Chapter 197: Facing Danzo, It's Time for You to Die
The Uchiha Clan Land had become an Asura's hell, littered with the dead and wounded members of Root, scattered haphazardly across the ground.
Those dead ninja had their eyes wide open, their faces twisted, with terror and despair frozen upon them as eternal expressions.
Fresh blood gushed from their broken bodies, pooling on the ground into dark red puddles and staining the earth a crimson red.
Severed limbs were scattered everywhere. Some had been cut off by sharp blades, while others looked as if they had been brutally torn apart by immense force.
And at the center of this tragic scene, Uchiha Ren stood tall like a demon god, unyielding.
Opposite him stood Danzo, Fu, and the few remaining members of Root.
Danzo's face was filled with shock and unwillingness. He would have never imagined, not even in death, that Uchiha Ren could have grown to such a terrifying extent.
Previously, Danzo had unleashed his signature techniques one after another. Wind Spirit: Vacuum Serial Waves fired a continuous barrage of wind blades as sharp as knives; Wind Spirit Shuriken, whistling through the air, became sharp hidden weapons of wind; and Wind Spirit: Vacuum Blade compressed the air into a razor-sharp edge. Yet, Uchiha Ren had steadily blocked every single one.
His Summoning Beast, the Baku, had also fled under the scorching heat of the Blazing Wind Wild Waves.
But the new form of his Armored Susanoo was incredibly taxing on Uchiha Ren's body, and he was now nearing his limit.
Ren had to deactivate this powerful ability. He slowly closed the golden Mangekyo eye in his left socket, which emanated a mysterious light, using only the single blood-red, ferocious eye of his new form to stare intently at the few Root members still shielding Danzo.
"Tsk... Hahahahahaha!"
Uchiha Ren grinned, letting out a wild and unrestrained burst of laughter.
The laughter echoed through the deathly silent clan grounds, filled with endless madness and killing intent. It was utterly hair-raising, like the roar of a demon from the depths of hell.
The massive feathered wings on his back beat slowly. Each flap stirred up a powerful gust of air, making his clothes whip and flutter loudly. Like a god of death from the darkness, he advanced on his enemies step by step.
Seeing Uchiha Ren press closer, several Root ninja were terrified. In a panic, they threw their shuriken in an attempt to stop him.
Uchiha Ren just gave a disdainful snort and gently flapped his feathered wings.
The long feathers shot out like crossbow bolts, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow! With a "swoosh," one of them pierced straight through a Root ninja who was a fraction too slow to dodge.
In the crowd, one person reacted quickly. He hastily brought his hands together, formed a series of hand seals, and then slammed his palms on the ground, shouting, "Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
A thick earthen wall instantly rose from the ground, like a solid fortress, successfully blocking the attack from the feathered wings.
However, this also caused them to lose sight of Uchiha Ren.
Just as they were looking around vigilantly, a black shadow appeared like a phantom.
Uchiha Ren's tail, like a black spear, pierced through the chest of a Root member from a vicious angle!
The immense force lifted the ninja's body high into the air, fresh blood dripping continuously down the length of the tail.
Immediately after, Uchiha Ren activated his Conqueror's Haki again. An invisible and powerful aura erupted in an instant.
A Root ninja beside him, unable to dodge in time, was stunned motionless by this haki. His eyes went blank, and he lost all ability to resist.
Uchiha Ren showed no mercy. His tail lashed out again. Accompanied by a miserable shriek, it dealt another fatal piercing wound. The ninja's life was extinguished in an instant, and he collapsed into a pool of blood.
The few remaining Root ninja were now completely shrouded in terror.
Their legs trembled uncontrollably, and their hearts were filled with despair and helplessness.
"We're no match for him at all! If this goes on, we're all going to die!"
One of them screamed for help in his mind, but he knew deep down that no one could save them.
One ninja's gaze wandered, trying to find a chance to escape, but his legs felt as if they were nailed to the ground, unable to move an inch.
Uchiha Ren looked at the trembling group of Root ninja before him, a playful arc forming on his lips. He laughed loudly, "When did I say I had to kill you? I only want to kill Danzo!"
What! What!!
A Root ninja at the very front heard this, and a glimmer of light instantly flashed in his previously despairing eyes. His eyes darted around as he schemed to himself, "If that's the case, then maybe I can escape with my life."
Once this thought appeared, he could no longer hold back. While everyone else was still stunned, he turned and bolted, desperately fleeing into the distance.
However, his wishful thinking was far too naive.
Seeing this, Danzo's expression instantly darkened to the point where it looked like water could drip from it. He would absolutely not tolerate any act of betrayal.
Danzo quickly activated the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal branded on the Root ninja's body!
In that instant, an invisible force coiled around the fleeing ninja like a rope. His body was instantly paralyzed, as if pinned in place by a giant, unseen hand, unable to move a muscle!
Looking at the immobilized ninja, there was not a shred of pity in Danzo's eyes, only endless cruelty.
He drew a shuriken from his waist and threw it with extreme speed.
The shuriken cut a cold glint through the air, carrying a sharp killing intent as it accurately pierced the ninja's throat.
With a "pfft," blood spurted from the ninja's throat like a fountain, splashing onto the ground and forming a shocking pool of blood.
The ninja's eyes were wide with unwillingness and terror. His body slowly collapsed as his life force rapidly faded. It was clear he couldn't be saved.
Witnessing this scene, the last shred of hope in the hearts of the other Root ninja was instantly shattered.
Their bodies began to tremble involuntarily, their eyes filled with despair.
Only then did they realize that under Danzo's control, death was inevitable either way.
Fleeing meant being ruthlessly executed by Danzo; staying to fight meant facing the powerful Uchiha Ren, which was also a dead end.
A profound sense of powerlessness and terror enveloped them, trapping them in a desperate predicament on this bloody battlefield, with no way forward and no way back.
"Oh, Danzo," Uchiha Ren was in no hurry to rush forward and fight him. He continued his psychological attack, "Your subordinates have no desire to die with a guy like you. Why not let them live?"
"A smart one finally awakens, one who wasn't completely brainwashed by you, and you go and kill him."
Uchiha Ren's gaze swept across the faces of the surviving Root members. "I really don't know what kind of potion you've fed them. Could it be the promise of the Will of Fire? If so, that's hilarious! For your own selfish desires, you launched a failed sneak attack on the Hokage, then you set your sights on the Uchiha, using overt and covert schemes to deepen the Uchiha Clan's awkward situation."
"Ultimately achieving your goal of the Uchiha's destruction."
"But you never would have expected a 'Ren' to appear out of nowhere, right? Hahahahaha! To be honest with you, all those eyes you wanted? I ate them all! Let's see how you're going to escape from me now that you can't use Izanagi."
Danzo's expression was savage. It had to be said, Ren's previous physical attacks hadn't done much to him, but these words had truly infuriated him.
After years of maneuvering, he had been waiting for tonight's harvest.
In the end, someone else had beaten him to it!?
Uchiha Ren's smile was brilliant, as if he were talking about something truly worth celebrating.
"Danzo—today is the day you die!"
"Oh, right. Since ancient times, villains die from talking too much."
A smile still hung on Uchiha Ren's face.
"But I'm sorry. No matter how evil I am, when I'm facing you, I am definitely on the side of justice!"
"Now, die!!!"
(end of chapter)