"Huff... Huff... Huff…"
As the flames dissipated, Danzo returned to consciousness from his dreamlike illusion.
His chest heaved with ragged breaths, sweat beading across his wrinkled face. His gloomy eyes locked onto Kakashi and Obito, filled with unwillingness and despair. The Sharingan under the bandage on his right eye slowly closed—permanently.
With this, all four of Danzo's Sharingan had been exhausted. Izanagi was no longer an option.
What now? What could he possibly do?
Danzo's mind raced frantically for a solution.
Wind Style?
He had already used every Wind Style technique in his arsenal.
Taijutsu?
He didn't stand a chance against Kakashi's overwhelming physical strength.
The Curse Seal of Mutual Death?
Obito could phase through attacks, and Kakashi was as elusive as a slippery eel. He couldn't even get close enough to touch either of them.
Even if, by some miracle, he made contact—by the time he activated the curse seal, he'd already be dead!
And that Four Symbols Seal hidden deep in his chest? What good would that do against Kakashi, who possessed the Flying Thunder God, or Obito, who could slip through dimensions?
He'd be delusional to think it would work.
The more Danzo thought, the more anxious and desperate he became.
But Kakashi and Obito weren't going to give him any more time to stall.
"Fire Style: Hao Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Fire Style: Explosive Wind Dance!"
The duo once again unleashed their combination fire attack—a massive fire dragon wrapped in a spiraling tornado. The roaring flames surged toward Danzo with destructive force.
"Wood Style: Piercing Spear!"
Knowing he couldn't escape, Danzo finally resorted to his final trump card—the Wood Style granted to him through Hashirama's cells.
From his right arm, an enormous tree erupted into existence, quickly growing to form a barrier. The fire dragon slammed into the wall of wood and was momentarily stopped.
"You… You can use Wood Style?!" Obito exclaimed, stunned. He hadn't known about Danzo's dealings with Orochimaru.
"Hmph." Danzo smirked, proud. "That's right. This is the great power of the First Hokage—the legendary Wood Style that brought peace to the chaos of the Warring States era!"
He raised his voice, trying to instill fear. "Back then, the First Hokage used Wood Style to suppress Uchiha Madara—even with his Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"So don't think your Mangekyō makes you superior. Surrender now! I've always appreciated talented shinobi. If you yield, I'll spare all three of you!"
He thought this bluff would make them hesitate. After all, the legend of Hashirama's Wood Style was awe-inspiring.
But instead of fear, all he received was a deadpan look from Obito, as if he were talking nonsense.
"I don't know how you got Wood Style," Obito said, shaking his head. "But really, if all it takes is a pair of hands to use Wood Style…"
"Wood Style: Hell's Chaos!"
Obito weaved hand signs at lightning speed. Four massive thorny trees sprouted from the ground, twisting upward beside Danzo. Before he could react, the trees coiled around him and stabbed through his body!
"Pffft!"
Danzo coughed up a mouthful of blood, eyes filled with disbelief and fear.
"Y-You can use Wood Style too?!"
"Yeah, why not?" Obito shrugged. "Not only me—Kakashi can use it too."
He grinned and mimicked Kakashi's tone. "And Shisui will probably master it soon, too."
Kakashi, joining in, extended his hand. A small sapling blossomed in his palm.
"See?" he said. "Obito was telling the truth."
Danzo trembled.
This power—this bloodline—he had endured so much pain to acquire, going through terrifying experiments just to achieve it… And now these young men had it like it was nothing?!
"Impossible… This can't be…" he gasped, eyes bulging.
The stress overwhelmed his already deteriorating body. Without the power of Sharingan to suppress the Hashirama cells within him, the cells surged out of control. His right arm began transforming—bark and vines spreading across his flesh.
Panicked, Danzo tried to sever the infected arm. But it was too late. Trapped in Obito's thorny forest, he lacked the strength to break free.
"Oh, by the way," Kakashi said casually. "I forgot to mention... the version of Hashirama cells you received? They were leftovers from Orochimaru's early experiments."
He paused, a cold smirk on his lips.
"Orochimaru has a much more refined version now. I gave him the materials myself. But I didn't let him give any of it to you."
Those were the last words Danzo heard before Hashirama's cells completely devoured his body.
---
Somewhere deep within Kakashi's soul…
Konoha's White Fang… Father…
Thank you for giving me the strength to carry on.
With Danzo's death today, I've avenged you. I will always remember this.
Kakashi's heart swelled with emotion. Suddenly, he felt his soul stir—his mental strength surged, his thoughts becoming clearer than ever before.
Kakashi… is that you?
You're finally acknowledging me?
This perfect synchronization of soul and spirit could only happen when both the original soul and the inheritor willingly embraced each other. That moment had come.
He was Kakashi.
And Kakashi was him.
The two were now one.
Don't worry, he vowed silently. I will protect the people you cared for. I will never let them suffer as we did. Not again.
With that solemn promise, Kakashi turned toward Obito with a peaceful smile.
"Obito, move Danzo's remains into your Kamui space."
Obito blinked. "Huh? He's already dead. Why keep him around?"
He looked disgustedly at the giant tree that had consumed Danzo.
"This isn't a garbage dump, you know…"
"Idiot," Kakashi said seriously. "You can't waste such good wood. Don't you know that wastefulness is shameful?"
"I'm planning to build a public toilet in the busiest part of Konoha's shopping district. This wood will be perfect for flooring."
He continued with mock sincerity. "Danzo always considered himself the protector of Konoha. He believed that only through his strength could peace be maintained."
"So I figured—we'll name the toilet 'Jingguo'. It literally means 'stability.' Perfect, right?"
"After all, Danzo led the Root. Now, let's use him as fertilizer for the people of Konoha."
Obito burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Hahaha! That's genius!"
"The Yasukuni Public Toilet—built using Danzo's remains—will bury not only the dark leader of Root but also all the shadows and filth he represented."
Obito wiped away a tear. "Konoha will finally be reborn!"
Shisui, who had been silently observing from a distance, nodded solemnly. "As expected from Kakashi-senpai… Even naming things is an art form for you."
"Ahem… Alright then," Kakashi said, regaining his composure. "Now that Danzo is dead…"
He clapped his hands together and used the Four Symbols Seal to lock down the chakra of all surviving Root Jōnin.
"Let's toss them into the Kamui space as well. Bring them back."
Obito obeyed, and one by one, the bodies disappeared into his dimension.
Kakashi explained, "We'll hand them over to the Torture and Interrogation Department. Once they've extracted everything they know, Shisui can delete their memories. Then we'll decide what use they have."
With Danzo's death, the curse seal silencing Root members had been lifted. They could now be questioned freely.
As for whether the other clans would hand over those who had followed Danzo?
Kakashi wasn't concerned.
The moment these men sided with Danzo and attacked Obito, they committed treason.
Their choices were simple:
Have your memory wiped, be retrained, and atone… or be executed as traitors.
And given those choices, any clan leader would know which option to take.
---patreon (Obito_uchiha)