"Orochimaru's plan to collapse Konoha only succeeded because I took the initiative to reveal the village's defensive layout!"
"As the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, he should have been handed over to Root. Under my guidance, he would have become the perfect weapon!"
"Hiruzen, you were too weak. Had I been Hokage, none of this would have happened!"
After delivering his self-righteous speech, Shimura Danzo turned his gaze toward Naruto.
"Uzumaki Naruto, I should thank you. You've given me an opportunity I never expected."
A grin formed on his face. The advantage is mine. Uzumaki Naruto, you will regret this!
"Someone, seize them!"
Whoosh—
In an instant, Root operatives and hidden ANBU leapt into view, surrounding the battlefield.
"Root, ANBU, and all Konoha shinobi, listen up!"
"I order you to subdue the rogue ninja Uzumaki Naruto, as well as the Yondaime Hokage, his wife, and all their allies!"
Danzo's command sent shockwaves through the gathered shinobi. But…
Wait a second.
Only one of Danzo's eyes was visible, and yet he still hadn't realized the situation.
Does he really think we have the advantage in numbers?
Even if they did, they certainly didn't have the upper hand in strength.
Danzo's eyes darted across the battlefield. While his loyal Root shinobi obeyed, most of the Konoha forces remained still.
His expression darkened.
"Anyone who disobeys will be labeled a traitor!" he barked.
Even so, most of the shinobi ignored him.
"Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, Yamanaka Inoichi!" Danzo's voice grew sharp. "What are you waiting for?!"
They simply stared at him as if he had lost his mind.
Then, after a long silence, Senju Hashirama finally spoke.
"Danzo… Were you the mastermind behind the Uchiha clan's destruction?"
Danzo sneered. "And what if I was?"
His one visible Sharingan glinted. "Shodai-sama, you are long dead. The world of the living is no longer your concern."
"The Uchiha deserved to be wiped out!"
Danzo's gaze flickered to Tobirama. "Didn't you always say they were born evil, Nidaime-sama?"
Senju Tobirama's eyes widened in fury, but he was too enraged to speak.
"I gave the order for Uchiha Itachi to annihilate his clan," Danzo continued with a smirk. "What I didn't expect was for Uchiha Madara to intervene!"
His tone grew bitter. "That bastard took every last Sharingan before vanishing!"
Just as Hashirama and Tobirama were about to demand an explanation, an enraged voice roared from the crowd.
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU OLD BASTARD!"
Sasuke Uchiha, his newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan spinning, burst forward.
A purple aura flared to life around him, skeletal arms forming as Susanoo's first stage manifested.
Within moments, a ribcage materialized, encasing Sasuke's body in an ethereal violet armor.
He clutched his eye. "Amaterasu!"
Whoosh—
Danzo dodged in an instant, closing the distance to Sasuke. With a swift motion, he thrust a kunai at Susanoo's protective shell.
Bite—!!!
A split-second later, the kunai snapped against Susanoo's impenetrable defense.
Ah, yes. The infamous moment in ninja history.
Did Danzo think his kunai was made of vibranium or something?
If so, he was about to be very disappointed.
Sasuke simply stared. "…"
"Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!" (Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!)
Boom! Boom!
Danzo barely had time to react before he was engulfed in flames.
"Amaterasu!"
Black and red flames erupted in unison.
Bang!
The next instant, Sasuke's Susanoo struck Danzo with a devastating punch.
Boom!
Danzo slammed into the ground, his body embedding itself deep into the earth. One of the Sharingan on his arm snapped shut.
Two down… I can't afford to be careless.
"Damn it! A mere Uchiha… How does he have the same techniques as Shisui?!"
Even as panic crept into his mind, Danzo refused to show weakness.
He slowly stood up, brushing dust from his robes.
"Tobirama-sensei, my philosophy not only follows your teachings—it surpasses them."
"The Will of Fire and the Will of Root must coexist. Without us, Konoha would never have known true peace!"
His voice grew harsher. "Koharu! Homura! How long do you plan to stand idle?!"
Danzo's sharp gaze cut toward his old comrades.
"The First and Second Hokage are being controlled by Edo Tensei! You should be giving orders right now!"
"Capture these rogue ninja immediately!"
The Hokage's eyes widened in shock... He suddenly realized just how bold his old friend truly was.
Who gave you the courage?
"When the Uchiha experience intense pain, their pituitary gland secretes a special chakra. This is the key to awakening the Sharingan. The same principle applies to the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"This child... at such a young age, you've pushed him far enough to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"You have indeed surpassed me."
Sasuke wanted to give chase, but suddenly, he clutched his eyes and let out a sharp scream.
The burden of the Mangekyō Sharingan was far too great for him to handle at this stage.
His Susanoo dissipated instantly.
"Damn it!"
"Alright, Sasuke. Stand down," came Naruto's voice in his mind.
Reluctantly, Sasuke deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan and glared daggers at Danzo.
Meanwhile, Danzo finally noticed something was amiss.
Where were Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura?
"Are you looking for them?"
At that moment, Kakashi and Might Guy entered the battlefield.
Kakashi casually tossed Jiraiya aside. "You'll have a better view from here."
Then, with Might Guy's help, he pushed Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu forward.
As for the Four Purple Flame Formation, after Naruto sliced through it, the Sound Four dispelled it at Orochimaru's signal.
"Tobirama-sensei..."
Utatane Koharu lowered her head and murmured softly.
"Koharu, Homura... You too?!"
Senju Tobirama took a step back, his suspicions confirmed.
"Tobirama-sensei, there's no need for more words. We have devoted our entire lives to Konoha. We will not let a mere Nine-Tails Jinchūriki destroy everything."
"Even if we die, we won't allow the Jinchūriki to succeed."
"If we fail, and these traitors win, we will seek atonement in the Pure Land."
Compared to Koharu, Homura spoke with far more confidence.
Tobirama felt a surge of frustration, especially when he caught the questioning gaze of his elder brother. The weight of shame bore down on him.
Orochimaru chuckled, ready to interject, but before he could, Tobirama struck him, sending him flying.
Kushina wasted no time, swiftly restraining Orochimaru once more.
"Konoha shinobi, hear my command!"
"Subdue these traitors at once!"
Danzo's fate had already been sealed. Nothing could change that.
Not all the shinobi below were fools.
By now, many had begun piecing things together.
"Hah! What nerve!"
"Who gave you the audacity to speak such words?"
"Your great Sandaime Hokage?"
"Hahahaha!"
"Konoha shinobi, heed my command!"
Tsunade stepped forward, her voice booming.
"Yes!"
The synchronized response was deafening, shaking the very foundation of the building.
"As the Fifth Hokage, I order you—"
"Arrest everyone standing against us!"
"After the trials of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, we will see to their judgment together!"
"Yes!"
Boom—
In an instant, the shinobi sprang into action.
The villagers and rogue ninja selected by Danzo hesitated, but resisting meant certain death.
Still, they had one weapon left—words.
"You can't do this!"
"The Fifth Hokage? The Third Hokage hasn't even officially stepped down!"
"Damn fox demon!"
Oink, oink—
Just then, the long-marginalized villagers from Konoha's outskirts arrived, baskets in hand.
Rotten eggs and stones filled them to the brim.
Years of oppression had forced them to either submit or be exiled from the village.
Some who resisted had vanished—kidnapped by rogue ninja, never to be seen again.
"You bastards finally got what you deserved!"
"Hurry up and let your Hokage save you!"
"..."
No one intervened.
Tsunade waved her hand, and the surrounding shinobi immediately stepped back, but they made sure to block any possible escape routes.
"Smash it!" she commanded.
At some point, Tenten had arrived, bringing Sakura, Ino, and Hinata with her.
Among the crowd, they picked up handfuls of rotten eggs and small stones, hurling them at the disgraced villagers and shinobi.
The stench of rotten eggs quickly mixed with the scent of blood, creating an overwhelming, nauseating aroma.
"You still dare to hide?!"
"Naruto-kun never dodged when he was a kid!"
"How dare you cry?"
"Naruto never cried as a child!"
"Cursing again, are you?"
Pfft—
A rotten egg splattered directly into a man's mouth. "That should help match the filth coming out of it!"
The scene descended into utter chaos.
But before it could spiral out of control, Kushina and several other kunoichi, including Yūhi Kurenai, descended into the fray.
With a swift movement, Kushina's Adamantine Chains extended, blocking any remaining paths of escape.
Even the Root and Anbu operatives who had stood behind Danzo moments before found themselves bound and thrown to the ground.
A taste of their own medicine!
"Evil villagers!"
"The twisted Will of Fire!"
"A bunch of ungrateful dogs!"
"..."
The tables had turned!