Utterly horrific.
Black Zetsu's tactics were truly cruel and insane!
This wasn't just about wounding the heart but an attempt to physically and mentally shatter Danzō's will and consciousness.
On one side was his best friend; on the other, his lover.
Forcing his own best friend to defile his lover—what kind of thing was this?
Being betrayed by oneself twice at the same time?!
What kind of hell was this?
Once this happened, the relationship between the three would surely collapse into an irreparable abyss.
Even if all three were killed and later resurrected in a pure state, that might still be acceptable.
But to be humiliated like this, Danzō would be completely broken in the future. He might dream of this scene for the rest of his life, even suffering from certain dysfunctions for life.
This was more terrifying than killing him!
Such a hell was truly despair-inducing.
"Khek khek khek!"
"Chiyo, I'm coming in!"
"Danzō, you can watch closely!"
"Cheap Sarutobi Hiruzen, you can enjoy it thoroughly!"
Black Zetsu, controlling Hiruzen, grinned with vile and lascivious mockery, further breaking down Danzō's psychological defenses.
Of course, his hands didn't stop moving.
In no time, he tore off all of Chiyo's outer clothing and, relying on blood stimulation, forcibly aroused "little Hiruzen."
In that instant, Hiruzen's eyes were filled with pain and struggle. No one understood the horror of this poisonous plot better than him. One mistake could destroy the happiness and future of four people for life. It was too terrifying.
However, Hiruzen, controlled by Black Zetsu, was powerless to resist and could only move forward in utter humiliation.
"Uwu uwu uwu!"
Chiyo whimpered in fear. Her eyes were filled with despair and humiliation.
Despite her extraordinary beauty and leadership of Sunagakure, in this strategic battle between Black Zetsu and Tobirama at this level, she was ultimately reduced to a pawn that could be humiliated at will.
Chiyo cast a final, despairing, and resigned glance at the powerless Danzō beside her.
She deeply blamed Danzō, but not for his powerlessness—rather, for his deception.
If he had told her the whole truth earlier, if she had known how terrifying and cruel the enemy was from the start, perhaps she, perhaps all of Sunagakure, would have chosen a different path, right?
And they wouldn't have ended up as victims in the battle between Black Zetsu and Tobirama to achieve their goals and plans.
Perhaps her brother Ebizō was right—she shouldn't have come to this ninja summit!
Unfortunately, it was too late to say all that now.
Chiyo closed her eyes in despair, losing all hope. If her body weren't completely restrained, she might have taken her own life on the spot.
And this scene, falling into Danzō's eyes, was like the final hammer, completely shattering all his fighting spirit.
"No! Don't!"
"Stop, I agree!"
"I agree to everything!"
Danzō screamed hysterically, agreeing to Black Zetsu's threats without caring about anything else.
He had no choice, truly no choice…
He couldn't just watch Black Zetsu destroy the happiness of four people at once.
Hearing Danzō's pleas and admission of defeat, Black Zetsu immediately halted his actions, showing a satisfied smile as his goal was achieved.
(Just a lowly human, how could you compare to my cunning and cruelty?)
(Even Danzō with his iron will is easily controlled by me.)
"Quick, hand over the Rinnegan!"
Black Zetsu urged impatiently but kept controlling Hiruzen and White Zetsu to hold the exposed Chiyo, ready to strike again at any moment to prevent Danzō from changing his mind or causing trouble.
Since Danzō was a disciple trained by Tobirama, Black Zetsu wouldn't underestimate his cunning.
"Release my hands, return my scroll to me. I need to use Kuchiyose no Jutsu to retrieve the Rinnegan!"
Danzō made a request.
Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't refuse. Everything at the location was under his control. He wasn't worried about Danzō pulling any tricks.
"Fine. But behave honestly. Think carefully about their fates before acting."
Black Zetsu signaled White Zetsu to release him and voluntarily unbound Danzō's hands.
To be precise, only his left hand was freed, as Danzō's right arm had long been missing.
But the White Zetsu's grip still restrained Danzō's legs and body, preventing him from escaping.
Danzō took back his scroll, opened it with one hand, and pulled out the last remaining mechanical prosthetic arm, temporarily attaching it to his right arm.
With this, he temporarily regained the use of both hands and could form seals to perform ninjutsu.
Next, Danzō formed seals and activated Kuchiyose no Jutsu, summoning a young Baku (Dream-Eating Tapir) the size of three people, then signaling it to open its mouth.
From its mouth, he retrieved a glass tube containing the real Rinnegan!
Clearly, Danzō had never hidden the real Rinnegan on his body. The location of the real Rinnegan was known only to him and Tobirama.
Danzō had even asked Tobirama to place mental restrictions on him to prevent Genjutsu probing.
Moreover, even if they killed Danzō, they wouldn't be able to obtain it.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Upon seeing the real Rinnegan, Black Zetsu was overwhelmed with immense excitement:
(I can sense it, this is the scent of the real Rinnegan. There's no mistake!)
(The ultimate eyes I've coveted are finally mine!)
(Mother, I will definitely revive you!)
The ecstatic Black Zetsu immediately released Hiruzen, returning to the headless White Zetsu body, controlling it to lunge obsessively at Danzō and the Rinnegan.
But at that moment, Danzō suddenly shouted loudly.
"Don't move!"
"If any of you move again, I'll crush this Rinnegan right now!"
"That includes the monster in my body."
"Your control speed can't possibly be faster than my hand."
"Dare to bet?"
Danzō tightly gripped the glass tube with his spare mechanical arm, shouting sharply.
His shout, combined with his exaggerated emotional expression, immediately shook Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu abruptly halted and signaled the White Zetsu possessing Danzō not to act rashly.
He had planned this far.
Just one step away from obtaining the Rinnegan, Black Zetsu certainly didn't want to fail at this moment.
After all, Danzō's mental state was indeed very unstable. No one could guarantee he wouldn't take extreme actions, leading to mutual destruction.
Black Zetsu could gamble with anything, but the one thing he didn't dare gamble with was this singular Rinnegan!
"Alright, alright, we won't move."
"As long as you hand over the Rinnegan, I swear I'll release all three of you and won't harm them at all!"
Black Zetsu immediately changed his expression, advising kindly to calm Danzō's emotions.
Hearing this, Danzō was, of course, unmoved. Tobirama had repeatedly warned him about how cunning and vile this damned Black Zetsu was.
Thus, not a single word from him could be trusted. To save Hiruzen and Chiyo, the initiative had to be in his own hands.
And the only bargaining chip he could use was the real Rinnegan in his hand.
"Hand over both of them to me first, and I'll give you the Rinnegan!"
Danzō roared without the slightest compromise.
"Danzō, you're being unreasonable."
"If I hand them over, how can you guarantee you'll give me the Rinnegan?"
Black Zetsu countered coldly.
He wasn't foolish. He wouldn't give Danzō a chance to turn the tables.
"I'm not negotiating with you. We'll die together if we have to!"
"Believe it or not, I'll really destroy this Rinnegan!"
Danzō shouted with bloodshot eyes from rage. His mechanical arm slightly increased its grip, causing faint cracks to appear on the sturdy glass tube, as if it were about to shatter.
This scene sent a shiver of fear through Black Zetsu's heart. He quickly tried to placate him.
"Alright, alright, alright. I can release both of them first."
Black Zetsu agreed to the request, fearing he'd drive Danzō to madness.
The real Rinnegan was in sight. As long as Danzō didn't act crazy, he would surely obtain it.
Compared to the Rinnegan, Hiruzen and Chiyo were just two insignificant bargaining chips.
Besides, he had already ordered White Zetsu to plant Hōshi no Jutsu (Spore Technique) in their bodies. Even if they were released, he could use the technique to recapture them at any time.
"Send both of them to my summon's side!"
Danzō commanded firmly. He realized that this Rinnegan seemed to be Black Zetsu's greatest weakness. As long as he pressed hard, the opponent's attitude would indeed soften.
"Do it!"
Black Zetsu gave the order. Two White Zetsu pushed the struggling and whimpering Hiruzen and Chiyo, bringing them to the side of the young Baku.
Both looked at Danzō again.
Hiruzen's eyes were filled with reproach and reluctance, as if blaming Danzō for compromising, for giving up the Rinnegan. He would rather die in humiliation than betray the village's greater interests!
Chiyo's eyes, however, were filled with shock and concern. She knew she shouldn't feel happy at this moment, but seeing Danzō willing to trade the most precious Rinnegan to protect her, it was impossible for her heart not to be moved.
(Am I more important than the Rinnegan in his eyes? Yes, he cares about me! But behind that happiness, she was more worried about Danzō's fate, because Black Zetsu would never truly let him go after obtaining the Rinnegan.)
Danzō didn't dare meet Hiruzen's or Chiyo's eyes, fearing he'd "break" if he looked too long.
He blew a whistle.
The young Baku immediately understood. It promptly used its trunk to wrap around Hiruzen and Chiyo, swallowing them both into its mouth.
*POFF!*
The Baku exploded into a puff of white smoke and vanished from the spot, taking Hiruzen and Chiyo out of the Hokage's Office.
This was the only way to ensure Black Zetsu and the others couldn't quickly recapture them, guaranteeing their escape from danger.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu was slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected such an escape method, using a summoned beast as a space-time escape technique. It was a bit beyond his calculations. Who taught Danzō this?
"Alright, they're gone. Can you hand over the Rinnegan now?"
Black Zetsu suppressed his surprise and continued pressuring Danzō.
Seeing that his two greatest weaknesses were safe, Danzō felt a bit bolder, and his pressure drastically reduced. He even began thinking about how to use the Rinnegan to fight back against Black Zetsu.
"Release the control over the rest of my body, and I'll hand over the Rinnegan to you!"
Danzō's second condition made Black Zetsu very displeased.
"Tch!"
"A ninja who lies and breaks promises isn't a good ninja."
"It seems you need another lesson."
"Do you think the bargaining chips I have are only those two?"
Danzō was shocked, a bad premonition rising in his heart.
"What do you mean?"
"Bring that person in again!"
Black Zetsu gave the order. The door to the Hokage's Office opened again, and another figure was brought in.
Upon seeing that person, Danzō's entire body jolted. A chill ran through his head. His body and mind rapidly froze.
Because the person brought in was his other friend and brother: Uchiha Kagami!
How could this be?
How could Kagami be defeated and captured by these bastards?
He had fully recovered after the tournament.
Kagami, in peak condition, wasn't someone even Tobirama could easily take down.
How could he be easily defeated by people who only played tricks and deception?
This couldn't be real!
But that familiar chakra aura, that familiar appearance—it was indeed Kagami!
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Of course, this wasn't real. This "Uchiha Kagami" was just another White Zetsu in disguise.
If Black Zetsu could truly defeat Kagami in peak condition, why would he need to hide here and do such dirty deeds?
But even if it was a fake Kagami, as long as it was realistic enough, it was sufficient to shock Danzō momentarily.
Taking advantage of Danzō's stunned moment upon seeing the fake Kagami, the White Zetsu possessing him acted.
It swiftly wrapped around Danzō's mechanical prosthetic arm at top speed, successfully taking control of it, neutralizing Danzō's threat to destroy the Rinnegan.
It even wrapped around Danzō's head and mouth, preventing him from speaking further.
"Khek khek khek!"
"I win!"
"Danzō, you're still too young!"
"Did you really think I'd fall for your little trick?"
"Releasing those two was just to disarm you."
"As for this Uchiha Kagami, of course, he's fake."
"But very realistic, isn't he?"
"We spent a great deal to obtain just a bit of that man's chakra. That chakra is what made you unable to distinguish the real Uchiha Kagami, right?"
"And I only needed that moment of shock from you."
"Danzō, you've lost!"
Black Zetsu boasted proudly. In terms of schemes and deception, no one could match his cunning!
In the end, Danzō was still in the palm of his hand.
"You—!"
Danzō glared fiercely at Black Zetsu. He mustered all his strength but could only utter a single indistinct word. Yet the overwhelming rage in his eyes truly wanted to tear Black Zetsu to pieces!
"I love that look—hating me so much but unable to kill me."
"Just a lowly ninja, did you really think you'd become the ruler of this world?"
"Alright, after taking the Rinnegan, kill this guy."
Black Zetsu didn't dare show off for too long. Tobirama's threat still loomed. The top priority was to seize the Rinnegan and escape from here as quickly as possible.
After receiving the order, White Zetsu controlled Danzō's mechanical prosthetic arm, voluntarily opening its fingers and releasing the glass tube.
The moment those fingers opened, a pre-set trigger device activated!
"Damn it! No—"
Black Zetsu noticed something was wrong, but it was too late.
A blazing, high-energy fireball, blindingly intense, suddenly erupted from Danzō's mechanical arm!
It was an internal self-destruct device made of dozens of explosive tags and a single high-explosive bomb. This was the primary function of this final mechanical arm.
It was a massive destructive weapon meant for mutual suicide when facing an unavoidable enemy!
*BOOM!*
An immense wave of heat and shock exploded violently from within the Hokage's Office, like the maw of a giant bursting through the floor. The shockwave, carrying fragments of wood and stone, spread outward, instantly destroying the entire room and blowing off the building's entire roof.
As a result, the eyes of all of Konoha turned toward the scene.
They saw thick smoke mixed with sparks soaring into the sky, and flames rapidly consumed the iconic building symbolizing the Hokage!