Chapter 258: Eight Years Later

On the day of Dan and Samui's grand wedding.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves bustled with excitement, its villagers celebrating the joyous occasion and relishing the holiday as if happiness touched every soul.

Except for Danzō.

"Tsk, tsk, such a pitiable fellow."

In a deserted alleyway, Kabuto leaned against the wall, scrutinizing the disheveled and dirty Danzō lying on the ground, looking every bit the madman he had become.

It was truly a sight to sigh over—once a revered Hokage, now reduced to this.

Danzō was Kabuto's nemesis.

This old man had used the most important woman in Kabuto's life—Nonou, the medic—as leverage, coercing Kabuto into the Root division to gather intelligence as a spy.

But later, Danzō had cruelly orchestrated Nonou's death at Kabuto's own hands. After Kabuto unwittingly killed her, Danzō even sent Orochimaru to silence him.

Kabuto had long harbored a desire for vengeance, feeling that even a thousand deaths wouldn't atone for Danzō's sins.

However, after witnessing what Uchiha Dan did to Danzō, Kabuto abandoned his revenge.

He had to admit, the Sixth Hokage's treatment of Danzō was something he could get behind.

For a man like Danzō, death was too kind. Only a life of torment, bearing the world's sins and dying in utmost misery, would satisfy the heart.

Thus, Kabuto occasionally visited, to savor the sight of Danzō's madness, finding satisfaction and a sense of release in his own heart.

After a while, boredom set in, and Kabuto yawned, turning to leave.

But just as he took a few steps, Danzō's voice rang out from behind:

"Who are you, skulking about here? Don't you kneel when you see the Hokage?"

Kabuto turned to see Danzō awakening, looking sternly at him.

"Your presence graces us, Hokage," Kabuto said with a sneer, his voice dripping with irony and mockery.

Danzō, however, missed the sarcasm entirely, instead, looking rather pleased.

Then, furrowing his brow, he questioned Kabuto:

"What's all that noise outside? Must I, the one who toils day and night for the Leaf, not find peace even in sleep?"

"It's the wedding of the Sixth Hokage," Kabuto replied truthfully, watching Danzō.

Danzō's frown deepened. "Nonsense! I am the Hokage of the Leaf, there can be no other. Who is this new Hokage, and what is his name?"

"Uchiha Dan," said Kabuto.

"Uchiha... Dan?"

Danzō repeated the name, a look of confusion crossing his face, murmuring, "If he is the Hokage, then who am I... who am I really... Ah!"

He clutched his head in agony, letting out a low, beast-like roar.

The man's mind was gone, beyond any hope of salvation.

Kabuto shook his head at the sight.

Danzō had held sway over the Leaf's secrets for decades, even Orochimaru had served under him.

While Danzō was Kabuto's enemy, if Orochimaru ordered him to secretly remove Danzō from the Leaf, to restore him and join forces against the Leaf and the Uchiha clan, Kabuto would comply.

But now, it seemed Danzō could never return to normal.

With that thought, Kabuto walked away, leaving the alley behind.

"Don't leave!"

Danzō scrambled after him, grabbing at Kabuto, yelling, "Tell me, who am I, who am I really!"

"Let go."

Kabuto's response was cold, emotionless.

But the frenzied Danzō couldn't comprehend, continuing to shout and even becoming physically aggressive.

"Enough!"

Kabuto's patience snapped.

The next second.

A kunai pierced through Danzō's chest, protruding from his back, dripping with fresh blood.

The alley fell silent, save for the dripping of blood from the kunai.

"I remember now... I am Shimura Danzō... the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf... it was Uchiha Dan... who reduced me to this."

Danzō whispered, as clarity returned to his murky eyes in his final moments, recalling everything.

He had been thoroughly outplayed by Uchiha Dan.

He had lost everything—his reputation, power, and even his dignity as a person, becoming a spectacle, a clown for all to see.

At this moment.

Deep in the forest, within a gigantic tree large enough for several people to embrace and dozens of meters tall.

The voices of a woman and a man followed one after another.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Before we make our move, I want to go back and see for myself. I've heard Uchiha Dan has pulled off some permanent neutrality stunt, harvesting talents and resources from all over the shinobi world, sucking the lifeblood out of the major villages. And yet, he watches coldly as wars continue to erupt everywhere.

Such peace is only for the Leaf, not for the entire shinobi world."

The woman fell silent for a while, then asked:

"Should we contact Karin? Let her join you when the time comes."

The man shook his head:

"No need.

Karin has been undercover in the Leaf for so many years, barely earning Tsunade's trust as her disciple. If she's seen with me, it'll cast doubt on her, nullifying all her efforts.

I'll go alone; this is just a casual visit anyway."

The woman nodded in understanding:

"I see, the offerings have been prepared for you, begin when you're ready."

These two were none other than the Akatsuki's Konan and Naruto.

After speaking, Naruto glanced aside, where a tied-up Leaf jonin was frowning intensely at them.

"Who are you people, and what are your intentions towards the Leaf? I warn you, release me now!"

The jonin barked sharply but seemed more bluster than bite.

"You don't need to know my identity, as you'll be dead soon enough."

Naruto spoke indifferently, then began to form hand seals.

"What have you done to me… Ah!"

The man's face twisted in terror, crying out in pain as his form began to change, eventually turning into another Naruto.

The Transformation Jutsu.

One of the abilities of the Rinnegan.

It projects the user's power into a living sacrifice, creating a "duplicate" that is virtually identical to Naruto himself.

Unlike a regular shadow clone,

The sacrifice of the Transformation Jutsu is a living, breathing entity, identical to Naruto in every way.

And this clone not only inherits Naruto's jutsu and abilities but even his weapons and tools can be replicated without flaw, making it a perfect duplication technique.

Its only weakness?

Once the sacrifice's chakra is depleted, the jutsu automatically dispels, and the sacrifice dies on the spot.

"This offering will suffice; it can withstand about thirty percent of my chakra. Unless my opponent is Uchiha Dan, it shouldn't have any problems."

Naruto's duplicate spoke, his voice identical to his own.

Over the past eight years,

He has undergone grueling training beyond normal comprehension, fully mastering the Rinnegan's power, surpassing even Nagato from years past.

After all, Nagato was handicapped in his early years, confined to a wheelchair, conducting battles through the Six Paths of Pain. His health inevitably deteriorated over time.

But Naruto not only unified the powers of the Six Paths into one but also developed a robust physique, not burdened by the Rinnegan.

He even reached an agreement with the Nine-Tails within him, becoming a perfect jinchūriki.

In Konan's words,

The current Naruto is the strongest shinobi in history, even surpassing the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, as well as Uchiha Madara.

Of course, there's also Dan.

Naruto's clone soon left the tree to head for the Leaf.

His original self sat down on the spot, closing his eyes.

Another advantage of the Transformation Jutsu over shadow clones is that it can be controlled over great distances by the will of the original.

This means that Naruto's original self doesn't have to be on the battlefield to command the clone in battle, making it a risk-free strategy.

Swish.

Konan formed a seal, and the tree closed again, shielding her and Naruto within.

She quietly accompanied Naruto, her gaze on his face, lost in thought.

Nine years.

Nine years ago, she and Nagato came to the Leaf, a scene reminiscent of the current one. In the end, Nagato entrusted Naruto with the Rinnegan, and he himself was unfortunately killed by Uchiha Dan.

However,

This time, Konan was determined not to let such a tragedy happen again.

She would protect Naruto at any cost, even if it meant sacrificing her own life, to help him achieve Akatsuki's dream, which was also Yahiko and Nagato's dream—

To bring about fairness and justice in the shinobi world, welcoming a true peace.