Konoha Village, Ninja Academy.
In a corner of the training field, Tenten was half-squatting, staring at an unusually fat white cat.
"Fat kitty… did you eat everyone's lunch?"
"Meow~ This noble cat would never steal food… hic…"
Tenten sighed helplessly and glanced toward the field, where a boy was running desperately.
"Ohhh!! Ninety-eight more laps! I won't get hungry even without lunch!!!"
"Fat kitty, later we"
Before she finished, a teacher on the field shouted loudly:
"First-year students! You're allowed to go out for lunch today.
If your parents aren't home, come to me, you can receive a lunch subsidy!"
Not far away, hidden in the shadows, Hiruzen and Sakumo were observing Tenten.
"What's special about that little girl? Why is Elder Akio's pet next to her?"
Sakumo hesitated.
"Elder Akio's shop on the marketplace was… bought by her family…"
Hiruzen's mouth twitched. He suddenly remembered that back when they thought Akio had died, they sold his shop to raise wartime funds. Akio probably also forgot about it earlier.
"I feel like my old life is about to end… And Danzō… who knows what Elder Akio will do to him."
Northern Konoha.
Akio was rushing forward using space-time ninjutsu.
"That fat cat is eating more than ever… It ate the entire first-year lunch supply, must've been thirty, forty servings.
Luckily they're kids' lunches, or I wouldn't be able to afford feeding it…"
"But it really followed Tenten to the Academy. Guess they get along well… though Tenten must have headaches."
Thinking of that, he suddenly remembered his own shop.
"I almost forgot my marketplace shop… Whatever, beating up Danzō comes first. I'll deal with Hiruzen's crimes later."
Akio already had a plan for how to handle Danzō.
His actions this time weren't too extreme, and earlier, the Edo Tensei-summoned Tobirama had pleaded for him, so Akio planned to first beat his face swollen, then drag him to Uzushiogakure and let Kushina beat him again.
But depending on the situation:
If Danzō resisted, Akio would cripple him.
And if during Akio's "absence" these two years, Danzō had implanted Sharingan or Hashirama cells into himself… then Akio wouldn't hold back.
At the northern border of the Land of Fire, Akio sensed the Konoha encampment. But Danzō's chakra wasn't there, it was two kilometers east.
"Got the news and hid from me?"
When he arrived, he found Danzō standing calmly beside a tree, already watching the direction Akio came from.
Seeing Akio, he didn't panic.
"Elder Akio, you've come."
Akio frowned. It wasn't surprising that Danzō knew he was alive, Akio hadn't hidden it.
But Danzō's attitude…
He probed Danzō's chakra up close and finally relaxed, there were no strange fluctuations. Meaning Danzō hadn't modified his body.
"You were waiting for me?"
Danzō nodded.
"I know why you're here. I want to talk."
Akio paused.
"How did you know I planned to beat your face in?"
Danzō twitched. After a long moment:
"Your way of thinking truly is… unique."
Akio grinned.
"Then talk fast. I'm on a schedule. After I beat you, I have to carry you to Kushina so she can beat you too."
Danzō: "…"
He silently turned around and began walking toward the Land of Rivers, not fast, not trying to run.
Akio followed.
"What, planning to talk while walking?"
Danzō nodded.
"Elder Akio, I want to know whether you were truly incapacitated, or you deliberately faked your death."
"Uzushiogakure suffered heavy losses. If Kumogakure hadn't inexplicably withdrawn, it would've been worse. So tell me, what was your situation?"
Akio froze for a second. Danzō continued:
"You do not know why Kumogakure retreated?"
Akio shook his head. Danzō explained:
"This generation's Cloud AB duo, B is a perfect Jinchūriki like Lady Mito. He seems to have a connection with your disciple Nagato. Because of that, he refused to attack Uzushiogakure.
Without him, half of Kumogakure's power is gone. The Fourth Raikage had no choice so he turned to attack Konoha."
Akio's face stiffened.
"So that's it… Killer B probably finally found someone who appreciates his rap and thinks Nagato is a soulmate…"
Akio glanced at Danzō.
"See? People of Uzushiogakure make friends everywhere and sometimes it pays off. You always look gloomy. If I beat you up, everyone except Hiruzen would probably applaud."
Danzō: "…"
The two walked deeper into the Land of Rivers. The air grew colder, and Danzō ran out of words.
Akio asked:
"Nothing else to say? Not going to defend yourself about the Naruto situation?"
Danzō shook his head.
"If you truly were gone, Konoha would need a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki completely loyal to the village to stabilize things.
We tried everything to keep Uzumaki Kushina, but in the end, we even lost Minato."
Akio chuckled.
"Even if I were gone, keeping Naruto wouldn't help. You've never seen the sealing formula on him. I placed it myself, he can't use even a drop of the Nine-Tails' chakra."
Danzō stiffened.
"Impossible… No, there must be a way."
Akio narrowed his eyes.
"So you still don't regret it, even now?"
Danzō stood still.
"I don't regret it."
"Alright then. I'm starting. Are you going to fight back?" Akio asked with a playful smile.
Danzō hesitated, then suddenly shrugged off his cloak
And flung it straight at Akio's face.
"Ugh—!"
Akio recoiled in disgust. He didn't dare touch it, and with a small pulse of chakra, the cloak vanished into his personal space.
Using that moment, Danzō retreated rapidly, widening the distance.
Akio frowned.
"You know distance doesn't matter between us, right?"
Danzō formed seals.
"I only need a single moment! Edo Tensei, Reanimation!"
Akio grinned.
"So, you really did learn Tobirama's forbidden jutsu back then."
Even though he could've stopped it, Akio didn't. He watched calmly as a single coffin rose before Danzō.
"Only one? Let me guess which one… I have a feeling this will be interesting."
The coffin slowly opened, revealing a very familiar face.
The revived man opened his eyes and immediately saw Akio. After surveying the surroundings, he squeezed out two words:
"You bastard."
Akio almost burst out laughing.
"Madara, we meet again. Looks like you're ready to witness… fists the size of boulders!"
Madara: "…"
This damned jutsu.
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