Danzo had tracked down Jiraiya's location by ruthlessly overexerting the only Sharingan in his right arm, temporarily granting him heightened sensory perception. This ability, however, lasted for only a few precious seconds before fading completely.
Meanwhile, thick roots erupted from Danzo's right arm, extending outward at an alarming rate. Powerful chakra surged through the roots, growing more intense by the second.
"Let's use Goemon," Jiraiya said grimly as he saw Danzo charging straight at them.
The sight of Danzo's wildly sprouting roots made Jiraiya realize his intent—Danzo was attempting a suicidal Spontaneous Tree Summoning, a technique meant to ensure mutual destruction. This jutsu was Danzo's most devastating offensive move. Once ensnared, escaping was nearly impossible. Without a strong defense, death was almost guaranteed.
However, due to its destructive power, even Danzo couldn't control it fully. Anyone caught in the attack would be consumed by the roots, including Danzo himself. Yet, Danzo could rely on Izanagi to rewrite reality, avoiding his own death.
Jiraiya had no intention of facing that jutsu's full force. Although it wasn't clear what jutsu Danzo had used to locate them, Jiraiya and his allies were confident they could eliminate Danzo before he got close enough to carry out his plan. Danzo would never get the chance to entangle them.
Fukasaku and Shima nodded in unison.
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
The three shouted as one. Toad oil, blazing fire, and fierce winds erupted simultaneously, merging into a colossal inferno. The sky darkened as towering flames surged forward, turning the ground beneath them to cracked earth and staining the heavens a fiery red.
Danzo, who had been charging recklessly forward, was swallowed whole by the raging firestorm.
When the flames finally subsided, there was nothing left—Danzo had been reduced to ash.
However, a moment later, a terrifying surge of ocular power rippled through the air. Danzo reappeared, unharmed, in front of Jiraiya's group.
Izanagi could rewrite reality as long as it was activated before death. No matter how severe the damage, Danzo could revive himself.
This time, all three Sharingan in Danzo's right arm had turned dull and lifeless, their power completely drained. Only the Sharingan in his right eye remained, leaving Danzo with just one more chance to use Izanagi.
"Jiraiya, let's end this here. We can pretend none of this ever happened," Danzo said. "If we return to the village, I'll ensure you become the next Hokage. Kill me now, and you'll destroy your political future. As a senior figure of Konoha and a close friend of your teacher, if news of this leaks, you'll be finished."
Danzo's bravado had vanished. The overwhelming power of Goemon had shattered his confidence, and with only one Sharingan left, he had no choice but to surrender.
But Jiraiya wasn't buying it.
"You think I need your help to become Hokage? You've overestimated yourself." Jiraiya's scornful laugh echoed in the air.
Danzo's plea for mercy was laughable, given how far things had escalated.
"Jiraiya, are you really ready for a fight to the death with me?" Danzo's voice was filled with desperation. "Do you really think you've won? I still have secret techniques I haven't used yet…"
"Then try me," Jiraiya interrupted coldly.
Danzo's bluff didn't fool him. If Danzo had any powerful moves left, he would have used them by now. In the original timeline, Danzo's most potent sealing jutsu was the Reverse Four Symbols Seal, which required sacrificing his own life to activate. The jutsu's effects couldn't be undone, even with Izanagi.
However, Jiraiya wasn't worried. Even if Danzo had mastered that sealing technique, Jiraiya could avoid it.
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"
Jiraiya gave Danzo no time to recover. Infused with Senjutsu chakra, his hair transformed into countless needle-like projectiles that shot toward Danzo like a storm. Shima added a Wind Release jutsu to amplify the attack, accelerating the senbon's speed and expanding their range.
Danzo's vision was obscured by dust and wind, leaving him unable to defend himself. Blood sprayed from his body as the needles pierced through him. Fukasaku followed up with a lightning-fast tongue lash, shattering Danzo's skull.
Danzo's last Sharingan spun wildly as Izanagi activated one final time, undoing his death.
"Jiraiya, are you really prepared to die alongside me?" Danzo roared, fear seeping into his voice. With his last Sharingan consumed, he had no more lifelines. One more death would be permanent.
Danzo's regret was palpable. He never should have come after Jiraiya in person. Yet regret couldn't change his fate now.
"Danzo, you claimed to bear Konoha's darkness, but you've been consumed by it. You've become a rotting root buried deep underground. It's time for you to be cut away." Jiraiya's voice was cold and resolute.
In the past, Danzo had helped stabilize the village after the Second Hokage's death. But now, he had become a cancer that needed to be excised.
"Konoha will never thrive without someone shouldering the darkness where the sun doesn't shine!" Danzo shouted. "You and Hiruzen are too blind to see it. Under your rule, the village is doomed to decline!"
Danzo's eyes burned with fanaticism as he tore off his cloak, ready to make his final move.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (245 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)