So this was Izanagi.
It had even deceived his own Conqueror's Haki domain.
Ashveil could not help but acknowledge it inwardly. While the overall average combat power of the Shinobi world was indeed lower than that of the Pirate world, its peak figures and techniques were nothing short of terrifying. Each of them possessed abilities that bordered on absurdity.
As Ashveil was still reflecting, Danzo suddenly appeared in front of him.
In the next moment, Danzo gripped his weapon and lunged forward.
Ashveil reacted instantly, releasing his Conqueror's Haki in a repelling burst. The Wind Release blade was completely neutralized before it could even reach his body.
Danzo's entire body shook violently as he stared at Ashveil in disbelief.
"Monster," Danzo muttered hoarsely. "You are a monster."
"Why does something like you exist in our world?"
As the leader of Root, Danzo had encountered countless abnormal shinobi, some with abilities even more terrifying than his own. Yet never once had he faced someone like Ashveil, someone who felt utterly invincible.
Even now, standing on the brink of death, Danzo still could not fully grasp the extent of Ashveil's abilities.
His face was deathly pale, his breathing ragged.
"It seems the Sharingan you just used was your last one," Ashveil said calmly. "The Sharingan is powerful, that much is true. But in front of absolute strength, it is meaningless, Danzo."
Under Ashveil's seemingly ordinary gaze, Danzo felt as though countless insects were crawling beneath his skin.
Boom.
Ashveil suddenly unleashed his Conqueror's Haki once more.
A massive, invisible hand of pressure slammed down on Danzo.
Boom.
With a deafening impact, Danzo was sent flying hundreds of meters away.
Pfft.
Pfft.
Mouthfuls of blood sprayed from his lips as his body skidded across the ground.
As his consciousness began to fade, memories of his entire life flashed through Danzo's mind.
At last, he made his final decision.
The Four Symbols Sealing Technique.
But before activating it, he needed one thing.
To lure Ashveil closer.
Unfortunately for him, Ashveil was not Sasuke.
He would not fall for something so obvious.
"Outsider," Danzo called weakly. "Do you want to understand the true power of the Sharingan?"
"I can tell you."
Danzo believed his reasoning was sound. Ashveil had once been part of the Akatsuki, an organization obsessed with powerful beings like the Tailed Beasts. That alone suggested a relentless pursuit of power.
In that sense, Danzo was not entirely wrong.
But he had misjudged one crucial thing.
Ashveil.
"I am sorry," Ashveil replied indifferently. "I have no interest in the power of the Sharingan."
If anyone else had said those words, Danzo would have dismissed it as arrogance.
But coming from Ashveil, he believed it.
Judging from the earlier battle, Ashveil had never relied on the Sharingan's power. He had even resisted Shisui's genjutsu through sheer will alone.
For someone like him, the Sharingan truly held little value.
Danzo narrowed his eyes faintly.
That realization pointed to another conclusion.
The man who had declared war on the Five Great Nations was Uchiha Obito.
Danzo had worked with Obito before, he knew this for a fact.
Yet Obito, an Uchiha himself, had never sought to claim more Sharingan.
That could only mean one thing.
The man before him was not aligned with the Akatsuki's true core at all.
"Listen carefully, Ashveil," Danzo said with his last strength. "The mastermind behind the Akatsuki is not Uchiha Madara. It is Uchiha Obito."
"Four Symbols Sealing Technique."
In his final moment, Danzo believed that even in death, he was still acting for the sake of the village.
The seal activated.
Danzo died within it.
Ashveil walked slowly to the spot where Danzo had been, then shook his head slightly.
"You told me this to make me clash with the Akatsuki, didn't you?"
"I am sorry to disappoint you."
"The intelligence you possessed, I already knew."
"This time, your effort was meaningless. Still, for Konoha, you truly gave everything you had."
With that, Ashveil turned and left.
He had only come here to gain experience. Now that Danzo was gone, there was no reason to remain.
As he walked away, one person still remained on the battlefield.
Karin.
Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, her heart pounding like it might burst from her chest.
The man before her was someone who could end her life in an instant.
She had seen Sasuke defeated twice. She had watched Danzo fall.
The shock Ashveil left behind was overwhelming.
Earlier, she had only refrained from acting because she sensed a faint trace of life still lingering in Sasuke.
Now, survival was her only concern.
As Ashveil approached, each step felt like the edge of death drawing closer.
Karin gripped a dagger tightly, her eyes filled with fear.
She was prepared to strike if he showed even the slightest opening.
But even as Ashveil passed directly in front of her, she did nothing.
He simply walked past.
"Did he… just ignore me?" Karin whispered, swallowing hard.
Relief washed over her.
Perhaps he thought she was too weak to bother with.
A bitter sense of helplessness filled her chest.
Sasuke.
She needed to check on Sasuke immediately.
Just as she was about to move, Ashveil suddenly turned his head.
"In matters of love," he said calmly, "I advise you to give up on Sasuke."
"That man is troubled, and in the end, the one he will choose is Sakura."
After saying that, Ashveil left without another glance.
Whether Karin wanted to hear it or not did not matter.
Ashveil had simply felt like being honest.
Karin stood frozen, her expression blank, his words echoing in her mind.
Elsewhere, after Uchiha Obito publicly announced that the Fourth Shinobi World War would begin the next day, he activated his space time technique and appeared beside Ashveil.
"The war has been announced," Obito said. "Although it starts tomorrow, the Five Great Nations will need time to mobilize."
"We still have some days to prepare."
"About the Sharingan, you took care of it, right?"
This had been their arrangement.
Obito would announce the war.
Ashveil would kill Danzo and obtain Shisui's Sharingan.
Ashveil had no interest in it, so it was meant to go to Obito in the end.
What Obito did not expect was Ashveil's complete indifference.
On the surface, they were cooperating.
In reality, their goals were never truly aligned.
Ashveil stretched lazily.
"Hm?"
"The Sharingan?"
"I am afraid Danzo sealed it away. I could not stop him."
Obito nearly lost his composure.
With your strength, you expect me to believe that?
Danzo was nothing compared to you.
But the battle was already over. Obito could not argue further.
He swallowed his frustration.
"Fine," Obito said stiffly.
Ashveil ignored his mood.
"By the way," Ashveil added, "go find someone named Kabuto."
"If you want this war to be interesting, he is necessary."
Without Kabuto, who would summon the countless elite shinobi, the Kage, the jinchuriki, or even Madara and the First Hokage?
Without those battles, Ashveil's strength would stagnate.
And for that, Obito had to act.
"Kabuto?" Obito frowned. "Sasori's former subordinate?"
"That trash is not qualified to join the Akatsuki."
"Your strength alone is not enough," Ashveil replied calmly. "To fight the Five Great Nations, you need his Impure World Reincarnation."
"He has already surpassed Orochimaru in that technique."
Obito was stunned.
Kabuto had surpassed Orochimaru?
As he looked at Ashveil again, Obito realized something clearly.
Ashveil had no reason to lie.