Chapter 249: Duo Sage Mode

"Poof!"

The robustly growing tree enveloped the two people. At the same time, four sharp shurikens cut through as easily as into tofu, instantly splattering blood. Meanwhile, under the rapid growth of the great tree, with a loud 'bang', in the disbelieving eyes of Shimura Danzo.

He himself, along with a wooden clone, were simultaneously crushed into a bloody foam, becoming nourishment for the great tree.

…

In the other battlefield, under the bridge, Uchiha Obito was unaware of the battle above. Facing Might Guy and Uchiha Itachi, he couldn't help but admire their strength.

"You two have earned my recognition, but this is as far as it goes," he said.

At that moment, Might Guy and Uchiha Itachi, both gasping for breath, elicited a look of pity from Obito as he shook his head.

"Uchiha Itachi, you truly are a genius. If not for the limitations of age on your body, give you five more years, and you would have reached a terrifying realm. What a pity."

Might Guy, having used the Eight Gates, was also gasping for breath. He stared tensely at his opponent, angrily saying, "Damn it, all this power, but it's like hitting the air."

For a taijutsu ninja like Might Guy, such an opponent was incredibly frustrating.

However, Uchiha Itachi, who was also breathing heavily, smiled and said, "A pity? I think it's just right."

Suddenly, a red glowing dragon holding a black orb burst out of the lake, accompanied by a loud rumble.

"Sage Art: White Rage Technique!" A blinding white light flashed, and the air vibrated, shocking Obito. His senses, hearing, and body were paralyzed with immense pain.

"Orochimaru!"

The figure emerging from the water was Orochimaru, who had already entered Sage Mode and was unleashing his ultimate technique.

But then, the sound of frogs croaking echoed through the air. A powerful sonic wave spread out, and Obito, even with his Sharingan, was drawn into an illusionary world.

"Sage Art: Demonic Illusion Toad Confrontation Chant!" In the original story, Jiraiya used this illusion to trap even Pain with the Rinnegan, highlighting its power.

In the illusionary world, Obito was shocked to find himself imprisoned in a cubic water prison, surrounded by four giant frog statues.

"This is a mental binding illusion, the Golden Binding Technique. Once trapped in this illusion, the body can't move."

Echoing through the illusionary world was Jiraiya's authoritative voice. The trapped Obito, in disbelief, muttered to himself, "Worthy of being one of the Sannin, such a powerful illusion. And that coordination with Orochimaru just now was to stop me from using Kamui."

…

"Pfft!"

Amidst the splattering blood outside, under the astonished gazes of Might Guy and Uchiha Itachi, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, who had entered Sage Mode, suddenly emerged from the lake surface. Each holding a weapon, they diagonally thrust into the body of the masked enemy.

Orochimaru held the Kusanagi Sword, while Jiraiya held a bone large sword. In tacit cooperation, they stabbed an 'X' into the enemy's chest, causing blood to splatter everywhere.

"Haha, Orochimaru, long time no see. I didn't expect our cooperation to still be so perfect and flawless."

Suddenly, the dignified Jiraiya showed a hearty smile, breaking his usual stern demeanor, while Orochimaru next to him scoffed disdainfully, mockingly saying, "Idiot Jiraiya, I didn't expect you to reach this point too."

Sage Mode! From what he saw, Jiraiya had mastered it even earlier than him.

"Haha."

At this moment, Jiraiya, looking at Orochimaru's usual arrogance and even calling him an idiot, had slightly moist eyes, realizing his comrade was finally coming back.

"Cough cough, little Jiraiya, this genjutsu chant will bring a great burden to your throat, it's very hard."

"My throat hurts, little Jiraiya, what kind of enemy have you encountered this time? You're so cautious, even cooperating with Orochimaru against the enemy."

Jiraiya's shoulders bore the toads Fukasaku and Shima, who couldn't help but grumble, but they also knew the seriousness of the situation and did not interrupt, instead, they were filled with solemnity.

To make Jiraiya enter Sage Mode directly and even cooperate with Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, the enemy must be extremely terrifying.

"Hehe, let me see who the enemy controlling the Nine-Tails is."

At this moment, Orochimaru, with his unique raspy, evil laughter, stretched out his hand to remove the masked man's mask.

Amidst the blood splatter, the figure of the masked man, Obito, momentarily became illusory.

"Not good!"

In an instant, both Jiraiya and Orochimaru quickly reached back, and the shadow that appeared behind them entered an illusory state. Their attacks completely passed through.

Thump, thump!

On the water surface, Orochimaru and Jiraiya quickly distanced themselves, while Might Guy and Uchiha Itachi also hurried over.

"Lord Orochimaru/Jiraiya!"

Under their exclamations, Orochimaru and Jiraiya both stared intently at the distant shadow.

"Cough cough, truly worthy of being the Legendary Sannin, just a little bit more."

At this moment, Uchiha Obito behind the mask had already broken out in a cold sweat. He was just a bit away from being caught.

"Crack!"

The left side of the mask broke apart, revealing a slowly closing three-tomoe Sharingan.

"Izanagi!"

When he saw this scene, Orochimaru couldn't help but reveal a hoarse smile. Far from being disappointed, he actually showed a morbid interest.

"So, that means you still have one more chance to use Izanagi. I wonder what kind of face lies behind this mask after the other eye is used."

Under the hoarse, unhealthy smile of the legendary Sannin Orochimaru, Masked Obito was filled with seriousness, his exposed Sharingan staring intensely at the enemies present.

"Jiraiya, Orochimaru! When did you guys get here?"

Suddenly realizing something, Masked Obito's pupils shrank, showing a look of shock as he seemed to remember something.

"It was from the beginning! From the very start when Uchiha Itachi used Fire Style Jutsu, using the cover of the jutsu to summon the Eagle as a decoy!"

At this moment, Masked Obito finally realized something, and Jiraiya couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement, "Right, from the beginning, the kid used Summoning Jutsu three times. The Toad Summoning Scroll I left behind still had my blood on it."

"From the beginning of the fight, Uchiha Yoru actually quickly summoned three times. The toad and snake took the opportunity to jump into the lake under the bridge unnoticed, and Orochimaru and I were hiding in the lake the whole time until we entered Sage Mode."

"idiot Jiraiya." Seeing Jiraiya laughing and telling the enemy about their strategy, the usually cold and disdainful Orochimaru unusually retorted.

"What did you say, Orochimaru!" Under familiar circumstances, Jiraiya reflexively glared back at Orochimaru in anger.

However, Masked Obito looked solemnly at the current situation and said hoarsely, "It seems I've miscalculated today, but I still don't understand how Jiraiya and Orochimaru could have prepared in advance! Or how did Uchiha Yoru know there would be an ambush."

This was the question that puzzled Masked Obito the most. Facing this question, Jiraiya's smile gradually became serious, his brows furrowed with concern.

"The Nine-Tails was your doing, right? Indeed, this kid said there's been an enemy targeting Konoha in secret. This time it was just to be cautious, after all, if this kid dies, the whole of Konoha would fall into chaos. And the only one with both the ability and motive..."

"I can only think of the culprit behind the Night of the Nine-Tails!" At this point, Jiraiya's questioning gaze was fixed on Masked Obito, as if he wanted to ask everything.

After all, on the Night of the Nine-Tails, he lost his most outstanding student, Minato Namikaze. Not to mention the great loss to Konoha, in his eyes, the village had come to this point.

Especially the hostility between the Third Hokage's group and the Uchiha clan, which obviously intensified after the Night of the Nine-Tails.

The current turbulent situation in Konoha can be traced back to the culprit of the Night of the Nine-Tails.

"Hehe, Jiraiya, perhaps the answer is already in our hands."

At this moment, under Orochimaru's hoarse and sinister smile, a white snake slowly slithered around his neck, flicking its tongue, and suddenly opened its mouth to spit out a pale piece of flesh.

"Divide it in half and put it into the test tube," Orochimaru said with a sinister smile, brimming with confidence, "Jiraiya, you must be aware of the arm left behind by the enemy the Fourth faced on the night of the Nine-Tails incident. Why don't you compare it with this piece of flesh yourself?"

On the night of the Nine-Tails, Uchiha Obito fought against Minato Namikaze and was injured, losing an arm to the Rasengan and abandoning it on the battlefield. With the investigative abilities of a ninja, how could this be overlooked?

Furthermore, Danzo's arm was also strange. After researching Wood Release for so long in Konoha, it was suddenly transplanted onto his own arm. It is probably thanks to this remnant arm that Orochimaru, after his research, was able to equip Danzo with an immature Wood Release arm.

"I understand now."

After taking the test tube from Orochimaru, Jiraiya's brows were tightly furrowed as he nodded gravely. At this moment, the enemy's ninjutsu, all of this almost perfectly matched the clues left by Minato, almost proving that the masked man in front of them was the perpetrator of the Nine-Tails incident.

Seeing this, the masked man Uchiha Obito frowned and showed a look of apprehension, "Heh, it seems I have underestimated you younger ones. This time I will let you go, but next time! You won't be so lucky."

With the emergence of a spatial vortex, the masked man Obito revealed a arrogantly threatening smile and gradually disappeared.

"Has the enemy left?"

At this moment, Might Guy was scratching his head, looking at the disappearing figure on the lake, while Uchiha Itachi said in a focused voice, "Stay alert and cautious, in case the enemy is deceiving us."

"Oh no, there's this kid!"

Suddenly, Jiraiya slapped his forehead in surprise, and at that moment, an angry roar echoed from the stone bridge behind them.

…

On the stone bridge, Danzo Shimura's pale arm, covered with closed Sharingan eyes, gained a surge in chakra thanks to the stable Wood Release cell arm provided by Obito. Despite this power, the enemy he faced was even more formidable.

"Evil Uchiha! How can Konoha fall into your hands! Only I am the future of Konoha!"

In the face of such despair, Danzo Shimura couldn't help but let out a hoarse and desperate roar, filled with unwillingness.

At this moment, his intended target, Uchiha Yoru, stood at the end of the bridge. A gentle breeze caused his Hokage hat at his waist to stand out starkly.

In this battle, Danzo couldn't even test Yoru's Mangekyo Sharingan techniques, which was somewhat pitiful.

Facing Danzo, Yoru had no intention of sparing him, continuing his psychological assault.

"Rats hiding in darkness, thinking they are the root in Konoha's darkness, and the Third Hokage, thinking he is a leaf bathed in sunlight. Maybe once, but now you are but a rotting tumor hindering Konoha's growth."

"Konoha was built by the hands of the Uchiha and Senju. What right do you parasites have to speak of Konoha!"

Uchiha Yoru, from his superior position, mocked Danzo, denying everything Danzo believed in. Even in death, he wanted his enemy to die with regret.

"Cough, cough, evil Uchiha!"

Danzo, who had almost etched the Uchiha as evil into his very bones, elicited a mocking response from Yoru: "And what are you then? Can there be a Konoha without the Uchiha? What would Konoha be without the Senju and Uchiha, but a place for your greedy, corrupt desires?"

"Cough, cough!"

Danzo stumbled on the stone bridge towards Uchiha Yoru. His right eye's Sharingan had closed, and all the Sharingan in his right arm were also shut, signaling that he had exhausted his Izanagi and had no more chances of revival.

Now, heavily injured, he coughed up blood, walking weakly towards Uchiha Yoru. He extended his frail, old arm, swinging a kunai unsteadily, as if trying to kill him with it.

"I cannot accept this! I gave my life for Konoha, what do you, an evil Uchiha, know."

"Konoha cannot fall into the hands of evil Uchiha! Not the Hokage, never!"

Danzo, staggering and gasping for breath, seemed to have not much life left. Yet, as he saw the distance closing, his heart filled with wild joy. Just a few more steps, and he could eliminate this Uchiha for Konoha.

Even facing death, Danzo forced his weakened body to act, lowering Uchiha Yoru's guard and presenting a pitiful scene, all to get closer to him.

Just as he was approaching Uchiha Yoru, Danzo Shimura, who was extremely weak at the moment, suddenly tore open his chest revealing his aged muscles, and roared with a resolve to sacrifice himself.

"For the ninja world! For Konoha! I absolutely cannot let you, an Uchiha, live! I will not allow the Uchiha to trample over the Hokage!"

Reverse Four Symbols Sealing

Instantly, black sealing runes appeared on Danzo Shimura's chest. As the seal activated, black ink splattered everywhere.

Upon seeing the ink splatter onto Uchiha Yoru, Danzo Shimura revealed a crazed smile.

"Haha, Uchiha Yoru, you can't escape!"

The sealing jutsu, made of blood-turned-black ink, stiffens the body and disrupts the chakra upon contact.

However, looking at Danzo Shimura's final crazed smile, Uchiha Yoru, covered by the sealing jutsu, smiles sinisterly, unyielding even in his last moments.

"Konoha's traitor Danzo Shimura, in his final moments, used the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing, ultimately sealing half a bridge as the price. I wonder how this legend will be told?"

Beneath Uchiha Yoru's mocking smile, his body starts to stiffen from the feet up, turning into a wooden structure due to the chaos in his chakra caused by the seal.

Wood Clone Jutsu, an original technique that even the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan cannot see through.

However, when Danzo Shimura saw this, his fierce pupils filled with resentment, especially tormented by the ignominious title of Konoha's traitor.

"No!"

Boom!

The Reverse Four Symbols Sealing transformed into a giant black sphere, instantly sealing most of the sturdy stone bridge, along with a wooden statue, completely devoid of life.

Amidst the loud boom, Jiraiya and others in the distance turned just in time to witness the scene of Danzo Shimura turning into a black sphere that sealed the bridge.

~~~

Patreon.com/Bleam

— 90 Advance Chapters!