Part Time Employee in Konoha

As Uchiha Sasuke said, Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto are heading this way.

Orochimaru initially sought Tsunade's help to heal his hands, but Tsunade claimed she needed time to consider. On the same day, she encountered Jiraiya, who had come to find her.

Jiraiya brought news that he had been nominated to become Hokage, while Danzo had been recommended by the two Hokage advisors and was about to take the position. Tsunade, who had long been disheartened, was indifferent to this.

However, Kabuto secretly revealed the truth about Danzo's ascent to the Hokage position, even allowing Jiraiya and Uzumaki Naruto to overhear the plot between Orochimaru and Danzo to assassinate the Third Hokage and silence Orochimaru.

These revelations...

Unquestionably, they completely enraged Jiraiya! Both Jiraiya and Naruto swore to protect Konoha with their lives, vowing never to let their village fall under the control of schemers like Danzo and Orochimaru, and never to allow the assassin of the Hokage, Danzo, to become Hokage!

Tsunade finally had no choice but to pull herself together.

If the situation had deteriorated to this point, she could not stand idly by when the village, once protected by her grandfather and granduncle with their lives, was in danger!

Thus...

She even set a trap, joining forces with Jiraiya to attack Orochimaru.

Caught off guard by Tsunade and Jiraiya's sudden assault, Orochimaru, having lost the use of his hands, was no match for them and had to flee with Kabuto.

"Damn it..."

Orochimaru's face showed clear displeasure.

He hadn't yet received Tsunade's answer and was instead ambushed by her and Jiraiya. He had planned to lure Tsunade into healing his hands using the Edo Tensei, but Tsunade seemed determined to fight him to the death!

"It seems Tsunade-sama never intended to help you..."

Kabuto's face showed some regret, but he quickly adjusted: "However, Orochimaru-sama, this might not be a bad thing for us..."

"Hmm?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"If we are no longer friends, then we need to find him a new enemy, forcing him to become our friend again. Now Danzo has a new enemy."

"Everyone has realized Danzo's schemes..."

"Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama will certainly not let Danzo go..."

Kabuto smiled with interest as he elaborated on their plan: "Even if Danzo becomes Hokage, to deal with Tsunade and Jiraiya, he must continue cooperating with Orochimaru-sama. We can once again pressure him to stand with us..."

"Hmph..."

"Going to contact Danzo again?"

Orochimaru's face took on a sinister expression as he coldly said: "I do indeed need more of Konoha's forbidden jutsu information to find a way to break the Reaper Death Seal and free the souls trapped in my hands..."

"But Danzo, thinking he now controls Konoha's power and is above everyone, might not be willing to cooperate as we wish..."

"I will go as the envoy."

Kabuto smiled at Orochimaru, seemingly unconcerned about his own safety: "As long as Orochimaru-sama is alive, Danzo would not dare to kill me..."

"You really are clever... Kabuto."

Orochimaru sneered as he complimented Kabuto, his eyes looking far away toward the daimyo's castle: "Hmph, that guy should be eagerly awaiting his appointment by now!"

In fact...

Danzo was far from content.

This old man was being pushed to the brink by Uchiha Itachi!

Even though Danzo could repeatedly use Izanagi, he was ultimately no match for Uchiha Itachi, especially since Itachi seemed almost born to counter him!

A red Susanoo appeared around Uchiha Itachi, and the towering Susanoo raised its hand, releasing a Yasaka Magatama that killed the newly revived Danzo once again!

"The eighth time..."

Uchiha Itachi's eyes flickered slightly.

His gaze wasn't solely fixed on Danzo; he was also quietly observing Uchiha Sasuke to see how his brother would react.

However...

There was no reaction.

When Uchiha Sasuke saw the red Susanoo emerge, his face remained impassive, as if he were somewhat disinterested.

"Not interested..."

Uchiha Itachi frowned slightly, speculating that his brother might have already developed his Mangekyō Sharingan to the point of mastering Susanoo: "Has he already mastered the full-body Susanoo?"

"..."

Uchiha Sasuke even yawned out of boredom.

After all, Itachi's Susanoo was only in its fourth form, while his own Susanoo could reach the complete form. The complete Susanoo and the fourth form were not on the same level, so it was indeed difficult for Sasuke to be interested in this outdated power...

"..."

Uchiha Itachi sighed inwardly.

His brother's rapid growth in power had caught him off guard, to the point where Sasuke's mindset had undergone a significant change as well.

Enough.

There's no need to continue this Mangekyō Sharingan lesson.

Although Danzo, who could repeatedly use Izanagi to resurrect, was a rare enemy, Sasuke seemed completely uninterested, which left Itachi feeling somewhat defeated. He still hoped he could do more for Sasuke.

"First, kill Danzo..."

"Then, have a good talk with Sasuke..."

Uchiha Itachi manipulated the red Susanoo to raise its Totsuka Blade. A lava-like sword beam suddenly shot out from the blade, striking Danzo's body once again!

However...

Danzo's body was revived once more!

"The ninth time..."

Danzo looked down at his arm. On that white arm, only one Sharingan remained open; the others had all closed.

Each use of Izanagi...

Required the sacrifice of a Sharingan.

That arm had eleven Sharingan in total. The first was used when he fell into Sasuke's trap, and the other nine times were due to being killed by Uchiha Itachi!

"Only one left..."

Danzo stared intently at that eye, his expression flickering: "No, there's still one more. Shisui's Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan is now useless; perhaps it can also be used as a sacrifice for Izanagi..."

"Itachi certainly understands Izanagi well..."

"He detected every use of Izanagi..."

Danzo reflected on the frustration he had experienced in this battle and quickly formed a plan: "But Itachi would never expect me to use a precious Mangekyō Sharingan as a sacrifice for Izanagi. That will be the moment I escape..."

Escape was the only option.

He was completely outmatched.

Even escaping wouldn't be easy!

Danzo had tried various means to deal with Uchiha Itachi but ultimately failed to break through Susanoo's defense, especially with Itachi's Susanoo equipped with the terrifying defensive artifact, the Yata Mirror!

Moreover...

Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan was entirely useless; its only function was to alter another's will, but it had no effect on Uchiha Sasuke, and its cooldown time had already begun, lasting over a decade.

This now useless eye was good only for casting genjutsu.

However, neither Uchiha Sasuke nor Uchiha Itachi, both possessing Mangekyō Sharingan, would ever fall for his genjutsu. This eye was practically worthless!

In that case, this eye will be used as a sacrifice...

To carve out a path to survival!

"The tenth time."

Blood flowed from Uchiha Itachi's eyes.

As Amaterasu's flames ignited once more, the newly revived body of Danzo was engulfed in black flames, and the old man's life was quickly coming to an end!

Danzo's body reappeared in a safe location, and the Sharingan on his arm all closed, causing the arm to suddenly begin swelling!

"The cells of Hashirama are erupting at this moment..."

Danzo's face showed a hint of resolve as he swiftly severed his own arm. That arm had been cultivated using the cells of the First Hokage, with the energy of the Sharingan suppressing its erosion!

Now that all the Sharingan had closed...

There was no way to suppress the erosion from the First Hokage's cells!

"It's finally over."

Uchiha Itachi dispelled his Susanoo with a wave of his hand. Suddenly, he coughed up blood, and his steps became unsteady.

After all, he had long been suffering from a severe illness, and repeatedly using Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities with his weakened body had taken a heavy toll on him.

"Now..."

"You no longer have the means to use Izanagi."

Uchiha Itachi drew his kunai and began walking toward the one-armed old man, his voice weak: "No matter what, you're still a ninja of the village. I will at least give you a decent burial..."

"Kill me..."

Danzo gasped heavily, clutching his shoulder, his face still full of stubbornness, as if trying to persuade Itachi: "Your brother will definitely be a threat to Konoha!"

"This matter no longer concerns you."

Uchiha Itachi's steps drew closer, his voice echoing closer to Danzo's ears: "No matter what, I cannot allow you to harm Sasuke any longer..."

The next moment!

Danzo suddenly leaped away, attempting to escape into the distance!

Uchiha Itachi's kunai flew from his hand, instantly piercing Danzo's back. Danzo's body collapsed onto the ground!

"It's finally over..."

Uchiha Itachi let out a slow breath of relief.

But that sense of relief only lasted a moment, as his heart tightened again. He knew he still had to face his brother...

A brother who had become almost unrecognizable.

Although Sasuke's appearance hadn't changed since childhood—still as handsome and charming as ever—he was no longer the obedient boy Itachi once knew.

"I thought you might use Izanami..."

Uchiha Sasuke spread his hands and smiled lightly: "To deal with an enemy who can repeatedly use Izanagi, using Izanami, which counters Izanagi, would be the best choice, wouldn't it?"

Izanagi.

This forbidden technique sacrifices one Sharingan to reverse a disadvantageous reality, allowing the user to retain favorable battle conditions. It is considered the ultimate genjutsu. However, Izanagi has a counter—Izanami.

Izanami was developed specifically to counter Izanagi, and it also requires sacrificing a Sharingan. The technique creates a time loop, trapping the enemy in a repeated cycle. "Using Izanami requires a sacrifice..."

As Uchiha Itachi stepped toward Uchiha Sasuke, he calmly continued, "But I can't sacrifice my eyes, as they are still needed..."

Tap... Tap...

A stumbling sound of wooden clogs echoed. As Itachi was speaking, he heard footsteps and immediately realized something was wrong. He quickly looked at Shimura Danzō's corpse—it had disappeared once again!

"An eleventh time?"

Itachi's confusion only lasted a second before he realized the truth. Looking at Danzō's retreating figure, he felt a trace of pity. "So you used Shisui's eye to activate Izanagi?"

Unfortunately, just Shisui's eye isn't enough. Each use of Izanagi consumes a large amount of chakra! Previously, Danzō could barely sustain the technique using an arm made from Hashirama's cells, but now that he's lost those cells...

Without them, Danzō had to use his own chakra, nearly exhausting it with the last activation of Izanagi. The old man, with a blind eye, staggered forward, his body on the verge of collapse, driven only by a desperate will to survive.

Yet, his strength gave out...

The old man finally fell, his withered hands clutching the ground as he crawled forward, as if just a little further and hope would be within reach.

Hope was just ahead! Orochimaru was on his way... Danzō kept convincing himself, urging his will to persevere. If he could just meet Orochimaru, he might survive!

Truth be told, Danzō was in a pitiful state. Even without Itachi or Sasuke acting, any random academy student with a kunai could end his life...

"…"

Itachi, struggling to hold back, looked at the pathetic Danzō crawling on the ground and produced a shuriken. "Let's give him a dignified end..."

Itachi raised his hand to throw the shuriken.

"No need."

Sasuke waved his hand to stop Itachi, a sinister smile on his face as he watched Danzō drag his body forward. "Someone else has arrived."

Sasuke smirked as two figures emerged from the forest. "Let him struggle for survival, only to experience true despair afterward..."

"Hey."

"Danzo-sama."

Sasuke mocked Danzō with a cold smile, urging him, "Crawl faster. The person you want to see has arrived..."

Danzō ignored Sasuke's taunts, focused solely on crawling forward, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.

At the edge of the battlefield, in the depths of the forest, Orochimaru and Kabuto exchanged glances upon arriving.

"Orochimaru..."

Danzō struggled to crawl, thinking only of his savior, muttering to himself, "As long as Orochimaru arrives in time, I can return to Konoha and reclaim the Hokage title..."

Tap... Tap... Tap...

Seeing that Sasuke had already spotted them, Orochimaru and Kabuto ceased hiding and walked toward the battlefield, stopping beside the crawling Danzō.

"!!!"

Danzō, seeing their sandals, lifted his head sharply, his eyes burning with a desperate desire to live!

"Orochimaru!"

Danzō finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, his relief was premature.

"Isn't this Konoha's Fifth Hokage?"

Orochimaru smiled brightly, a particularly radiant smile. "You look rather pathetic..."

"Hurry!"

"Orochimaru!"

Danzō immediately grabbed Orochimaru's clothes, his face full of joy at escaping death. "Quick, kill Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi for me. I'll fund your experiments!"

"But..."

Orochimaru bent down slightly, looking kindly at Danzō, his smile twisted. "You seem quite useless to me now, Danzō..."

Orochimaru had long wanted to say this to Danzō! If Danzō were still the mighty Hokage, Orochimaru would've maintained a polite facade, even ignoring Danzō's order to have Sasuke assassinate him. But Danzō, in this state, was as good as dead—what use could he be?

"Orochimaru!"

Danzō looked at Orochimaru in disbelief. This man... dared to abandon him! Dared to break their alliance!

"Sasuke, Itachi..."

Orochimaru ignored Danzō and stopped, looking at the Uchiha brothers with a smile. "It seems something happened here... Am I safe here?"

"Of course, you're safe."

Sasuke chuckled, greeting him. "Orochimaru, it's good to see you alive. It wasn't for nothing that I spared you last time when I was ordered to kill you..."

Orochimaru's eyes flashed with danger, but his irritation quickly turned back to enthusiasm as he smiled and approached the Uchiha brothers. "It seems I owe Sasuke some thanks for his mercy..."

"Danzō!"

Danzō shouted Orochimaru's name from the ground.

"Danzo-sama, please don't disturb Orochimaru-sama."

Kabuto squatted down, smiling as he pulled a syringe from his pocket. "Orochimaru hates you deeply for sending Sasuke to kill him after you became Hokage..."

"I never..."

Danzō quickly tried to deny it.

"I know."

Kabuto leaned down, whispering in Danzō's ear, "Because it was Sasuke who, in your name, ordered Orochimaru's assassination to turn you against each other. Orochimaru believes your alliance is already broken. In your current state, he won't care if you live or die..."

"!!!"

Danzō's eyes filled with fear.

"Everyone thinks..."

"You stand on high, ungrateful..."

"When you're in the mud, do you think we'll save you?"

Kabuto's voice grew quieter, almost a whisper, as he added, "In Sasuke's plan, we're the ones meant to kill you..."

"You!"

Danzō's eyes widened in shock!

"To be precise... it's me."

Kabuto's voice was calm as he adjusted his glasses. "Danzo-sama, do you remember Dean Nonō?"

"!!!"

Danzō recalled how he had arranged for Nonō and Kabuto to kill each other.

"From the beginning..."

"I was nobody..."

"It was the Dean who gave me a name..."

"From the beginning..."

"I had nothing..."

"It was the Dean who gave me these glasses..."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, a mist forming on the lenses. "I almost forgot the Dean's name. Sasuke reminded me, told me who I am and what I have..."

Kabuto looked down at Danzō, a smile on his face, though it was full of murderous intent. "So..."

"I've always thought..."

"I need to do something for the Dean, to remember who I am, to know what I should do..."

"Remember my name before you die..."

"My name is Yakushi Kabuto, the one who wears glasses, the one who will send you to hell."

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~~~

Damn!!!!! Kabuto is too cold!

Wtf!