Chapter 63: Lightning Release: Kirin, Annihilating Root, Danzo’s Death

Inside the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been continuously watching the battle at the Naka River through his crystal ball.

At first, when he saw Uchiha Reiji’s powerful Fire Release and Lightning Release, Hiruzen wasn’t particularly surprised.

Reiji had already demonstrated both of these abilities on the battlefield against the Hidden Mist.

The only thing that could be considered somewhat unexpected was the strength of his ninjutsu.

He could actually forcibly ignore elemental disadvantages!

Fire Release overpowering Water Release, and Lightning Release overpowering Wind Release!

However.

Even if his ninjutsu was merely more powerful than normal, it was nothing extraordinary.

Facing dozens of Root elites, Uchiha Reiji’s chakra was ultimately limited.

There was no way he could release his ninjutsu without restraint.

The one thing that both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo truly feared was the fact that Uchiha Reiji had mastered the Eight Gates.

No one dared to underestimate this forbidden technique!

However.

Although Hiruzen had previously tried to indirectly ask Might Guy about Reiji’s progress in training the Eight Gates, Guy had been completely forthcoming.

The problem was that the information he knew only covered Reiji’s progress before he became a Chunin.

On the crystal ball.

When Hiruzen saw Uchiha Reiji’s entire body become enveloped in green chakra flames, he instead relaxed.

If it was only the Sixth Gate, Danzo should still be able to handle him.

"Even Dream Eater has been summoned. Looks like the battle is about to end..."

Seeing Dream Eater’s enormous body through the crystal ball, Hiruzen became even more confident.

However!

He suddenly saw Uchiha Reiji surrounded by blue waves of energy!

Immediately!

Hiruzen’s heart jolted violently.

The Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates!

That Uchiha Reiji had actually reached this level already?

He was only twelve years old!

At most, he had trained the Eight Gates for five years!

Watching Uchiha Reiji kill Dream Eater outright and then brutally overwhelm the Root forces, Hiruzen immediately stood up and prepared to head over to provide support.

However.

After standing up, he hesitated again.

Could Danzo actually defeat Uchiha Reiji?

If he couldn’t, then there was still a point in going over to provide support.

But if Reiji ultimately ran out of stamina and was exhausted to death by Root, then wouldn’t rushing over now be pointless?

Moreover... doing so would allow Root to preserve more of its strength.

At the thought of this, Hiruzen became even more hesitant.

Danzo’s Root had grown increasingly powerful over the years, and its strength was not much inferior to that of his Anbu.

Furthermore!

Even he, the Hokage, could not fully command the shinobi of Root.

As Hokage, he didn’t even have such strong control over his own Anbu!

If... he could use this opportunity to weaken Danzo’s Root forces, his own position would become even more secure.

With this thought.

In the end, Hiruzen’s desire to wait and see what happened prevailed.

"Let’s watch a little longer. There are still quite a few Root shinobi who can continue fighting. They should be able to hold out until Uchiha Reiji’s Eight Gates..."

Hiruzen comforted himself inwardly.

He then abandoned his plan to provide support.

Instead, he continued watching the battle through the crystal ball.

Inside the barrier beside the Naka River.

Reiji gradually began to feel that he was running out of strength.

Ultimately, he was still too young.

He couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

Even with all kinds of talents, at only twelve years old, there was no way for him to fully bring out their potential.

"His chakra level is rapidly declining!"

A Root sensor ninja spoke, his voice filled with unconcealable delight!

For a moment.

All the remaining Root shinobi were invigorated.

They nearly felt like crying tears of joy.

Earlier, in order to stop Uchiha Reiji after he opened the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates, they had taken turns throwing themselves into the fight.

More than fifty Root shinobi had participated in this operation.

Now, fewer than ten remained...

And every single one of them was injured, with almost no chakra left!

The enormous Root organization had practically mobilized all its forces, and they had almost been wiped out completely by Reiji!

Now!

It was finally their turn to take revenge!

"Phew..."

Danzo also couldn’t help letting out a sigh of relief.

Today’s battle was finally coming to an end.

Although he had not expected Reiji to be able to open the Seventh Gate, resulting in tremendous losses, eliminating him ahead of schedule meant this operation had not been a loss.

Otherwise, if Reiji were allowed another year or two to grow...

The entire Root organization combined might not be enough to kill him!

"Don’t waste any time. Go and kill him directly, then quickly clean up the battlefield and forge the evidence."

Danzo ordered his subordinates.

Afterward, they would need to disguise this battlefield as the scene of an attack by enemy-village spies.

That way, the Uchiha clan would have no idea that Uchiha Reiji had been killed by him, and they would have no choice but to swallow their anger.

"You guys... seem to think you’ve got me cornered?"

Suddenly.

A mocking smile appeared on Reiji’s lips.

He raised his head toward the barrier in the sky and unleashed a Lightning Release technique:

"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"

Its tremendous penetrating power directly tore a hole through the barrier.

And above the barrier...

Were the dark clouds formed from the massive amount of water vapor earlier.

Faint flashes of lightning appeared within them, accompanied by continuous rumbling thunder.

A sensation that made everyone’s scalp tingle enveloped the entire battlefield.

This was the power of nature!

The remaining Root shinobi stood frozen in place, practically afraid to move.

This was heavenly might!

What kind of ninjutsu was this?

Was this really an enemy they could defeat?

"All of you, immediately go and kill Uchiha Reiji!"

At this critical moment, Danzo’s entire body trembled before he was the first to react.

No matter what kind of ninjutsu it was, it ultimately had to have a caster controlling it.

If they killed Uchiha Reiji, then the technique above their heads would naturally no longer pose a threat.

Immediately, Danzo did not dare delay any longer.

While ordering his subordinates forward, he charged directly toward Reiji!

"Unfortunately, it’s too late."

The lightning illuminated Reiji’s face.

A deafening roar resounded through the heavens!

The ferocious lightning beast, Kirin, descended directly from the clouds!

The damaged Four Violet Flames Formation was like paper before it, unable to provide even the slightest obstruction.

Boom!

The enormous lightning beast crashed down, directly swallowing Shimura Danzo!

The ground across the battlefield looked as though it had been plowed over.

Mud flew everywhere, and river water splashed in all directions!

After a long while, Kirin dissipated.

Only tiny traces of lightning remained, faintly flickering across the ground.

Reiji waved toward the distance and shouted an order:

"Move immediately! Finish off the remaining ones!"

One or two Root shinobi had been far enough away to narrowly avoid the core area of Kirin’s attack.

Furthermore.

The four Root shinobi who had maintained the barrier were still alive!

From the woods nearby.

More than a dozen Uchiha shinobi wearing the uniforms of the Police Force rushed out.

Without the slightest hesitation, they charged toward the Root shinobi.

According to Reiji’s earlier arrangements.

After he was surrounded, Uchiha Yahua would notify the Second Division.

Then, the entire division’s shinobi would assemble and be responsible for eliminating any stragglers Reiji had not managed to kill.

After witnessing the battle just now.

In the eyes of these Uchiha shinobi, Reiji was practically like a god!

With his own strength alone, he had nearly annihilated Danzo and the entire Root organization!

The grudge between the Uchiha clan and Danzo had existed for a very long time.

After the Nine-Tails’ attack, Danzo had even demanded that the Uchiha relocate their clan compound.

Now.

The Uchiha shinobi showed no mercy whatsoever as they slaughtered the Root forces.

As for Reiji.

He quietly stared at the devastated battlefield, waiting for something.

At the instant Kirin descended just now, he had seen Shimura Danzo form some kind of hand seal.

And after that, Danzo’s body had disappeared.

Clearly, he had activated Izanagi.

"He actually had another Sharingan..."

Reiji clicked his tongue.

During the previous attack on Shisui, Danzo should have already used one Sharingan.

He had no idea where Danzo had obtained his Sharingan from.

But.

None of that mattered.

He had killed Danzo once.

Now he could kill him a second time!

Today, Danzo had to die, and Root had to be completely annihilated!

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi came, it wouldn’t matter.

Suddenly remembering something, Reiji called out to Uchiha Lihuo, who was currently helping eliminate the Root shinobi:

"Lihuo, go wait in that direction. If Hiruzen Sarutobi comes, hold him off for a while if you can."

He was pointing toward the direction of the Hokage Building.

If Hiruzen was already on his way, it would be best to have someone delay him first.

Uchiha Lihuo acknowledged the order and departed.

Inside the Hokage Building.

After seeing the dark clouds in the crystal ball, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately rushed toward the Naka River!

He deeply regretted his earlier decision to use Uchiha Reiji to weaken Danzo’s Root forces.

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