NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38: Chapter:38
Danzo chose not to involve members of the Shimura clan in his plan. After all, he wasn't like Sarutobi Hiruzen, who needed to maintain the image of the Hokage by staying in the public eye and avoiding the use of his direct Anbu forces.
Danzo, however, didn't have such concerns. He didn't need his subordinates' affection; all he required was the use of his tongue-eradication seals to guarantee their loyalty.
As Danzo relished his own cleverness, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, followed by a wave of nausea. He clutched his stomach, and his cane slipped from his grasp.
"Lord Danzo, are you alright?"
Seeing this, his trusted subordinates, Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fu, quickly appeared at his side to support him.
"I'm fine, just caught a cold last night," Danzo replied, waving them off, though sweat dripped from his forehead. Pushing past the discomfort, he issued orders to his Root forces. "Let's go."
In an instant, hundreds of Root ninjas disappeared from the courtyard, heading towards the Anbu base, with Danzo following closely behind, supported by Torune and Fu.
Tonight was the night Danzo, following the will of the Second Hokage, would wipe out the Uchiha clan. He couldn't let years of planning be derailed by a minor stomach ache.
Meanwhile, on a high rooftop near the Shimura clan compound, Kirito stood silently.
"Kirito, I've already set up the barrier. Every Shimura clan member is here except Danzo. Shall we begin?" asked Black Zetsu, emerging from the building beside Kirito alongside White Zetsu.
"Of course, I'm in a hurry," Kirito replied as he closed his eyes, carefully sensing the area. "Seventy-eight people. This Shimura clan sure is full of talent. Danzo must've focused all his efforts on the Root."
With that, Kirito donned his Anbu mask and vanished from the platform, reappearing in front of the Shimura clan's gates.
"Who are you? What business do you have here?" barked two guards stationed at the entrance. Due to the Anbu's secrecy and Kirito's habit of not using the front door, they didn't recognize him.
Without hesitation, Kirito drew his blade, his killing intent palpable. The guards raised their weapons to block him, but he moved faster than they could react.
"I'm here to kill your clan," he said coldly.
In an instant, Kirito activated his body flicker technique, moving so quickly he seemed to teleport several feet with each step. Before the guards could respond, they lay in pools of their own blood, and Kirito entered the Shimura mansion.
What followed was a one-sided massacre.
"That movement speed rivals the Fourth Raikage's. No wonder he could keep up with Obito," White Zetsu remarked from the rooftop, watching the slaughter unfold.
Black Zetsu, with his usual hoarse voice, added, "No, it's even faster. When he fought Obito, it was much faster than this. If Obito didn't have Izanagi, he would've died."
"Alright, let's not get distracted," Black Zetsu continued. "The Shimura clan has no real talents left. Kirito will finish them in a minute or two."
"This is the heart of Konoha. If someone passes by, it could get exposed. We need to clean up the bodies at the entrance and head to the Sarutobi clan to watch the battle. Since the Third Hokage took office, the Sarutobi clan has been quietly growing. It's now as large as the Uchiha, with no shortage of Chunin and Jonin. We might see something interesting there."
White Zetsu's interest was piqued. "That's something I'm looking forward to."
With that, the two disappeared back into the building, leaving Kirito to his task.
Having finished with the Shimura clan, Kirito quickly moved to the highest point of the Sarutobi compound. He closed his eyes to sense the chakra in the area. There were more than two thousand Sarutobi clan members present, including Sarutobi Konohamaru. Among them were over thirty individuals with Jonin-level chakra, seven to eight hundred Chunins, and countless Genin.
"The Third Hokage has really been quietly amassing power," Kirito muttered to himself. "No wonder the Sarutobi clan formed a small army during the Fourth War."
At that moment, Black Zetsu appeared beside him, having cleaned up the aftermath of the Shimura massacre.
"The Shimura clan has been taken care of. Unless Danzo returns soon, no one will notice for a while," Black Zetsu said. "But what are you going to do about the Sarutobi clan? There are so many of them, and I can't guarantee that all the key players are present. It'll be difficult for you to handle them alone."
Kirito smirked. "Who said I'm going to kill them all?"
With a hand sign, a puff of smoke appeared, and when it cleared, twenty-five shadow clones stood beside Kirito.
"I left an offering for Danzo. I can't let the Third Hokage be shown favoritism," Kirito said. "And I'm not alone."
With that, twenty-six Kirito clones vanished from the rooftop, heading toward the Sarutobi clan compound. This plan was about swift, decisive action with minimal noise. Too many clones would draw attention, but with twenty-five clones, each could handle seventy to eighty opponents easily. The battle would be over in the time it took to burn a stick of incense.
As for the incense left for the Third Hokage, Kirito planned to leave Konohamaru alive—though not unscathed.
According to the timeline from the original events, Asuma should be in a dango shop with Kurenai Yuhi, Genma Shiranui, and Might Guy. By the time the clan was exterminated, Asuma would likely return.
The Third Hokage would have no time to grieve, but there would still be a chance for Sarutobi to continue the family legacy. Kirito planned to leave Sarutobi's youngest son to ensure the clan's future.
Meanwhile, White Zetsu, watching the twenty-six Kiritos move swiftly through the compound, marveled, "What an unbelievable amount of chakra. Even after splitting it twenty-six ways, the amount Kirito retains is terrifying."
"Of course," Black Zetsu replied. "That's the power of sage chakra. It can amplify the user's chakra by several times, if not dozens. Kirito's chakra was already monstrous. In sage mode, creating over twenty shadow clones barely affects his overall strength."
(End of the Chapter).(Updated to Ch-65).
🖤John_smith| Patreon🖤
Visit my Patreon for more:
https://www.patreon.com/john_smith_
Extra Content Already Available.