Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Shimura Danzo's corpse began to distort once more, as if crumpled by an invisible hand, vanishing bit by bit starting from his feet.

A few seconds later, the corpse completely disappeared, as if it had never existed.

In the next second, his figure appeared on the other side of the riverbank, even further away from Uchiha Taiga.

He stood there, his complexion even worse than before, his lips slightly purple, breathing heavily.

Using Izanagi twice in a row was a significant mental burden; after all, each death was real.

But he was still alive, and that was enough.

At that exact moment, a miserable scream echoed from the opposite bank.

The Yamanaka ninja who had cast the Mind Transfer Jutsu suddenly stiffened. His head tilted back, his eyes rolled up beneath his mask, and his body convulsed violently.

If someone had been beside him, they would have heard indistinct syllables bubbling from his throat, sounding like words or perhaps just unconscious moans.

"Is that... a god...?"

The voice was intermittent. Then, his body jerked forcefully, like a bowstring snapping after being pulled to its absolute limit, and he collapsed limply to the ground.

Motionless.

Dead.

Uchiha Taiga didn't even turn his head.

He didn't spare a single glance in that direction, as if the Yamanaka ninja's death had absolutely nothing to do with him.

And indeed, it didn't.

That man had used the Mind Transfer Jutsu to invade his body, attempting to control his mind and soul. Had it been anyone else, they might have actually been subjugated.

But compared to Uchiha Taiga, that Yamanaka ninja's soul was as fragile as a piece of paper.

It shattered at the slightest touch.

After all, in this world, the soul was just another manifestation of chakra.

Managing to make Uchiha Taiga space out for a split second was already that Yamanaka ninja's absolute limit. Right after that instant, his soul was utterly crushed into nothingness by the massive chakra and soul power within Taiga's body.

Uchiha Taiga looked at Shimura Danzo.

He grinned without saying a word. Illuminated by the firelight, that smile looked exceptionally ferocious, as if he were relishing a long-awaited game.

In the next moment, his figure vanished.

Shimura Danzo's pupils violently contracted.

He wanted to retreat, wanted to weave signs, wanted to unleash a jutsu—but it was too late.

Uchiha Taiga had already appeared right in front of him. Tokoyokuni activated, and space froze once again.

Shimura Danzo's body was locked in place, frozen in a retreating posture. One foot was raised but hadn't landed, and one hand was reaching for his waist to draw a kunai.

His eyes could still move, darting frantically in their sockets, but the rest of his body felt as if it had been cast in concrete.

Uchiha Taiga reached out. Amidst flashing lightning, he effortlessly pierced through Danzo's chest.

The movement was gentle, like dipping a hand into water, seemingly meeting no resistance at all.

No blood sprayed from Shimura Danzo's chest because space was frozen; the blood remained congealed within his veins.

His eyes were still open, his pupils reflecting Uchiha Taiga's face—a face bearing a smile.

Uchiha Taiga wove signs with one hand.

Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!

A massive torrent of fire erupted from his mouth, transforming into a sea of flames.

This was not the scale of an ordinary Fire Style jutsu; it surged outward like an overwhelming tidal wave.

The Root members frozen in the vicinity were swallowed by the inferno, reduced to ash in an instant before they could even scream.

The flames continued to spread, igniting the dry grass on the riverbank, the trees along the shore, and the forest further away.

The fire soared into the sky, billowing thick smoke, turning a radius of several hundred meters into a blazing hellscape.

Shimura Danzo's corpse was engulfed by the flames, turning to ash within the firelight.

The third death.

Hyuga Soma was dumbfounded.

He stood upwind on the riverbank, a fair distance from the sea of fire, yet the heat wave still washed over him, scorching his face. His eyes were wider than ever, his mouth hung open, and his jaw trembled slightly.

What had he just witnessed?

He saw Uchiha Taiga kill Shimura Danzo yet again. He saw the sea of fire swallow those Root members, dozens of people turned to ash in an instant. He saw the youth standing amidst the inferno, flames dancing around him without harming him in the slightest.

Hyuga Soma's legs were shaking, but he didn't run.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he knew that at this distance, against that man's bizarre abilities, escape was impossible.

Within the sea of fire, Shimura Danzo's figure appeared once more.

The fourth time.

He walked out of the flames. His clothes were burnt to tatters, and there were several burns on his face, but overall, he was intact.

His Izanagi had resurrected him to an earlier point in time—before he was killed, before the sea of fire engulfed him.

But the resurrection point was still within the range of the inferno.

He dashed out of the fire, his clothes still smoking, his hair mostly singed off, bearing burn marks on his face, hands, and neck.

He gasped heavily for air, his eyes completely bloodshot.

Three times.

He had already died three times.

Uchiha Taiga walked out of the sea of fire at a leisurely pace. He looked at the wretched Shimura Danzo, the smile on his face unchanging.

Shimura Danzo gritted his teeth and wove signs with both hands.

Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!

He violently exhaled a massive sphere of compressed air, shooting toward Uchiha Taiga like a cannonball.

It was incredibly fast and immensely powerful, leaving a visible white trail in the air.

Uchiha Taiga stepped sideways, dodging it.

The Vacuum Great Sphere flew past him and crashed into a massive boulder on the opposite bank, shredding it to pieces.

Shimura Danzo didn't stop. He continued weaving signs, continued exhaling.

Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves!

Several blades of wind flew from his mouth, slashing toward Uchiha Taiga in a fan shape. Each wind blade was incomparably sharp, leaving deep gouges in the ground.

Uchiha Taiga moved.

He slipped through the gaps between the wind blades, his speed so fast he left only afterimages. Shimura Danzo only saw a flash of lightning, and then a hole appeared in his chest.

Uchiha Taiga's hand pierced through his chest, once again gripping a beating heart.

The fourth time.

It was still initiated with Tokoyokuni, followed by a Lightning Blade.

Shimura Danzo's body fell once more, and a few seconds later, he reappeared.

This time he learned his lesson. The moment he revived, he began to retreat, simultaneously biting his finger and slamming his hands onto the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A massive cloud of smoke erupted, and a gigantic Baku appeared before him.

The Baku had the trunk of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, and the body of a tiger, covered entirely in black scales. It opened its massive maw and unleashed a deafening roar at Uchiha Taiga.

Shimura Danzo hid behind the Baku and wove signs again.

Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves!

This time, his Wind Style synergized with the Baku's suction.

The Baku opened its mouth, generating a tremendous suction force that pulled Uchiha Taiga forward.

Simultaneously, Shimura Danzo's wind blades flew out from the Baku's flanks, aiming straight for Uchiha Taiga's vitals.

Uchiha Taiga stood his ground, completely unmoved by the Baku's suction.

He glanced at the Baku, then reached out and pointed at it.

Space froze.

The Baku's body was locked in place. Its mouth was still open, the suction force still existed, but the air stopped flowing.

Shimura Danzo's wind blades were also frozen in mid-air, stopping less than a meter away from Uchiha Taiga.

Uchiha Taiga walked past the wind blades, stepped up to the Baku, raised his hand, and smashed a fist into its head.

Boom!

The Baku's head was pulverized by the punch. Its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Smoke erupted, and the Baku's corpse vanished, leaving only a pool of blood on the ground.

Uchiha Taiga turned around and looked at Shimura Danzo.

The fifth time.

Shimura Danzo began to flee.

He no longer attacked, no longer tried to gouge out eyes, no longer did anything superfluous.

He just ran, sprinting toward Konoha with all his might.

"Yomotsukuni!"

Uchiha Taiga whispered softly, and time reversed.

Then Shimura Danzo died.

The sixth time.

Uchiha Taiga caught up to him and shoved his head into the ground. His entire head was embedded in the gravel and dirt, like a seed planted by someone.

Shimura Danzo revived and kept running.

He only knew that if he didn't run, he would truly die here, because he had already died six times.

But running was completely meaningless, because Uchiha Taiga's words echoed in his ears once more.

"Tokoyokuni."

Space was frozen again, and Uchiha Taiga casually threw a kunai, piercing his throat.

The seventh time!

A completely worthless death.

But Shimura Danzo's corpse disappeared once more, and when it reappeared, he was at the edge of the sea of fire.

At that moment, Shimura Danzo turned and fled, simultaneously glaring fiercely at Hyuga Soma.

The Hyuga Main House elder was still standing in place, surrounded by several Branch House ninjas, all wearing expressions of sheer terror.

They hadn't run, hadn't attacked; they just stood there, as if scared silly.

"What are you still looking at?!"

Shimura Danzo roared at Hyuga Soma, his voice so hoarse it nearly cracked.

"If you don't help me, do you think he'll let you go?!"

Hyuga Soma shuddered violently.

He was jolted awake by that roar.

Yes, if he didn't act, Uchiha Taiga wouldn't spare him either.

He had seen the youth kill, seen him rip off Danzo's head, seen him burn those Root members alive.

He was already an accomplice. Even if he did nothing, Uchiha Taiga wouldn't pretend he didn't exist.

But he didn't dare to attack.

His legs were still shaking, his hands were still trembling, and only one thought echoed in his mind—he didn't want to die.

"Attack..."

His voice was tiny, so quiet it was almost inaudible.

The Branch House ninjas behind him didn't move.

"Attack!"

He turned around and roared at the Branch House ninjas.

His eyes were bulging, his white pupils filled with fear and madness.

"You dare disobey an order from the Hyuga Main House?!"

The Branch House ninjas exchanged glances, their expressions varying.

Some were filled with despair, some were numb, some gritted their teeth, and some closed their eyes.

But they still moved.

It had nothing to do with loyalty, nor courage, but because of the Caged Bird.

If they disobeyed the Main House's orders, what awaited them would be far more terrifying than death.

Six Branch House ninjas charged at Uchiha Taiga simultaneously.

One assumed the Gentle Fist stance, gathering chakra in his palms to strike Uchiha Taiga's chest. One flanked from the side, gripping a kunai aimed at the back of Uchiha Taiga's neck. Another activated the Byakugan, attempting to find Uchiha Taiga's weak point.

Uchiha Taiga didn't even look at them.

He raised his hand and gently clenched it in their direction.

Space froze.

The bodies of the six Branch House ninjas were simultaneously locked in place.

Some were frozen mid-charge, some mid-strike, some mid-throw. Their eyes could still move, their white pupils filled with terror.

Uchiha Taiga walked up to them, took a kunai from one of their hands, and slit their throats one by one.

The movements were gentle and fast.

Six people, six slashes.

Blood surged from the wounds, frozen in the air like six strings of red beads suspended in mid-air.

Uchiha Taiga let go, and the kunai dropped to the ground with a crisp clatter.

Space returned to normal.

The six corpses collapsed simultaneously, blood gushing from their throats, dyeing the gravel on the riverbank red.

Hyuga Soma's legs finally gave out. He plopped onto the ground, propping himself up with his hands behind him. His eyes were wider than brass bells, his mouth hanging open, yet unable to make a single sound.

Uchiha Taiga walked up to him.

He crouched down, meeting Hyuga Soma's gaze at eye level.

His eyes were white, looking seemingly pure and holy, but at this moment, those Byakugan looked more terrifying than anything else in the world.

"Hyuga Main House?"

Uchiha Taiga's voice was soft, as if chatting with an old friend.

Hyuga Soma's lips trembled. He wanted to say something, but his throat felt as if it were being choked, unable to utter a single word.

Uchiha Taiga reached out and grabbed his head.

His fingers clamped onto the top of his skull, his thumb pressed against his glabella, and the other four fingers gripped the sides and back of his head.

Hyuga Soma's eyes widened even further, his white pupils reflecting Uchiha Taiga's face.

Uchiha Taiga gave a slight lift.

Hyuga Soma's head was plucked right off his neck, like a cork being pulled from a bottle. The severed stump was as neat as if cut by a blade. The blood that had just begun to spurt was frozen in mid-air, not a single drop falling to the ground.

Uchiha Taiga stood up and casually tossed the head aside.

He turned around and looked toward the other side of the sea of fire.

Shimura Danzo had already run quite far.

He sprinted madly between the sea of fire and the forest, using every ounce of strength in his body with each step.

His clothes were burnt to tatters, his face, hands, and neck covered in burns and blisters, his hair singed down to a short stubble.

His breathing sounded like a bellows, every inhalation accompanied by agonizing pain.

But he didn't dare to stop.

He saw the outline of Konoha. The village's outer wall was just ahead. He saw the Konoha symbol on the wall, saw the guards on top of it.

He also saw a figure speeding over from the direction of the village.

Sarutobi Hiruzen.

He was wearing his Hokage robes, without his hat, his face etched with shock. Several ANBU followed behind him, all moving at astonishing speeds.

Wild joy surged in Shimura Danzo's eyes.

"Hiruzen!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, using all his remaining strength.

"Save me!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's speed increased. His figure bounded across the treetops, crossing dozens of meters with every leap.

At that exact moment, Shimura Danzo's vision blurred.

The entire world seemed to shake before him, all the lines misaligning before snapping back into place.

He stopped in his tracks, realizing he was no longer on the same ground.

He was standing amidst the sea of fire, standing right in front of Uchiha Taiga.

His pupils violently contracted.

"No!!!"

Uchiha Taiga reached out and placed a hand on his head.

"It's useless. You've long been marked by my ability, Yomotsukuni. Under this mark, as long as I can see you, as long as I can sense your chakra, you cannot escape the control of time."

"Stop!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rang out from afar, laced with anger and urgency.

"Uchiha Taiga, stop!"

Uchiha Taiga didn't turn his head, didn't stop. He looked down at Shimura Danzo, the smile on his face calm and unhurried.

"I told you."

His voice wasn't loud, but it could be heard clearly over the crackling of the flames.

"You will absolutely die today."

Crack.

Shimura Danzo's head was twisted one hundred and eighty degrees in Uchiha Taiga's hand. The sound of his cervical vertebrae snapping was crisp and loud, echoing through the sea of fire.

His eyes were still open, his pupils dilated, his facial expression frozen somewhere between terror and disbelief.

"Uchiha Taiga!!!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was filled with absolute fury.