Chapter 76: I Hope You Deserve My Trust, Fugaku

The Root ninja stood frozen, silenced by shock. Danzō had once again been consumed by the Heavenly Punishment Flame—Shun’s domain. And the Root ninja knew full well the consequence of invoking the Shinigami Binding. Regardless of success or failure, the caster would pay with their own life to summon the Death God. This was one of the most dangerous S-rank Forbidden Techniques recorded in the Leaf Village’s sealed scrolls.

In the moment of hesitation… he suddenly realized both of his comrades were staring at him with predatory intensity.

Gen clenched his teeth. Taking a deep breath, he began forming seals at lightning speed—

Snake, Dog, Goat, Rabbit, Dog… Snake!

Nine seals completed. As Danzō activated Izanagi once more, Gen threw caution to the wind, slamming both palms onto the ground. His chakra was instantly drained—nearly half his life force sapped in an instant. His cheeks visibly caved in.

“Ninja Art…”

“Shinigami Binding!!!”

Danzō felt nothing—but Gen froze, as if struck by ice. A chilling sensation flooded his back. When he dared to glance over his shoulder, a colossal, ominous shadow of the Death God loomed in his vision.

… This… was the Death God?!

Gen’s eyes widened in terror. The Death God’s arm, etched with grotesque, spiraling seals, pierced through his body in an instant. The limb extended, grasping Danzō tightly.

The power of the Death God seeped through Danzō’s flesh, slowly pulling his soul from his body.

“Wait…” Danzō gasped, struggling to speak. “Wait… four seconds… let the Izanagi effect end…”

Four seconds. A blink.

Under the Root ninja’s desperate, near-breaking will, the Death God’s shadowy maw spat out a short blade. The other arm seized it, and the immense phantom body leaned forward—slicing down at Danzō’s soul at the legs.

But the cut was too high. Almost severed his soul in half.

The agony of soul-level pain made Danzō’s eyes bulge wider than any man’s should.

“Seal…

Seal!!”

In his final breath, Gen screamed those two words. At that very instant, Danzō’s severed soul—held aloft by the Death God—exploded in a crimson torrent of Divine Retribution Flame.

The flame erupted from the moment of his soul’s ignition, and the Death God’s terrifying visage flickered with a trace of genuine shock. For a fleeting second, its hollow eyes betrayed something almost human—confusion.

At that same moment, another Root ninja acted swiftly, slicing off Danzō’s physical legs with a kunai, then yanking the upper half of his body away from the severed lower half.

Danzō’s physical legs ignited in Divine Retribution Flame instantly.

“Danzō-sama! Success!” The Root ninja, bloodstained and breathless, lowered his head to report.

But before Danzō could even begin to relax, the searing agony returned—worse than before, tearing through his spirit and will. He collapsed into utter disarray.

“Gh—! H-how…? Why does it still—ahhhhh!!!”

His legs were gone—soul and flesh severed. Yet the pain remained, relentless, unyielding. Like a curse clinging to his soul, impossible to eradicate.

Even though the Divine Retribution Flame and his soul were sealed within the Death God’s grasp, the connection endured. Or perhaps… the flame’s power surpassed even the Death God’s.

The seal could not stop the burning.

The Absolute Justice flame—unrelenting, merciless—consumed every sin Danzō had ever committed. No moment of respite. No mercy.

The Root ninja holding the bloodied blade stared, stunned. He realized Danzō had celebrated too soon. And Danzō’s last desperate move had only deepened his torment.

Uchiha Iizumi’s dōjutsu…

Was it truly unsolvable?

…

Not long after, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s Anbu ninjas finally arrived.

The moment they entered the scene, they were met with a sight that chilled their bones: not the triumphant return of Shimura Danzō—but a half-body of the once-unchallenged Root leader, missing his lower half entirely.

And that half was screaming in agony unlike anything they’d ever heard—wails that echoed like the tormented cries of demons.

Amidst the screams, they heard fragmented pleas:

“Why…?”

“How… is this possible…?”

“I can’t take it…!”

“Kill me… please… just kill me…”

The Anbu ninjas exchanged uneasy glances. Their skin crawled.

This… was the Leaf’s Root?

Was he still sane?

“…Danzō. We’ll take over from here,” one Anbu said, eyeing the two fallen Root ninja corpses. He turned to the two remaining Root members, who stood frozen, uncertain. “This is Hokage-sama’s order. And… Shimura Danzō is no longer the Root leader. He is no longer your superior. So, are you going to stop us?”

The Root ninja said nothing.

…

Outside the Yamanaka Clan residence, nearly a thousand Leaf ninjas—drawn by the commotion—finally dispersed after the conflict ended.

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Fugaku, his tone layered with quiet weight.

“Fugaku… thank you for standing by me tonight.”

Fugaku’s eyes had returned to their normal state. His expression was heavy.

“Hokage-sama… this is what the Uchiha clan should have done. I never wished for civil war in the Leaf. If Iizumi ever steps out of line, I will do everything in my power to stop him.”

He paused.

“After all… Iizumi’s Justice is only his version of Absolute Justice—not the Leaf’s. He rarely sees the village as his true priority.”

Fugaku exhaled slowly.

“I am the head of the Uchiha clan… and I failed to control my own people. That is my fault.”

Hiruzen shook his head.

“You need not apologize. Not even I can truly control Iizumi. I know better than anyone how impossible he is to rein in.”

He placed a hand on Fugaku’s shoulder.

“Hope you deserve my trust, Fugaku.”

With those words, Hiruzen turned and fixed a deeply troubled gaze on the figure ahead—Uchiha Iizumi, standing motionless in the ruins.

Tonight…

Would be another sleepless night.

…

Yamana Haiichi finally emerged from the wreckage of the Yamanaka Clan residence. Behind him trailed the elders and children of his clan. He lifted his trembling daughter, Yamana Ino, into his arms.

The usually stoic Leaf jonin now wore an expression of raw relief—terrified that his people had been caught in Danzō’s wrath.

After setting Ino down, he took her small hand and hurried toward Uchiha Iizumi.

“…Iizumi.”

Iizumi paused, turning.

“Thank you.”

From the scorched ruins, Yamana Haiichi knew Iizumi had held back. The damage to the surrounding buildings had been caused by Wind Release—clearly, Iizumi had restrained his Molten Release to protect the Yamanaka Clan’s territory.

“Whatever form your Absolute Justice takes in the Leaf… the Yamanaka Clan will stand with you.”

Yamana Haiichi spoke with solemn certainty.

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end