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Killing Orochimaru didn't mean Danzo would die.
Even though Danzo had taken a direct hit from "Shinra Tensei" at close range, he still had more than one "Sharingan"—meaning he could use "Izanagi" again.
Thus, Danzo was far from dead.
But immortal or not, where was the man himself?
Obito scanned the surroundings but found no trace of Danzo. Frustration surged within him as he shot a glance at Pain.
"Bansho Ten'in" was indeed powerful, but it had a flaw: in complex terrain, it could easily cause chaos, giving those blasted away a chance to escape.
This had happened once before in Kirigakure, but back then, the Third Mizukage's interference and the fact that the missing ninja wasn't a big deal had led Obito to let it slide.
Danzo, though, was different.
He was far more dangerous.
If he escaped alive and spilled "Akatsuki's" secrets to other ninja villages, it would all be over. Jiraiya might have gotten away too, but the intel he'd gathered paled in comparison to what an "Akatsuki" member like Danzo might know.
Obito leaped to a higher vantage point, his eyes sweeping the area until he spotted a black dot sprinting desperately down the street, already three or four hundred meters away.
Just as Obito moved to pursue, he saw Sasori and Kisame already giving chase, so he held back.
Itachi's presence meant he had to maintain his mystique.
Much of what he did was under the guise of "Uchiha Madara," including his dealings with Nagato and Konan.
If they started doubting him, it would stir up unnecessary suspicion.
He wasn't willing to take that risk.
...
The moment Midorima saw Pain unleash "Shinra Tensei," he instinctively pressed Itachi down beneath him, just as a massive shockwave hit.
Buildings collapsed, walls and steel pipes tumbling down, pinning the two under debris.
Midorima felt like the sky itself had fallen, his world turning upside down.
When it was over, he shoved aside the steel crushing him and looked toward the battlefield—just in time to witness Obito killing Orochimaru.
He'd never imagined Orochimaru could die; as long as the "Heaven Seal" existed, Orochimaru could revive. That made Danzo's whereabouts all the more critical.
Scanning around, he spotted Danzo about thirty or forty meters away. Ignoring the slightly dazed Itachi, Midorima bolted after him.
Fighting Danzo meant being wary of his right arm.
Whether it was the First's cells or the "Sharingan," neither was easy to handle.
Danzo was fast, but he couldn't outrun Midorima. In moments, the gap between them shrank to just over ten meters.
"You—stay back!" Danzo noticed Midorima, immediately raising his right arm and unleashing "Wood Release: Explosive Spear Technique." His arm sprouted a massive tree, thrusting toward Midorima.
Midorima was pierced through—and vanished instantly.
A clone technique!?
Danzo's heart jolted. In his panic, he hadn't noticed, and then a voice came from behind: "Sorry, but I'm taking that arm."
Danzo's nerves tensed. His peripheral vision caught a figure behind him, and without thinking, he instinctively activated "Wood Release: Root Burial Explosion."
His right arm spawned a gigantic tree, instantly enveloping him.
This was a powerful "Wood Release" technique, using trees to engulf and deal fatal damage to its target.
Since the technique stemmed from his arm's Wood Release, he'd inevitably be caught in it himself—and could even die under the "Root Burial Explosion."
But with "Izanagi" in play, this flaw became an advantage. Anyone trying to kill him would need to get close, making it harder for them to dodge.
In other words, he used himself as bait to hook a "big fish," then escaped with "Izanagi."
"Four eyes left... I can use 'Izanagi' four more times." Danzo calculated, growing increasingly pessimistic about the situation.
With Orochimaru dead, escaping "Akatsuki's" grasp would be incredibly tough.
If only he knew the "Flying Thunder God Technique"...
It seemed he'd have to burn through all his Sharingan to have even a sliver of a chance at escape.
Danzo gritted his teeth, using "Izanagi" to turn the damage into a dream, but he didn't dare pause, sprinting forward desperately.
Just then, a storm of black iron sand enveloped him.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!" Sasori smirked, his eyes glinting with killing intent as he watched Danzo scramble.
"Damn it! Are you ever done!?" Danzo felt the pressure mounting.
He couldn't just use "Izanagi" to dodge every random ninjutsu thrown at him—otherwise, no number of Sharingan would be enough.
Plus, "Izanagi" burned through chakra like crazy.
Danzo had to settle for the next best thing.
"Wood Release: Explosive Spear Technique!"
The spear technique was both offensive and defensive—it could attack enemies while the generated trees shielded him from incoming strikes.
As Danzo prepared to use it again to fend off the Kazekage puppet's assault, he suddenly felt his arm go numb—out of his control.
Or rather, someone had severed it.
Danzo spun around in shock, only to see "Yoshida Shin" behind him. "You!? Weren't you dead?"
"That technique was too slow to catch me." Midorima grinned.
Who doesn't have a couple of trump cards!?
Blood gushed from the wound at Danzo's shoulder as he collapsed to his knees, sweating profusely.
"Izanagi" could only revert the user to the state when the technique was activated. If Danzo hadn't triggered it before getting injured, using it afterward wouldn't undo the damage.
And at that moment, countless iron sand grains shot toward both Danzo and Midorima.
"Don't kill him!" Itachi shouted in alarm.
With Orochimaru dead, Danzo was the only one left who might know Sasuke's location.
If he died, the trail to Sasuke would go cold.
Midorima caught on to this too.
He wanted to know where Karin was being held, so his interests aligned with Itachi's.
Seeing the iron sand storm closing in, Midorima didn't hesitate, throwing up an "Earth Flow Wall" to shield himself and Danzo.
"You can't die yet!" Midorima said.
"Can't die? That's not up to you!"
Danzo tore open his clothes, revealing the "Reverse Four Symbols Seal" etched on his body. Blood poured out, tracing the seal's pattern, rapidly swelling into a sphere.
"If I can't escape, then we all die together!"
'Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique!' Midorima's eyes widened in shock. Without a second thought, he bolted away as fast as he could.
*****
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