On the other side, Benimaru, relying on his powerful physical strength, impenetrable defence, and masterful swordsmanship, was achieving the same dominance with his own incredible speed. He was slicing through the Anbu Ninjas and any other attackers like they were mere chaff. His sword was covered in intense, vibrant blue flames. Whenever his sword connected with an Anbu or Root Ninja, they were immediately engulfed in those blue flames and incinerated. From time to time, Benimaru unleashed his move, Hell Flare, quickly forming a small but highly concentrated flame ball in his hand, which he then tossed toward the incoming ninjas. When the projectile landed on the ground, it instantly created a large, searing, semi-spherical area of fire that incinerated everyone caught inside it.
All three of them were purely dominating the battlefield. Not to mention Shanks; even with his formidable strength, Hiruzen was clearly not able to damage Shanks in the slightest.
Shanks and Hiruzen finally ceased their dizzying collision, the space between them widening until they stood opposite each other, the tension thick and humming. Shanks slowly surveyed the damage to the area around them. A slight, almost predatory smile touched his lips.
"Well," he began, his voice surprisingly calm against the backdrop of destruction. "After what happened today, Konoha will no longer be able to count the Uzumaki as allies. My first objective, to be precise, for coming to your village, has been successfully completed."
He paused, letting his gaze settle back on the Third Hokage.
"You may be thinking you have other powerful ninja you can utilize against us—the likes of Jiraiya, Orochimaru, or even Danzo. And you definitely can. In that initial fight, yes, you might be able to suppress us for a time. But I assure you, we can escape from this place without any issue. That, too, is a certainty."
A sharper glint entered his eyes. He slightly flexed his sword, feeling the residual lightning chakra. "But if I have to return to Konoha again, I will not come with only three of my clan brothers and sisters. I will come with our full force. Our entire strength." He leaned forward just an inch, his voice dropping to a low, chilling register. "Can your Konoha handle that? Think carefully before you answer."
Shanks then straightened, the lethal edge receding as quickly as it had appeared. He gestured casually around the devastated clearing. "So, how about we dispense with the fighting for now and simply have a normal chit-chat?"
Hearing Shanks's words, despite their harshness, Hiruzen knew the man spoke the truth. Jiraiya would likely be forced to use his full strength just to barely suppress the three Uzumaki siblings—Benimaru, Guy, and Mereoleona—leaving the Third Hokage himself required to deal with Shanks. Hiruzen was left with virtually no options. He had to yield.
With a heavy sigh that carried the weight of his village, Hiruzen raised a hand toward Danzo and commanded in a deep, gravelly voice, "Stop the attacks."
As soon as the Hokage's voice faded, the Anbu ninjas instantly ceased their movements, backing away and vanishing into the periphery. However, the Root ninjas remained, frozen but defiant, their weapons still aimed. This clear lack of immediate obedience was not lost on the Uzumaki siblings—Shanks, Benimaru, Guy, and Mereoleona. They exchanged knowing glances. It confirms what we already knew: Hiruzen doesn't have full, undisputed control over every force inside Konoha. They were well aware that Danzo was the true master of the Root, controlling his agents through the infamous tongue Curse Mark.
Danzo, seeing the resolve drain from the Hokage's face, had no choice but to comply with the public order. A flicker of cold, controlled rage crossed his eyes, but he suppressed it, uttering only one sharp, curt command: "Retreat."
At his word, the Root ninjas, like shadows pulled back by their owner, immediately backed away and disappeared.
The battle had been swift and brutal. In this short skirmish, Guy, Benimaru, and Mereoleona had collectively killed a total of 35 Konoha ninjas, a mix of Anbu and Root elite. This loss was a deep, painful wound for both Hiruzen and Danzo; they had just sacrificed a significant portion of their village's most elite fighting force. The silence that followed was broken only by the crackle of distant embers and the shallow breathing of the survivors.
But then, suddenly, a completely unexpected change occurred. In a blurring flash of speed that defied the eye, Mereoleona, still cloaked in her ferocious Hellfire Incarnate mode, appeared directly in front of Danzo. Before anyone could react—before Hiruzen could even shout—she delivered a devastating punch square to Danzo's face.
The force was monumental. Danzo was sent flying backward, hurtling through the air in a straight line, smashing through walls, tables, and chairs deep inside the surrounding structure. The splintering wood and crumbling plaster echoed violently through the tense silence.
Seeing the blatant defiance, rage immediately flared in Hiruzen's eyes. He slammed his adamantine staff onto the ground, the impact cracking the stone beneath his feet. He glared at Mereoleona. "What are you doing? I said stop!"
Mereoleona turned to him, her form still burning, her usual wide, confident grin fixed on her face. "I do not take orders from you, Hokage," she declared, the flames around her licking the air. "Our Clan Head has not spoken; neither has he told me the battle has ended, nor has he ordered me to stop."
Hiruzen immediately whipped his head toward Shanks, his face contorted in an expression of furious disbelief. "What is this?" he demanded, his voice nearly a roar.
Shanks remained unperturbed, a casual wave of his hand dismissing the threat. "Calm down, Mereoleona," he said, his tone utterly relaxed. "There's no need to get worked up over a rat like that. This rat will surely come out of its hole again someday. When he does, killing him won't be hard at all."
Mereoleona turned her head toward the mountain of debris where Danzo had landed, now most likely buried beneath the ruins of the collapsed walls. He got off easy this time.
"Count yourself lucky, old man," she called out, loud enough to carry through the dust-choked air. "Or else today you would be dead."
With that final, chilling statement, the crimson fire coating her body began to recede. The Hellfire Incarnate mode dropped, the flames pulling back as if being inhaled, returning her to her normal, though still intensely powerful, state.
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