Naruto: The Wind Calamity

Chapter 914: Chapter 907 : The Divine War!Chapter 915: Chapter 908 : A Dagger in the Dark!

Danzo asked, "Who are Gale Sovereign and Mushigami?"

Ideally, Danzo would have preferred if Fujin and Akuro fought. However, Akuro hadn't killed Darui despite fighting against him several times and hadn't faced Ay even once. As such, Danzo didn't think Akuro was strong enough to kill, or even defeat, Fujin. Not to mention, he still had reasons to suspect a partnership between the two of them despite Akuro's words.

As a result, he decided to gather as much information as he could from Akuro before making a move. His subordinates also paid careful attention. While each one of them had doubts of varying degrees about everything Akuro claimed, his words had piqued their curiosity. They continued maintaining their guard against any unsuspecting moments while lending their ear to Akuro, wondering whether he would quench their curiosity.

Without glancing at them, Akuro answered, "They are old comrades… in a sense. Kindred spirits who walked this world along with me when it was still young. Both are in a slumber for now, unlikely to awake in this era. For your sake, you better pray my predictions are accurate."

Akuro chuckled as he finished talking. For a moment, the Root ninjas felt dread. Fu thought, 'Why does it feel like a catastrophe would occur if his predictions are inaccurate?'

Danzo asked, "What would happen if they awoke?"

Akuro laughed, "Gale Sovereign slaughters until the entire world is covered in a red bloody mist. Mushigami collects the body parts of the strongest warriors in the era and makes them a part of himself. The amount of blood his endless insect army needs causes several mass extinctions every time his eyes open."

The dread the Root ninjas were feeling increased. Even Danzo frowned and analyzed, 'They sound almost godlike, much like Lord First and Uchiha Madara. The world order will change if such individuals awake. However, are they that strong? Or, will they be weakened like Akuro claimed during his clash against the Kumogakure army? No, for Konoha's safety, I need to make sure that they never wake up.'

He asked, "Where are they sleeping?"

Akuro answered, "Do you think I'd be wasting my time with you if I knew?"

Danzo ignored his sarcasm and probed further, "How many of your kin are in slumber? If they're as strong as you claim, why are they in a slumber?"

Akuro muttered, "How many, huh? Not many I suppose. As for why they're in a slumber, isn't it obvious?"

He glanced towards the Root ninja and continued in a spooky tone, "They were defeated and gravely injured."

Danzo and his subordinates made a mental note of all the new information they were getting. Danzo continued poking for more information and asked, "Who defeated them?"

Akuro answered nonchalantly, "Of course it was us. Who else could it be?"

Danzo frowned and asked, "What happens when you and your comrades wake up? And, why did you arise from your slumber at this time?"

Akuro chuckled, "We start awaking when an era is about to end. Some early, some late, a few skip some eras too. As for what happens?"

Akuro paused for a moment, as if reminiscing of the old times, before muttering, "A divine war breaks out!"

Danzo's frown deepened as he thought, 'As I suspected, he's troublesome. Fortunately, he has a loose mouth. I didn't even need to use Shisui's eye to make him spill the beans. Assuming he's speaking the truth, his existence can be the perfect opportunity for me to make a comeback. However, it'll take time and I need to take things one step at a time. For now, I need to secure the Lightning crystal vein. If possible, I should also capture him and read his memories to get a proper understanding of his comrades and their strengths. Unfortunately…'

Danzo was in a tough spot. With his Sharingans, he had confidence in dealing with Akuro. However, he couldn't say for certain whether he could kill or capture Akuro. If he failed to do so and Akuro was displeased, he could return any time in the future to destroy the vein, just like how he destroyed the Root headquarters.

After all, Danzo couldn't stay put here for a long time, nor could he permanently deploy other rank S ninjas in Konoha to protect the vein. He would obviously build a top quality seal formation to protect the vein, but Akuro was someone who infiltrated into the Raikage building with no trouble. Danzo didn't believe any seal formation could stop such a person. The best he could do was lay a trap, but seeing how unsuccessful Kumogakure was in doing so, Danzo wasn't very optimistic about it either.

While Danzo calculated, Fu asked, "A divine war? What's that?"

Akuro teased, "You'll find it out soon enough. I have answered plenty of your questions, but you're yet to answer mine. Are you here to swear fealty to me?"

Danzo replied, "You still haven't answered why you attacked my headquarters."

Akuro muttered, "Hmm, I did? I don't remember."

Offended, Torune asked angrily, "What do you mean you don't remember? Di…"

Akuro interrupted in a lazy tone, "If I were to remember every insignificant thing, my head would have long exploded."

'Insignificant…' The word echoed in the minds of the 5 Konoha ninjas. Even Danzo, despite his vast experience and great restraint, felt a rage burning inside him. It was easy to guess how angry his subordinates were.

The incident wasn't insignificant by any means. It was the most impactful event inside Konoha in the period between the Uchiha Massacre and Konoha Crush. It was also the biggest humiliation Root ever endured. To make matters worse, it was also the incident that caused Root to lose nearly all of its power. More than 90% of its members were taken away and Danzo even lost his seat in the council.

Yet, Akuro considered this humiliation so insignificant that he couldn't even remember it! A couple of the Root ninjas were about to explode, when Danzo raised an arm, indicating to control themselves. He asked, "Say I tolerate your intrusion. Say I let you play your little games here. What then? What benefit do I gain from this… alliance?"

"Alliance?" Akuro said, voice quiet and sharp as steel. "You mistake the nature of this meeting, Danzo of Root. I offer no alliances. Bend the knee or be buried under it. As for what benefit you gain…"

There was a small pause, before Akuro muttered in his jagged, archaic voice, "Isn't your life enough?"

Danzo's subordinates tensed instantly and reached for their weapons. Danzo's expression remained stoic as usual. He began removing the seals on his right arm and said, "So be it. Buy me some time."

Without the need for any more words, all four Root ninjas flickered in front of Danzo. Torune removed his gloves, his skin turning purple. Fu weaved a series of hand seals, precise and fluid, characteristic of the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques. The third Root ninja began preparing a Wind jutsu to counter Akuro's Lightning jutsus, while the last one unsheathed his sword and stood guard in front of Danzo, forming the last line of defense.

Any other ninja, no matter how strong, would have turned their attention to the four Root ninjas. Though none of them were rank S, together they possessed skills to trouble any rank S ninja. The enemy would prefer to deal with them before they could team up with Danzo and become a threat.

However, Akuro didn't spare them a single glance. Instead, his chakra flared and became extremely chaotic. He said, "Don't bother. Even Indra couldn't place me under a Genjutsu. His cheap copy wouldn't work either. The only one capable of placing me under an illusion is Shin'en no Kōshi. Unfortunately for you, his art wasn't passed to humans."

Danzo, who was secretly counting on neutralizing Akuro with Shisui's eye, frowned. His confidence in dealing with Akuro decreased slightly. He thought, 'To think he'd be so sensitive to my Genjutsu. I shouldn't have let Itachi take Shisui's other eye. If I had it, I could have made Akuro loyal to Root.'

His eyes narrowed, noticing Akuro's disdain towards his subordinates. Despite the Root ninjas preparing their jutsus, Akuro hadn't even bothered looking at them. Danzo thought, 'No matter, there are still more ways to deal with him. If he underestimates my subordinates, I may not have to take any action.'

Fu aimed his palms at Akuro and smirked, 'Did the Yamanaka clan not exist when he last awoke? If he doesn't know of our abilities, this will be easy work.'

Similar thoughts ran through the minds of other Root ninjas. While they were nowhere near as strong as Darui's group, the four of them possessed abilities far trickier than what Kumogakure ninjas possessed. It became the source of their confidence.

'Mind Body Switch jutsu!'

Fu aimed at the unmoving Akuro and launched his technique. However, his eyes suddenly widened. Akuro, who hadn't moved from the boulder since they arrived, suddenly disappeared! The other three Root ninjas felt a presence next to them and barely moved their heads, just to see Fu's detached head floating next to them!

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A/N: Apologies for the long absence. I wrote a bit about it on Pat reon.

Happy Holi everyone.

Stay safe and take care if you are living in the Middle East.

The Root ninjas readied themselves for an intense confrontation. While they believed in Danzo, they knew they wouldn't be able to defeat Akuro without his help. Akuro's past record, despite absence of any high-profile kills, was rather stellar. Seeing Akuro's disdain for them, their confidence grew exponentially. However, just when Fu was about to launch his deadly attack, Akuro disappeared! His speed was so ridiculous that the experienced Root ninjas couldn't follow him with their bare eyes!

Sensing a foreign presence among their ranks, Torune and his two comrades' eyes moved slightly. Their eyes widened in horror as they saw Fu's severed head suspended in the air, frozen for a moment before beginning its descent. Just above his neck, a faint, crackling arc of blue light shimmered, a lingering afterimage from a lightning-imbued slash too fast for their eyes to track. A beat later, Fu's headless body began to collapse, blood trailing in its wake.

Danzo's expression darkened. Three Root ninjas had already lost their lives before he arrived. His heart bled to see another one fall. Worse, he understood the rest wouldn't stand a chance. He was the only one who had managed to follow, even if barely, Akuro's movements. He thought, 'The Lightning Chakra Mode. His speed is almost on par with the Raikage. Tsk, I should have taken the risk of removing the seals when we were talking.'

Since he wanted information from Akuro, Danzo had refrained from unleashing the full extent of his strength. Removing the intricate seals placed on his body might have provoked Akuro, risking the chance to uncover the secrets this ancient figure held. But as he watched his subordinates fall like flies, regret gnawed at him. Perhaps he had miscalculated.

He quickly weighed his options, cold logic guiding his thoughts, when suddenly, his lone eye flickered. For the briefest moment, something caught his attention, something subtle, unexpected. A glint formed in his eye as he calculated how to take advantage of this opportunity!

Despite the loss of their comrade, none of the Root were emotionally impacted. Their shock stemmed only from the sheer suddenness of the act. Without a heartbeat of hesitation, Torune lunged forward, both arms extended, aiming to infect Akuro with his lethal toxins. Simultaneously, the Root ninja, who had prepared the Wind jutsu, opened his mouth, preparing to unleash Infinite Breakthrough at point-blank range. The final Root ninja charged in tandem, chakra coursing through his blade, eyes locked onto Akuro's vital points.

But their coordination, training, and unique talents crumbled before the insurmountable gap in power.

Torune, mere inches from his target, caught a flicker of movement. He saw a streak of bluish-white light arcing down at an impossible angle. His final thought was one of helpless realization before the blade cleaved him cleanly from crown to groin, splitting him in two with surgical precision.

In the same instant, a blinding spark flared at the tip of Akuro's finger. The lightning bullet streaked forward like a divine judgment, piercing through the heart of the wind-natured ninja mid-breath, silencing his jutsu before it could ever leave his lungs.

The final Root ninja closed the distance, his chakra-forged blade swinging in a deadly arc toward Akuro's neck. But before steel could meet flesh, Akuro's form blurred, vanishing like mist in the wind.

A fraction of a second later, the ninja froze mid-step, his breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened in terror as he found himself face-to-face with death. Akuro's lightning-imbued blade hovered mere millimeters from his neck, humming with raw, lethal energy. The searing heat of the chakra blade singed the skin at his throat.

But before the sword could complete its arc, Akuro vanished once more, retreating like a phantom into the shadows. A barrage of Vacuum Bullets whistled through the air, piercing through the space Akuro occupied moments ago. Had he continued swinging his blade, he would have been pierced despite the protection provided by his cloak.

Fu's headless body fell to the ground at this moment. Moments later, his head, the two halves of Torune's body and the other third Root ninja's body fell to the ground too. The last remaining root ninja breathed a sigh of relief and thought, 'Danzo-sama saved me. Another moment and I'd have met the same fate as Fu. However…'

Worry filled him again. He hoped Danzo didn't stop removing his seals to help him. He was about to turn his head when he heard Danzo's voice, "Focus on the enemy."

The Root ninja was relieved as a sharp clatter rang behind him. The heavy metallic bracer encasing Danzo's right arm loosened and dropped to the ground with a dull thud, sending a brief tremor through the soil. A faint hiss of chakra surged from beneath the cloth wrappings, signaling that the seals restraining his power were beginning to unravel.

Akuro gazed at Danzo as well and thought, 'Hmm, that was quick. Eh, not really. There are still some seals remaining, though it shouldn't take much time to remove those either. Regardless, he has finally acted…

Hehe, this should be fun. The Darkness of Konoha… the man who moved nations from the shadows, heir to the Second Hokage's will, and rival to the only second shinobi ever named God of Shinobi… I wonder if you'll entertain me as much as Orochimaru.'

Due to the limited number of rank S ninjas, an opportunity to fight against them was rather rare. Though Fujin had faced quite a few, especially during his vacation, he still felt a need for more 'sparring' partners. Someone as experienced and resourceful as Danzo was perfect for this. Fujin couldn't help but feel a bit excited.

Danzo took a step ahead and said in a monotonous tone, "Akuro, your opponent is me. You'll pay the price of messing with Konoha!"

Danzo's chakra flared aggressively and leaked a killing intent stronger than any Fujin had ever sensed. His title, 'The Shinobi of Darkness', wasn't for show. His killing intent was the most disgusting aura Fujin felt. Danzo's eye was locked onto Akuro's mask. Unknown to his opponent, Danzo's mind was more focused on the space behind him!

——

A few moments ago, when Fu was looking at Akuro to use his Mind Body Switch jutsu, he saw Akuro vanish from his sight and a bluish light heading straight at his throat. Realizing he wasn't fast enough to dodge, he used his jutsu out of desperation and instinct despite not having a target. As a result, his spirit escaped his body moments before he was beheaded by Akuro. Danzo had noticed the same, due to which a glint had appeared in his eye. However, it wasn't that simple.

Fu drifted in the dark, an ethereal whisper torn from flesh and bone. The moment his jutsu activated, he had felt his body, his anchor, vanishing beneath him in a burst of light and pain. It was gone! There was no return.

Yet, he wasn't done.

'This is death, isn't it?' Fu thought, his consciousness floating, light and unmoored. No body, no warmth and no second chance. There was no fear in the thought, only cold acceptance and a growing, burning purpose.

Danzo still stood behind him. And Akuro, the monster who tore through them like paper, remained unscathed. He thought, 'If I can give Danzo-sama even the slightest opening… if I can rattle Akuro for just a moment…'

His soul pulsed, the essence of his will flickering defiantly against the pull of the afterlife. Normally, the Mind Body Switch Technique followed a straight, narrow path. It wasn't as flexible as the Spirit Transformation jutsu developed by Dan. They couldn't fly freely like how Dan or Fujin could and if someone else got in between them and their target, their spirits would enter that being instead of their target.

But this time was different. There was no body to return to. There was no consequence left to fear. The limiters of hesitation, of survival, were stripped away. Fu asked himself, 'What do I have to lose now?'

For the first time, Fu felt free. Free from failure, free from fear. That freedom became his focus. The sheer force of his resolve slowed his forward drift, reined in his momentum. Bit by bit, his spirit twisted, defying the technique's nature. A feat few in the Yamanaka clan could ever achieve, and one none had attempted at the brink of death.

'I can still fight!' He muttered to himself with conviction! His spirit turned, not toward a random host, but toward Akuro. His thoughts sharpened, 'I don't need a body. I just need one opening. One second in his mind. That's all! I shall take an ancient expert down with me!'

And with that conviction, his translucent form surged, bearing down on Akuro's spirit like a dagger in the dark. It was at this moment that Danzo's chakra flared and his killing intent leaked out. Danzo's killing intent didn't display his hatred, but was merely a distraction. To give Fu the best chance, Danzo wanted all of Akuro's attention to be focused on him!

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