Chapter 279: What Matters Is That You’re Gone!

Tsunade clenched her teeth tightly, desperately trying to remain calm.

But the trembling of her body wouldn't stop.

Her concentration slipped away, and even her vision began to blur, the world splitting into overlapping images.

"A shinobi is born to carry out missions."

"Guard duty, extermination, assassination, war… there's nothing they won't do."

"A doctor is born to save lives."

"Treating wounds, cutting open bodies… which of those doesn't involve blood?"

"And yet you—both a shinobi and a medical ninja—suffer from something as ridiculous as hemophobia."

"What exactly did Hiruzen Sarutobi teach you?"

Danzō stepped up in front of Tsunade, sneering with contempt.

Raising his arm, he thrust the kunai in his hand straight toward her face.

Tsunade felt the sharp gust of wind rushing toward her.

She knew Danzō had no intention of holding back.

Instinctively, she bit down hard on the tip of her tongue.

The piercing pain jolted her mind awake.

Her blurred vision instantly snapped back into focus.

The overlapping images merged as she clearly saw the incoming kunai.

But the next moment—

She noticed the blood still dripping from the blade.

And the metallic scent of blood reached her nose.

Her body trembled violently again.

Her legs went weak.

She collapsed onto the ground.

However, that collapse allowed her to barely avoid the fatal strike.

The kunai only sliced away a few strands of her hair.

Seeing his attack miss, Danzō paused briefly in surprise.

But then he shook his head and sneered.

"Luck, perhaps?"

"Let's see how much luck the legendary 'Big Fat Sheep' still has."

As he spoke, Danzō bent down and thrust the kunai toward Tsunade again.

This time he used far more strength.

The speed and force of the strike were far greater than before.

CRACK!

The kunai in Danzō's hand suddenly shattered.

A crimson-gold skeletal hand made of chakra had appeared, protecting Tsunade where she sat.

"Susanoo?!"

Danzō's expression changed dramatically.

He leapt backward immediately and looked toward the figure who had appeared nearby.

It was Uchiha Ren.

His face was expressionless as he controlled the Susanoo.

The skeletal hand gently lifted Tsunade from the ground and tossed her backward.

In a blur of movement, Shikaku Nara  appeared, catching her before landing beside Ren.

Moments later, several more figures flashed into existence.

Hiashi Hyūga  and the other clan leaders arrived as well, forming a defensive line in front of the recovering Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane , and Homura Mitokado, who were still being treated by Katsuyu.

"Ten minutes."

Shikaku glanced at Uchiha Ren and spoke briefly.

Then he carried Tsunade away from the battlefield.

Hiashi and the others escorted Hiruzen and the wounded elders further back as well, retreating from the combat zone.

"Uchiha Ren, what is the meaning of this?"

Danzō frowned deeply, his expression dark as he demanded an answer.

Ren shrugged helplessly.

"You can't blame me."

"If you must blame someone, blame yourself for being too slow."

"The Four Violet Flames Formation has already been broken. We no longer have an excuse to stand by and watch."

In truth, Ren was genuinely frustrated.

His original plan had been to let Danzō kill Hiruzen and the others first, and then deal with Danzō afterward.

Earlier, with the Four Violet Flames Formation in place, Ren could use it as a convenient excuse to stand aside while Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura were killed.

Everyone present understood that unspoken arrangement.

But unexpectedly—

Tsunade suddenly appeared and smashed the barrier apart.

The Konoha Military Police Force, controlled by the Uchiha clan, had the primary responsibility of maintaining order within the village.

If they continued to stand by now, it would no longer be simple negligence.

It would be considered participating in Danzō's coup.

Ren spoke calmly.

"Shimura Danzō, according to our agreement, the Uchiha clan would provide certain conveniences for your operation."

"But we would not join your coup."

"And we fulfilled our side of the agreement."

"We used Kushina Uzumaki to lure Namikaze Minato away."

"We had Orochimaru hold Jiraiya back."

"The one who failed… was you."

Danzō clenched his teeth.

"I already told you!"

"It's only a coup if it fails. If it succeeds, it's called a revolution!"

"I only needed ten more seconds—no, three seconds would have been enough!"

"Why rush things now?!"

Ren shook his head.

"A loss is a loss."

"And it's not me who's in a hurry."

"It's them."

"If you hadn't attacked Tsunade, they might have pretended not to see anything."

"But you attacked her."

Danzō froze for a moment.

Then realization dawned.

No wonder Ren and the others hadn't rushed forward immediately after the barrier was destroyed.

They had waited until now.

The reason was Tsunade.

Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu were different.

But Tsunade—

In the past decade, she had made enormous contributions to Konoha.

And more importantly—

She still had the people's support.

Tsunade was the greatest medical ninja in the shinobi world.

Almost every Konoha shinobi who survived the wars had received her treatment at some point.

Her prestige within the village, purely as a medical ninja, already surpassed Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

And beyond that—

She was also:

The granddaughter of the First HokageA princess of the Fire Daimyō's courtThe last heir of the Senju clan

If they allowed Tsunade to die in front of them without reason—

They would never be able to explain it to the citizens of Konoha.

Nor to the Fire Daimyō.

So—

Hiruzen and the others could die.

But Tsunade absolutely could not.

Realizing this, Danzō felt a deep sense of regret.

He had made a critical mistake.

He should never have attacked Tsunade.

"So now…"

"You intend to eliminate me, is that it?"

Danzō glanced at the surrounding Konoha shinobi watching him like predators and spoke coldly.

"Yes."

Uchiha Ren nodded firmly.

Danzō still clung to a final sliver of hope.

"Is there truly no room for negotiation?"

"I have sufficient evidence for acting against Hiruzen and the others."

"I can confront them publicly!"

Even if the situation was lost, as long as he survived—

There would always be a chance to rise again.

Even if it required ten more years of patience.

But Ren simply shook his head.

"You misunderstand something."

"Whether Hiruzen and the others are guilty isn't important."

"And the evidence in your hands isn't important either."

"What matters to us…"

"…is that you are gone."

"So it doesn't matter whether you killed them today or not."

"You were always going to die."

"From the very beginning, you never had any chance of becoming the Fourth Hokage."

Danzō froze.

His eyes filled with disbelief.

"W-What do you mean by that?!"

His heart pounded wildly.

Even his voice stuttered.

Ren shook his head, his tone righteous.

"Where the leaves dance, the Fire burns eternally."

"Shimura Danzō, understand something."

"It's not that someone becomes Hokage and then gains the people's recognition."

"It's only those who are recognized by the people who can become Hokage."

"Ask yourself honestly."

"How many people in this village truly acknowledge you?"

After a brief pause, Ren sighed.

"I can tell you very seriously…"

"In this village—"

"No one loves you."

"No one recognizes you."

"Everyone just wants you dead."

"And you still want to become Hokage?"

"Heh."

"Go eat shit."

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