Chapter 253 – Did You Really Think I'd Let You Live?
Danzō, his face dark and twisted, ran under the protection of his Root operatives, heading straight towards his hidden base.
Inside, his heart seethed with rage and humiliation. Betrayal. He had been betrayed—by those he trusted most.
Yes, his actions were the darkest of Konoha's shadows, deeds that could never withstand the light. But in his own eyes, he had always been the indispensable one. Without him, who knew what state the village would be in today? Every cruel order, every secret execution, every experiment—he had convinced himself it was for Konoha's sake.
He was the shadow to the Hokage's light. He did the things the Hokage could not be seen doing. He understood the position of Hokage better than anyone. He had dreamed of that seat all his life.
But now… his dreams lay in ruins.
In Ame, his Root had been crippled. That alone had forced him to give up, however reluctantly, on pursuing the hat for himself. Instead, he had backed Orochimaru—his design for a Fourth Hokage.
It was Danzō who leaked the truth about Orochimaru's human experiments. He had calculated the risk well. Orochimaru was Hiruzen's prized disciple, a candidate for Hokage, the likeliest to succeed. With those shields, Orochimaru would never truly be punished. Even if ANBU discovered his crimes, the ones to suffer would be the subordinates—not Orochimaru himself.
Because the research had originated from him, sanctioned through Hiruzen's silent approval.
But then the first knife in his back came from the last man he expected—Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
His friend. His comrade. His rival.
Hiruzen had refused to acknowledge Orochimaru as Hokage, shattering Danzō's carefully laid plans. With Orochimaru's promise, he would have been made Head of ANBU, merging its power with Root. From there, it would only have been a matter of time before the title of Hokage was his.
But Hiruzen's decision had destroyed everything.
The second betrayal had come from Orochimaru himself. The snake who had taken Hashirama's cells from his hand. The one Danzō thought he controlled.
Orochimaru had left "gifts" that damned him, that turned Minato's wrath squarely upon him.
"Damn it… Damn them all…" Danzō's face contorted with hatred. "If blame must fall, then blame me for not being Hokage. If I were Hokage, none of this would matter. A Hokage cannot be stained. Even if he sins, someone else takes the fall. And I—his shadow—make the perfect scapegoat."
One of his Root shinobi broke his thoughts. "Danzō-sama, what are your orders?"
"We return to the Foundation," Danzō said coldly after a pause. "Beneath it lies an unfinished passage out of the village. Crude, but usable. And…" His eyes narrowed. Hiruzen had better be preparing something, too. If not…
"Signal all operatives. Ready everyone for battle. Burn what cannot be carried. Nothing must remain."
But then, his words cut short. His instincts screamed. He twisted aside—just as a kunai whistled past his cheek.
Above, a signal flare burst in the sky, bathing the night in cold white.
Danzō stopped. His half-lidded eyes lifted toward the glare. He knew that flare—it was the Police Division's call.
And soon enough, he saw him.
That boy.
That cursed Uchiha.
This was only their second true meeting, but Danzō's hatred was already bottomless. Twice now, Kei had interfered with his plans, twice survived where he should have perished. Kei had pried open Orochimaru's secrets, exposed his laboratories, and even cost him Ryoma Aburame, one of his most talented men.
Every misfortune of late… stemmed from him.
"Uchiha Kei…" Danzō spat, his lips curling into a cruel sneer. "Just the three of you? Bold. Foolish. But bold."
His voice cut through the night: "Kill them all. No survivors."
Then, as if Kei was beneath his notice, he turned his back and continued forward.
Kei blinked. Not even pretending?
But then he smirked. Of course. He's running for his life. Why waste time on banter?
"Well," Kei whispered, his eyes gleaming, "if you insist…"
Black chakra poured from his body, inky and cold as spilled tar, wrapping him in its suffocating aura. Root operatives faltered, instinctively recoiling as the giant silhouette took shape.
And then—Kei's Mangekyō spun, bleeding light.
The chakra mass solidified, rising higher, broader, until a towering figure stood clad in shadowy armor, its crimson eyes burning through a tengu mask.
Susanoo.
Danzō froze, his blood running cold.
"Impossible…" he rasped, turning in horror. "Susanoo? Here? From you? No… no! It cannot be!"
"There is nothing impossible, Danzō," Kei's voice came calm, almost gentle. Blood-tears streaked from the corners of his eyes, but he never flinched.
His Susanoo's hand reached back, grasping the hilt of its massive blade.
"Now…" Kei's voice dropped to a whisper. "Die."
The obsidian giant drew its sword.
And with a single stroke, the world split apart.
The earth itself carved open, leaving a vast gash in the land. Trees, stone, and Root operatives were shredded in an instant, as if time itself had faltered before the swing.
When silence fell, only corpses remained.
Kenta Imai and Ayaka Hyūga had fled back as far as they could, yet even there, the shockwave rattled their bones. They stared, pale and breathless, at the devastation.
Just one strike. One strike had ended it.
Kei stood unmoving in the center, black giant looming behind him, crimson eyes glowing.
Kenta swallowed hard, his back soaked in cold sweat. This… this is power beyond reason. How did Tobirama ever kill one of these?
Ayaka, in contrast, trembled with exhilaration. The Hyūga had always been caged birds. But if the Uchiha could unlock this—if Kei could walk this far—then perhaps her clan, too, might reclaim what was lost.
But Kei himself… sighed. His Susanoo dissolved into darkness, leaving only the boy, wiping blood from his eyes.
"Too much drain," he muttered. "Recovery's still too slow."
He glanced once at Danzō's mangled corpse and shook his head. Dead under my full strength, and you still don't look satisfied. You should be grateful, old man. You died to the very power you craved.
Behind him, his teammates approached cautiously.
"So this… this is the Mangekyō," Kenta whispered, voice hoarse.
"Power has its price," Kei answered softly. "Surely your clan's records mentioned that."
Ayaka's gaze lingered on the fading traces of chakra. If this is what eyes can become… then one day, so can mine.
But Kei only rubbed his temple, exhaustion settling in.
"Gather the remains," he ordered. "What can be pieced together, piece it. What can't—bring their heads. The Police Division can clean up the rest."
Kenta exhaled, forcing a wry smile. "Looks like we don't need to lift a finger. The others are already on their way."
Ayaka opened her Byakugan, confirming with a nod. "True enough. I suppose that spares us the grunt work. Still…" She glanced at Kei. "That display just now… even I felt unsettled."
Kei said nothing. He only lowered his eyes, hiding the faint, bitter curve of his lips.
Kei had never been particularly gifted in perception. At best, he could sense chakra in close proximity. Beyond that, his talents lay elsewhere.
If he ever wanted true sensory prowess, there was only one path—Senjutsu.
But where was he supposed to learn it? The toads at Mount Myōboku? He couldn't imagine forging any connection with them. The Slug of Shikkotsu Forest? He doubted it would ever acknowledge him.
That left the snakes of Ryūchi Cave. Their temperament suited him well enough, but the thought of those scaled, inhuman forms made him shake his head in distaste.
If all else failed, he had other options. Once he had fully integrated the White Zetsu cells, once his body had stabilized under the evolution of the Eternal Mangekyō… then, perhaps, he could simply take the power of someone already possessing Sage chakra.
Madara had already paved that road. And Kei, with foreknowledge of the future, would be a fool not to follow it.
His mind drifted. Jiraiya. Minato. And one day, Uzumaki Naruto. Three masters of Senjutsu, each formidable in his own way. But they were not easy targets. Fighting them outright would mean burning bridges that should never be burned.
No, if he ever wanted their strength, persuasion—or manipulation—would serve him better. But that was a matter for the future.
For now, there was a much larger beast to consider. The Nine-Tails.
"Captain." The voices of Uchiha Kawa and Uchiha Ryu pulled him from his thoughts. They approached quickly, awaiting his command.
"You've both seen the battlefield before," Kei said evenly. His gaze swept across the carnage. "Handle it the usual way. Preserve what can be preserved. What can't…"
"We understand." They responded at once, crisp and obedient.
Kei gave a curt nod. His eyes lingered on the broken corpses scattered across the ground. On Danzō in particular—eyes frozen wide, unyielding even in death.
A thin, disdainful smile curved Kei's lips.
"Danzō Shimura… did you really think I'd let you live for decades more?"
"Letting Kitsuchi and Terumī Mei slip away—that was circumstance. But you?" His smile sharpened, almost cruel. "You were never going to be spared."