I saw you
Danzo Shimura gritted his teeth. His heart was filled not only with resentment toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, but also a deep, indescribable fury.
However, given the current situation, Danzo had no intention of clashing with both of them directly.
"Secret Technique: Poison Mist Jutsu!"
Root operative Aburame Torune instantly understood the command. He gathered the poisonous nano-sized insects between his palms, then exhaled them in a mist-like cloud.
This was a hidden technique passed down through the Aburame clan—particularly a dangerous variant unique to Torune. It could contaminate a wide area, and any enemy who inhaled the poison would be infected by microscopic insects that corroded their cells from within.
Given how close Xu Fan and Uchiha Itachi were, they could be engulfed by the mist in moments.
Maybe Xu Fan and Itachi were exceptional shinobi—but in the world of ninja, battles were often decided by information and preparation, not raw power.
Many formidable opponents had fallen simply because they underestimated the Aburame clan's capabilities.
Yet Torune couldn't have predicted this—Xu Fan had already anticipated every move.
"Don't breathe."
The moment he saw Torune act, Xu Fan spoke in a low voice to Itachi. At the same time, he cut off his own breathing, sealing off his respiratory tract to prevent any of the poisonous mist from entering.
Itachi reacted instantly, retreating and leaping out of the mist's effective range.
No matter how dangerous a technique was, it always had a weakness.
Once that weakness was exposed—there was nothing to fear.
"Fire Style..."
With his Sharingan, Itachi quickly calculated the spread pattern of the mist. His fingers blurred into rapid hand seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Flames surged forward. A massive fireball erupted from Itachi's mouth, racing across the battlefield and burning away the airborne poison cloud.
Danzo seized the moment, spinning around and dashing toward the exit.
But Xu Fan wasn't about to let him go.
The moment Danzo sprinted toward the gate like a shooting star, Xu Fan formed hand seals and slammed his palms into the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Though a mid-level Earth Release technique, Xu Fan, due to his mastery over all five chakra natures, could replicate jutsu after witnessing it once. Even as a Wood Clone, his chakra reserves dwarfed that of elite jonin—many times greater than Hatake Kakashi's.
RUMBLE!
A deafening tremor echoed. A thick wall of earth surged up from the ground, rising nearly ten meters high and completely blocking Danzo's escape path.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
Danzo countered with one of his specialties—launching a series of compressed wind blades toward the earthen wall.
BOOM!
But both techniques were on par in rank. And Danzo's chakra reserves were no match for Xu Fan's.
The wind blades slashed into the wall with force, carving deep grooves—but not breaching it.
Uchiha Itachi seized the moment. He drew eight shuriken, hurling them at Danzo's hands and feet to restrict his movement.
But he didn't stop there.
As the shuriken spun through the air, Itachi exhaled a breath of chakra.
"Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
The flames wrapped around the shuriken mid-flight.
He used this particular combo because he knew Danzo favored Wind Style. And Fire Style naturally countered it.
If Danzo tried to enhance the air resistance with Wind chakra, it would only feed the flames and strengthen the attack.
Itachi's eyes narrowed. Every subtle movement, every facial expression of Danzo—he read it all through his Sharingan.
"Strike with certainty. No hesitation."
When he and Xu Fan had moved to eliminate Danzo, they knew there would be no second chances. Any delay would give Danzo an opportunity to counterattack.
Xu Fan understood this principle perfectly.
With Danzo's retreat blocked, he began forming seals of his own.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Taking a deep breath, he drew chakra to his throat and unleashed it in a single explosive exhale.
Fueled by overwhelming chakra, the fireball's size instantly expanded—its diameter reaching dozens of meters.
Even Itachi had to retreat to avoid being consumed by the flames.
"This chakra volume..."
Itachi stared, eyes wide. Xu Fan's control and power left him stunned.
The Great Fireball Jutsu was a standard C-rank technique, often the first Fire Style ninjutsu learned by Uchiha clan members. In real combat, it was typically used as a probing move.
But Xu Fan's version? It had become a lethal finisher.
And this was just a Wood Clone. What about the real body?
Itachi could already envision it—dozens of Water Style users working together, just to raise a water wall strong enough to offset this monstrous fireball.
"Lord Danzo!"
Torune shouted in desperation, worry surging through him.
But even from a distance, the heat was suffocating. Torune's secret techniques couldn't pierce the flames—nor could any other Root operative get close.
Unable to charge through the firestorm, several Root ninjas turned their attention to Xu Fan, hoping to interrupt him.
"Leave them to me!"
Itachi shouted to Xu Fan and activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, intending to fend off the incoming attackers.
However, before Itachi could engage, a violent surge of chakra erupted from Xu Fan's body—so intense it disrupted the air around him.
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded outward, blasting the charging Root shinobi off their feet like broken kites.
Xu Fan stood at the center of it all, his body cloaked in a swirling aura of purple chakra—almost like a robe.
Itachi's eyes widened again. It was the first time he had seen chakra take such a form—dense, vibrant, terrifying.
Just then, a silhouette burst out of the inferno.
"Danzo...!"
Itachi focused, and there he was—Danzo, his skin charred, body trembling. A kunai gripped tightly in hand, Wind chakra sharpening it into a blade.
"DIE!!"
Danzo screamed, wild-eyed, charging straight at Xu Fan in a final desperate attack.
Even Itachi gasped.
"He made it through that?! Xu Fan doesn't have time to dodge at this distance!"
"It's working..."
Torune clenched his fists. If Xu Fan fell, Itachi alone wouldn't be enough to stop the rest.
But Xu Fan simply smirked.
Thanks to his activated Byakugan, he had seen everything—every chakra point, every movement.
"Return to the beginning—Eight Trigrams: Revolving Heaven!"