Chapter 101: Danzo’s Fall 2
Standing behind him, Izumi stared blankly at Senior Ikeizumi’s lonely back, feeling extremely ashamed and embarrassed.
Because Senior had taken her on this mission precisely to have her personally kill Shimura Danzo, and now he was blocking all the Anbu Ninjas for her. The root of all this stemmed from her own weakness as Uchiha Izumi.
Kijiro also spoke up: “Rookie, just calmly accept the test that Lord Ikeizumi has given you. No need to be so coy; Lord Ikeizumi hates those with twisted personalities the most.”
“If you recognize Lord Ikeizumi’s good intentions, you should execute Lord Ikeizumi’s orders without hesitation.”
Izumi let out a heavy “Mm,” gritting her silver teeth and forcibly shifting her gaze to a secret room with its door wide open to the side.
She could clearly see Danzo, now only half a body, lying there, and even more clearly see Danzo glaring toward them with eyes nearly popping out in rage.
Izumi drew her ninja sword and walked into the secret room under everyone’s watchful eyes.
“Hey! Wait!” An Anbu Ninja panicked; he couldn’t even imagine what kind of reaction Hokage would have if he learned that the protected Danzo had suddenly been killed.
At that time, Hokage would probably blame all of them.
Because this was indeed the Anbu’s dereliction of duty.
Just as he wanted to step forward to stop Izumi, he suddenly heard the sound of lava dripping to the ground! He could even truly feel the temperature in the Anbu Base rising rapidly.
A large amount of sweat poured out from his body, and he didn’t know if it was from fear or from the heat.
The Anbu Ninja’s body stiffened, and he quickly looked toward Uchiha Ikeizumi.
“This road is blocked.”
“Whoever comes dies.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi was calmly repeating the same two sentences.
Anbu Ninja: “…”
Homura Mitokado: “…”
…
Inside the secret room.
Lying on the iron bed, Danzo’s eyes were full of ferocity and killing intent. He never imagined Uchiha Ikeizumi could find this place, let alone that the other would be so ruthless in pursuing him to the end!
As expected of a naturally evil Uchiha brat?
At this moment.
The Uchiha girl holding a ninja sword had entered Danzo’s view, making him suddenly realize that this was the one who would kill him!
Damn it!
They had already come to finish him off, yet that bastard Uchiha Ikeizumi brat wouldn’t do it himself and instead sent an obscure “little follower” to execute him, Shimura Danzo?
What did he mean by this?
Was he looking down on him?
Was he worried about dirtying his hands?
Too disdainful to do it personally?
“…” His throat already hoarse from screaming, Danzo’s face twisted ferociously as he tried to say something but couldn’t utter a single word. He glared deathly at the approaching Uchiha girl.
He could see the nervous expression in this Uchiha girl’s eyes, but amid the nervousness, there seemed to be a trace of resolute determination!
In the past, against a Uchiha brat like this, Danzo could kill her with one hand tied.
But now, alongside his rage, all Danzo had left was terror!
Because his body was completely fixed to the iron bed with binding ropes, unable to move—this was originally meant to prevent him from moving and suffering secondary injury, but this “protection” had now become a restraint!
What about Homura Mitokado?!
Isn’t he outside? What about the Anbu Ninjas? Isn’t this the Anbu Base? Why aren’t they stepping in? They took away my Sharingan, stole my Root—now are they just treating me as a discarded pawn and abandoning me?
“Guh…”
“Guh!!!”
Danzo, with his single eye bulging, struggled forcefully on the iron bed. His throat could only emit hoarse, strange growls. The unease and fear in his heart, along with the burning pain scorching his soul, made every inch of muscle on his face tremble uncontrollably.
“Senior Ikeizumi is out there alone blocking all the Anbu Ninjas; he must be under immense pressure… But with my weak strength, I can never share that pressure for Senior.”
“Senior said… 「Absolute Justice」—as long as evil is eradicated, one will receive justice’s gift. The power brought by this gift will make justice stronger; no need to resist it.”
The girl’s firm gaze fell on Shimura Danzo.
She knew how many evil deeds this man had committed. Even though he now looked like a powerless old man, she felt no pity whatsoever.
“Shimura Danzo… When you committed all those crimes, did you ever think about the feelings of the innocent people you persecuted?”
“Experience it fully now—the feeling you’re experiencing is exactly what they felt when you persecuted them.”
“Absent justice is indeed hardly justice.”
“But… someone has to step up for the innocents and fill in that absent justice.”
Danzo’s remaining single eye stared deathly at the evil Uchiha brat in front of him, who was muttering to herself like a neurotic.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!
Danzo’s heart roared in constant despair and madness. If he were a Uchiha Clan Ninja, this emotional fluctuation alone would be enough to awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan.
—Whoosh!!!
The next second.
Danzo’s entire field of vision was filled with a sword gleam. He felt his line of sight shift; the evil Uchiha brat in his view vanished, and everything before him spun wildly. The final frame in his vision froze on one of the iron bed’s legs.
Instinctively imitating Uchiha Ikeizumi’s habit of executing justice, the girl showed no mercy or compromise toward the Ninja World’s evils.
As a Police Force Ninja, punishing evil and upholding justice was her duty!
The sharp ninja sword flashed by in an instant, and the expression on Danzo’s face froze.
An abnormal flush suddenly appeared on Izumi’s resolute little face.
She truly felt that after executing justice, she received a gift from 「Absolute Justice」. This shocked her greatly.
What kind of power was it that allowed one to gain a gift from 「Absolute Justice」 after executing justice?
It must be Senior Ikeizumi’s Mangekyo Sharingan ability!
…
【Ding! The 「Absolute Justice」 follower you nurtured has successfully executed Absolute Justice once! Your chakra has been amplified! Congratulations, you have successfully obtained: New skill “Wood Style Bloodline Limit”!】
【At the same time, Uchiha Izumi also receives a large chakra amplification!】
【「Absolute Justice」 follower ‘Uchiha Izumi’ has passed justice’s ultimate test; she will gain the ability to see through others’ evil deeds!】
Outside the secret room.
When Uchiha Ikeizumi saw the three prompts appear before him, he knew Izumi had not failed his expectations for her. This once clumsy rookie had finally passed.
And at the last moment of his life, Shimura Danzo burst out with his greatest contribution to the Ninja World—Wood Style Bloodline Limit!
As the arm slowly dripping lava restored to normal.
The cold killing intent on Uchiha Ikeizumi’s face also dissipated somewhat.
All these reactions were seen by Homura Mitokado.
Homura Mitokado immediately realized what had happened.
Danzo…
Is dead!
Homura Mitokado had never felt such a complex mood before.
In the past, when he saw Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen being verbally assaulted by Uchiha Ikeizumi until he trembled with anger, Homura Mitokado thought Hiruzen was too indecisive in his old age, unable to even suppress a young man.
When he saw Uchiha Fugaku not being taken seriously by Uchiha Ikeizumi, Homura Mitokado thought Fugaku lacked clan leader dignity. But this kind of Uchiha Clan Leader was actually fine; if it were a hardliner Uchiha Clan Leader, he would have been more worried.
When he saw Koharu Utatane also angered black-faced by Uchiha Ikeizumi, he thought although Koharu talked big, her actions weren’t tough enough.
Now…
When the role fell on him, Homura Mitokado found he performed even worse than those three!
He didn’t even have the confidence to lead the eight Anbu Ninjas who had rushed over behind him to forcibly break into the secret room and rescue Danzo!
Homura Mitokado’s old face was full of stunned expression.
He stared blankly as the Uchiha girl who had entered the secret room walked out again, holding a ninja sword in her hand, its blade already stained with much blood.
“Danzo…”
Homura Mitokado painfully closed his eyes; the feeling of “rabbit dead, fox grieves” reached its peak at this moment.
When he opened his eyes, his gaze extremely complex as he said to Uchiha Ikeizumi: “Suppose in your eyes, I am also an ‘evil person’ like Danzo—would you kill me too?”
“Yes.” Uchiha Ikeizumi answered with one word.
Homura Mitokado felt a chill all over; he didn’t know whether to be angry now or relieved that he wasn’t Hiruzen’s black glove.
When Konoha founded Root back then, Homura Mitokado had actually wanted to compete for the Root Leader position…
If he had really won against Danzo back then and become Konoha’s Darkness.
He and Danzo would have swapped fates, right?
At the same time, Izumi behind Uchiha Ikeizumi had wiped the blood from the blade, sheathed the ninja sword, straightened her back, and with a serious expression on her small face, said to Uchiha Ikeizumi: “Senior, Shimura Danzo has been executed!”
Izumi was actually a bit dazed… One of Konoha’s top leaders had died just like that under her blade.
It completely shattered her filter on so-called “big shots.”
These leaders, when they committed evil, would also be 「judged」 by justice.
「Justice」’s blade could kill people like them.
This was Senior Ikeizumi’s 「Absolute Justice」!
Even someone of Shimura Danzo’s status, before 「Absolute Justice」, was treated equally.
With no special pardon or exemption!
“Mm.” Uchiha Ikeizumi’s slight nod was already approval of the girl’s performance tonight. His calm gaze swept over Homura Mitokado and the group of Anbu Ninjas before him.
His eyes were remarkably calm, yet they made everyone present tense up, fearing he would see through their sins.
Even if they searched their consciences, feeling they hadn’t done any evil.
But that tension lingered.
The sulfur smell permeating the air and the bloody scent spreading from the secret room constantly warned them of the fate awaiting those targeted by 「Absolute Justice」.
Until…
They watched with their own eyes as Uchiha Ikeizumi left with a human-cat and a Uchiha Clan girl.
“Lord Mito Gate, we…” An Anbu Ninja’s expression under the mask was somewhat frustrated, wanting to speak but stopping.
“Go notify Hiruzen… And also notify the Shimura Clan. Send a few more people to guard Danzo’s corpse; his body holds too many secrets and can’t fall into foreign spies’ hands.”
Homura Mitokado sighed, his entire spirit and energy seeming to wither, as if he had aged several years.
He felt that if Hiruzen were here, he could definitely have protected Danzo.
There was a reason he could only be an Advisor.
“Yes! Lord Mito Gate!”
…
Sarutobi Clan Residence.
“Tonight, I should finally get some good rest.” Sarutobi Hiruzen, holding a pipe, exhaled smoke wearily.
Thinking of the various troubles Uchiha Ikeizumi had brought to the village recently, and the huge messes he had stirred up, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn’t help but rub his aching brow hard.
Especially the matters with Naruto and the Daimyo’s Son.
Compared to those two, the death of a ninja clan disciple from the Utatane Clan was hardly a big deal.
“The Daimyo’s Son matter probably won’t stay hidden for long; I don’t know how to give Lord Daimyo an explanation.”
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was smoking his pipe in distress.
An Anbu Ninja directly burst into the Sarutobi Clan Residence.
The Anbu Ninja quickly found Sarutobi Hiruzen’s bedroom, knocked on the door, and urgently got straight to the point: “Hokage, tonight Uchiha Ikeizumi brought people into the Anbu Base and killed Shimura Danzo!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “…???”
“Cough! Cough cough cough!!!” The sudden agitation made Sarutobi Hiruzen choke on a mouthful of smoke; the wooden pipe in his hand was instantly snapped in two.
After finally recovering, he directly discarded the half pipe and swiftly slid open the bedroom door.
His incredulous eyes stared deathly at the Anbu Ninja before him.
“Say that again?!!”
The Anbu Ninja had no choice but to hurriedly repeat it.
And in even more detail.
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “…”
“Danzo… Hoo!” Although he could guess Uchiha Ikeizumi wouldn’t let Danzo off easily, and he had anticipated this day would come, he didn’t expect it so soon.
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly realized he wasn’t that sad.
After all, at root, Danzo’s other identity was his powerful rival, and Sarutobi Hiruzen knew Danzo had always coveted his position, even once taking bold actions that were stopped.
Danzo’s death hardly stirred his sadness.
It merely left Sarutobi Hiruzen quite shocked by the event.
Ikeizumi had been going non-stop all day…
Didn’t he need rest?!
“Mm… Wait!” Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly thought of something; his pupils contracted slightly as he immediately asked the Anbu Ninja: “Who did Ikeizumi bring?!”
“A Uchiha Clan girl.” The Anbu Ninja was a bit confused why Hokage was excited one moment, calm the next, then excited again.
“Uchiha girl…”
“Uchiha Izumi!”
The heavy stone in Sarutobi Hiruzen’s heart finally fell; he had just been worried Uchiha Ikeizumi brought Naruto to kill Danzo!
But in front of outsiders, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn’t show more concern for Danzo’s death than for Naruto.
Otherwise, it would seem heartless.
After all, in many people’s eyes, Danzo was his black glove.
It was just an unspoken understanding.
Thus, Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a grim face: “Come with me to the Root Base!”
“Yes, Hokage!”
…
On the other side, Uchiha Clan Compound.
Under the night sky, Uchiha Izumi walked home alone. She still remembered what Senior said before leaving—tonight’s mission was complete; she could go back and rest.
But…
“How could I possibly sleep!”
Izumi reached up and vigorously ruffled her long hair; the image of unhesitatingly beheading Shimura Danzo still echoed in her mind. The feeling of striking down a Konoha leader with her own hand felt so strange.
But she had to admit, her understanding of 「Absolute Justice」 had reached a higher level.
She felt Senior Ikeizumi’s good intentions.
Although Senior usually didn’t talk much and was ice-cold, as if the whole world had isolated him.
But only by getting close to Senior could one know he was always silently watching over everyone he was familiar with.
“Hm?!”
Just as the girl was filled with emotion, her steps suddenly halted; a sense of foreboding tightened her heart. Almost instantly, she pulled a kunai from her ninja tool bag and threw it backward.
—Whoosh!!!
The kunai instantly grazed an Anbu fox mask, embedding deeply into the trunk of a large tree behind.
“You’ve progressed a lot in this time, Izumi. Following that man has indeed given you considerable growth. One could even say your growth speed is astonishing.”
The sudden familiar cold voice made Izumi’s pupils shrink.
Turning hastily, she saw a not-tall figure standing not far behind her.
The other had already removed the Anbu mask, revealing a scratch on its left side from the kunai.
She could never forget that youthful face.
“…Uchiha Itachi!!!”
Izumi’s right hand instinctively gripped the hilt of the ninja sword at her waist; her Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated without hesitation. She warily stepped back half a pace, staring at Uchiha Itachi, whom she once saw as her best friend but who had now half-fallen into the abyss of evil.
“You still dare show up in the Uchiha Clan Compound? If I shout now, plenty of clan members would rush out to kill you, right?!”
Izumi said coldly.
That icy tone was like speaking to an unfamiliar stranger, making Uchiha Itachi fall silent for half a second.
“Izumi…”
“Call me Uchiha Izumi.” Izumi interrupted: “Until you completely dispel that thought and return to normal, we’re not that close.”
Now, Izumi felt extreme physical and psychological repulsion toward Uchiha Itachi.
She couldn’t accept a beast who would kill her mother in the future calling her name directly.
Uchiha Itachi, expressionless, continued on his own: “I saw you and Uchiha Ikeizumi leave the Root Base. When I went in, I heard them say Danzo was dead. And you killed him.”
“Izumi, you’ve become very unfamiliar to me.” He stared at Uchiha Izumi and asked hauntingly: “Are you going to stand against Konoha?”
The atmosphere suddenly turned bone-chillingly cold.
…
…
