Naruto: Growing Stronger Through Healing

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After a deafening chain of explosions, Danzō's body was utterly obliterated, reduced to countless fragments scattered into nothingness.

He died without leaving behind even a complete corpse.

No remains were found.

Under such circumstances, every secret he once possessed—every shadowy truth, every buried scheme—was also seemingly sealed beneath the rubble.

There was nothing left to investigate. No trail to follow.

Seeing this outcome, both the Third Raikage and Kitsuchi wore expressions of deep displeasure.

Not only had they failed to capture Danzō, but they had also lost several of their own elite ninja in the process.

It was a loss no one could easily accept.

"Everyone, retreat immediately!" While the two Kage-level figures remained silent, Hatake Sakumo issued the order without hesitation.

Danzō was dead. Their mission was complete.

If they lingered any longer, Konoha's forces would inevitably be caught between Iwagakure and Kumogakure.

With their current numbers, they stood no chance of resisting a joint encirclement.

If things truly spiraled out of control, Sakumo himself might be the only one able to escape. And that was an outcome he absolutely did not want to see.

Seeing how decisively the Konoha squad withdrew, the Third Raikage and Kitsuchi exchanged a brief glance before also leading their respective teams away.

However, neither side returned directly to their villages.

Instead, they continued searching the surrounding regions, attempting to track down Orochimaru's whereabouts.

If they could capture Orochimaru, then this disastrous expedition would not have been a total loss.

But fate had already decided otherwise.

High above the battlefield, Rinne Path–Orochimaru, who had witnessed everything unfold from the sky, would naturally never allow himself to be discovered.

"Black Zetsu did make a move after all."

When the decision regarding White Zetsu Tobi had been made, Aoshi had already prepared himself mentally for the exposure of his Rinnegan.

So this development did not surprise him in the slightest.

As for whether Uchiha Madara would personally intervene, that remained uncertain.

But even if Madara truly made his move, Aoshi had no intention of fearing him.

"They're trying to use Danzō against me, aren't they?"

That was exactly the case. Danzō had not truly died.

If he genuinely intended to drag everyone down with him in death, he would have activated the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique—not merely relied on explosive tags.

Moreover, Rinne Path–Orochimaru could clearly sense that the Zero-Tails was still alive through the Zero-Tails Formula.

Not only was it alive, but it was also moving at incredible speed. That alone was proof that Danzō still lived.

"With Black Zetsu's help, I don't need to worry about Danzō's safety."

Originally, the plan had been for Danzō to travel with Orochimaru to the Land of Rice Fields, after which Aoshi would have needed to use the Rinne Path–Orochimaru to keep constant watch over him.

Now, that trouble was unnecessary. Once the Zero-Tails fully matured, Aoshi would simply locate Danzō again and harvest it.

"Also… the Zero-Tails clearly grew a great deal just now. That must be why it had enough power to heal Danzō's injuries."

In truth, the relationship between Danzō and the Zero-Tails was very similar to that of a Jinchūriki and a tailed beast.

The Zero-Tails did not want to die. So when Danzō faced mortal danger, it instinctively released its power to keep him alive.

However, there was a prerequisite.

That meant the Zero-Tails had already begun to develop its own consciousness and had grown to a certain level.

Under normal circumstances, that process would take several months at the very least. Yet Danzō had achieved it in only a few days.

As expected, Danzō was the perfect cultivation medium for the Zero-Tails.

"This direction… they are going to hide him in the Hidden Mist Village."

By sensing the Zero-Tails' movement, Rinne Path–Orochimaru quickly deduced Black Zetsu's plan.

He already had a general understanding of what they intended to do next.

---

Underground.

With the Zero-Tails' power reinforcing him, most of Danzō's injuries had already healed. At the very least, his life was no longer in danger.

He stared warily at Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, his voice low and cautious. "Who exactly are you people?"

"Danzō," Black Zetsu replied calmly, "you don't need to know who we are. You only need to know one thing—only we can help you deal with Hirakawa Aoshi."

Black Zetsu had no intention of letting this temporary pawn learn too much. But Danzō was not the type to trust words alone.

As if anticipating this, Black Zetsu continued.

"By the way, you shouldn't expect Orochimaru to help you anymore. He was killed by Hirakawa Aoshi a long time ago."

"From the moment you left Konoha, the Orochimaru at your side was nothing more than a puppet controlled by Hirakawa Aoshi."

"I don't know why he didn't kill you outright, but that is the truth."

Danzō's eyes widened in disbelief.

How could he accept that Orochimaru, one of the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha, had been defeated by a mere brat like Hirakawa Aoshi?

And yet, Danzō was inherently suspicious by nature.

After hearing Black Zetsu's words, doubt inevitably crept in. He had been so focused on escaping Konoha that he hadn't paid close attention before.

Now that he thought about it carefully, there really had been something… off about Orochimaru.

The moment this realization struck him, a chill ran down his spine.

If Orochimaru truly had been Hirakawa Aoshi's puppet, then that meant Danzō himself had been under surveillance from beginning to end.

Fear, rage, humiliation, and countless other emotions surged violently within him.

After a long silence, Danzō finally forced himself to calm down. He looked at Black Zetsu, masking his emotions behind a composed expression.

"Then how can I trust you?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Black Zetsu answered evenly. "And we, too, have a deep-seated grudge against Hirakawa Aoshi."

"To show our sincerity," he added, "we can first help you transplant a healthy arm."

Before the sentence was even finished, White Zetsu had already severed his own arm and grafted it onto Danzō.

In an instant, the limb regenerated perfectly.

A sharp glint flashed through Danzō's eyes as he flexed his restored arm. His trust in Black Zetsu increased, but only slightly.

"So," Danzō said slowly, "what do you plan to do next to help me?"

"The only feasible way to deal with Hirakawa Aoshi is to start a war," Black Zetsu replied. "And we will help you secretly take control of the Hidden Mist Village."

Hearing Black Zetsu speak so casually about controlling one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Danzō felt both shock and intrigue.

At the same time, a deep sense of unease surfaced within him. Still, as a veteran schemer, he revealed nothing on his face.

"With the support of the Hidden Mist Village," Black Zetsu continued, "you won't let us down… will you?"

The implication was clear. If Danzō failed, they would simply choose someone else.

Danzō straightened his posture, confidence radiating from him.

"If you can truly help me take control of the Hidden Mist Village," he declared, "then forget Hirakawa Aoshi—unifying the entire Ninja World would be within reach."

"But I do have one question. If your force is truly so powerful, why don't you act yourselves instead of hiding in the shadows?"

More importantly, as the former leader of Root, Danzō had never heard of such a terrifying force existing within the Ninja World.

Black Zetsu smiled faintly and answered.

"Our ultimate goal is true peace in the Ninja World. That goal fundamentally conflicts with the world as it currently is."

"Therefore, we must remain in the shadows and continue accumulating strength."

"If Hirakawa Aoshi had not provoked us," Black Zetsu added, "we would never have sought you out, nor exposed our existence."

After listening, Danzō fell silent.

He scoffed inwardly at the notion of "true peace." Such words might deceive children—but not him.

Still, he needed their power. So he pretended to believe them and asked no further questions.

"In that case," Danzō said at last, "I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration."

"It will be our pleasure."

And so, two sides, each harboring their own hidden agendas, began a dangerous alliance all for the sake of killing Hirakawa Aoshi.

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