Chapter 90: Destruction

Boom!

A resonance even mightier than the preceding detonations reverberated throughout the underground labyrinth, enveloping the entirety of its confined domain.

The explosive force exuded by Yasaka Magatama outstripped that of the Shuriken Multiple Shadow Clone Technique·Detonating Talisman, triggering minuscule mushroom clouds even within the subterranean darkness. The resultant shockwave surged like a tempest, sweeping over the base's intricate confines.

"Fire Release: Extinguishing Curtain Field!"

Sato promptly released his Susanoo, reverting his Mangekyō Sharingan to its three-tomoe state. He unfastened the Uchiha Gunbai from his back and executed a sequence of hand seals, culminating in the projection of an immense fire mark ahead. With a decisive flourish, Sato swung the Gunbai, seamlessly intertwining the fiery tempest conjured by Wind Style Nature Transformation with the blaze, engendering an expansive inferno that engulfed the entire underground expanse in a heartbeat.

Though the members of the Root organization demonstrated greater resilience compared to the moth clans' ninja, their attempt to counter the torrent of flames still grossly underestimated its potency. As torrents of water met the roiling conflagration, they promptly transmuted into dense plumes of steam, yet this did nothing to dampen the force or intensity of the flames.

Trapped within this raging sea of flames, the underground base metamorphosed into an infernal abyss. Members of the Root organization, ensnared within this hellish maelstrom, succumbed to the relentless blaze, becoming human torches that ultimately met a fiery demise.

The embodiment of 'Uchiha Naraku,' Sato withheld no mercy, ensuring their agonizing demise served to nourish his insatiable appetite.

Having vanquished the subterranean ranks of the Root organization with his compound ninjutsu, Sato brandished the Gunbai as he continued his inexorable march toward the locus of Shimura Danzō's distinctive Chakra signature.

Pressing deeper into the labyrinthine depths, Sato encountered yet another assault initiated by the Root organization's members. Emerging abruptly from concealment, two operatives launched a coordinated strike—a complex compound ninjutsu maneuver that merged Fire and Wind Styles into a formidable tempestuous fireball, spiraling and distorting the very air around it. Their intention was to release a cataclysmic explosion that would likely yield a massive mushroom cloud upon detonation.

In this perilous juncture, Sato maintained a singular grip upon the Gunbai, employing the engraved red three-pointed jade as a shield against the furious assault. To his assailants' astonishment, the anticipated detonation failed to materialize upon the collision of the Fenghuoyan bomb with the Gunbai's surface. Instead, the projectile diminished in size, seemingly deflating before dissipating altogether.

Conversely, the Gunbai adorned with twin sets of red three-curved jade emanated a radiant white luminosity, signaling the dispersal of the threat.

Sato's lips curled into a subtle smirk as he brandished the effulgent Gunbai, elegantly sweeping it through the air in the direction of the two Root organization operatives. As his voice resonated with intent, "Uchiha...rebound!" a prodigious shockwave surged forth from the Gunbai's fiery cluster, akin to the vast spread of a firestorm, subsuming the two Root members with astounding efficiency.

The impact was as if an immovable force had struck them head-on, sending the two Root organization members hurtling through the air to collide with the wall. Their masks became stained with blood as they disgorged it from their mouths. Not only did the forceful collision with the wall send them reeling, but it also caused the surface to crumble, leaving behind a network of fractures.

After dismissing the duo with a casual wave of his Gunbai, Sato seamlessly conjured another gust, channeling Chakra to morph Wind Style Nature Transformation into a slicing wind blade. The blade, emanating from the Gunbai's edge, cleanly severed the wall and the two incapacitated members from their anchored positions.

Having dispatched these threats, Sato moved with heightened resolve, hastening his pace toward the very heart of the subterranean base. There, he located Shimura Danzō, who stood alongside several subordinates. Along his path, Sato encountered various disposable foes, each dispatched swiftly with his deft and effortless movements.

Facing the contingent protecting him, Shimura Danzō maintained an air of nonchalance that starkly contrasted with his actual demeanor, displaying an outward calm that overshadowed even Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

Yet, this veneer of composure concealed much deeper undercurrents—unknown to any but Shimura himself. Being one of the principal architects of the Uchiha's tragic downfall, and as the Uchiha clan's least trusted figure, Shimura Danzō possessed a profound and unparalleled understanding of the clan's history, one that was surpassed by only a scant few within the entire ninja world.

Observing the Gunbai wielded by Sato, Shimura Danzō swiftly recognized it as a cherished Uchiha clan relic, one stolen by Uchiha Madara decades prior.

As he gazed at the descendant of the clan that he had played a role in persecuting, Shimura Danzō contemplated the possibility—could this be an heir of Uchiha Madara, cast aside and now making an unexpected reappearance in Konoha?

"People on the brink of death need not burden themselves with superfluous knowledge," Sato's Three Tomoe Sharingan transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan, and his gaze settled upon Shimura Danzō. His voice was indifferent as he revealed the extent of his actions, "Sarutobi Hiruzen, the other two elders, and your own family have all met their demise at my hands. Now, you stand as the last vestige of the old guard."

He continued coldly, "The specters of the Uchiha clan have awaited your arrival in the afterlife, and I shall duly deliver you to them."

With an echoing boom, Sato's body once more channeled the eerie interplay of transparent black Yin Chakra, fashioning the second iteration of Susanoo. The newly formed black titan, comprised of its upper half, swiftly materialized and clenched a massive hand, forging a black Chakra katana that gleamed with ominous power.

Before the black titan's attack could even fully materialize, it swung its colossal hand, slashing forth the lethal blade toward Shimura Danzō.

In response, the Root organization members flanking Shimura swiftly scattered, seemingly versed in the art of evading such imminent danger.

Shimura Danzō, however, displayed an unyielding resolve, making no effort to evade the massive blade as it bore down upon him. The ensuing impact should have resulted in his immediate demise—yet the corporeal form he presented was swiftly reduced to fragments, dissolving into thin air as though ensnared by some illusion.

But in the subsequent heartbeat, before the dust of his demise could settle, Shimura Danzō's form reappeared behind Sato, a manifest illusion seemingly designed to deceive even death.

"Wind Style Vacuum Wave!" Shimura Danzō declared, his voice marked with arrogance as he conjured forth a deadly wind blade, its trajectory resembling a reaper's scythe. It surged menacingly toward the back of Susanoo.

However, the ever-watchful black titan, seemingly endowed with precognition, anticipated this assault. In mere moments, it manifested yet another ebony Chakra katana, poised to intercept and deflect the lethal wind blade's trajectory.

As the wind blade struck its mark, the newfound katana met the tempest with unyielding force, cleaving the onslaught into nothingness. The scythe-like wind blade dissipated, leaving Shimura Danzō vulnerable once more.

Sato's lips curled in a knowing smile, a trace of mockery creeping into his voice as he addressed the vanquished foe, "Attempting to strike him with Earth Style, were you?"

With seamless fluidity, Shimura Danzō's form vanished once more, materializing adjacent to a nearby Root organization operative. As he loosened the white bandages concealing his right hand, he issued a command to his subordinate, "Use Earth Style."

Emerging from the confines of the bandage, the Sharingan on Shimura Danzō's arm revealed itself, indicating his secret card—an ability of immense consequence.

In a whisper, Sato shifted into a role of dramatic accusation, "Izanagi, so a foreigner like yourself dares manipulate the power of the Uchiha to achieve your ambitions?"

He continued, coldly condemning, "You, bereft of Uchiha blood, aspire to wield the ultimate power of Izanagi?"

"I see it in your eyes—you can only maintain it for a matter of minutes!"

With a gesture of resolve, Sato directed Susanoo to assail Shimura Danzō once more.