Chapter 225: Mutual Recognition & The Death of Danzo
The massive, true form of the Tailed Beast instantly became the focal point of the entire island.
"Kushina..."
Since gaining consciousness, the Nine-Tails had never felt this kind of emotion before.
It was a feeling called grief...
"Why..."
The Nine-Tails didn't voice the question aloud; it only echoed in its heart.
For decades, it had longed to break free from the fate of being sealed within a human. It had yearned to regain its physical form and its precious freedom. For countless days and nights, curled up in the prison of the consciousness space, the Nine-Tails had sworn countless times: If I ever regain my freedom, I will take frantic revenge on humanity. I will destroy everything in my sight. I will make humans taste my pain and hatred.
But now that it had truly gained its freedom...
Its heart was filled only with sorrow.
"Kushina... you are not a failure..."
Come to think of it, aren't I the failure?
For a thousand years, lost in hatred and misunderstanding. Constantly hunted, constantly hurt, and then retaliating against humans in kind. Not for a single moment had it ever known peace.
I am not an embodiment of hatred. The Old Man didn't give me such things.
It was me. Over a thousand years, I gradually let go of everything until only hatred remained... until hatred merged into my power.
"Kushina... you are not a failure. I am."
The Old Man said that one day, Tailed Beasts would meet humans who could truly understand and accept them...
Mutual recognition...
"That is why the power I lent you was red... Kushina. This old man accepted you long ago. But this old man... never accepted himself..."
On the ground, Kushina's voice grew fainter. "Kurama... you look so beautiful... It's a pity I can't see you clearly anymore."
"Then look at me later."
"Later...?" Kushina slowly closed her eyes.
"Yeah. Look at me later."
Saying this, the Nine-Tails leaped high into the air. Its massive body flowed like water, actively shedding its physical form. It transformed into pure chakra and surged back into Kushina's body.
"Remember this. This old man's name is... KURAMA!"
The deep, resonant voice brought light to Kushina's fading consciousness.
Kneeling on the ground, Kushina remained silent for a brief moment. Then, a blinding golden light erupted from her body.
She floated up slowly, glowing like a burning sun. Mysterious black markings and magatama patterns adorned her chest. Her short hair floated as if underwater, and two small chakra horns manifested on her forehead.
Just looking at her, one could feel immense power—and boundless vitality.
Kushina slowly opened her eyes, looking blankly at her glowing hands.
"This is...?"
The deep voice she thought she would never hear again spoke in her mind.
"Little girl... Yoroshiku! (Nice to meet you!)"
When the others arrived, what they saw was Kushina in Kurama Link Mode, shining like a miniature sun.
And beside her stood a pale-faced, dead-eyed Danzo Shimura.
Not only had he failed to recapture the Nine-Tails, but he was also now cornered by Sakumo Hatake.
His desperate, all-or-nothing gamble had failed.
Sakumo's expression shifted, his voice turning cold. "Danzo Shimura... why are you here?"
Although Sakumo had left the village to lead the pursuit, as the Hokage, he constantly received intelligence updates from Konoha.
After the Nine-Tails escaped, the two advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, immediately ordered a search of the underground Root base. The report stated that Root had suffered devastating damage, many bases had collapsed and been buried, and Danzo Shimura was missing.
Regardless of whether Danzo was dead or alive, the patience of Konoha's high command had been breached. Old scores and new debts were settled together. Root was dismantled from top to bottom—personnel, finances, everything was absorbed and placed under the management of the two advisors.
Even if Danzo wasn't dead, resurfacing now would, at best, mean completely losing his position in Konoha's leadership. At worst, he would be stripped of his ninja status and imprisoned.
His power, his influence... they didn't come from his own strength, nor from the support of the clans. Danzo's seemingly massive power was entirely sucked like a parasite from Konoha's authority.
In the past, that authority came from Hiruzen Sarutobi. Recently, it came from the tacit approval of the high command.
So when the entire high command decided they would no longer tolerate him and prepared to purge him...
The Root of Danzo rotted away.
That was why he had infiltrated Sakumo's pursuit team. He wanted to fight to the death for a chance to reclaim power.
Sakumo understood immediately that for a "missing" person to appear here, he must have been plotting something.
But it seemed his plot had failed. What awaited him now was arrest by the Hokage, a trip back to Konoha, and a final reckoning.
Everyone else stared at this man who appeared mentally unstable.
Danzo was infamous in the ninja world. Even non-Konoha ninja had heard his name, if not seen his face.
Yagura Karatachi eyed him coldly. So this is Danzo Shimura? Rumored to be a sinister and ruthless ninja. Looking at him now... sinister aside, he looks like an ordinary Jonin. He has no aura of a strongman at all.
Danzo turned a deaf ear to Sakumo's question. Like a man possessed, he muttered to himself, "Impossible... I calculated everything... Everything was in my plan... Impossible!"
Dana smirked. "How interesting. The Hokage doesn't even know why his own ninja are here?"
Onoki sneered. "Amusing, truly amusing. Is this the style of a Konoha Elder?"
Danzo covered his ears as if trying to block out the noise.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I am Danzo Shimura! I cannot fail!"
Sakumo shouted, "Answer my question!"
Suddenly, Danzo jumped up, his eyes bloodshot. He pointed a trembling finger at Sakumo.
"You? You are worthy of commanding me?! What are you?! You are just a puppet chosen by Hiruzen! Without Hiruzen, you are nothing but a minor character whose own Anbu has been hollowed out! I could crush you as easily as turning over my hand!!"
Onoki, the Third Raikage, Yagura, Sakumo, Dana, Blue Bee, and the elite ninja of Konoha and Mist formed a circle, watching the raving lunatic that was Danzo.
Some sneered. Some looked on with contempt. Some remained expressionless.
They all knew: Danzo had gone mad.
Danzo pointed at the Third Raikage. "And you! You're just a brute! You didn't even know your own confidant was conspiring with me ages ago! You just got lucky and won the war! The Cloud's prosperity is a mirage! Sooner or later, you idiot will drag it down!"
"And you! What kind of bullshit Fourth Mizukage are you?! Just a scapegoat pushed forward because your village lost all prestige! The Mist is nothing but a bunch of rotten fish and shrimp! You should have stayed in the Land of Water and caught fish!"
"Onoki! A minor character who was beaten like a dog at the gates of Konoha back in the day! You only became Tsuchikage because Iwa had no one else! Your village is full of mediocrities!!"
"ME! ONLY ME! I, Danzo Shimura, am the most qualified Kage in the ninja world! I should be the Hokage! Hey! You lot! Go arrest Sakumo Hatake! This old man will ascend as the Fifth Hokage today! NO! I will be the Fourth! I AM THE FOURTH!!"
The Konoha ninja stood motionless, looking at Danzo as if he were a zoo animal.
"Where are my men?! Where is my Root?!"
Danzo looked around frantically, his hair disheveled and wild.
"Um... excuse me..."
Yotsuki Dana squatted on a large rock, picking his ear with his pinky finger as he looked down at Danzo.
"Whether you're crazy or not doesn't make much difference to you now. But... did you just insult my dad?"
Dana extended a finger, pointing it directly at Danzo.
"If a dog runs out and bites people, regardless of whose dog it is... it deserves to be put down, right?"
Zzzzt!
A laser beam shot from Dana's fingertip, instantly piercing through Danzo's chest.
Danzo vomited a mouthful of blood.
"This old man... is... the Hokage..."
The next instant, countless lightning bolts rained down upon him.
Danzo's body jerked like a broken sack, riddled like a sieve. He collapsed to the ground, twitching, and then lay still.
Silent.