The clone was placed next to Danzō.
"If reincarnation fails, proceed with the plan..." Danzō slowly opened his eyes, speaking calmly.
"Sir…" A trace of confusion laced the voice.
All preparations had been completed.
With swift hand seals, Danzō's soul began to radiate outward, connecting with the nearby clone.
It was hard to say how much time passed. Danzō found himself in a vast, dark space. He could see his own hand as he reached out.
With a mere thought, his skin tightened, and his entire body reverted to a younger state.
Is this my soul form?
The surrounding space began to change. Starting from Danzō, soft hues of pale blue and pink spread outward.
A single pinpoint of light emerged from the darkness, growing and swallowing the void bit by bit—like ink spreading in all directions.
With each space filled, a sense of comfort spread through Danzō's soul, as if finding his true home.
"So, my soul is occupying the clone's consciousness?"
Since the clone had no soul or consciousness, it must have been a hollow, dark void before.
Excitement filled Danzō at the novelty of his first reincarnation.
As his soul's colors took over more of the consciousness, the space brightened. He felt more at ease with each passing moment.
"It's… surprisingly beautiful. I knew I was an upright person—not like Orochimaru's soul space, filled with grotesque lumps of flesh…"
Once I completely saturate this space, this body will be fully mine.
Now, all that's left is to wait.
Time became meaningless. It could have been an instant—or an eternity.
Just as Danzō was about to paint the final patch of sky, a surge of unknown energy sent a shiver down his spine.
From the unpainted section above, a massive eye emerged, staring down at Danzō's soul with unwavering intensity—like a house cat watching its prey.
The eye, enormous and rippling with concentric circles, seemed embedded in the sky itself, halting Danzō's progress.
"The dead… should not remain in the Shinobi World…"
A deep voice echoed from the depths of Danzō's soul, followed by a tremendous pull.
Danzō felt himself being forcibly dragged out of the consciousness space.
His soul froze, caught in a suffocating grip.
The higher his soul ascended, the larger the giant eye loomed before him.
Amid the chaos, a small part of his rational mind remained clear: If my soul leaves this space, the reincarnation jutsu will fail. I might end up in the Pure Land—or worse, lost forever.
"To hell with you, Sage of Six Paths… I want my youth back!"
"Dōjutsu: Tenshin!"
A violent surge of soul energy crashed against the eye of the Rinnegan.
The massive eye fractured like glass, cracks spreading until it shattered with a loud snap.
With the obstruction gone, Danzō's soul quickly sealed the final gap in the consciousness space.
Only once the last puzzle piece fell into place did the ominous feeling in Danzō's soul dissipate.
...
Meanwhile, in an unknown space, the Sage of Six Paths opened his eyes.
"A soul escaped? Someone in the Shinobi World broke through my restrictions…"
The Sage's eyes closed again, and all fell silent once more.
...
The capital of the Land of Lightning bustled with life. Among the great nations, it was second in prosperity only to the Land of Fire.
As night fell, five uninvited guests stealthily infiltrated the daimyo's palace.
"Who's there? Intruders!" A loud shout shattered the stillness of the night.
"We've been discovered. Move!"
"Lightning Style: Falling Thunder Jutsu!"
"Lightning Style: Ground Surge!"
"Lightning Style: Falling Thunder Jutsu!"
Multiple bolts of lightning illuminated the sky, striking the palace where the daimyo resided.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Intruders!" Chaos erupted across the palace.
Guards began converging from all directions.
"Prepare to break through!" one of the attackers ordered, lightning sparking across their body as they charged toward the surrounding soldiers and shinobi.
By dawn, the daimyo's palace lay in ruins, smoke rising from the aftermath of the fierce battle.
"Damn that Raikage! How dare he?" The daimyo was still reeling from the terror of the previous night.
"Though they used Lightning Style, it may not have been Kumogakure…" The chief minister tried to offer counsel.
He was swiftly cut off.
"Even if it wasn't Kumogakure, they're responsible for guarding the Land of Lightning! All those funds we give them every year—wasted! Cut off Kumogakure's financial support and seal their trade routes!"
Though the daimyo had survived the night unscathed, the fear remained all too real.
"But, my lord—"
"No more talking. Do as I say!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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