thefictionvixens The performance that begins in Chapter 89
The performance that begins in Chapter 89
Unfortunately... in the end... I still couldn't become Hokage...
This was Danzo's last thought before his consciousness dissipated.
Black blood gushed from his body like a fountain, instantly soaking his tattered robes. The viscous black blood spread across the ground, forming incantation patterns. The seal of the Four Symbols was fully activated, and a black sphere hundreds of meters long suddenly expanded! It began to greedily devour everything within its range—soil, trees, rocks, and the earth.
However... the nine-faced beast that was supposed to be devoured vanished without a trace at the last moment, like a mirage.
In the distance, Menma's hand rested on Shisui's shoulder. The light of the Flying Thunder God Technique flickered in the night wind, and the two figures vanished from their spot in an instant.
"Whoosh—"
When they reappeared, they were standing on a cliff on the outskirts of Konoha. From there, they could clearly see the enormous black sphere gradually collapsing. Like a satiated beast, it had devoured everything within a radius of hundreds of meters before slowly dissipating into the night.
Only a strange circular empty space remained, silently telling the story of what had happened here.
The wind whipped up blackened dust, sweeping past the two. Shisui silently removed his mask, revealing his newly transplanted Sharingan. He gazed at the desolate, empty space.
finally......
The "Root" of Konoha, the "Darkness" of the Ninja, Shimura Danzo—utterly fallen.
"Even at the very last moment, he still believed he was righteous." Menma chuckled lightly. "Heh... to go this far on this path... he's probably the only one in the entire ninja world who has done so."
"Seriously... hopeless."
Silence fell between them. After a moment, Shisui spoke slowly. "...Danzo is dead."
His voice was somewhat hoarse, "The Uchiha clan members are still in [Jin's] stronghold... Besides joining [Jin], what else can I do..."
"It seems there's no other choice."
Menma turned his head. "Yeah, you won't regret it." He paused, a hint of amusement in his voice. "But I've never killed a single innocent person... Does saying that comfort you?"
Shisui gave a wry smile. "...It's alright."
He looked up, a complex emotion flashing in his Sharingan. "So, shall we head back to base now, Boss?"
This form of address made Menma pause slightly. He shook his head. "No, wait a moment. I still need to inform the Third Hokage of his old friend's death."
"Itachi will probably go too. For the sake of the Uchiha clan head and his wife... I'll go and give her another 'warning.' You wait here for me."
Shisui hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke. "Leader... about Uchiha Itachi..."
"Yes, I know."
Menma interrupted him, "I'll arrange for you to meet after her 'plan' is over."
He turned, his black robes tracing an arc in the moonlight. "Do with her as you see fit then."
Shisui's fists clenched unconsciously. The answer he had been waiting for so long now made his chest feel heavy. The night wind blew by, carrying the smell of scorched earth and blood. He could only nod bitterly.
A night breeze rustled through the trees. Menma had just taken a few steps, preparing to dispel the Shadow Clone Technique, when suddenly—
"Well!"
A violent surge of chakra disorder erupted from his body, as if needles were stabbing wildly through his meridians. He swayed violently, fell to one knee, and pressed his hand tightly against his chest. His face beneath the fox mask turned deathly pale instantly.
"leader!"
Shisui rushed forward in a flash and steadily supported Menma's swaying body. He could feel the rapid and disordered breathing coming from behind the mask.
"What's going on?" Shisui's Sharingan darted around rapidly as he warily scanned his surroundings. "Is it an enemy technique?"
Menma gritted his teeth, sensing the chaotic chakra within his body, and forcibly used his mental power to gradually bring it back on track. After several seconds, he managed to raise his hand and make a "I'm fine" gesture.
"It's nothing...just a little...accident."
Beneath the mask, his brows furrowed. Menma knew perfectly well what this meant—the only way for a shadow clone to cause such a violent chakra disorder was for the main body to encounter a powerful enemy.
Has the real body already clashed with Itachi Uchiha?
------
"It's already very late."
A gentle night breeze blew, and after passing the last row of food stalls, Naruto and Satsuki finally arrived at the gate of the Uchiha clan's territory.
The deep red scarf the two had been sharing had been removed and neatly folded and stored in Naruto's ninja tool bag. Satsuki's ear tips still had a faint blush—although she really wanted to continue sharing that scarf with Naruto, she still had to maintain the proud image of the Uchiha clan in front of her people.
If my sister and mom see this... I'll definitely be teased again...
Thinking of this, Zuo Yue unconsciously quickened her pace.
Naruto looked up at the moonlight, then glanced into the depths of the clan's territory—according to the plan, Menma should have already completed the "pseudo-extermination" operation.
"It's alright," he said, turning to Satsuki. "If Aunt Mikoto didn't save you any food, I'll take you out for a late-night snack later."
"Mom will never forget me!" Zuo Yue retorted angrily. "It's all your fault for insisting on eating at every food stall; otherwise, we would have come back long ago."
Unbeknownst to her, Naruto quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, we bought enough time... If Zuoyue had witnessed her clansmen being moved...
Naruto feigned helplessness. "The new limited-edition flavor of the fried meat patties is really hard to get..."
"...But the snacks were alright."
Zuo Yue turned her face away, the moonlight casting a silvery glow on her delicate profile. Her voice grew softer and softer.
If you invite me next time... I might not be unable to go...
Before she could finish speaking, her body suddenly froze, and she unconsciously raised her head, her eyes fixed on the telephone pole not far away.
Was there something there just now?
The only sound above the utility poles was the mournful whistling of the night wind rustling the wires. But Satsuki was certain that, in that instant, she saw some kind of reflection.
"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, leaning closer, his blue eyes shining with concern in the moonlight.
Zuo Yue slowly shook her head. "It's nothing, maybe it's just my imagination. Also, don't call me Er Zhu..."
Suddenly, her voice stopped abruptly.
Wait... The lights in the Uchiha clan compound are unusually dim, no, there are no lights at all. It's not time to sleep yet, but the entire compound is eerily quiet.
The next moment, a faint smell of rust wafted into her nostrils. It was almost imperceptible in the night breeze, and Zuo Yue didn't like this smell... Zuo Yue was still a student at the Ninja Academy and wasn't very familiar with this kind of smell.
This is the smell of blood...