Chapter 24

"Say what you want, Danzo," A bored-looking Indra exclaimed.

Danzo frowned for a few seconds before finally speaking. "I want revenge just as much as you do..."

"Then go get it yourself," Indra interrupted him.

"That's why I need your help. With your strength, and..."

"I just want this war to end, and revenge isn't going to facilitate that. How many of your clan members have you buried since the war started? I'm tired of people around me dying needlessly."

"That's why you should join me, both of us together would be able to force a surrender from the other nations. With your ability to completely erase your chakra, we could kill the other kages', ensuring Konoha comes out of the war on top."

Indra chuckled at Danzo's statement. "Why would I need you for that? I can do all of what you just said by myself, but what would that solve?! the hatred of the other four nations on Konoha alone?!"

"What do you really want Danzo?" Indra asked. "You're not stupid enough to come here for just that," he added.

Danzo let out a breath before speaking. "I want you to join me," he said, his stare portraying the seriousness of his offer.

Indra wasn't the smartest person by any means but he wasn't stupid either. He knew Danzo wanted his fighting prowess for whatever he was planning, the potential for improvement he still had, and the potential of his genes. If his overpowered abilities could be passed down to his offsprings, he could potentially create a small but elite clan that could rival the very best from the Uchiha and Senju clans. And within a few generations could be as strong as those clans.

"I'm not going to marry any one of your relatives," Indra stated immediately, dismissing Danzo. "Besides, if you want to offer your relatives to me, you should do that through Mito-sama. She handles the marriage proposals."

"That's not what I meant," Danzo stated.

"I always wanted to be Hokage, but Hiruzen beat me to it just because I was too afraid. If I'd volunteered to act as a decoy, maybe I would have been named the Hokage instead of Hiruzen."

*Hahaha*

Hearing what Danzo said, Indra laughed in derision. "That's funny," he exclaimed. "You think Tobirama would have named you Hokage?! I've heard stupid things before, but that's up there."

"That's beside the point," Danzo abruptly interrupted the still laughing Indra. "If I can't be Hokage, I still want to protect the village."

"Look at them," he stated, pointing at the people going about their business in the village. Taking a seat on the Hokage's face next to Indra, he continued. "Konoha is like a tree, and without a solid root, the tree would die off. I want us to be the root that sustains the tree that is Konoha."

"The root would forever stay in darkness, Danzo. I do not wish for that kind of life."

"I love the anonymity this gives me," Indra said, summoning his fox mask. "But what you're suggesting would mean I would never be able to take it off. I've seen myself with the mask on, and it's not something I'm proud of."

"A shinobi is a tool of the village..."

"I'm not a shinobi, Danzo." Indra retorted. "I'd protect the village Hashirama-sensei built, but I won't close my eyes to do so."

**************

[Two Months Later]

Two months had passed since the death of the Second Hokage. With the death of the Hokage, under the lead of Danzo, the war with Kumogakure intensified. Konoha shinobi were bloodthirsty, they wanted revenge for the loss of their Kage, and the shinobi and civilians alike from the Land of Lightning suffered for it. Countless atrocities were being committed by both sides, and neither village wanted to back out.

Sunagakure had signed an armistice with Konoha as they had no choice. They've been on the losing end for a while now, their Kazekage was assassinated inside his office, and all of the shinobi they had facing Konoha were dead, with a single shinobi killing almost 3000. Although they suspected Konoha had something to do with the death of the Kazekage since the assassin went out of his way to kill Chiyo, the only survivor from the massacre, they couldn't do anything about it as sending more shinobi to fight Konoha would stretch their forces thinner than it already was.

.........

[Indra POV]

I've been observing Kinkaku and Ginkaku for over a month now, waiting for the right time to kill them and I've finally gotten my chance as they were both about to leave their village for a mission.

I could have killed them earlier, but I wasn't confident enough to do so without getting caught while they were inside the village.

*Two Hours Later*

We were already far enough from Kumogakure so I was going to attack them now.

Placing my mask on my face, I decided who I'd be killing first.

'I'd kill Ginkaku first,' I thought, summoning a tanto to my palm. Due to the Kyuubi chakra they obtained, I have to ensure Ginkaku has no chance to regenerate when I strike so I'd be using chakra to ensure he dies in one blow which would then alert Kinkaku, so I'd have to fight him.

3...2...1...

I mentally prepared myself.

I attacked Ginkaku, returning to my original size just as I got behind him. I swung my blade at Ginkaku's neck, adding lightning chakra to increase the cutting power of the tanto. Ginkaku tensed as he noticed the usage of chakra behind him but it was too late, the tanto sliced through his neck like a hot knife through butter, causing his blood to splatter everywhere.

Kinkaku turned around as he felt the slight usage of chakra behind him. "Oy...Ginkaku!! what are you doing," he said as he turned, but what welcomed him was the decapitated body of his brother.

It took less than a moment for Kinkaku's attention to shift to the blood running down the surface of my mask and tanto.

"Why you...How dare...How dare you!!!" he screamed out, red chakra gathering around him.

In a burst of red chakra, Kinkaku turned into a humanoid nine-tails, possessing just 6 tails with one of them being longer than the rest.

"How dare you do that to Ginkaku...?!" He demanded.

Letting out a roar, Kinkaku slammed one of his tails right where I was.

Rolling out of the way, I dodged the tail Kinkaku attacked with. Shrinking myself, I body flickered to the nearest tree. I hated frontal confrontation so I was going to stay hidden and attack like I usually do.

I then created massive chakra rods, pinning Kinkaku's tails to the ground, another chakra rod went through his abdomen, and the last two pinned both of his hands to the ground.

Kinkaku kept struggling, trying to free himself from the chakra rods but it was futile.

'The chakra rods are restraining the kyuubi's chakra,' I observed from my hiding spot.

'My dojutsu is a natural counter to the entire shinobi world,' I thought with a slight smile gracing my face.

Appearing on the chakra rod in the abdomen of Kinkaku, I took a seat atop the chakra rod while taking off my mask.

"So you're the one that killed Tobirama?!" I stated. "I didn't expect much from you, but you're more disappointing than I'd anticipated. Made the entire month I spent observing you feel wasted. Well, I guess it wasn't wasted since I learned about your entire jutsu arsenal, and guess what, I'm a natural counter to everything you can do."

"I will kill you!!!" Kinkaku roared, further increasing the intensity of his thrashing.

"No, you won't," I retorted.

"This is the end for you, Kinkaku," I exclaimed.

I created another chakra rod, letting it float above the head of Kinkaku. Standing atop the chakra rod, I released my hold on it, letting gravity send it down.

"We, who were touted as the shining light of the cloud... To be taken down in just two attacks," Kinkaku muttered.

*Puchi*

The chakra rod landed, going through his head.

After confirming he was dead, I de-spawned the chakra rods and kept their body together before burning them till just their ashes remained with a fire release jutsu.

I then picked up their weapons, the Sage of Six Paths Tools. 'They might come in handy someday,' I thought, shrinking and storing them.