Danzō swiftly reached for Naruto's eye!
Gouging out an eye barehanded was not a reckless move; with Izanagi, any damage could be turned into an illusion, giving Danzō the confidence to attempt it.
Failure had no consequence, and success would be a significant gain. Why not take the chance?
"Danzō, did you obtain Shisui's right eye in the same manner?" Naruto murmured, his left eye narrowing.
—Shinra Tensei.
Boom!
"Ugh...!!" The powerful repulsive force sent Danzō flying backward!
"Shinra Tensei, a technique that emits an omnidirectional repulsive force from the user, deflecting physical and ninjutsu attacks alike. It's a flawless offensive and defensive move..."
Whoosh! Danzō's battered form dissipated like a mirage, his true body appearing close to Naruto.
"But the five-second interval between uses is its weakness!"
...
It's worth noting that during Pain's attack on Konoha, Danzō and his Root stayed underground, observing the battle.
The intelligence Jiraiya and Konoha gathered on the Rinnegan through their battles was also in Root's possession.
Danzō's original plan was to intervene after Pain and Konoha weakened each other, thus weakening Tsunade's faction and boosting his own standing to take the spotlight.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned... Naruto returned from Mount Myōboku and defeated Pain.
...
Whoosh!
Danzō, in mid-charge, flicked a kunai from his sleeve, aiming directly at Naruto's face!
Naruto closed his eyes briefly, his hidden shadow clone dispelling and feeding back Sage Chakra, synchronizing his main body into Sage Mode!
Whoosh!
He dodged the kunai, grabbed Danzō's arm with his right hand, and formed a Rasengan in his left, striking Danzō's chest!
—Sage Art: Rasengan!
"Ugh!!!"
The Rasengan exploded, leaving Danzō's chest a bloody mess!
Thud! Naruto kicked Danzō, sending him crashing through three trees before stopping, snow covering him.
Moments later, Izanagi's effect manifested, healing all his injuries.
Danzō stood up, brushing off the snow, and calmly said, "Sage Mode enhances sensory and physical abilities significantly, and combined with the Rinnegan's powers, it's nearly flawless..."
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He smirked. "But no matter how strong you are, Izanagi makes me invincible!"
Whoosh!
Danzō formed hand seals, took a deep breath, and his wrinkled face tightened towards his mouth.
—Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!
Biu! Biu! Biu!
Danzō exhaled, shooting Wind Release chakra like bullets, covering a wide area at high speed...!
Whoosh!
Naruto dodged, weaving through the gaps between the Vacuum Bullets, rapidly closing in on Danzō.
"You like using Wind Release too, so I'll return the favor..."
As Danzō's Vacuum Bullets ended, Naruto created shadow clones, combining them with the Rasengan's nature transformation. Seconds later, the sound of wind whistled, sending chills down the spine!
Naruto spun elegantly, hurling the deadly weapon at Danzō!
—Sage Art: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!
Danzō couldn't avoid it, the wind blades striking him, sending him flying... Boom!!
Boom! Boom! The powerful spiral storm exploded, engulfing Danzō and the surrounding forest!
Whoosh!
Danzō reappeared twenty meters away, looking at the devastation with a moved expression.
"Integrating nature transformation into the Rasengan, combined with Sage Chakra, turning it into a long-range attack, is the pinnacle of Wind Release... But unfortunately, such a stunning jutsu will vanish from the ninja world today!"
He looked at his right arm, where the first Sharingan had closed completely, and the second was counting down.
He thought: "Naruto has the Rinnegan and Sage power, with many lethal techniques. To be cautious, I can't afford to conserve chakra and deactivate Izanagi midway. Nine eyes, roughly nine minutes of Izanagi's duration..."
"Fortunately, Naruto's Sage Mode can't be maintained indefinitely like the First Hokage. According to intelligence, Naruto can replenish Sage Chakra with up to two shadow clones during battle. Using that Wind Release Sage Art also accelerates Sage Chakra consumption, risking Sage Mode deactivation."
"Given this, I still have a good chance within nine minutes. Keep up the pressure, find an opening, take his left eye, and the victory will be mine!"
Whoosh!
With his strategy set, Danzō formed seals and took a deep breath.
—Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!!
Boom!!
The powerful Wind Release turned into a shockwave, blasting towards Naruto's position, carrying snow with it!
Naruto intended to save Shinra Tensei for close-range defense. The Rinnegan's Six Paths abilities were versatile, offering many options.
Facing the incoming Vacuum Great Sphere, Naruto extended his left hand, forming a sealing barrier in his palm.
—Preta Path!
Whoosh!
The Vacuum Great Sphere rapidly shrank, absorbed by the Preta Path...
"That's the Rinnegan's ability to absorb ninjutsu..."
Whoosh! Danzō quickly unfolded a stack of explosive tags, detonating himself on the spot!
With Izanagi active, he could choose his resurrection location, using this feature to appear behind Naruto for a surprise attack!
"..." Naruto continued absorbing the ninjutsu, glancing back with his peripheral vision.
Danzō smirked, calculating: Yes... use that repulsive force on me. That five-second interval will give me an opening!
But Naruto's lips curled into a playful smile.
He reached into his ninja tool pouch, pulling out a smoke bomb and throwing it to the ground.
Boom!!
Smoke filled the area, obscuring the view...!
Danzō slowed his steps. "What? A smoke bomb??"
In the brief hesitation, Naruto finished absorbing the ninjutsu, forming seals and turning elegantly.
—Sage Art: Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!
Boom! Roaring flames instantly blocked Danzō's path.
The two faced off from a distance of several meters.
Naruto raised his hand, smiling faintly. "I just find these eye abilities interesting, so I use them frequently. You don't think I've forgotten how to walk just because I learned to run, do you?"
"..." Danzō was speechless, looking at his right arm. The second Sharingan had closed completely, and the third was halfway through its countdown.
Izanagi had consumed a quarter of its duration, yet he hadn't gained any advantage!
Izanagi was powerful, but as time passed, chakra depletion increased, making it a risky technique!
Naruto said thoughtfully, "Is it okay? Almost three eyes down, and my chakra is still plentiful."
Danzō clenched his fist, then relaxed it, a smile spreading across his wrinkled face.
"Naruto, I've seen many things in my life and never misjudged anyone. You have the potential for darkness, and there's no better soil for you than Root."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "So?"
Danzō made a shocking proposal. "So, let's join forces. I've reached the position of Hokage and can't stay in Root. If you agree, I'll appoint you as Root's leader. What do you say...?"