Chapter 109: Lord Danzō, Mvp of the Battlefield

Chapter 109: Lord Danzō, Mvp of the Battlefield

Thousands of Human Puppets—pure and hybrid models alike—formed the Human Puppet Legion. The moment they appeared, they launched coordinated attacks exclusively targeting the Cloud ninja wearing vests.

Some extended their arms into razor-sharp blades, while others fired golden Light Bullets with piercing whistles, unleashing relentless barrages.

The ninja’s discipline was remarkable.

Even under the violent shockwaves of sound-based attacks, the Barrier Team and Medical Team gritted through the agony, directing villagers to evacuate. Since the Human Puppet Legion ignored civilians, the evacuation proceeded smoothly.

The remaining ninja engaged the Human Puppet Legion head-on.

“Lightning Release!”

A golden-haired woman, whose raw power rivaled Tsunade’s, slashed her short blade backward, igniting a dazzling arc of electricity in the night sky. Her strike shattered a Human Puppet into splinters.

Examining the wreckage—only weapons and Light Bullet residue—Samui glanced at her comrades battling other puppets. These foes wielded all Five Chakra Natures effortlessly, even simplifying techniques to one or two hand seals. Her brow furrowed. “Watch out for the ones using Ninjutsu! They’re made from corpses, which means they might retain their original abilities—even Bloodline Limits!”

“Look, these corpses all wear Hidden Leaf forehead protectors!”

“Same here—Sunagakure protectors!”

“Otogakure protectors too—all rogue ninja insignia.”

“I remember now! Months ago, Hidden Leaf faced Orochimaru, Sunagakure, and Akatsuki’s Hidden Leaf Destruction Plan. Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Root’s leader Danzō Shimura, and their forces were wiped out. Akatsuki’s Sasori of the Red Sand took the corpses from all three villages to make these Human Puppets.”

“Damn Hidden Leaf and Sunagakure! Even in death, they’re causing us trouble?!”

The other Cloud ninja quickly noticed the legion’s anomalies, shouting updates across the battlefield. Teams swiftly adapted, targeting enemy traits with counter-tactics.

Unbeknownst to them, the forehead protectors were decoys designed to mislead.

Each Human Puppet operated until its Chakra Core depleted, wielding only Five Chakra Natures, Secret Techniques, or Forbidden Techniques. If the original host possessed a Bloodline Limit or unique skill, the puppet replicated it—even surpassing the original’s capabilities.

When enemies identified their techniques and countered, the puppets suddenly unleashed abilities unrelated to their former identities or villages, securing decisive intelligence advantages—often ending in fatal strikes.

The Izayoi strategy proved devastatingly effective.

Aburame Torune unleashed swarms of toxic insects. As they brushed past two vest-clad Cloud ninja, the victims collapsed, screaming.

A comrade shouted, “It’s the Aburame clan’s poison bug master! Avoid his insects at all costs!”

Drawing his ninja blade, he channeled Shape Transformation Lightning Release chakra through his body and lunged at Torune.

But the next moment, he froze in shock.

Torune suddenly formed hand seals and spat a massive fireball.

The Great Fireball Technique!

The Cloud ninja vanished in flames, his screams cut short.

Other Human Puppets exploited similar tactics, turning the tide with unexpected techniques to wound or kill.

Meanwhile, the purely mechanical Human Puppets—outmatched in direct combat—divided tasks. Some supported their kin by firing Light Bullets to harass the Cloud forces. Others scavenged fallen Cloud ninja and buried corpses, vanishing under Ranmaru’s Shōgan illusions.

As casualties mounted, spectral beams—visible only to the Izayoi—rose from the dead, racing into the distance.

But the Human Puppet Legion’s advantage was fleeting. Veteran Cloud Special Jōnin and Jōnin soon adapted.

Cloud ninja skilled in close-quarters combat shifted focus to the purely mechanical puppets, exploiting their need to close in. Ranged specialists bombarded the Human Puppets with Ninjutsu, forcing them to expend chakra defending.

Sensing ninja soon relayed critical intel: “Their chakra reserves are finite! They can’t regenerate or use Soldier Pills!”

The Cloud forces brightened. Special Jōnin exchanged covert hand signals—switching to attrition tactics.

The Human Puppet Legion’s intelligence edge crumbled.

“Storm Release!”

Darui isolated Aburame Torune, the legion’s ace, and unleashed searing laser beams, incinerating his insects to keep the threat pinned.

Similarly, Shi, another Cloud ace, targeted Yamanaka Fū—a Human Puppet capable of Mind-Body Switching—and neutralized a second key commander.

With the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails jinchūriki absent and the Fourth Raikage yet to engage, the Human Puppet Legion found itself overwhelmed.

A Wood Clone guarding Ranmaru muttered, “Impressive… Even hundreds of Human Puppets can’t crush the strongest village so easily.”

Suddenly, the Wood Clone stiffened. Activating Shōgangenjutsu, it cloaked itself and Ranmaru in illusions.

Its Rinnegan had spotted a third party.

White Zetsu Clones, infiltrating Kumogakure via Mimicry Technique, emerged from ruins using Mayfly Technique to mask their presence. They observed the battle, seeking the legion’s mastermind.

Unsurprisingly, White Zetsu now knew the situation. Obito Uchiha might already be en route.

“Time to end this. Reveal my trump card… my ace!”

Izayoi transmitted orders to the Wood Clone controlling the Human Puppet Legion.

Whoosh—

A kunai cloaked in darkness soared above the Cloud Ninja forces locked in a ranged battle with the Human Puppet Legion.

Suddenly, the kunai multiplied, each clone materializing into solid replicas that rained down like a storm.

The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!

“Watch the sky! Scatter now!”

A sensor ninja detected the chakra overhead and shouted a warning.

“Wind Release!”

A versatile jonin, skilled in multiple nature transformations, unleashed a gust of wind to counter.

Pop-pop-pop…

The wind popped the incoming kunai, releasing thick white mist.

Yet some kunai slipped through. The Cloud ninjas, masters of taijutsu and high-speed movement, dodged effortlessly.

But the next second—

A black flash, nearly invisible in the night, sliced through the ranks. Cold steel glinted as it carved through the nearest Cloud ninjas.

Squelch-squelch-squelch—

Overlapping sounds of flesh tearing erupted.

“Too… fast!”

A jonin, unable to glimpse their attacker, barely gasped before death silenced him.

Swish—

After annihilating the surrounding ninjas, the black flash revealed itself: Lord Danzō, clad in Akatsuki robes, his face cold, a ninja blade in hand. His right eye’s tomoe Sharingan shifted into a shuriken shape, glowing piercing crimson.

A Cloud ninja met his gaze and froze, entranced.

Danzō vanished, reappearing before the dazed ninja. A palm strike sent him flying, marked with a Flying Thunder God seal.

Unaware, two ninjas instinctively caught their falling comrade. The black flash reappeared—steel gleamed, slicing through their armor with a mix of lightning and wind chakra. Blood hadn’t even spurted before Danzō vanished.

They didn’t even have time for a final word.

Squelch-squelch-squelch…

Danzō’s Sharingan spun. Combining lightning and wind chakra, he accelerated beyond limits, weaving through the Cloud forces like a phantom.

To his Mangekyō’s foresight, their famed speed made them as still as statues. His blade, enhanced by wind for sharpness or lightning for penetration, cut them down like wheat.

For those who resisted, genjutsu froze them mid-motion. A slash, a seal, a throw—thirty seconds claimed over a hundred lives.

Only now did they recognize him.

“It’s Danzō Shimura, the Leaf Elder!”

“Scatter! Avoid the kunai—it’s the Flying Thunder God Technique!”

“Don’t touch fallen comrades! That’s the Second and Fourth Hokage’s technique!”

Screams shattered the formation. Two thousand strong, yet they fled like prey. The Flying Thunder God’s terror reigned supreme—a time-space ninjutsu that earned the Hokage the title of fastest ninja.

As the Cloud forces scattered, the Human Puppet Legion seized the moment, unleashing devastating elemental attacks. Beams of light pierced the sky. Puppets with dwindling chakra carried fallen enemies away, vanishing via Shōgan’s stealth.

But the advantage was fleeting.

“Raikō Ken: Raijin’s Wrath!”

As Danzō slaughtered, the Fourth Raikage finally intervened. A blue lightning-clad figure descended, his kick a war axe cleaving the air.

Danzō vanished. The Raikage’s strike cratered the earth where he stood.

“It’s the Raikage!”

The Cloud forces rallied. “Survive! Ignore the puppets!” he commanded. “The village can rebuild—your lives matter!”

“Understood, Raikage-sama!” They regrouped into tactical squads, prioritizing defense over offense, bombarding the puppets with ranged attacks.

“The battle’s decided.”

“Kumo’s unity is unmatched.”

White Zetsu clones, hidden via Mayfly Technique, observed. “The mysterious one will appear soon.”

The Human Puppet Legion retreated, expending their last chakra in a fiery barrage. Hundreds vanished, leaving no trace. Even the Byakugan couldn’t pierce Shōgan’s illusions.

The battlefield emptied, leaving only Danzō—his blade dripping, the undisputed Mvp.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end