Chapter 262: The Darkness, Who Had always Lagged Half A Step Behind The Light, Had, For The First Time In His Life, Finally Walked Ahead Of The Light

If this journey truly ended in disaster, then... he would go meet his teacher openly and honestly!

And personally tell him: "Your entrusted duty, this student has done his utmost to fulfill. The village you protected already has successors to inherit it. And that young man whom you once pushed back onto the path of survival has already grown into a towering tree capable of sheltering the next generation."

"And in the final moment of his life, he made the exact same choice you did back then!"

Thinking of this, the third Hokage suddenly erupted with a solemn aura.

This aura was neither flamboyant nor violent. Instead, it was extraordinarily calm, yet so pure and condensed to the extreme that even the slightest trace of it felt as heavy as a mountain!

The change was extremely subtle. Among everyone present, only Orochimaru, who was following closely behind and possessed extraordinary perception, sharply caught it.

In an instant, his pupils suddenly contracted, and shock surged through his heart.

All this time, he had watched his teacher gradually age and pass his peak, while he himself continuously advanced and explored further.

Deep in his heart, he had once quietly estimated that his own strength was gradually approaching his teacher’s, perhaps even matching him in certain aspects.

But at this moment, feeling the suddenly erupting awe-inspiring aura from his teacher, Orochimaru realized how absurdly mistaken he had been.

’If he were to fight his teacher right now...’

Such a thought flashed through Orochimaru’s mind, and he immediately understood without doubt that he probably would not even last ten exchanges.

The third Hokage did not notice Orochimaru’s shock. At this moment, the inexplicable throbbing within his heart was becoming increasingly intense and increasingly clear.

’Come!’

The third Hokage’s footsteps suddenly accelerated once more, his figure nearly transforming into a stream of light, tearing through the night as he sped decisively forward, toward that moment which perhaps ultimately belonged to him.

At this very moment, this Light who had governed Konoha for many years did not know that just as he made this decision, another party, the Darkness, who had accompanied him for decades as both rival and companion, had already welcomed his own moment first upon the battlefield ahead.

Konoha’s Light and Darkness, these old friends and rivals who had accompanied, competed with, and tangled with one another for decades, on this same night, upon this land that had buried their teacher and also left behind their regrets, unexpectedly reached the same resolution.

Only this time, the Darkness, who had always lagged half a step behind the Light, had, for the first time in his life, finally walked ahead of the Light.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi were to learn of this, what would he think?

Shock? Understanding? Or some indescribable emotion?

But regardless.

This night belonged to the convergence of Light and Darkness upon different paths.

This night belonged to the passing down of the flame between tree and root. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

......

Rumble!!!

Dust shot into the sky as the ground was ripped open into countless trenches. The road twisted beyond recognition, while innumerable surrounding trees were severed at the waist as though cut apart by invisible blades, crashing down one after another as wood chips and dust mixed into chaotic ruin.

At the center of this destruction and chaos, Danzo Shimura moved as swiftly as the wind. With an extremely dangerous turn, he narrowly avoided a fierce slash coming from the side, then reversed the katana in his hand in a flash of cold light, causing blood to explode across a Kumogakure ninja’s throat.

He did not even glance at the falling corpse. His left hand had already clamped down like iron pincers upon another enemy’s thrusting blade, twisting his wrist and snatching the weapon away.

Another soft tearing sound rang out.

Two fountains of blood erupted simultaneously, blooming crimson flowers beneath the moonlight. Before the two Kumogakure ninja could even scream, they crashed lifelessly to the ground.

All of this occurred in the blink of an eye.

Danzo’s footsteps never paused as his figure dragged a string of blurry afterimages behind him, barely evading several dazzling blue-white lightning bolts that crisscrossed toward him.

The violent currents struck the spot where he had stood moments ago, scorching the ground pitch-black.

At the same time as he dodged and maneuvered, Danzo’s hand seals moved so quickly they became phantoms, while chakra compressed and condensed rapidly within his throat.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Countless invisible bullets formed from wind nature chakra poured forth like torrential rain, every shot carrying a shrill, tearing whistle through the air, resembling the uninterrupted sweeping fire of a machine gun!

The eight Kumogakure ninja charging at the very front did not even have time to dodge or defend before their bodies were instantly pierced through by countless vacuum bullets. Blood mist exploded beneath the moonlight as their bodies were riddled with holes like torn rags before collapsing heavily.

Yet Danzo did not stop in the slightest. His figure moved again like a gale skimming across the ground, while his hands once more rapidly formed seals.

But at the exact same moment he moved, from the rear flank, the nearly one hundred Kumogakure ninja who had already assembled completed their hand seals simultaneously.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Pillar!"

"Lightning Style: Lightning Ball"

"Lightning Style: Lightning Snake!"

"Lightning Style...!"

One fierce shout after another exploded across the night sky.

In an instant, lightning surged upward as dozens of dazzling Lightning Style Ninjutsu tore through the air!

Some transformed into straight beams of light that shot directly forward.

Others condensed into sharp spear-like javelins. Some rolled forward as crackling lightning spheres, while others slithered along the ground like snakes. Hundreds of streaks of electricity intertwined into a net of death, enveloping Danzo’s position from every direction!

The lightning illuminated his face, yet that face remained utterly expressionless. He drew in a deep breath as his chest expanded violently like a bellows, chakra compressing and condensing within his throat!

Wind Style: Vacuum Bomb!

The next moment, he spat it out!

A massive compressed sphere of wind carrying destructive energy blasted forward like a fired cannon shell!

If vacuum bullets were machine-gun fire, then the vacuum great sphere was the roar of a rocket launcher!

Boom!!!

The wind sphere violently collided against the sky-filling lightning!

In an instant, a deafening explosion tore through the night sky as chaotic shockwaves swept outward like a tsunami.

The electric currents were ripped apart, shredded, and reversed by the raging winds, scattering into countless firefly-like fragments of electricity!

Dust, shattered stone, and broken wood were hurled high into the air, only to be pulverized into powder by the raging wind pressure before they could fall!

With his own strength alone, he directly resisted the combined Lightning Style assault of nearly one hundred Kumogakure ninja, including attacks jointly unleashed by Jonin!

Although Wind Style naturally countered Lightning Style, the fact that he could face such a large-scale combined attack head-on with a single Ninjutsu only highlighted the terrifying depth of Danzo Shimura’s mastery over Wind Style!

"What?! He can actually..."

A Kumogakure’s Jonin’s pupils shrank violently, his face filled with disbelief. Yet his shock did not even last half a second.

Whoosh!

From within the overwhelming smoke and dust, a figure burst forth like a raging gale!

It was Danzo Shimura!

He gave the enemy no opportunity to breathe. While still airborne, he swung the katana in his right hand through the air!

Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!

A gigantic compressed wind blade, its edges shimmering with blue-white high-frequency vibrations, slashed horizontally toward the Jonin’s position at nearly lightning speed!

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