Naruto: Growing Stronger Through Healing

Although they had managed to escape for the moment, Danzō and his group quickly ran headlong into danger once again.

This time, it was none other than Kitsuchi and his subordinates, returning with vengeance in their eyes.

Unlike Rasa—who had been injured and forced to withdraw—Kitsuchi clearly understood his own limits.

He knew full well that, in a direct confrontation, he was no match for Danzō and Orochimaru fighting together. Because of that, he had deliberately avoided clashing with them earlier.

However, what Danzō did not know was that Kitsuchi had secretly dispatched men to keep watch on his movements the entire time.

And so—

When Danzō and Orochimaru finally separated, Kitsuchi was able to lead his forces and intercept Danzō at precisely the right moment.

"Danzō," Kitsuchi said with a smug grin, his voice dripping with satisfaction, "where do you think you're running now?"

Without giving Danzō even a moment to think, Kitsuchi launched an attack the instant he finished speaking, striking with ruthless decisiveness.

A Root ninja stepped forward without hesitation, willingly taking the blow meant for Danzō.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, the one-armed Danzō immediately hurled a smoke bomb to obscure vision and fled with what little remained of his forces.

At this moment, there was no trace left of the imposing presence he once carried as the leader of Root.

He no longer looked like the shadow ruling Konoha from behind the scenes.

He looked like a cornered stray. A hunted dog, fleeing in panic, barely daring to even turn around and fight.

But Kitsuchi had no intention of letting him escape.

"He won't get away—keep chasing him!"

Thus, Danzō fled desperately ahead, while Kitsuchi's forces pursued relentlessly from behind.

Along the way, Root ninjas continued to sacrifice themselves one after another, throwing their lives away simply to buy Danzō a few more seconds.

Yet after the previous battles, Root's numbers were already pitifully small.

After several more such sacrifices, the remaining Root ninjas were completely wiped out.

Danzō was left utterly alone.

"Danzō," Kitsuchi called out coldly, "all your subordinates are dead. Where else do you think you can run now?"

Danzō did not answer. But the sound of his teeth grinding together was unmistakable.

He had never suffered such humiliation in his life. Any other person might have already given up in despair.

But Danzō—driven by obsession, hatred, and resentment—refused to abandon even the slightest chance of survival.

However, misfortune never came alone. Another group of ninjas suddenly appeared ahead of him, blocking his path completely.

They wore Konoha forehead protectors. At their head stood Hatake Sakumo.

"Danzō," Sakumo declared, his killing intent sharp and unmistakable, "you will not escape today!"

With a roar, Hatake Sakumo drew his ninja blade and slashed forward.

Danzō barely managed to dodge the attack, instinctively attempting to flee once more—but it was already too late.

He was surrounded from both sides.

Scanning the figures before him, the gloom that had weighed on his face vanished. In its place appeared unmistakable panic.

If it had only been the Iwagakure ninja led by Kitsuchi, that would have been one thing.

But now, the Konoha pursuit force led by Hatake Sakumo had also arrived.

Even if Danzō were in his prime, escaping such an encirclement would have been nearly impossible.

Let alone now, when he had already lost an arm.

---

"This Danzō… he actually sold me out."

Rinne Path–Orochimaru muttered darkly as he fended off attacks from the Hidden Cloud ninja.

Although he had known this was Danzō's nature, the betrayal still angered him.

He glanced toward the Third Raikage, who had already broken free after other Cloud ninja severed the Wood Release bindings, and immediately decided not to continue the fight.

The Third Raikage was far too troublesome—certainly not an opponent who could be dealt with quickly.

There was no need to risk everything for Danzō. Instead, letting reality crush him would be far more fitting.

Let him taste what it meant to lose the towering tree that was Konoha.

With that thought, Rinne Path–Orochimaru immediately dispelled the Impure World Reincarnation and tossed a smoke bomb.

By the time the smoke cleared, his figure was already gone.

"Damn Orochimaru! I didn't expect him to be such a coward!" The Third Raikage roared in frustration, unable to pursue him.

"Lord Raikage, what should we do now?"

"Our primary objective is Danzō," the Third Raikage replied coldly. "Ignore Orochimaru. We capture Danzō first!"

With that, he took the lead and charged in the direction Danzō had fled.

The Cloud ninja followed immediately.

"Danzō is a rogue ninja of Konoha," Hatake Sakumo said sternly, his blade held at the ready as he faced Kitsuchi. "Konoha will deal with him. What business does Iwagakure have interfering?"

In the shinobi world, even a corpse held value—let alone a living man.

Especially someone like Danzō, a former Hokage advisor who carried countless secrets of Konoha.

He could not be allowed to fall into foreign hands.

"Danzō is the Darkness of the Shinobi World," Kitsuchi replied calmly. "Such a threat isn't a problem for Konoha alone. Iwagakure merely wishes to eliminate harm for the sake of the entire ninja world."

These lofty words were not Kitsuchi's own. They were instructions given to him by Ōnoki before he departed.

"He's just a rogue ninja," Sakumo replied coldly. "Konoha doesn't need Iwagakure's help. Leave now, and I'll pretend I never saw you."

"Otherwise—don't blame Konoha's White Fang for showing no mercy."

At the mention of that name, every Iwa ninja instinctively stepped back.

The reputation of Konoha's White Fang had been forged in blood during the Second Great Ninja War.

Even Kitsuchi himself became wary.

As the two sides confronted one another, Danzō—standing at the center of the encirclement—calmed himself once more, desperately searching for a way out.

His instinct to survive forced his mind to race.

If he could make Hatake Sakumo and Kitsuchi clash, chaos would follow—and chaos meant opportunity.

Just as Danzō subtly drew a shuriken, preparing to ignite the conflict, the Third Raikage arrived with his men.

"Heh," the Raikage chuckled, surveying the scene, "this is lively. But Danzō is my target. None of you are taking him."

Sakumo's expression darkened instantly.

"Danzō is a rogue ninja of Konoha," he said in a deep voice. "Dealing with him is an internal matter. Raikage-sama, are you trying to provoke a war?"

Even facing the Raikage, Sakumo's presence did not waver.

But the Third Raikage answered calmly. "Danzō once infiltrated Kumogakure and stole confidential archives. We must capture him and retrieve what was taken."

Sakumo's mouth twitched. It was common knowledge that Danzō had been imprisoned for two years.

How could he have infiltrated Kumogakure? And even before that, the leader of Root would never personally steal archives.

"It seems," Sakumo said slowly, "that the Raikage is determined to stand against Konoha."

With those words, the air turned suffocating. All three factions prepared for battle.

And at that very moment, Danzō finally acted. The shuriken he threw became the spark.

The three-way battle erupted.