391. The Humiliation of Kirigakure

The thick mist that had shrouded the battlefield was split apart by a massive blade of light.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the skies above Kirigakure, perpetually cloaked in dark clouds and moisture, cleared to reveal a rare glimpse of blue.


At the same time, the entire battlefield was laid bare before everyone's eyes.

"What... is this?" Mei Terumī, who had arrived late to the scene, stared in shock at the enormous slash marks that ran through the entirety of Kirigakure.

It was hard for her to believe that a human could wield such terrifying power.

This level of swordsmanship could rival even the legendary God of Shinobi, couldn't it?

And the source of this slash was none other than that man.

Mei's expression instantly turned grave.

As she looked at Danzō's retreating figure, memories of her past encounters with him on the battlefield came flooding back.

As one of the few in Kirigakure who had personally faced Danzō in combat, Mei knew all too well how terrifying he was.

What's more, it seemed his power had grown even stronger over the years...

At the very least, during the Third Great Ninja War, he had never displayed such bone-chilling swordsmanship.

This raised an important question for Mei to ponder: What was Danzō's purpose in coming all this way to Kirigakure?

Could it simply be out of the goodness of his heart, to save Kirigakure from its dire straits?

The likelihood of that was practically zero.

As someone who bore the title of "Darkness of the Shinobi," Mei didn't believe for a second that Danzō harbored any kind of goodwill toward Kirigakure—especially considering they had been enemies during the Third Great Ninja War.

Rather than Danzō acting out of benevolence, Mei was more inclined to believe that he was scheming something.

As this thought crossed her mind, her expression grew tense, but it quickly turned to one of defeat and despair.

She suddenly realized that even if she knew what Danzō was plotting, the current state of Kirigakure left them with no power to stop him...

Even if she fought with everything she had, she likely stood no chance against him.

Forget it. She would just have to take things one step at a time.

Just as Mei was about to cast aside her worries and face Danzō alone, ready to accept whatever fate had in store, Genji arrived.

"Thank you, Elder Danzō, for your assistance. If not for you, Kirigakure would truly have been in grave danger this time."

As the elder of Kirigakure, Genji spoke with genuine gratitude, his words filled with heartfelt thanks—as if Kirigakure hadn't declared war on Konoha during the Third Great Ninja War...

Danzō didn't adopt a haughty demeanor in the face of the elderly Genji.

After all, in terms of seniority, Genji was of the same generation as Hashirama and Tobirama Senju.

He might have been slightly younger than them, but he was still a good decade or two older than Danzō.

For one of the few remaining elders of the shinobi world, Danzō held a great deal of respect.

Thus, in response to Genji's repeated thanks, Danzō simply smiled lightly.

"It's nothing. This is what I should do. After all, that man is also a wanted criminal of Konoha..."

"A wanted criminal of Konoha? Does Elder Danzō know the true identity of the mastermind behind this?" Genji's voice immediately turned serious, clearly hoping to extract more information about the mastermind's identity from Danzō.

After all, no one knew if that man would return.

Having more information would provide a greater sense of security and preparedness in case of future incidents.

To this, Danzō nodded.

"To be frank, the mastermind who manipulated the Mizukage is the same person who orchestrated the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha. I only recently uncovered some traces of his activities and followed them here. Unfortunately, I was a step too late."

As he spoke, Danzō's expression turned regretful.

Hearing this, both Genji and Mei felt a chill run down their spines.

The Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha had been a shocking event that sent tremors throughout the entire shinobi world.

It had directly caused the Nine-Tails to rampage, nearly claiming the lives of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, and had left the "Darkness of the Shinobi" unconscious for several days.

It had even nearly sparked the Fourth Great Ninja War...

If the person who manipulated Yagura was the same mastermind behind the Nine-Tails' attack, then everything made sense.

If that person could control the Nine-Tails, then controlling Yagura didn't seem impossible, did it?

"Then, does Elder Danzō have any leads on the true identity of that person?" Genji pressed further.

Without a clear answer, the weight of this mystery would continue to hang over him.

Of course, Danzō wouldn't reveal that the mastermind was a rogue ninja from Konoha.

Instead, he simply said, "Not yet. But as fellow victims, Konoha and Kirigakure should unite and work together to prevent such acts of terrorism, don't you think?"

Danzō emphasized the words "unite and work together," as if they carried some special meaning.

As an old fox himself, Genji naturally understood Danzō's implications.

Given the current circumstances, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, "Of course. Kirigakure is in desperate need of experience and assistance in this area. If Konoha could lend a hand, that would be wonderful."

Seeing Genji so compliant, Danzō immediately responded, "Given the current situation in Kirigakure, Konoha, as a friendly neighbor, cannot stand idly by. Elder Genji, rest assured, I will report this to the Hokage and have him dispatch Konoha's most elite ninja squad to assist Kirigakure in tracking down the culprit!"

Hearing Danzō's confident words, Genji nodded shakily. "Then we are deeply grateful to Elder Danzō!"

With that, Danzō gave a slight nod and vanished on the spot.

Only after confirming that Danzō had left did Genji, the elder of Kirigakure, finally let out a sigh of relief.

As the oldest member of Kirigakure, Genji had seen far too many instances of others taking advantage of their misfortune.

If Danzō had chosen to exploit their weakness and strike a devastating blow to Kirigakure, they would have had no way to resist.

Genji's chakra was completely depleted, Hōzuki Mangetsu was unconscious after blocking the Tailed Beast Bomb, and all that remained were Mei and Zabuza.

How could they possibly stand against Danzō?

If not for the sake of preserving Kirigakure, why would this elder, who had seen so much, stoop to flattering the infamous "Darkness of the Shinobi"?

Let alone agree to allow Konoha ninja into Kirigakure to assist in tracking down the mastermind... All of this was done out of necessity!

Mei, who had witnessed everything, also felt a deep sense of humiliation.

As she looked at the vast ruins of the village and the bowing figure of Elder Genji, she silently clenched her fists.

One day, she vowed, she would become a shinobi who could rival—no, surpass—Hashirama Senju!

Just as Mei made this silent vow, Genji suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Elder Genji! Are you alright?" Mei rushed to the elderly man's side, supporting him firmly. Her face was filled with concern.

After all, Genji was like the anchor of the village, its stabilizing force.

If something were to happen to him, Kirigakure, which had just barely survived this crisis, would likely fall apart once more.

Fortunately, Genji didn't pass away at this critical moment.

He waved his hand at Mei and said, "Don't make a fuss. The most urgent task now is to organize the remaining shinobi... and completely end the rule of the Blood Mist faction. We must restore peace to the village!"