"Hey, old man, not bad."
"If I hadn't witnessed the pinnacle of Wind Release, this technique of yours could truly be called the strongest."
"But now? Tsk tsk, all I can say is it's decent!"
Using a basic Wind Release technique—even one imbued onto a kunai—he actually managed to block a Rasengan. No wonder Kazuyama Gekkō praised Danzō.
"Hmph! This old man's strength doesn't need praise from a young upstart like you!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Released at close range, Danzō was confident the Vacuum Sphere would severely wound Kazuyama Gekkō—provided it connected. For Kazuyama Gekkō, whether an attack came from afar or up close, any assault directed at him would trigger his sixth sense. Over the years, he had dubbed this perception: "Don't hit me—hitting me triggers a sensation!"
"Nice try, Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Wind Release techniques were fast to execute, especially for a seasoned master like Danzō. Unfortunately, the instant Danzō closed in, Kazuyama Gekkō's senses kicked in. His first thought was: Hmph, this old geezer wants to hit me, so I'd better dodge!
"BOOM!"
The gale slammed into the crystal ground, blasting a massive crater into the crystal-covered surface. But it didn't even graze Kazuyama Gekkō.
Danzō remained composed, his kunai sheathed in vacuum blades still poised for the next opportunity to strike.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, old geezer, I'm done playing with you."
"I'll finish you quickly so I can leave this damn Daimyō's Manor."
"But I'm taking back that eye."
Kazuyama Gekkō's tone abruptly shifted. This time, he wasn't in a playful mood; he was genuinely serious. Facing Kazuyama Gekkō's words, Danzō showed no concern, merely preparing for battle.
"Crystal Release: New World."
"Crystal Release: Mirror Reflection!"
His opening move was lethal. Crystals around him began glowing, beams of light coalescing as crystal-formed mirrors materialized.
"Danzō, come on. Let's see if your Izanagi can dodge my sustained assault!"
"Fall!"
Before Danzō could react, Kazuyama Gekkō swept his arm. Countless beams of light descended.
"BOOM!"
The violent assault made the entire underground tremble. Even the surface of the Daimyō's Manor felt the impact of this single strike.
"Whoa? An earthquake?"
"Good heavens, this is the Daimyō's Manor we're talking about!"
"Pfft, it's probably just those ninjas staging another demolition stunt. Haven't they done this before?"
Residents and nobles of the Daimyō's Manor began murmuring in confusion.
Meanwhile, within the Daimyō's castle, the Daimyō was summoning Kazuma.
"Kazuma! What on earth is going on here!"
"Why is an earthquake occurring within my castle?"
"Go and find out immediately!"
Kazuma nodded, then stepped out of the castle with a dark expression.
"Kazuma, this earthquake came out of nowhere. Honestly, it doesn't feel like a typical quake to me."
"Plus, the epicenter seems to be near the Root Division."
"Should we send someone to check it out?"
As soon as Kazuma stepped out, Hirudo rushed over and relayed the information he'd gathered. Hearing it involved the Root Division, Kazuma's expression darkened.
"Gather two squads. I'll go personally."
"Understood. Should I notify Chiriku—Asuma and the others?"
Kazuma paused, deep in thought, before replying:
"No need to contact them yet. Let's assess the situation first. If it's serious, we'll call for backup."
Hirudo nodded and waved his hand. Within moments, two squads assembled.
...
Root Division base. The light had vanished, and all the eyes on Danzō's arms were now closed. His body was riddled with stab wounds. Before him, Kazuyama Gekkō stood with arms crossed, observing him.
"Old geezer, even Izanagi can't save you now."
Kazuyama Gekkō looked down on Danzō's pretentious demeanor with utter contempt.
But the next second...
"In the end, I underestimated you."
"Who'd have thought a youngster from a fallen clan could truly know so much about the Uchiha?"
"Hmph, but so what? This blade has pierced your body after all, hasn't it?"
The illusions vanished, leaving Kazuyama Gekkō standing in place. A blade flickering with rippling light pierced his chest. It was the vacuum blade in Danzō's hand.
"Heh heh heh, did you really think you touched me?"
"That's laughable..."
Just as Danzō thought he had succeeded, Kazuyama Gekkō's body began to shatter bit by bit, transforming into crystal.
Danzō stood there, his face filled with shock and confusion.
"Old geezer, did you really think I didn't know which eye you used to unleash Izanagi?"
"Sacrificing the Mangekyō in your right eye to activate Izanagi... This eye connected to your optic nerve truly exists on a different plane from the one on your arm."
He knew little of the Uchiha, but he understood Mangekyō perfectly—for it defined the latter half of the original story. Especially Izanagi—in the original story, Obito used his Sharingan to nullify Konan's Divine Paper User technique by sacrificing his own eye. That was an explosion of 600 billion explosive tags. How long could it possibly last?
The Sharingan's power lies in its dōjutsu, doesn't it? Eyes, eyes—if they weren't in their sockets, disconnected from the optic nerves, how much power could they possibly wield?
This aligns perfectly with Kazuyama Gekkō's reasoning: eyes detached from their sockets would see their power drastically diminished. Just look at how long Danzō's Izanagi lasted each time in the original story, then compare it to Obito and Madara—no contest, no contest.
"You..."
"You what? Without your Mangekyō, old geezer, your time is up."
Crystal Release, Jade Crystal Clone.
Kazuyama Gekkō had prepared the moment the attack launched. He knew Danzō held his last two Izanagi uses, and his assault would last a long time. Dodging an Izanagi unleashed by ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan alone would be difficult.
He was certain that the old geezer Danzō would sacrifice his right eye's Mangekyō to survive—and events unfolded exactly as he predicted.
"Don't even think about activating Izanagi again."
"Without the dual suppression of Sharingan and chakra, do you truly believe you can control the Wood Release cells within you?"
"Just accept your fate and die by my hand, old geezer."
"I'll bring your corpse back to Konoha and hand it over to the old man, Sarutobi."
Kazuyama Gekkō gathered a mass of crystals in both hands and advanced toward Danzō. Despite the successive blows, Danzō refused to surrender. Without his Sharingan, he still possessed other combat methods. Yet the moment he attempted to move, he discovered his feet had already crystallized.
"Damn it!"
"Wood Release..."
The instant he uttered the technique's name, Kazuyama Gekkō had already closed the distance. That massive hand, crystallized in its grasp, touched him first.