Chapter 363: Hiruzen Sarutobi Devoured by Danzo
Yahiko growled lowly,
and from the white banner at the center, gusts of fresh wind surged outward, enveloping the battlefield.
All players touched by the breeze felt light on their feet.
"Agility stat increased by twenty? What an overbearing ability!"
Strategist Tsuru examined herself and noticed a new status effect boosting her agility.
This kind of commander-type ability
was perfectly suited for the Navy.
However, not all players enjoyed the white banner's enhancement.
For example, Akainu, whose expression was dark—
the breeze curved around him, offering no buffs.
He didn't trust Yahiko in the slightest,
so naturally, he couldn't receive the power of fate.
"Qi-Seer Secret Art: Soldier!"
"Qi-Seer Secret Art: Fire!"
"Qi-Seer Secret Art: Break Evil!"
"Qi-Seer Secret Art: Banish Darkness!"
…
As Yahiko continued to cast his Qi-Seer Secret Arts,
even previously outmatched elite players gained just enough power to engage the Evil God in combat.
Yahiko's face turned pale, heavily overdrawn.
He murmured, "The qi gathered from temporary faith isn't very refined… but at least I managed to activate all the arts. The rest is up to everyone now!"
[Qi] required people to trust the Qi-Seer and willingly accept him as a leader or ally.
The deeper the trust and the stronger the believer, the more qi could be gathered.
There was no doubt about the strength of top-tier players.
But since Yahiko was only a temporary commander, trust levels were limited.
Even so, being able to fully unleash all the Qi-Seer Secret Arts
was already the most powerful feat Yahiko had achieved since choosing this path.
It was a goal realized by players united in purpose.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With a series of deafening explosions,
the Abyssal Halo above the Evil God's head was shattered by a combined assault from several top-tier players.
For now,
the Evil God could no longer enter its invincible state.
"Yahiko…"
Jiraiya's gaze was complicated as he stared at his former student—now the most powerful support on the battlefield.
He'd misjudged him.
For half his life, he had chased the Toad Sage's prophecy,
seeking the so-called Child of Destiny who would change the Shinobi World.
First, he thought it was Minato Namikaze—bright, talented, warm as the sun.
Minato became the Fourth Hokage, a hero in his own right.
But the Nine-Tails' attack ended that dream.
Then he believed it was Nagato—
a child blessed with the legendary Rinnegan and immense potential.
But based on the Game Merchant's broadcasts,
Nagato looked more like a destroyer than a messiah.
Now,
he heard Yahiko's passionate words, saw the Dawn Organization he had built after rising from the abyss, and felt the power of his will…
So that's how it was.
The disciple who could truly change the Shinobi World had been overlooked all along.
"To change the world… you don't need great strength, or extraordinary talent, or unrivaled eyes."
Jiraiya's vision blurred as he stared at Yahiko's glow.
"What you need is… to walk the right path, and never waver from it."
BOOM.
The Evil God's statue staggered—
its right leg severed by the Navy, causing it to collapse to one knee.
Other factions wasted no time, launching their strongest attacks.
Limb after limb of the colossus was shattered, like a mountain crumbling to pieces.
But then—
The Evil God, still kneeling, raised its enormous head.
All its light gathered into its mouth,
like it was preparing a Tailed Beast Bomb.
The concentrated corruption energy formed a pitch-black orb,
with excess filth oozing out like sewage.
It dripped onto the ground—
instantly vaporizing it and leaving behind a bottomless crater.
"Dodge! This is its final attack!"
Top players retreated immediately,
goosebumps rising even on Mei Terumī—the strongest present.
That attack could kill her.
Crack!
The black orb burst.
A beam of pure annihilation shot forth—
aimed directly at Konohagakure!
Everyone scrambled for cover,
fearing a last-minute wipeout by the Evil God.
Only Konoha players stared in horror, eyes wide as the beam approached their village.
"Protect Konoha!"
Naruto roared.
Holy golden fire erupted from his arms, snapping Sasuke's cursed chains.
With a stomp, he launched himself into the sky.
Boom.
His flaming greatsword clashed with the beam—
but the fire was instantly extinguished,
like water quenching a spark.
His sacred blade—infused with rare ores and countless blessings—shattered into shards.
Naruto was thrown back,
his arms beginning to corrupt, turning into a polluted being.
Slash!
Sasuke reacted instantly,
using a flying sword to sever both of Naruto's arms.
"This is corruption from the Flesh Abyss. Without even silver-grade gear, how could Naruto hope to withstand it?"
Fang Yi shook his head, observing the battlefield.
He hadn't expected the players to do so well.
Though they had paid a steep price—tens of millions dead or wounded—they had finally killed the corrupted Evil God.
Still…
It looked like the Konoha family couldn't be saved.
That beam was going to wipe them out.
"No!"
Jiraiya summoned a barrage of black text, transforming into various toads—
but they were corrupted the moment they touched the beam, mutating into abominations that players quickly destroyed.
Countless Konoha players tried every method to stop the beam.
Nothing worked.
Then—
Hiruzen Sarutobi, silent until now, suddenly charged toward the Evil God's head,
his Onmyōji power pushed to its limit.
"Are you insane, Hiruzen?!"
Top-tier players were retreating.
The hunched, monkey-like figure leaped across debris at lightning speed, reaching the Evil God's mouth.
It was Danzo's spirit who spoke—
now the [Shadowdeath Treant],
he could feel the crushing pressure intensifying.
His wooden limbs began to wither.
He would die too.
"You old fool! Trying to play hero now?"
Danzo's soul screamed,
"No one cares! They all want you dead! The clans, Asuma, Tsunade, Jiraiya—they'll all cheer if you die, you stupid monkey!!"
Normally,
he'd encourage Hiruzen to die.
But now their lives were linked—if Hiruzen died, so would he.
"…Thinking back…"
Hiruzen's eyes were bloodshot from proximity to the beam.
"Many things I did as Hokage… were indeed wrong."
He had tried to maintain stability—
but often made things worse.
"Sensei… maybe choosing me as Hokage was a mistake…"
Black and white energy coated his skin like armor.
Onmyōji—masters of duality.
Hiruzen's life had always been split in two.
A war hero once hailed as the "Shinobi Hero,"
and a compromise-ridden old man riddled with regret.
Sympathy for Minato and Naruto.
Guilt over the Uchiha, Kakashi, Hyūga…
He had failed to manage it all—
and still had no perfect answers.
But there was one thing he never doubted.
As Danzo screamed in horror,
Hiruzen whispered,
"As Hokage, protecting the village should never be something to waver about."
"No!!"
"Hiruzen, I haven't become Hokage yet! It's not supposed to end like this!!"
Hiruzen ignored him.
His chains of yin and yang wrapped around the Evil God's head—
a technique meant for restraint, now looking pitiful.
Bang.
His Yin core exploded.
He spat blood and tossed it—causing the black chain to thicken.
Bang.
Then the Yang core followed—
destroying his Onmyōji powers forever, even in death.
Twin chains shone brilliantly.
In full view of the players,
they dragged the Evil God's head downward.
The beam veered, slicing through Konoha's barrier and damaging only a part of the village.
BOOM.
The redirected beam exploded underground,
spreading like a sea and engulfing Hiruzen entirely.
Not even ashes remained.
The dying Shadowdeath Treant—Danzo—curled into a ball,
trying to escape the blast.
"Damn monkey! Did you really think I'd die with you?!"
His final scream echoed as the corruption devoured him.
Moments later—
A previously healed Konoha ninja back in the village suddenly coughed blood.
No one noticed.
Inside him, a seed sprouted.
Danzo, like a snake shedding skin, crawled from the man's mouth.
He rushed to the Shimura estate.
"Stupid fool… all you wanted was to die. Fine. Once I get my revive token, I'll be free from your control!"
Danzo's soul flickered, nearly fading.
Without an Onmyōji master, he'd soon be reclaimed by the system.
He burst into the Shimura estate,
using his stealth abilities to sneak into the current clan head's secret chamber.
"Tanoya! I told you—before I died—you had to prepare a revive token for me!"
Tanoya was stunned.
Without hesitation, he pulled out the token and handed it over.
Danzo activated it.
With a flash of light,
Hiruzen's destroyed body reformed—minus his Onmyōji powers.
He was now just an aged, Kage-tier ninja.
"Danzo…?"
Hiruzen looked confused.
Then—
Stab!
Tanoya, already prepared, drove a blade through his heart.
Freshly revived, Hiruzen dropped instantly.
"You were never fit to be Hokage. It was always meant to be mine!"
Danzo's soul, now cold as ice,
stuffed his [Shadowdeath Core] into Hiruzen's chest—replacing his heart.
Soul Devour.
Without his Onmyōji power, Hiruzen couldn't resist.
He struggled, then fell silent—devoured completely.
Danzo stood,
grabbed a kunai, and looked at his reflection.
Hiruzen's face stared back.
He grinned manically.
"Hiruzen… I am the Hokage now!"
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