Danzo naturally has no time to pay attention to Naruto. He secretly covers his chest to calm his breath. The blood-red Kyubi phantom was too overwhelming. He still couldn't figure out why it was so fast.
'It disappears in an instant without any signs. Could it be some kind of Space-Time Ninjutsu?' What makes Danzo very afraid is Naruto's instant Bijudama, which was incredibly fast.
The incomplete Bijudama was compressed and released in an instant, and the immense chakra was condensed into a beam of light, delivering astonishing explosive power and speed.
The gigantic blood-red Kyubi phantom swayed through the forest like a blood-soaked Shura. The branches fell with a rustle, and one giant tree after another snapped with loud cracks.
"Where are you, old man? Being Hokage isn't fun. Go reunite with Sandaime." It didn't take Naruto long to lock onto Danzo's location, but he still pretended he couldn't find him.
Several invisible Flying Thunder God Kunai whizzed through the air, encircling the small patch of forest. Once he was sure Danzo couldn't escape, Naruto slowly approached Danzo's position.
He guessed that Sasuke would hear the commotion and head this way as well. But he didn't want to meet Sasuke, so Naruto figured he'd better finish Danzo off quickly and shatter his trump cards.
Killing Danzo before Sasuke returned seemed unlikely, as the time is too tight. Unless… Danzo just stands still and let Naruto kill him a few times.
Danzo's combat style was shrewd. Relying on his multiple lives, he tends to favor risky strategies. But unfortunately, he encountered Naruto and Sasuke, both ridiculously cheating, otherwise, he might not have been at such a disadvantage.
The Bijudama flashed in the air, and created a massive hole in a giant tree nearby. Danzo dodged, using the momentum of his Wind Blade to retreat.
Naruto said nothing and pursued relentlessly. The blood-red phantom followed close behind Danzo. Naruto suddenly called out, "Sasuke.", startling Danzo into turning his head sharply.
Unfortunately, Naruto was just tricking him. While Danzo turned his head, another extremely thin jade-black Bijudama beam suddenly appeared without a sound.
Caught off guard, Danzo couldn't dodge in time. He hadn't expected Naruto to be so cunning, and the beam pierced his chest directly. With a splatter, Danzo exploded into a cloud of blood mid-air.
Another Sharingan closed, then Danzo reappeared, swiftly dodging once again. Counting the Sharingan in his right eye and the one in his right hand that had not yet closed, Danzo now only had the last two lives left.
Naruto wanted to provoke Danzo, but the old man was too cunning. Apart from the Root, the only thing Danzo seemed to care about was the position of Hokage.
But neither of those mattered to Danzo anymore. He was just a beaten old dog, though a dying camel is still bigger than a horse.
To truly break Danzo's spirit, Naruto knew he had to kill him. Only in the face of death might Danzo finally break down, consumed by his desire to live.
After all, only by staying alive could Danzo use his schemes to return to Konoha and once again vie for the Hokage's position… a recognition he had sought his entire life since his youth.
That said, Naruto never missed an opportunity to taunt. Even knowing Danzo wouldn't be easily provoked, he still mocked the hiding Danzo.
"Danzo-sama, you're not thinking of returning to the village, are you? The whole village, from top to bottom, is Sandaime's legacy. What does it have to do with you?"
"You've always worked in the shadows, never standing in the light. If you die here, who would even remember you? The Hokage's line is all made up of Sandaime's students."
The blood-red phantom continued to prowl. Danzo clenched his teeth in anger. Naruto really knew how to rub salt in the wound. Looking back on his life, Danzo realized that Sandaime had left behind a vast number of disciples.
From the Godaime, the Godaime and even the Rokudaime, they all have an indirect or direct relationship with the indecisive Hiruzen. To put it bluntly, they are just passing the throne among themselves.
It all began when Hiruzen was chosen to be the Sandaime Hokage. Back then, Danzo had been so close to the position, just one step away.
As Danzo was brooding over this, Naruto's voice cut in again, "Danzo-sama, you can't become Hokage, is it because Nidaime doesn't like you? No way, aren't you the Root of Konoha? Say something."
Hearing this, Danzo almost coughed up blood, but he managed to suppress his breathing to avoid being detected by that cunning Naruto.
Naruto was still searching when he suddenly noticed a figure speeding towards them in the distance. He guessed that Sasuke had realized something was wrong and had already turned back.
He did not want to make contact with Sasuke, so he immediately quickly dispelled the Kyubi phantom and fled the scene in a few quick strides. Danzo was unaware of all this and was still hiding cautiously.
Just as Danzo prepared to make a move, he spotted Sasuke's massive purple Susanoo floating in the sky. His face instantly darkened, and he cursed internally, 'What's wrong with these two people?'
'Taking turns to gang up on me, huh?'
Sasuke frowned when he saw Danzo in such a sorry state. It seemed like he had been in a fight with someone, and Sasuke vaguely felt that the person might have been Naruto. However, at the moment, he had no desire to confirm it.
After all, with his family and clan slaughtered in one night, Konoha was no longer his home.
On the other hand, Naruto simply headed back to Konoha without looking back. Sasuke's target was Danzo, and he was only seeking revenge, so it was unlikely that he would ever want to return to Konoha.
Naruto's mindset remained the same, as long as Danzo was dead, it didn't matter who did it. For him, a world without Danzo was important.
Not long after Naruto left, Danzo died by Sasuke's blade. Sasuke himself collapsed, barely clinging to life, and slowly closed his eyes as Karin rushed over to heal him.
…
The next day.
After returning to the village, Naruto first tidied up a few things at home, and took a day to wash up and rest. The next morning, after getting ready, he headed to the Hokage's office.
Tsunade had completely stopped dealing with any village affairs, spending her days either drinking in Shizune's office or getting drunk at some tavern.
When Naruto pushed open the door, Tsunade was unusually sober. She sat in her chair, staring blankly at a document for a long time, not even bothering to look up.
"Tsunade-sama, where's Tenten?" He asked.
"Danzo is dead." Tsunade said without answering his question. She glanced up at him, "It's related to Uchiha Sasuke, who has been missing for a while."
"Mm." Naruto gave a vague response, "If it's related, then so be it. Anyway, Uchiha Sasuke doesn't have any attachment to the village and likely won't return to Konoha."
"What if it's for revenge?" Tsunade crossed her hands and looked at Naruto with deep gaze, "I've also heard some things about what Danzo and Sandaime did."
"The Uchiha Clan has always been radical. Now that Danzo is dead, I doubt Uchiha Sasuke's thirst for revenge has been extinguished."
"Is that so…" Naruto glanced at Tsunade. "So what does Tsunade-sama plan to do? Pursue Sasuke? Or just keep guarding against him?"
"Or… not leave?"