345. Take My Blade

"Has the battle... ended?"

Asuma stared at the gradually calming battlefield, his fingers trembling slightly.

The once bustling streets had now turned into vast stretches of ruins and forests after the battle. To an outsider, it might have looked like the remnants of a lost civilization...

This was the power of top-tier shinobi—a single battle could completely alter the terrain.

And Asuma finally realized the gap between himself and a top-tier powerhouse like Danzō.

But where was his father? Could it be that...

A terrifying thought suddenly crossed Asuma's mind.

At that moment, a figure appeared beside him.

"Asuma, where's the old man?"

The newcomer had white hair—it was Jiraiya, who had rushed to the scene!

Although Koharu had repeatedly urged Hiruzen to inform Jiraiya and involve him in this operation before the plan began, Hiruzen had outright refused.

Clearly, he didn't want his disciple to get caught up in this matter.

However, Koharu had secretly leaked the information to Jiraiya, which was why he had hurriedly appeared here.

Seeing Jiraiya's arrival, Asuma felt as if he had found a lifeline and quickly summarized what had happened.

After listening, a raging fury surged in Jiraiya's heart.

"That damn Danzō, how dare he act so lawlessly!"

Although he had always held some reservations about Danzō, Jiraiya had occasionally changed his opinion of him due to Danzō's heroic performances on the battlefield.

He had thought that while Danzō was a bit extreme, he wasn't entirely bad...

But now, Danzō had committed such an outrageous act!

Not only did he attempt to overthrow the Daimyō, but he also attacked his own teacher!

This crossed Jiraiya's bottom line.

Clenching his fists, Jiraiya immediately charged toward the forest without another word.

However, before he could step into the battlefield, Danzō's figure slowly emerged from the woods.

Walking beside him was a visibly exhausted Hiruzen!

"Jiraiya, Asuma..."

Seeing the two of them, a sense of foreboding rose in Hiruzen's heart.

Sure enough, Jiraiya rushed forward, glaring at Danzō with hostility.

"Elder Danzō, I suggest you let go of my teacher!"

Looking at Jiraiya, Danzō raised an eyebrow.

"Do you also wish to stop me, Jiraiya?"

Danzō wasn't particularly surprised by Jiraiya's appearance.


After all, Jiraiya had largely inherited Hiruzen's conservative mindset, so it was natural for him to stand in opposition to Danzō.

True to form, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and retorted, "Elder Danzō, your actions are a perversion of the system established by the First Hokage. You seek to usurp the Daimyō's authority. Such delusional behavior must be stopped!"

Hearing Jiraiya's accusation, Danzō wasn't angered. Instead, he smiled faintly.

"I have no intention of explaining this matter further."

"What is the right path, and what is delusional, is not for you or me to decide..."

"Then who decides?" Jiraiya immediately shot back.

"Of course, it's decided by strength."

Danzō tilted his head slightly, his tone filled with arrogance and confidence.

"That's a very 'Darkness of the Shinobi' way of putting it."

Jiraiya wasn't surprised that Danzō would say something like this, but he had his own convictions.

"However, I cannot agree with Elder Danzō's ideas. Replacing the Daimyō? I won't allow it!"

"In that case..."

Hearing this, Danzō didn't want to waste any more words.

He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

A terrifying aura instantly enveloped the entire area!

"Then let's see if you can stop me!"

Seeing this, Jiraiya also refused to back down.

A massive surge of chakra erupted from his body, directly confronting Danzō's pressure.

In Jiraiya's eyes, while Danzō was strong, with the old man's help, they might still have a chance!

Just as they were about to clash, Hiruzen finally spoke up in a deep voice:

"Stop! Jiraiya!"

The sudden voice instantly halted Jiraiya's movements.

Under Jiraiya's puzzled gaze, Hiruzen looked at him earnestly and said,

"Don't add to the casualties. Let this matter end here!"

"Teacher..." Hearing Hiruzen's words, Jiraiya's confusion only deepened.

However, when he noticed the shattered armor on Hiruzen's body, he immediately understood.

It seemed that his teacher had suffered quite a bit in the battle against Danzō...

But considering Danzō's astonishing performance during the Third Great Shinobi War, Jiraiya felt this was somewhat expected.

Even so, as an idealist, he couldn't simply give up.

Meeting the gazes of his teacher and Danzō, Jiraiya firmly declared:

"Even if I'm alone, I will ensure the safety of the Daimyō!"

So stubborn...

Danzō felt a bit helpless.

Although he knew Jiraiya was a man of principle, he couldn't help but sigh.

Even Hiruzen found this disciple of his somewhat exasperating.

Just as Hiruzen was about to try persuading Jiraiya again, Danzō decisively placed his sword against Hiruzen's neck.

"If you choose to stop me, you'll have to bear the cost of losing your teacher first."

Danzō's lips curled into a slight smile, fully embodying the essence of the "Darkness of the Shinobi."

Seeing this, Jiraiya was naturally furious and immediately shouted, "Damn you, Danzō! You're using the old man to threaten me?"

Danzō shrugged nonchalantly.

For someone known as the Darkness of the Shinobi, such actions carried no psychological burden.

"Of course, I can also give you a third option."

"What option?" Jiraiya quickly asked.

Although he usually seemed carefree, he truly couldn't bring himself to abandon his teacher for the sake of the Daimyō.

"That is... take one strike from me."

Danzō narrowed his eyes, and a strong killing intent erupted from his body.

"If you can withstand this strike, I will not only release your teacher but also abandon my plan to unify the Land of Fire and continue maintaining the one-nation-one-village system."

"But if you can't, you, Jiraiya, must completely obey my orders for the next twenty years."

Danzō laid out his conditions.

He still had some appreciation for Jiraiya's talents.

Although Jiraiya was obsessed with the so-called prophecies of Mount Myōboku, if used properly, he could still be of great value.

Hearing Danzō's conditions, Hiruzen immediately said, "Absolutely not, Jiraiya! You'll die!"

He knew all too well how terrifying Danzō's strike could be.

Jiraiya might not even survive it, let alone block it!

But Jiraiya ignored his teacher's warning. After a brief moment of consideration, he firmly nodded.

"I accept your conditions!"