raikage, surely he wouldn't be completely without any injuries?

Has the gap between the two sides reached this extent?

The last leaders of the five great ninja villages to be killed on the main battlefield were the Second Mizukage and the Second Tsuchikage at the end of the First Shinobi World War.

But at least they were going to die together, which is understandable. But how could Danzo Shimura kill the Third Raikage without getting hurt?

Looking at the calm-looking Shimura Danzo not far away, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but feel a sense of unfamiliarity towards his old teammate.

He now knew that Shimura Danzo must have done many underhanded things behind his back, but in the face of this crisis, he could only ignore those thoughts and hope that Shimura Danzo could kill Hozuki Shingetsu here.

In this way, the pressure on the southeast and northeast fronts will be relieved. At that time, Konoha, riding the momentum of a great victory, can easily neutralize the offensive of the other two major ninja villages by using some tactics, such as inviting Iwagakure to divide Kumogakure.

When that time comes, Konoha will not only be able to turn the tide, but also, with the many benefits it has gained in this war, truly establish a world order of "one superpower and many strong powers" in the ninja world.

In that case, his resentment at having to pass the throne to Danzo Shimura could be resolved.

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was lost in his reverie, Shingetsu Hozuki was also secretly observing Danzo Shimura.

Unlike Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shingetsu Hozuki, who had more information, quickly guessed the key to Danzo Shimura's victory by combining it with information from the original work.

"With Wood Release combined with the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, if the Third Raikage hadn't been prepared, and had been caught off guard by Shimura Danzo's calculated attack, he might indeed have had no time to react and had been killed..."

(The foreshadowing regarding the restoration of Danzo Shimura's Mangekyou Sharingan power due to Wood Release will be discussed in the latter half of chapter 242.)

Looking at Shimura Danzo's tightly closed eyes, Hozuki Shingetsu immediately thought of the Mangekyou Sharingan that he had traded from Uchiha Madara in order to help him become Hokage and to obtain Kabuto Yakushi.

"It seems that those kaleidoscopes are currently inside Danzo's eyes. Did they regain their ocular power due to stimulation from the transplanted Hashirama cells?"

"If I remember correctly, the ability of those two Mangekyou Sharingan should be 'Susanoo'? Its effect is spatial confinement?... If that's the case, it explains why the Third Raikage was killed. Under spatial confinement, no matter how fast you are, it's useless. After all, not everyone can use Sage Mode and manipulate the power of nature with their own strength..."

Hozuki Shingetsu's eyes scanned Shimura Danzo's body, moving over his arms which showed no abnormalities, and finally settling on his chest.

"According to the original work and the experiments in Kirigakure, anyone who receives Hashirama's cells or God Tree cells will eventually show characteristics of the original owner of the cells in a certain part of their body... In other words, at this moment, a certain part of Shimura Danzo's body also bears the face of Senju Hashirama?"

"I wonder what it would be like if Madara Uchiha or Tobirama Senju knew about this scene..."

Just as Hozuki Shingetsu's eyes flashed like lightning as he continuously scanned Shimura Danzo, Shimura Danzo was also constantly assessing the situation on the battlefield.

His gaze swept over the chaotic battlefield, the corpses of Konoha ninjas scattered on the ground, and the standing figure of Might Guy not far away, finally settling on Uchiha Fugaku, whose eyes were bleeding, at his feet.

From Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, he already knew that Fugaku Uchiha had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, but unfortunately it was stolen by Shingetsu Hozuki.

In that case, there's another reason to kill that bastard Hozuki Shingetsu.

"Lord Danzo, it's been eight years since we last met. How have you been? The scene of us discussing how to drag Hiruzen Sarutobi into our schemes is still vivid in my mind, as if it were yesterday... But these comrades-in-arms of yesterday are now drawing their swords against each other. It's truly a poignant sight!"

Hozuki Shingetsu greeted him with a smile, hoping to sow discord between Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo.

Danzo Shimura ignored the sarcastic tone in Shingetsu Hozuki's words, and Hiruzen Sarutobi pretended not to hear the divisive remarks. At this point, it was only natural to win the battle before discussing anything else.

Seeing that no one was paying attention, Hozuki Shingetsu did not continue. Instead, he took out the test tube containing Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyou Sharingan from his ninja tool bag, trying to provoke everyone present.

"Hmm... 99% perfect, that's a rare find!"

Hozuki Shingetsu's action of placing the test tube under his nose was truly excessive, and the smug Shimura Danzo, of course, would not tolerate it and immediately launched an attack.

"Susanoo!"

hum!

A ripple seemed to appear out of thin air between heaven and earth, like a wave spreading across the surface of water, gliding around the Ghost Lantern Crescent Moon and trapping it firmly within this deathly still space, unable to move.

Of course, Danzo Shimura wouldn't let such an opportunity pass by. He immediately formed hand seals, and under Hiruzen Sarutobi's incredulous gaze, his shoulders twitched, and multiple wooden vines, like arms, attacked Hozuki Shingetsu from various directions with a whooshing sound.

"Wood Release: Explosive Spear Tree!"

Looking at Hozuki Shingetsu, who was firmly imprisoned in the space, Shimura Danzo couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

First, he unexpectedly used "Susanoo" to imprison the space around the enemy, and then used the extremely powerful Wood Release to pierce through his intestines... This combo was so powerful that even the Third Raikage, who was vaguely regarded as the strongest ninja in the contemporary ninja world, could not escape it and could only die with resentment under this combo. He did not believe that Hozuki Shingetsu could escape it!

"But to die so easily, without being given a proper chance to humiliate him, is too good for him..."

As Shimura Danzo looked at the wooden vines that were about to reach Hozuki Shingetsu, he thought with a touch of regret.

For Shimura Danzo, there were two people he hated most in his life: one was Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had suppressed him for twenty years and prevented him from becoming Hokage; the other was Shingetsu Hozuki, who helped him become Hokage.

For many years, Danzo Shimura dominated the ninja world. Apart from never being able to become the Hokage, he could be said to have everything he wanted in Konoha. However, he encountered obstacles more than once with Shingetsu Hozuki.

Not only was he utterly defeated by the opponent in his most proficient schemes and tricks, but he could also say that he only got the Hokage position by relying on the opponent. How could this not make the proud and arrogant Shimura Danzo feel dissatisfied?

Therefore, ever since he obtained the power of the Uchiha and Senju, he has been thinking about how he could one day get revenge on the battlefield.

Although he currently possesses the combined power of the Senju and Uchiha clans, which are specifically designed to counter tailed beasts, Danzo Shimura still opted to kill them on sight, just in case, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

Therefore, the inability to properly humiliate the other party was a great regret for Danzo Shimura.

Click!

Just as Shimura Danzo thought his plan had succeeded and was about to pop open the champagne to celebrate, he suddenly saw Hozuki Shingetsu's eyeball move in the distance, followed by a sound like breaking glass.

The sound was particularly noticeable on this vast, empty land, and like an avalanche, it began to rise rapidly and intensify as the golden lotus appeared between Hozuki Yoshi's brows.

Finally, amidst a dense barrage of crackling sounds, Sage Hozuki broke free from the seal and, relying on his speed, dodged the attack.

"What?!"

As Hozuki Shingetsu broke free of the seal, Danzo Shimura's face was filled with astonishment. He truly hadn't expected that Hozuki Shingetsu would find a way to escape the spatial confinement that even the Third Raikage couldn't break free of.

"Sage Mode?"

Compared to Shimura Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that he had used up all the surprises he could ever have in his life. It was one thing for Shimura Danzo to know Wood Release, since he had read the relevant materials on the Wood Release experiment plan. It was not incomprehensible that Shimura Danzo, as the Hokage, would restart the experiment and make relevant progress.

But he actually saw Sage Mode on Hozuki Shingetsu!

Thanks to his disciple's incomplete Sage Mode, Hiruzen Sarutobi recognized the origin of the ninjutsu the moment Hozuki Shingetsu's body underwent a change.

This is Hashirama Senju's signature amplification ninjutsu!

Hiruzen Sarutobi had also dreamed of learning this ninjutsu, but unfortunately he had no way to do so. However, his own disciple, being a fool, was lucky and accidentally learned this half-finished Sage Art.

"Sage Mode?"

Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's mutterings, Danzo Shimura immediately recalled Konoha's records about Sage Mode, primarily concerning Hashirama Senju's use of Sage Techniques, and his expression instantly tensed.

Since he wanted to become the first Hokage to surpass Hashirama Senju, he naturally had a deep understanding of Hashirama Senju, and he also had a considerable understanding of Sage Mode, which was Hashirama Senju's strongest support ninjutsu.

Even with his confidence, Danzo Shimura wouldn't be careless when it came to Hashirama Senju, so he simply unleashed his ultimate attack.

"Susanoo!"

boom!

A giant skeletal hand burst from the ground behind Danzo Shimura and slammed down on him.

The moment the two made contact, a colossal armored warrior giant stood upright on the earth.

"So what if I've mastered Sage Mode? With the power of Wood Release and Mangekyou Sharingan, I am now the God of the Shinobi World!"

Danzo Shimura, positioned on the chest of the Armored Giant, looked at Shinju Hozuki, who now appeared as insignificant as an ant, and uttered absurd words.

Then, the giant armored giant stretched out its right hand, and a large "seat" character suddenly appeared in its huge palm, just like Buddha using the Five Finger Mountain to suppress the Monkey King, and pressed down hard on Hozuki Crescent Moon.

"Kuo'an enters the palace with ease!"

"Susanoo!"

Danzo Shimura's plan was to pinpoint Hozuki Shingetsu's identity as a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki and use the Wood Release and Mangekyou Sharingan's suppressive power against Tailed Beasts to defeat him in one fell swoop!

Since a sneak attack won't work, let's just go for it openly!

Faced with the right palm slamming down with immense pressure, a hint of solemnity flashed across Hozuki Shingetsu's face, which was both demonic and saintly.

He immediately went all out, using the Water and Lightning Dual Escape Techniques in Chakra Mode, combined with Sage Mode, and relying on his powerful physique, he struggled to break free from Susanoo's spatial confinement. Then, with a Body Flicker Technique, he arrived at the feet of the armored giant, nimbly winding his way up its body to reach Shimura Danzo's location.

Immediately, he stretched his right hand high, mimicking Sun Wukong's posture of condensing a spirit blast, and condensed a circle of energy slashes in mid-air. Then, to Shimura Danzo's incredulous gaze, he hurled it fiercely at the armored giant's chest!

Zizi!

The Spirit Circle Slash was already incredibly sharp, and now that Hozuki Shingetsu has accumulated a full stack of buffs, even Susanoo couldn't withstand it for long.

Soon, the chakra armor in his chest was on the verge of breaking. Seeing the unstoppable Spirit Slash so close at hand, Danzo Shimura had no choice but to deactivate it, letting himself fall freely in the air.

However, with no foothold in the air, how could Hozuki Shingetsu possibly give up such a good opportunity to attack?

With the help of his shadow clone, Hozuki Shingetsu successfully reached Shimura Danzo's side and delivered a powerful whip kick to his kidney.

boom!

As dust and mist billowed, a spiderweb-like crack, several meters in diameter, instantly appeared on the ground.

"Cough cough..."

Shimura Danzo emerged from the dust and mist, clutching his lower back and coughing up blood. He instinctively took a few steps back as Hozuki Shingetsu walked towards him.

He couldn't understand why, even with Wood Release and the Mangekyou Sharingan, he couldn't defeat Hozuki Shingetsu. Was his identity as a Jinchuriki of a Tailed Beast fake?

But even with such strength, he couldn't defeat him. If he tried to escape, given the ghostly speed that Hozuki Shingetsu had just displayed, he definitely wouldn't be able to outrun him. Could it be that Shimura Danzo was really going to die here today?

"Danzo, you should take Fugaku and leave first!"

Just as Shimura Danzo was about to fall silent, a resolute voice rang out. Sarutobi Hiruzen, his old teammate whom he had hated for half his life, stood resolutely in front of him.

This strange scene not only puzzled Danzo Shimura, but even Shinju Hozuki stopped in his tracks and looked the spectacle up and down.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, perhaps sensing Danzo Shimura's inner turmoil, spoke in a calm tone:

"Konoha can live without me, Hiruzen Sarutobi, but it cannot live without you, Danzo Shimura!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was well aware of the differences in personality between himself and Danzo Shimura. Although they had hated each other before, the war had progressed to this point, and even though the Third Raikage had died, the existence of Shingetsu Hozuki made Hiruzen Sarutobi realize that Konoha had reached a critical moment of life and death.

In this situation, the ruthless Shimura Danzo was indeed more suitable than him to lead Konoha in fighting against Hozuki Shingetsu as Hokage.

Moreover, he harbored another thought: if Konoha was destined to perish, then dying before Konoha's demise would be a fitting end. The title of Konoha's last Hokage, or rather, the root cause of Konoha's destruction, could not be attributed to him.

In that case, after he dies and goes to the Pure Land, he will be able to talk to his teacher about it.

"Hiruzen, you..."

As Shimura Danzo watched Hiruzen Sarutobi's retreating figure, he was momentarily speechless.

"Alright, stop arguing and let's go!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stretched out his hand with obvious annoyance, then formed a hand seal in his mouth.

"Illusion magic, the art of darkness!"

In an instant, a pitch-black night descended upon the land, robbing Hozuki Crescent of his vision.

Just as Hozuki Shingetsu was using his speed to escape the area and was trying to catch up with Shimura Danzo, he discovered that Sarutobi Hiruzen had already set up a sealing technique and was waiting outside the area.

"Sealing Technique: Corpse Demon Sealing!"

Hozuki Shingetsu, his face paling, hurriedly used his speed advantage to dodge the Grim Reaper's dagger, but in doing so, he lost his chance to pursue Shimura Danzo...

(End of this chapter)