Chapter 101: Danzō's Fall [2] (5000 words)

Standing behind her, Izumi stared in silence at the solitary back of Iizumi Senior—her heart pounding with shame.

This entire mission had been entrusted to her: to personally execute Shimura Danzō. And yet, here was Iizumi Senior, standing alone at the threshold, holding back every single Anbu Ninja who dared to move. All of Root’s power had been funneled into this moment—into her. And it was all because of her own weakness as Uchiha Izumi.

Tachibana Jiro spoke up, voice calm and detached.

"Newcomer. Accept Iizumi-sama’s trial with dignity. No need to be so hesitant. Iizumi-sama despises those with tangled minds."

"If you truly understand the depth of Iizumi-sama’s intent, you’d carry out his command without hesitation."

Izumi clenched her teeth, her jaw tight. She forced her gaze away from the open doorway of a hidden chamber—where the remnants of Danzō lay, half-lit by flickering torchlight.

She could see him clearly: the old man, reduced to a broken husk, his eyes wide with fury, veins bulging in his temples as he glared straight at her. His mouth worked, but no sound came out—only a guttural, choking rasp.

With a slow, deliberate motion, Izumi drew her kunai.

In full view of the Anbu and the silent watchers, she stepped into the chamber.

"Wait!" One of the Anbu Ninja lunged forward instinctively. He couldn’t bear to imagine the Hokage’s reaction if Danzō—protected, guarded, supposedly safe—were suddenly murdered right under their watch.

The fallout would be catastrophic. They’d all be blamed. This was Anbu failure. A catastrophic breach.

But before he could reach her, a sharp, metallic plink echoed through the air—like molten lava dripping onto stone.

Then came the heat.

The temperature in the Anbu Base surged instantly. Sweat poured from the Anbu Ninja’s body—not from exertion, but from sheer terror. His limbs locked up. He froze, eyes darting to Uchiha Iizumi.

"This path is closed."

"Anyone who comes… dies."

Iizumi’s voice was calm. Unmoving. Repeating the same two sentences, as if carved into stone.

Anbu Ninja: …

Hyūga Menji: …

Silence.

Inside the chamber.

Shimura Danzō lay strapped to a steel slab, his body twisted in agony. He had never expected Uchiha Iizumi to find him here. Never imagined the man who had once been the shadow of the village would be hunted down like a beast.

Just like a true Uchiha bastard, he thought bitterly. Born evil, bred for destruction.

Now, the real killer stepped into his vision.

The girl with the Sharingan.

Danzō’s single remaining eye widened in shock. This was the one meant to kill him?

No… no. Not this way.

Why didn’t he come himself?

Why send a nameless little follower to end me?

Was it contempt?

Was it fear?

Did he not want to stain his hands?

He’s mocking me!

Danzō tried to speak. His throat was raw, torn by days of screaming, but no words came out. All he could do was stare—eyes burning with hatred—as the Uchiha girl approached.

He saw the tremble in her hands. The fear in her eyes. But beneath it—something else.

A quiet resolve. A cold, unwavering certainty.

Once, he could have killed her with one hand.

Now? He was trapped. Bound. Helpless.

Where is Hyūga Menji?

Where are the Anbu?

This is the Anbu Base! Why aren’t they here?!

You took my Sharingan. You stole my Root. Now you abandon me?

Is this how you repay your old master?

"H-ho…"

"HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Danzō’s body convulsed on the slab. His voice was nothing but ragged, animalistic snarls. The pain wasn’t just physical. It was soul-deep—burning from within, as if every sin he’d committed was returning to consume him.

“Iizumi Senior is out there alone, holding back the entire Anbu… and I can’t even help him.”

“He said… Absolute Justice only rewards those who destroy evil. That power grows stronger with every righteous kill. I shouldn’t resist it.”

Her eyes locked onto Danzō.

She knew what he’d done. The blood on his hands. The lies. The betrayals. The names he’d erased from history.

And yet, even in his broken state, she felt no pity.

"Shimura Danzō," she whispered, voice soft but sharp as steel.

"Did you ever think about the people you destroyed? The lives you crushed?"

"Feel it now. This fear. This helplessness. This pain."

"This is what they felt."

"Justice may have been absent… but someone must stand in its place."

Danzō’s remaining eye burned into her—into the girl who spoke like a mad prophet, who looked like a monster, yet carried the calm of divine judgment.

Damn you! Damn you! Damn you to hell!

Inside his mind, Zetsu roared in fury. If Danzō had been a true Uchiha, the emotional storm would have been enough to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan.

But it was too late.

—SWISH!

A flash of steel.

The world shattered.

Danzō’s vision was swallowed by a single, blinding slash. His head snapped sideways. The last thing he saw was the iron leg of the bed—then darkness.

The girl had mimicked Iizumi Senior’s killing style perfectly.

One clean, precise strike.

The severed head rolled off the slab, bouncing once, then coming to rest with a wet thud.

Izumi’s face remained stone-cold—until, suddenly, a flush of crimson spread across her cheeks.

She felt it.

The Gift.

Absolute Justice had answered.

Her chakra surged—faster, stronger, vaster than before. The power flooding her veins was overwhelming. More than the last time. More than she could comprehend.

What kind of power… is this?

The same ability as Iizumi Senior’s Mangekyō Sharingan?

---

[System Notification]

> ✅ Mission Complete: A “Red Mark” criminal has been eliminated by a devoted follower of Absolute Justice.

> 🔥 Chakra increased.

> 🎁 New Skill Unlocked: Wood Release Bloodline Limit!

>

> ✅ Uchiha Iizumi has received a massive chakra boost.

> ✅ Uchiha Izumi has passed the final trial of Justice.

> 🎯 New Ability Acquired: Ability to perceive hidden evil in others.

---

Outside the chamber.

Uchiha Iizumi watched the three notifications appear in the air before him. His expression remained still—yet his eyes flickered with something like pride.

She did it.

The clumsy rookie. The hesitant girl.

She had passed.

And Danzō, in his final breath, had given the Ninja World its most unexpected gift—Wood Release Bloodline Limit.

The molten lava dripping from his arm reformed instantly, healing like liquid stone.

Iizumi’s cold gaze softened—just slightly.

Hyūga Menji saw it.

And understood.

It’s over.

Danzō was dead.

Hyūga Menji had never felt such a storm of emotions.

Back when he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi trembling under Iizumi Senior’s relentless criticism—Menji had thought the Hokage was too old, too weak, too soft.

When he saw Uchiha Fugaku ignored so casually by Iizumi Senior, he’d thought the clan head lacked dignity.

But now?

Now he realized—he was the one who had failed.

He hadn’t even dared to move forward with the eight Anbu behind him.

He couldn’t bring himself to storm the chamber.

He couldn’t save Danzō.

Not even for the sake of his own pride.

Menji closed his eyes. A deep, sorrowful breath escaped him.

When he opened them, his gaze was heavy with loss.

He watched the young Uchiha girl walk out of the chamber—bloodied kunai in hand, her face set in grim resolve.

"…Danzō," he whispered.

The pain was unbearable. The sense of loss, of futility, of betrayal—it was like watching a friend die, knowing you could’ve stopped it.

Then, his eyes locked onto Iizumi Senior.

"If I were like Danzō… a man of evil… would you kill me too?"

"Yes," Iizumi Senior said simply.

Menji froze.

A cold shiver ran through him.

Should he be angry?

Or relieved?

Relieved… I’m not the one wearing the Hokage’s gloves.

He remembered—once, long ago, he had wanted to be Root’s leader.

He had fought for it.

If he had won…

Then Danzō would be dead now.

And he would be the one holding the strings.

But that was not the world that had come to be.

---

Behind Iizumi Senior, Izumi wiped the blade clean, slid it back into its sheath, and straightened her posture. Her face was solemn.

"Senior," she said, voice steady. "Shimura Danzō is dead."

She was dazed.

The man who had stood at the highest tier of the village—the Root leader—had fallen to her blade.

Her illusion of power, of status, had shattered.

Even the greats could be judged.

Even the mighty could be killed.

This was Iizumi Senior’s Absolute Justice.

No one was above it.

No exception.

No mercy.

"…Hn."

A slight nod from Iizumi Senior was enough.

His calm gaze swept over Hyūga Menji and the Anbu.

He didn’t speak.

But the silence was heavier than thunder.

Each man felt it—the weight of being watched.

Even if they believed they had done nothing wrong, the fear remained.

The scent of sulfur.

The thick, coppery stench of blood.

It hung in the air like a warning.

Once Justice sees you… there is no escape.

Then—silence.

The figure in black, accompanied by a strange, small cat and the young Uchiha girl, walked away.

"Water Gate… we must report to the Hokage," one Anbu whispered, voice tight.

"Also notify the Shimura Clan. And send a few to guard Danzō’s body. It holds secrets. We can’t let outsiders steal them."

Hyūga Menji exhaled slowly. His shoulders sagged.

He looked older. Weaker.

If Hiruzen were here… he might have saved him.

That was why he was only a consultant.

Not a leader.

"Yes," he murmured. "Do it."

---

Yamanaka Compound – Evening

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on the porch, a wooden pipe between his lips, exhaling a slow stream of smoke.

"Tonight… I might actually get some rest," he muttered, voice weary.

But then his thoughts turned to the chaos Uchiha Iizumi had caused—the scandals, the political messes, the way he’d stirred up the entire village.

Especially the incident with Naruto.

And the matter of the Daimyō’s son.

Compared to that? The death of a single Root operative was just a footnote.

But the Daimyō’s son… that would be hard to hide.

How would he explain that to the Fire Country’s ruler?

Just as he was about to take another drag, a sharp crack echoed through the air.

An Anbu Ninja burst into the Yamanaka Compound, mask intact, voice urgent.

"Hokage-sama! Uchiha Iizumi broke into the Anbu Base tonight—and killed Shimura Danzō!"

Hiruzen: …???

"Cough! Cough—cough!"

The shock was so intense, he choked on his smoke. The wooden pipe in his hand shattered in his grip.

After a long, gasping breath, he threw the broken pieces aside and flung open the door.

"Say that again," he demanded, voice sharp, eyes wide. "Now."

The Anbu repeated it—slowly, clearly, with details.

Hiruzen stood frozen.

Then… a long, quiet breath.

"Danzō… huh."

He had known this day would come.

He had known Iizumi Senior wouldn’t let Danzō live.

But he hadn’t expected it so soon.

And strangely… he didn’t feel sorrow.

Danzō had been a rival.

A shadow at his back.

A man who had once plotted to seize the Hokage seat—and failed only because he was caught.

So why mourn him?

Only shock remained.

How can Iizumi be running nonstop?

Does he never sleep?

Then—suddenly—Hiruzen snapped back.

"Wait!" His eyes narrowed. "Who was with him?"

"A Uchiha girl," the Anbu replied, puzzled. "A young one. From the clan."

"A Uchiha girl?"

Hiruzen exhaled. Relief washed over him.

Thank goodness… not Naruto.

He had been terrified Iizumi Senior might have brought Naruto to kill Danzō—another scandal, another risk.

But this… this was different.

Still, he couldn’t show too much concern for Danzō’s death.

That would be dangerous.

To the world, Danzō was the Hokage’s dark hand.

The hidden blade.

The unspoken truth.

And Hiruzen couldn’t afford to look like he cared.

So he forced his face into a cold, grim expression.

"Take me to Root Base," he said.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

---

Uchiha Compound – Night

Under the moonlight, Uchiha Iizumi walked alone down the silent streets.

Her mentor had told her: “Mission complete. You may return and rest.”

But she couldn’t.

How could I sleep?

She rubbed her hands through her long hair, the memory of Danzō’s head rolling across the floor replaying in her mind.

The weight of it—killing a village leader with my own hands—was strange.

Wrong.

But also… right.

She understood Absolute Justice now.

More deeply.

Iizumi Senior was cold.

He spoke little.

He carried himself like a man who had cut himself off from the world.

But she had learned—only when close to him did she see the truth.

He watched.

He cared.

He protected those he deemed worthy.

And now… she was one of them.

“Huh?”

She stopped.

A sudden chill ran through her.

Her instincts screamed.

In a flash, she drew a kunai from her pouch and threw it behind her—without looking.

Swoosh!

The blade sliced through the air, embedding into the trunk of a tree.

A moment later, a figure stepped from the shadows.

Short. Familiar.

The Anbu mask was off.

And on the left side of the mask—a fresh cut, from her kunai.

The face beneath was one she would never forget.

"...Uchiha Itachi."

Her hand flew to her sword hilt.

Three Tomoe Sharingan flared to life.

She took a step back, eyes locked on the man who had once been her closest friend.

"You dare come back to the Uchiha Compound?" Her voice was ice. "If I scream, half the clan will come running. And they’ll kill you."

She spoke like a stranger.

Itachi didn’t flinch.

He studied her—quiet, unreadable.

"I saw you leave Root Base with Iizumi Senior," he said. "I went in. They told me Danzō is dead. And you killed him."

He tilted his head slightly.

"Izumi… you’ve changed."

His voice was soft. Hollow.

"Are you going to stand against the village now?"

The air turned to ice.

The two stood in silence.

The past, the betrayal, the lies—hovered between them.

And for the first time, the world felt like it was ending.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end