Some time later, Danzō lay on the ground, his grayish-white hair matted to his forehead with blood and dirt.
His right arm, strengthened by Hashirama’s cells, was already twisted and deformed.
He tremblingly raised his head, his single eye reflecting the seven-year-old blond child.
At this moment, those scarlet Sharingan eyes looked down at him from above, like a god judging an ant.
“No… impossible…” Danzō’s throat strained to utter a hoarse sound.
“How could a mere child’s body…”
A seven-year-old child, someone he could crush with one hand, why was he so powerful in Uchiha Madara’s hands?
Was this the Uchiha Madara who could only be matched by the First Hokage back then?
Madara, controlling Naruto, walked closer.
The small boots made a slight “creak” as they stepped on the scorched earth.
He tilted his head, revealing a chilling smile.
“Looks like you still haven’t accepted reality.”
Suddenly, Naruto’s small hand grabbed Danzō’s throat.
If not for Naruto’s current height, he could have lifted Danzō’s entire upper body.
But even so, a seven-year-old child’s arm should be slender and weak, yet it was as unmovable as steel.
“Look closely,” Madara’s voice rumbled like thunder.
“This is true power.”
Feeling the increasing pressure from the small palm, Danzō’s breathing became more and more difficult.
However, Danzō wasn’t worried.
Because the last Sharingan on his chest was still rotating!
The effect of Izanagi was still active!
“Heh… Hahaha!” He coughed up blood and laughed.
“You can’t kill me! As long as this eye is still here—”
“An Izanagi that only lasts for a minute?”
Madara’s voice was playful, like ice scraping against steel.
“It’s really annoying to see our clan’s secret jutsu used so recklessly by you.”
Naruto’s innocent face twisted, and those eyes suddenly underwent a terrifying change.
The three tomoe spun wildly, connecting to form the sinister pattern of the Eternal Mangekyō.
Deep within the scarlet pupils, it seemed as if blood was slowly flowing.
“But you should understand,” Madara slowly raised Naruto’s small palm.
“Izanagi is not invincible.”
“What… what did you say?”
Danzō’s single eye pupils contracted sharply, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.
The Sharingan on his chest rotated uneasily, as if sensing a higher-level genjutsu suppression.
Madara’s lips curved into a cruel arc.
“Izanagi can indeed alter reality, but only the reality… that you perceive.”
The moment the two Sharingan met— Danzō seemed to hear the sound of his own mental world shattering.
The world spun and tilted.
The ground was thick, viscous blood, and each step created a nauseating ripple.
Suddenly, thousands of mirrors rose from the sea of blood, surrounding him.
Each mirror reflected the darkest moments of his life…
In the mirror to his left, Yahiko, who had resolutely committed suicide to protect his comrades, while “he” and Hanzō of the Salamander watched coldly.
In the mirror on the right, the Nine-Tails rampaged through Konoha.
Facing his subordinates who wanted to go out and support, “he” chose to refuse.
In the mirror behind, in the Konoha orphanage, “he” was using the lives of all the children in the orphanage to surround the former ANBU assassin, Kabuto Yakushi.
Most terrifyingly, “he” in all the mirrors suddenly turned his head at the same time, speaking with perfectly synchronized lips:
“This is all for Konoha.”
“This is all for the position of Hokage.”
“This is all for myself.”
The sound waves hit Danzō’s eardrums like physical blows.
Triple voices echoed and overlapped in the space, finally turning into a piercing shriek.
He frantically covered his ears, only to find that his hands had inexplicably turned into skeletal bones.
“No… this isn’t real…”
Danzō knelt in the sea of blood, the viscous liquid gradually submerging his knees, waist, and chest.
“I did it for… for…”
The “him” in all the mirrors suddenly reached out collectively, pale arms piercing through the mirror surface, gripping his body tightly.
“Welcome to reality.”
All the “Danzōs” whispered in unison.
In the real world, Danzō’s body began to convulse violently.
He writhed like a fish out of water, his grayish-white hair soaked with sweat, foam spilling from the corners of his mouth.
The Sharingan under the bandages was losing its luster at a visible rate.
First, the vibrant red faded, then cloudy gray spots appeared, and finally, it completely turned into a lifeless lump of flesh.
“Perception… is reality…”
Madara watched it all coldly.
“A lie you can’t even convince yourself of, how can you deceive the world?”
As Izanagi’s effect ended, Danzō collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, his cloudy single eye still frozen in disbelief.
Madara released the hand that had been gripping his throat, letting the aged body fall to the ground like a tattered cloth.
Blood slowly seeped from Danzō’s seven orifices, painting eerie patterns on the scorched earth.
Madara raised Naruto’s small right foot, chakra condensing into a blue halo at the sole.
“It’s time to end this.”
Just as the sole of his boot was about to crush Danzō’s skull— “Hey! Old Madara!”
In the seal space, the Nine-Tails suddenly whipped out three tails, completely covering Naruto’s conscious eyes.
“There’s a child here, don’t let him see this!”
“Mangy fox, since when did you become so considerate?”
“Stop the nonsense!” The Nine-Tails bared its fangs.
“If you’re going to kill him, do it quickly, don’t drag it out!”
In the real world, Danzō’s single eye suddenly regained a sliver of clarity.
In the final moments of his life, he had actually broken free from the genjutsu!
“Uchiha… Madara…” he raised his hand with difficulty.
“You will never… understand… my reason…”
“I don’t need to understand.”
Madara crushed Danzō’s skull without hesitation.
The sound of cracking bone was crisp and clean, like stepping on a ripe watermelon.
Blood splattered onto Naruto’s young face, but was quickly evaporated by the heat into dark red scabs.
Madara, controlling the small body, looked down at the mangled corpse, his eyes devoid of the joy of victory, only endless weariness.
“A boring ending.”
When Madara’s consciousness withdrew, Naruto regained control of his body.
He blinked dazedly, realizing that the Nine-Tails’ chakra had somehow covered his vision.
Naruto fumbled around with his hands.
“Uncle Nine-Tails, why can’t I see anything?”
“Don’t panic!” The Nine-Tails’ voice was unusually flustered.
“Old… your dad said you can’t see strong light right now!”
In the distance, the Third Hokage struggled to stand up and happened to see the residual bloodstains on Naruto’s face.
The old man sighed in his heart, took off his tattered Kage robe, and gently wiped away the glaring red.
Feeling the touch on his face, Naruto tentatively asked, “Grandpa Third?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Although the Third Hokage was very tired at this moment, his face was filled with kindness and gentleness.
He took Naruto’s small hand.
“Naruto, let’s go home.”
As Naruto walked home with the Third Hokage, in the seal space, Madara was lying on the Nine-Tails’ head as usual.
Over the years, the Nine-Tails had grown accustomed to Madara doing this, so it felt no discomfort.
However, just as the Nine-Tails was about to lie down and sleep, Madara’s voice came from above its head.
“…Thanks.”
The Nine-Tails’ ears perked up sharply, thinking it had misheard.
“Huh? Old Madara, what did you just say?”
“Nothing,” Madara closed his eyes irritably.
“Mangy fox.”
But the Nine-Tails clearly saw that the corners of the arrogant Ashura’s lips seemed to curve upwards for a moment.
____________________
Update: “Monday to Friday – Update 3 Chapters a Day”
“Saturday and Sunday – Off”