Chapter 211: One Last Look
As he drew closer to the Land of Fire, the rain began to subside.
Danzo sprinted through the mud, dragging his crippled leg behind him. Along the way, he glanced back three separate times.
Behind him lay only the darkening horizon; no one was in pursuit. The tension he had been holding finally eased, if only slightly.
The scene in the canyon remained etched in his mind. With a single, casual bolt of lightning from that masked man, Hanzo had been killed. The stranger likely hadn't realized his identity, which was why he hadn't followed.
Still, Danzo dared not relax. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself to go faster. The border of the Land of Fire was only three miles away. Once he crossed it, his status as a high-ranking official of Konoha would guarantee his safety.
As he ran, Danzo began to calculate. The masked man's techniques were identical to the intel provided by Kitahara Kaede: Lightning Style, immunity to toxins—everything matched.
"This variable..." he cursed under his breath.
His meticulously planned operation had been completely ruined. He had been so close to letting Nagato die at Hanzo's hands, which would have sent the Akatsuki spiraling out of control and turned the Land of Rain into a quagmire of war. Now, all of that was gone.
Danzo forced himself to stay calm; now was not the time for regrets. His immediate priority was to determine how to frame the situation upon his return to the village and how to deal with Kitahara Kaede.
Fabricating charges would be easy. Leaving the village without authorization, colluding with foreign powers, interfering in the internal affairs of the Land of Rain—those three accusations alone would make it nearly impossible for The Third to protect him, even if he wanted to.
Just as a smirk began to form on his lips, a voice drifted from ahead.
"Lord Danzo, what are you thinking about that makes you so happy?"
The smile froze on Danzo's face. He skidded to a halt, his single eye scanning the darkness ahead. A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
Kitahara Kaede removed his mask, revealing his true face. Danzo's heart sank. He had actually revealed himself—and more importantly, when had he managed to get ahead of him?
"Hmph." Danzo suppressed his shock and barked a command, his voice laden with the authority of his rank. "Kitahara Kaede! As a shinobi of Konoha, you dare collude with foreign powers and interfere in the politics of another nation? Are you attempting to defect!"
He stared intently into Kaede's eyes, testing the youth to see if he actually dared to move against him.
Hearing this, Kaede couldn't help but let out a short laugh. It wasn't a laugh of mockery, but one of genuine amusement.
Danzo's expression immediately darkened. "What is so funny! I am a high-ranking official of Konoha. If you return to the village now and confess your crimes, I might be able to reduce the evidence against you!"
Kaede didn't respond. He simply stood there, looking at Danzo as if he were already a dead man. This silent pressure was more suffocating than any words.
Danzo searched Kaede's gaze for a flicker of hesitation or a single flaw, but the young man's expression remained unchanged.
"It seems you truly aren't afraid of death," Danzo continued, trying to exert pressure.
Meanwhile, Kaede was analyzing Danzo's current trump cards. At this point in time, Danzo had not yet transplanted the arm full of Sharingan, meaning he couldn't use Izanagi. He hadn't begun researching Hashirama cells, so he had no Wood Release.
However, the bandage over his right eye suggested he might be hiding Uchiha Kagami's Sharingan. He had to be wary of genjutsu. Furthermore, Black Zetsu and Obito might be watching from the sidelines, so he should avoid exposing his Wood Release if possible.
The best approach was a swift execution, leaving Danzo no chance for a comeback.
"Lord Danzo, are you finished? Are those your last words?" Kaede finally spoke. "If so, you can prepare for your journey."
These words shattered Danzo's delusions. The boy truly intended to kill him.
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Danzo's eye. He slammed his hands together in a sequence of signs and exhaled a high-pressure sphere of wind.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!"
The highly compressed wind projectile shot straight toward Kaede's face.
Kaede mirrored the hand signs. A massive Mud Wall erupted from the ground, intercepting the sphere and sending clumps of mud flying everywhere.
Danzo had already anticipated this gap. Using the blind spot created by the wall, he circled to the right and unleashed another vacuum wave.
Predicting the move, Kaede spat out a fireball to meet the attack.
The collision of wind and fire triggered an immediate explosion, spraying mud in all directions. Utilizing the impact of the blast, Danzo flipped backward, then kicked off the ground and lunged forward.
In a blur of motion, a whip-kick slammed violently toward Danzo's neck. Danzo leaned back to dodge, his heart hammering in his chest. *This reaction speed, this level of taijutsu... is this possible for someone his age?!*
Kaede gave him no room to breathe. As soon as the first strike missed, he launched another. Danzo was forced to cross his arms to block, the force of the blow sliding him back several meters.
Kaede continued to press the advantage, a kunai sliding from his sleeve to stab directly at Danzo's throat. Danzo drew his own kunai to parry, the clashing metal ringing loudly.
Kaede's assault was relentless, every strike aimed at a vital point. With his crippled leg, Danzo was completely outclassed in taijutsu. He could only defend passively, retreating step by step.
Kaede drove a knee hard into Danzo's abdomen. Danzo let out a muffled groan, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. He used the momentum to leap backward, attempting to create distance.
Kaede followed him like a shadow, his kunai slashing across Danzo's arm. Gritting his teeth, Danzo threw his kunai to create a momentary opening to catch his breath.
Looking down at his bleeding wounds, Danzo knew he couldn't win a physical brawl. He had to use other means.
He bit his finger and slammed his palm onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A sudden gale erupted, and a massive Baku stepped out from the smoke. The summoning beast opened its abyssal maw, creating a powerful suction that attempted to swallow Kaede whole.
Kaede frowned slightly. He clenched his right hand, and blue lightning flared in his palm.
Chidori Sharp Spear.
The bolt of lightning pierced straight through the Baku's open mouth. The massive creature didn't even have time to scream before it vanished into a cloud of white smoke.
Danzo's face twisted in frustration. His strongest summoning beast hadn't lasted a single second.
"Kitahara Kaede!" Danzo screamed, his voice filled with resentment and rage. "By what right do you kill me?! Everything I have done was for the sake of Konoha!"
Kaede extinguished the lightning and looked at the cornered old fox.
"Because I don't like dangerous things existing. Not even a little bit."
Realizing he wouldn't leave this place alive, Danzo began to laugh hysterically.
"Good... good... very good..."
He laughed as he slowly collapsed, as if finally giving up the fight. His single eye watched Kaede approach step by step.
When Kaede was three paces away, Danzo suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing black sealing formulas etched into his chest. Ink erupted violently, spreading in all directions and dragging everything within several meters into the seal's range.
"Inner Four Red Symbols Seal!"
"If I must go, then you'll die with me!"
Danzo laughed maniacally, blood surging from his mouth. He stared at Kaede, waiting to see the look of despair on his face.
Instead, Kaede wore a mocking smile.
*Poof.*
His body vanished instantly.
Danzo's eye widened in shock. *A Shadow Clone? When?!*
But it was too late. His own technique began to backfire, his life force receding like a tide. With the last of his strength, Danzo turned his head toward the direction of Konoha.
"I... I never became Hokage..."
As the last words faded, the figure vanished.
The torrential rain returned, washing away everything. Kaede reappeared in the distance, staring expressionlessly at the area. He waited two minutes to ensure the sealing jutsu had completely concluded.
"Done."
Kaede walked to the edge of the impact zone. He formed a hand sign, and the earth churned, burying the evidence of the battle three meters deep. The rain quickly smoothed over the surface, making it seem as if nothing had ever happened.
He turned and walked away.
The rain continued to fall.