Danzo Shimura, covered in blood and humiliation, couldn't even feel the pain shooting through his body anymore.
All he could do was stare, wide-eyed, at the figure in front of him.
Zeldris.
"What... What kind of monster are you?!"
Danzo's teeth ground together audibly.
No jutsu he knew — no forbidden technique, no secret bloodline limit — explained what he was seeing.
His hands clenched into fists. Is he even human anymore?!
Meanwhile, Zeldris simply smiled. A casual, lazy grin, like a cat toying with a mouse.
"What's the matter, Danzo?" he chuckled.
"Is that all your so-called 'elite ninjas' can do? I've been gone for years, and Konoha's quality control still sucks!"
Danzo's eye twitched violently.
He staggered to his feet, trembling with a mix of fury and disbelief.
The faint purple glow radiating from Zeldris's pupils made Danzo's blood run cold.
One punch.
Just one punch, and he had been smashed into this sorry state.
How could a human possess such overwhelming power?
Zeldris, watching the confusion and fear on Danzo's face, found it almost cute.
He yawned theatrically and said:
"Face it, Danzo. Tonight, your big master plan? It's going straight into the trash."
Hearing this, Danzo gritted his teeth harder, practically chewing on his own rage.
He shot a hateful glare at Zeldris, thoughts racing in his head.
Where the hell is Uchiha Madara?!
The plan was simple: team up, wipe Zeldris out. Easy.
But now?
Not even a shadow of that bastard Madara in sight.
An ugly possibility slithered into Danzo's mind.
That traitor... he didn't just ditch me, did he?!
No... NO! He wouldn't!
Would he?!
The thought made Danzo's stomach twist into knots. His only hope now... was Sarutobi Hiruzen showing up in time.
Desperate, Danzo made his move.
With the speed of a cornered rat, he whipped out a kunai and lunged at Zeldris!
Maybe... just maybe... at this distance—
Zeldris blinked, then actually laughed.
A soft chuckle, like he had just witnessed a toddler trying to headbutt a bear.
"Really, Danzo?" he said.
"You're pulling that move?"
He shook his head in mock pity.
"You're the legend who once scratched Susanoo with a kunai, aren't you?" Zeldris teased.
"Gotta say... Respect. But you actually think that will work on me?"
Danzo's kunai flashed through the air, aiming straight for Zeldris's chest.
Almost there—!
And then—
Crack.
A clear sound, like breaking glass, echoed.
Right before Danzo's eyes, the space itself fractured.
It was as if an invisible wall had materialized between them, freezing his kunai midair.
No matter how hard he pushed, the blade refused to move forward even an inch.
Danzo's heart dropped straight into his stomach.
"W-what the hell?!" he croaked.
Zeldris sighed dramatically, like a teacher explaining something obvious to a particularly slow student.
"Danzo," he said, voice dripping with mockery.
"Did you really think my mission was just to wipe out the Uchiha?"
Danzo's blood froze.
"What... what do you mean?!"
Zeldris chuckled darkly, shaking his head.
"Tsk. Poor old Danzo. All these years, and you still haven't figured it out?"
"Getting played like a fiddle... at your age... kinda tragic, isn't it?"
Danzo blinked in confusion — once, twice — and then it hit him like a Rasengan to the face.
No.
No, no, NO!
Madara...!
That bastard had never intended to help him.
From the very beginning, it had been all about the Sharingan.
He used me... like a pawn!
And now he's probably off somewhere polishing his shiny new eyes!
Danzo's kunai clattered to the ground.
The veins on his forehead bulged in rage, his face twisted in pure hatred.
He roared:
"U-CHI-HA! MA-DA-RA!!"
"YOU BASTARD!! YOU SET ME UP!!!"
Zeldris simply stood there, looking mildly entertained, as if he were watching a particularly bad soap opera.
Honestly, Danzo's meltdown was way more satisfying than he expected.
Mission complete.
Still, Zeldris had bigger things to do. He couldn't babysit Danzo's tantrum all night.
He casually pulled out a small business card from his pocket, flicked it toward Danzo, and said:
"My job here's done. The rest?
Not my problem."
He paused, smirking.
"But hey, if you need help getting revenge... call me sometime. I offer group discounts."
Without waiting for a reply, Zeldris flickered out of existence, vanishing into the night like a ghost.
Danzo was left standing there, trembling, clutching the business card with a face like he'd swallowed a live toad.
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