As the Fire Shadow's sacred robe flew towards him, and Tsunade's mocking laughter echoed in his ears, Danzo finally realized something was amiss.
It was too easy!
With Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength, even such a sudden attack shouldn't have allowed him to be so easily subdued without any resistance.
But Danzo seemed to understand a little too late.
The Fire Shadow's sacred robe exploded with a 'boom' as it flew towards Danzo. Under the swirling smoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi's figure appeared in mid-air.
His agile body, clad in a streamlined combat uniform, lunged towards Danzo.
"Danzo, I've already given you a chance!"
"But you actually used my kindness to try and control me and all the Anbu!"
"Since that's the case, I can only clean house for Lord Tobirama!"
Only after Danzo himself destroyed the last thread of camaraderie between them did Hiruzen Sarutobi truly harbor killing intent.
No one wants to die!
Even less so to die at the hands of a teammate they once trusted implicitly!
You want to be Hokage?
Fine!
Orochimaru is in Konoha. After I abdicate, compete fairly with him if you have the ability!
But you, Danzo, should never have attacked me, nor tried to turn the entire Anbu, including your own disciple Tsunade and other pillars of Konoha, into tools for your power grab.
Danzo's actions had thoroughly enraged the kind-hearted Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Danzo's expression changed drastically as he tightened his grip on Hiruzen Sarutobi's neck.
As expected, with a 'poof,' Hiruzen Sarutobi, trapped in genjutsu and curse seals, dissolved into smoke.
"Shadow Clone..."
With a grim expression, Danzo pulled out a kunai, blocked Hiruzen Sarutobi's incoming punch, and retreated far back.
"Hiruzen, so you were plotting against me all along!"
"Such despicable methods! You call yourself a Ninja Hero!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was almost amused to tears, having completely lost patience with this incorrigible fellow.
"Summoning Jutsu – Monkey King Enma!"
The smoke from the summoning technique dispersed before him. Enma, opening his golden eyes and seeing the situation, crossed his arms and chuckled at Hiruzen Sarutobi behind him.
"Hiruzen, you've finally made a wise decision!"
"I've told you long ago, Danzo's existence is a tumor in Konoha!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, extended his right hand, and said softly.
"I don't think it's too late to understand now!"
"Enma, transform!"
The Monkey King let out a hearty laugh, a flash of golden light enveloped him, and he transformed into a vajra staff as thick as an arm, flying into Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand.
An eye opened on the staff, gazing intently at Danzo's right eye for a moment, before Enma's deep voice echoed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's ear.
"Hiruzen, Danzo's eye gives me a very familiar and dangerous feeling."
"Be extremely careful!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded gravely.
"I know!"
"If I'm not mistaken, that should be Kagami's eye. That pattern... it might be the Mangekyo Sharingan that only Madara Uchiha could awaken."
Enma snorted.
"To even lay a hand on Kagami, who was so gentle and polite, Danzo is truly a menace!"
"Hiruzen, strike!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, tightened his grip on the staff, and swept it horizontally towards the grim-faced Danzo.
"Even a beast dares to speak ill of me..."
Danzo's heart seethed with rage. Wind Release chakra flowed densely from his kunai as he fiercely clashed it against the incoming staff.
...
"Damn it, they set up a barrier in advance!"
"Danzo knew the Third Hokage was coming and didn't notify me beforehand. Damn him!"
Bieru Fu, rushing out from the underground Root base, nearly ran headfirst into the barrier. Realizing this, he cursed twice.
"However, can a mere barrier trap me?"
"Any ninjutsu formed by chakra is destined to be absorbed by my Yin Release!"
Bieru Fu sneered, pressing his palms forcefully against the barrier before him.
"Yin Release – Absorption Hole!"
With a low shout, as Bieru Fu activated his Yin Release's kekkei genkai, the Eight Gates Sealed Barrier, painstakingly erected by the Fuinjutsu team, began to thin at a visible rate.
Just as Bieru Fu was contemplating where to escape after breaking through the barrier, a sharp killing intent suddenly surged from behind him.
Bieru Fu's alarm bells went off. He instinctively withdrew his hands from the barrier, simultaneously activating his Steel Release to its maximum.
"Swish!"
A chilling blade light narrowly missed the edge of the barrier, falling down. Had Bieru Fu not retracted his hands in time, his arms would have been severed on the spot.
The blade attack missed, but instead of retracting to prepare for another strike like a normal person, it followed its downward trajectory, the blade flipping over and its sharp edge tracing Bieru Fu's hands.
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound, before Bieru Fu could react, his hands went numb, and he was sent flying back in shock.
"What terrifying swordsmanship!"
"If I hadn't activated Steel Release in advance..."
Bieru Fu, looking at Hatake Sakumo standing by the barrier with his sword, was sweating profusely.
"Meeting an old classmate and leaving without a word."
"Bieru Fu, you're still as introverted as ever!"
Orochimaru emerged from the entrance of Root, waved to Hatake Sakumo, signaling him to temporarily cease his attack, and then looked at the terrified Bieru Fu with a playful expression.
Bieru Fu's heart leaped, but he dared not take his eyes off Hatake Sakumo. Turning his back to Orochimaru, he said, "wΑp.kanshu伍.net"
"You actually recognized me!"
"Orochimaru, this was all Danzo's plan. I have nothing to do with it."
"On account of our past as classmates, let me leave Konoha!"
"I promise, I will never set foot in Konoha again as long as I live!"
Orochimaru slowly walked in front of Bieru Fu, looking at him with a peculiar expression.
"Steel Release, Yin Release, Storm Release..."
"Bieru Fu, I never expected that with the Kiganma Art, you would truly ascend from an ordinary Chunin to this level of power."
Bieru Fu's pupils constricted, a killing intent surged within him.
"This guy..."
"He actually knows about my Kiganma Art. No one should know this information except me!"
But the situation was beyond his control. He wasn't even sure he could defeat Hatake Sakumo alone, let alone with Orochimaru and the Anbu reinforcements that would surely arrive...
"Heh heh..."
"Orochimaru, you know my talent can't compare to geniuses like you."
"My strength has only reached this level by chance!"
Bieru Fu tilted his head slightly, his gaze flickering towards Hatake Sakumo while a self-mocking, terrifying grin spread across his fanged mouth as he looked at Orochimaru.
"Although I don't know how you obtained information about my development of the Kiganma Art, I swear I have never deliberately harmed any Konoha ninja!"
"Let me go!"
Orochimaru's face wore a sinister smile as he looked down at Bieru Fu's short stature.
"Let you go?"
"I am the Third Hokage's direct disciple, and you are a rogue ninja hiding in Konoha..."
Bending slightly, Orochimaru whispered into Bieru Fu's ear so only the two of them could hear:
"Bieru Fu, hand over the Kiganma Art. On account of our past as classmates, I can grant you a dignified death!"
The smile vanished from Bieru Fu's face instantly. A surge of killing intent flooded him as he roared and threw a punch towards Orochimaru's face.
"Never!"
"At worst, we'll both perish!"
He forced Orochimaru back with a punch, then retreated, glancing warily at Hatake Sakumo. His fingers moved rapidly.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Two monstrous beasts, pieced together from the organs of various animals, appeared with a puff of smoke. They roared and charged towards Hatake Sakumo.
Bieru Fu's plan was simple: as long as he could tie up Hatake Sakumo with his summoned beasts, Orochimaru wouldn't be able to stop him from escaping.
In his eyes, with his three kekkei genkai, his current strength had far surpassed that of his former talented classmate.
"Storm Release – Thunder Cloud Calamity!"
"Storm Release – Arashi Oni Ryū!"
He unleashed two consecutive Storm Release ninjutsu. Shielded by thunderclouds and a lightning dragon, Bieru Fu's confidence soared, and he actively charged towards Orochimaru.
A flicker of disdain flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. The dark chakra within him churned, engulfing the battlefield between them.
"Can such mixed power withstand the invasion of pure darkness?"
"I'm very curious!"