Takuya had considered using genjutsu to control Danzo, but the old fox was always on high alert, leaving little opportunity for such a move. Deciding it wasn't worth the hassle, Takuya simply resolved to kill him outright.
The Anbu members exchanged glances but complied without question, raising their hands to prepare for a barrage of ninjutsu aimed at Danzo.
"Ahhh! Die, die! Takuya Yagami, you evil Uchiha brat! Come to hell with me!"
Suddenly, Danzo, lying in the mud, seemed to snap. As though something had broken within him, he charged madly at Takuya, activating the Four Symbols Seal engraved on his body. He intended to drag Takuya down with him in mutual destruction.
As expected, the man was as ruthless as ever.
Takuya stood coldly, watching Danzo rush toward him, showing no signs of concern. He didn't take the old man seriously at all.
The Four Symbols Seal activated, creating a powerful suction force that began to pull Takuya and Minato closer to Danzo, the distance between them shrinking rapidly.
"Was this really necessary?"
Minato's voice carried a note of pity.
The Four Symbols Seal was a technique Kushina had passed on to the village. If Kushina knew it, how could Takuya not? The idea of this seal being a threat was laughable.
Calmly calculating the time it would take for the seal to activate and complete, Minato raised his hand and placed it on Takuya's shoulder without urgency.
The only response he got was Takuya's look of utter disdain.
"You've dirtied my clothes."
Minato: "..."
Go to hell!
In that moment, Minato wanted nothing more than to kick Takuya straight toward Danzo so they could blow each other to pieces.
Though he'd only placed a single hand on Takuya's shoulder, it had left dirt and blood smudges all over his previously clean clothes. A perfectly good outfit, ruined.
"Aghhhh!"
While Minato's thoughts veered toward violence, reality hit hard for Danzo. Despite his desperate charge, there was no one left in his path—both Takuya and Minato had vanished.
No one in their right mind would stay put and wait for an opponent to explode when it was clear they were trying to take you down with them.
Takuya and Minato reappeared at Snowy's side. Danzo, meanwhile, had no time to save himself. The Four Symbols Seal reached its end.
With an anguished roar full of unwillingness and fury, Danzo was obliterated in the terrifying explosion of the Four Symbols Seal. His body was torn to shreds, leaving not even a single intact piece of his remains.
Danzo could never have imagined that the technique he'd developed at such great cost would end up becoming the cause of his own demise.
Chunks of flesh scattered in all directions as the explosion left a crater over ten meters wide and two meters deep. Water and mud began to flow into the pit from its edges.
"That's quite the destructive power," Minato remarked, familiar with the Four Symbols Seal but surprised at how it had been used in this case.
It had to be said—Danzo was cruel, not only to others but also to himself.
And thus, the curtain fell on the first "Pot Shadow."
"Sealing techniques are inherently terrifying," Takuya said, shaking his head as he addressed the two Anbu squads. "Why do you think the other villages targeted the Uzumaki clan? Do you think it was just because of their large life force and chakra reserves?"
The Anbu members nodded, understanding the reasoning.
"Deal with the remains," Takuya ordered.
"Yes, sir."
While the Anbu got to work cleaning up, Takuya and Minato returned to their base ahead of time.
"The Land of Rain is going to plunge into chaos now. Should we throw the Rinnegan into the mix early to let the other villages fight over it?" Takuya asked.
"We'll see," Minato replied. He believed that letting the Rinnegan become a prize for the other villages to fight over was the best way to protect Nagato.
The idea was solid, though it didn't sit entirely well. The Rinnegan couldn't be discarded too early—not until Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu were dragged into the mess.
As things stood, Takuya had the ability to protect Nagato. Even if Black Zetsu and Madara made their move, he could respond.
Of course, if the situation spiraled out of control, Takuya wouldn't hesitate to have Nagato remove the Rinnegan and throw it into the fray, letting the villages fight over it.
"For now, gather as much intelligence as possible," Takuya instructed. "Let's see who's been drawn to the Land of Rain because of the Rinnegan."
The ideal scenario would be for heavyweights like the Third Raikage and Onoki to get involved. If that happened, the Cloud and Stone villages would be too preoccupied to launch any wars against Konoha.
Once Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu emerged, the chaos would only intensify.
"You're making me do all the legwork while you relax back at base with beautiful women. I despise you!" Minato complained, flipping Takuya off.
With Danzo dead, Takuya had no interest in seeking out his research. He didn't need any of that nonsense. Without Danzo, even his remaining subordinates would be leaderless and incapable of stirring up trouble.
Now, the real show could begin.
As waves of people poured into the Land of Rain, the situation grew increasingly complex and chaotic. To Takuya's surprise, even individuals from smaller villages had been drawn in.
The major villages—Stone, Cloud, Sand, and Mist—were all present, proving the allure of the legendary Rinnegan. Even Yagura, neglecting his pursuit of the Six-Tails, had personally led a team to the Land of Rain.
Once inside, these various forces all focused on one thing: targeting the Akatsuki in hopes of finding Nagato's whereabouts.
The Akatsuki, poor as ever, had barely recovered from Danzo capturing several of their members when they found themselves pursued by the four great villages.
Even Jiraiya had joined the chaos, driven by his search for the "savior."
"Father, the information is accurate. The Akatsuki's leader, Nagato, does possess the legendary Rinnegan. But before we could act, Rain Village forces had already captured members of the Akatsuki. It's clear Hanzo has his eyes on the Rinnegan as well," A reported, handing over intelligence extracted from captured Akatsuki members to the Third Raikage.
The Third Raikage carefully examined the scroll. "It seems Hanzo is moving quickly. No matter. Even if he gets the Rinnegan, he won't be able to keep it. Capture some Rain Village shinobi and interrogate them. We might uncover something unexpected."
With all four great villages descending on the Land of Rain, what hope did Hanzo have?
Or rather, all five great villages. The Cloud had observed the presence of Konoha's Anbu in the Land of Rain, confirming that Konoha had secretly sent people as well. Who was leading their team remained unclear.
Even if Hanzo managed to obtain the Rinnegan, it wouldn't matter. The so-called "Demi-God" was nothing to the Third Raikage.
He wasn't the only one who thought so. Other villages were targeting both the Akatsuki and the Rain Village, leaving the Akatsuki in shambles.
The Rain Village wasn't faring much better, with its forces constantly targeted and key personnel disappearing. Teams sent to capture Akatsuki members never returned, leaving Hanzo acutely aware of the growing threat.
Danzo, he realized, was likely either on the run or dead. Without Hanzo's cooperation, Danzo's ambitions for the Rinnegan would amount to nothing.
As the situation unraveled further, even Jiraiya captured a few Rain shinobi for interrogation, though he failed to extract any valuable information.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING