With the aid of one of Ryusei's clones, he and Tsunade had also barely managed to seal Izuna and Dan Kato away after a fierce struggle.
It had only been possible during one of those brief windows when Danzo's control wavered, and in that moment, even Izuna's lingering spirit seemed to cooperate, as if it recognized who was truly defiling his body and wanted to be put to rest.
So, without wasting a moment, Tsunade was also already rushing toward Kiyomi's position, where Danzo was still fighting.
The ground shook beneath her steps as she leapt forward, chakra surging in her fists, ready to end this once and for all.
Soon, Pakura and Renjiro, having recovered most of their chakra, rushed toward the battlefield where Kiyomi was still clashing with Danzo and Kagami, and arrived first.
The arrival of the two turned the tide instantly.
Danzo now faced three opponents at once: Kiyomi's towering black Susanoo, Pakura's blazing heat tearing through the terrain, and Renjiro's relentless blade pressure.
Even with Kagami at his side, they were being pushed hard.
The situation was slipping beyond control.
He also noticed how Tsunade was approaching quickly and her murderous intentions for him.
He grit his teeth, feeling the last embers of his stolen power burning out.
Moreover, only one Sharingan for Izanagi remained now.
Worse, Ryusei could appear at any moment, and that thought alone was enough to drain the color from his face.
Danzo's mind raced.
His only option left was to gamble everything.
With Hisamichi recently dying, as he sensed, they couldn't even use the Flying Raijin Formation anymore to escape, even if they wanted.
Therefore, he began forming the seals for another Edo Tensei, but this time, a new summon.
The ground cracked open before him, talismans fluttering as the summoning took shape.
Tobirama Senju's body rose from the dust.
For Danzo, it was a desperate move, and one that might backfire completely.
He knew Tobirama's arrival would immediately shake the balance of power.
After all, even if Danzo wasn't Hokage yet, he had always planned to become one.
Summoning Tobirama now was like dragging his own greatest rival back from the dead.
It wouldn't only shatter Hiruzen's authority, who would no longer remain Konoha's de facto leader, but also crush Danzo's own ambitions.
The very act that might save his life now also ensured that his lifelong dream would die with it. Worse, they might also need to summon Hashirama himself.
Still, survival came first. Influence could be regained to an extent, theoretically. Life couldn't.
His face visibly aged as the summoning completed, wrinkles carving deeper across his skin, his chakra flickering like a dying flame.
The boundless ambition that had once driven him now drained away completely, leaving only exhaustion and the dull instinct to survive.
All the pride and ambition that had fueled him in recent times were gone, replaced by raw desperation and some acceptance.
At the same time, one of Ryusei's distant clones managed to trap Kagami inside a sealing array, cutting off his support entirely.
Danzo cursed under his breath. Now, only two Edo remained, Mito and Sakumo, alongside him and Hiruzen.
But he already knew Tobirama would never obey his control tags and would likely release Mito from his as well.
That left only Sakumo.
Danzo clenched his fist and forced another seal, re-summoning Sakumo inside his own position the instant the others appeared.
And because Ryusei's main body was the one fighting Sakumo so far, now freed, it could finally appear in full on this battlefield, too.
As everyone waited for Tobirama to speak and move soon, the air grew tense.
Ryusei's real body was already there after it was all done, but unlike the others, he wasn't stunned; he had anticipated that Danzo might resort to summoning Tobirama once things turned against him.
What concerned him more was the next step, if they decided to summon Hashirama as well.
That would complicate everything.
He closed his eyes briefly, extending his senses toward the lab.
His clones were still moving, and within moments, he confirmed that all preparations were complete.
The lab was fully packed and secured.
They could all run away at any moment, if need be, and pressure got too overwhelming.
Ryusei exhaled in quiet relief.
Without wasting time, he ordered one clone to perform a reverse summoning.
In a flicker of light, it vanished and then reappeared on the battlefield beside him, bringing Kanae with it.
Almost simultaneously, Ashina, Mito, and Hiruzen were moving toward them as well, followed by Tsunade and Shinsuke, since everyone noticed the action there.
At the same time, inwardly, Ryusei knew that it was dangerous to give them time to summon Hashirama too.
They had to act quickly, but Danzo still had one Izanagi left, and Tobirama was already standing beside him, fully conscious and calmly using his sensory mode to perhaps gauge the situation himself while listening to Danzo's frantic explanations.
Ryusei didn't believe he could eliminate Danzo fast enough before Hashirama was brought back.
Judging by how smoothly Tobirama had been summoned, it was clear they already had a pre-prepared sacrifice for Hashirama as well.
If that happened, the battle would spiral out of control within seconds.
He didn't underestimate the threat.
With Hashirama, the combined presence of Tobirama, Danzo, Sakumo, Hiruzen, Mito, and Shinsuke closing in from multiple directions could still turn the tide.
Worse, both his and Tsunade's long-term chakra reserves, their stored Yin Seal energy, whether still sealed and kept within themselves or pre-distributed among Katsuyu's fragments, were nearly depleted now for the first time ever.
They had spent too much supporting allies through prolonged, high-level combat against Edo Tensei opponents who could endlessly regenerate and spam chakra.
And this wasn't even the first time today they had been forced to burn through their reserves so heavily.
Ryusei's reserves were also way younger in general.
Meanwhile, what puzzled him most was Orochimaru's absence the entire time.
After all, Ryusei had expected him to appear by now; it would've been the logical move, especially once he was informed of the situation.
They were allies, and if everyone on this side were wiped out here, it would be a serious blow to Orochimaru as well.
For someone as calculating as him, staying silent now made little sense, unless he had his own reasons.
Perhaps he was caught up in a critical experiment or simply choosing to watch from the shadows.
The thought seemed more likely when Ryusei noticed faint traces of smaller serpents slithering through the terrain, watching the battlefield from multiple directions.
Orochimaru was observing; that much was certain.
So Ryusei concluded he was probably occupied with some long-term project, unwilling to reveal himself unless absolutely necessary, and for now, it seemed this situation still didn't meet that threshold.
Still, he sensed something else on the horizon, Fugaku's Uchiha forces advancing from the south, crossing through the Land of Fire toward these Hot Water borderlands.
They could break the deadlock of Anbu and Root that encircled here as well and cause a big commotion that Konoha probably wouldn't want.
He exhaled quietly. "Not yet," he thought.
For now, it was better to let Tobirama speak first and see how the situation developed.
Time was on his side; the longer he survived, the stronger he would become, in the future, not the opposite, not his enemies.
And deep down, there was another reason he wanted to pull back.
He could still feel it, that godlike presence watching him from afar, the same one he suspected to be Hagoromo himself.
As long as that gaze lingered, he couldn't risk staying here any longer near the Edo stuff.