We'll kill him ten times
Seeing his retreat cut off by Xu Fan, Danzō made a swift decision—to fight head-on.
"Die!"
Danzō's eyes gleamed with killing intent. He had originally planned a strategic retreat, leaving Xu Fan and Uchiha Itachi to be dealt with by Root operatives.
But now, his plans had changed.
He didn't just want Xu Fan dead—he also needed to eliminate his 'chess piece', Uchiha Itachi.
Tools that disobey have no value.
Whoosh!
Danzō burst from Xu Fan's massive Fireball Jutsu, ignoring the burning pain that tore across his body. He infused his kunai with Wind Release chakra, forming a razor-sharp blade aimed directly at Xu Fan's throat.
A throat strike—clean and final.
If it had been anyone else, they might have fallen victim to Danzō's deadly technique—more dangerous than mere suicide tactics.
But Xu Fan had activated the Byakugan.
Even with Danzō's fireball as a smokescreen, Xu Fan had seen everything coming.
"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"
Xu Fan erupted in motion, his chakra cloak flaring violently before being spun into a tight vortex.
The fireball dissipated instantly, replaced by a whirling dome of visible chakra—a protective hemisphere surrounding Xu Fan.
Boom!
Danzō's kunai struck the barrier with force, but the wind chakra was shredded instantly, and the weapon snapped in two.
Danzō's eyes widened in disbelief. As a seasoned member of Konoha's elite, he recognized the technique immediately.
"That's the Hyuga clan's secret technique... Kaiten. But only the Main House is supposed to have access!"
Not only had Xu Fan displayed Wood Release earlier—now he was using techniques exclusive to the Hyuga clan's main branch?
Before Danzō could process it, Xu Fan's Kaiten surged outward with explosive force, shattering the remains of the kunai and slamming directly into Danzō's body.
The impact pulverized his internal organs and crushed his bones effortlessly.
"Aaaaagh!"
With a pained scream, Danzō was hurled backward, slamming into the earthen wall behind him and embedding into it with a loud crack.
The scene played out too fast for Root operatives to react.
"Lord Danzō!"
Aburame Tōka, one of the Root shinobi, stared at the sight—Danzō's body half-buried in the wall, broken and mangled.
He knew about Kaiten. It was considered the Hyuga clan's ultimate defense, using high-speed chakra rotation to deflect any attack.
But in Xu Fan's hands, it was a weapon.
The moment he struck Danzō, Xu Fan not only expanded the range of his Kaiten but also amplified the power severalfold.
Tōka could clearly hear Danzō's bones snap, one after another.
"That's… a Byakugan?"
Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan widened slightly as Xu Fan's pale, pupil-less eyes came into view.
"When did he transplant them?"
To the outside world, this assassination was supposed to be a coordinated effort—Xu Fan supporting Itachi with Wood clones.
But to Itachi, it felt more like Xu Fan hunting Danzō solo.
He just happened to be standing nearby.
Given the gap in strength, even if Itachi had done nothing, Danzō would still have been defeated.
"It's over," Itachi murmured. After sustaining so much damage, even Danzō couldn't survive.
"No wonder Xu Fan isn't worried about Root reinforcements. With power like that, he doesn't need to be."
But just as Itachi felt a sense of finality, chakra that had vanished moments ago reappeared—emanating from Danzō.
And worse…
It wasn't fading.
"What…?"
Itachi frowned and looked back at the earth wall.
Danzō's body had vanished.
"Kaiten didn't kill him?"
The bandages and coat that had been incinerated by the fireball were gone, yet Danzō's body bore no burns.
His shattered bones and organs were intact once more.
Xu Fan and Itachi both turned to face the reappeared Danzō.
His right arm was now fully visible—embedded with multiple Sharingan, and above them, the grotesque face of Senju Hashirama grown from his shoulder.
One of the Sharingan was now permanently shut.
Xu Fan narrowed his eyes. He had anticipated this.
The moment Danzō had charged through the flames, he had already activated Izanagi—the Uchiha clan's forbidden technique that warps reality, allowing the user to undo their death for a limited time.
"So that's it..."
Itachi examined him closely. Even witnessing it, it was difficult to believe Danzō had undergone such a twisted transformation.
"Izanagi," Xu Fan said flatly. "You know the technique."
Itachi nodded grimly. "It's forbidden among the Uchiha for good reason…"
"After the war, so many Uchiha perished or vanished mysteriously… I wouldn't be surprised if Danzō harvested their eyes from the dead."
His voice darkened. "He probably got the idea after seeing Kakashi become a hero in the Third Great Ninja War—despite not being an Uchiha."
"And now he's using our clan's most profane secret…"
Itachi's thoughts went to Shisui. His friend had entrusted him with his eye—and his legacy—before Danzō took the other.
"Looks like we'll have to kill him ten times," Itachi said coldly, drawing his blade.
He counted the Sharingan implanted in Danzō's arm and the one in his eye socket.
Ten in total. Ten chances to cheat death.
And ten opportunities to strike him down.
"What matters now," Itachi continued, "is how long each Izanagi activation lasts."
The forbidden jutsu consumes massive chakra, and its duration varies depending on the user's control and stamina.
"If we can calculate the timing, we'll know when he's vulnerable."
"That's the flaw in Izanagi," Itachi said. "We'll need to coordinate—"
"No need," Xu Fan interrupted. "Each activation only lasts one minute."
Itachi: "???"