The elder of the Hyūga Clan shook his head.
"Unbelievable... I never thought Danzō, a village high-ranking official, would target our clan's Kekkei Genkai!"
Kekkei Genkai were extremely precious—many clans considered them their very lifeline.
To protect the Byakugan from being stolen, the Hyūga Clan had even established a slave system, branding the Branch Family members with the Caged Bird Seal to ensure the clan's Kekkei Genkai stayed secure.
They treated even their own like that in order to protect it—so how could they ever allow outsiders to obtain it?
The Hyūga elder even began to suspect that Root might already have Byakugan users among their ranks. After all, with the Byakugan's superb scouting abilities, it was only natural Danzō's organization would covet them.
...
Kairen's shadow clones fanned the flames.
"See that? This is Konoha for you. Even the village leaders steal others' Kekkei Genkai! Isn't that basically cannibalism?!"
"Exactly! Exactly! They keep preaching the Will of Fire, but look at them—hypocrites!"
"Right, right, I bet the higher-ups are also secretly experimenting on the bodies of Uchiha and Hyūga, trying to graft the perfect Kekkei Genkai for themselves!"
"So scary! Konoha's terrifying… its leadership is just too dark!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply.
He wasn't particularly shocked, though.
Knowing Danzō as he did, this kind of action was completely within expectations—especially when it involved the Uchiha, whom Danzō despised most.
The real problem now was that the scandal had gone public.
Even as Hokage, Hiruzen couldn't protect Danzō. If he tried, it would look like shielding a criminal—and that could easily shake his position as Hokage itself.
But Danzō was also the one who took the fall for him, his ever-useful scapegoat... could he really afford to lose him now?!
"Hmph!"
Tsunade snorted coldly, glaring at Danzō with pure disgust.
Then she turned to mock Hiruzen and the two other Konoha advisors.
"Heh... these are the fine companions you keep."
"Tsunade, you—!" Koharu Utatane jabbed a finger at her, her face twisting in fury.
"Hmph."
Tsunade ignored her completely.
Even Jiraiya, sitting atop Gamabunta, fell silent.
"Tch!"
Orochimaru clicked his tongue and smiled slyly in secret.
What was the big deal? The higher-ups had once approved experiments using the First Hokage's corpse to recreate Wood Release!
In this chaotic world, strength was the only absolute. So what if Danzō implanted a Sharingan?
He, Orochimaru, was out here experimenting with soul transference!
"Troublesome..."
Danzō could only listen in despair as the voices around him grew louder.
Some of them were Kairen's clones stirring the chaos, making things worse and worse.
Stealing a Bloodline wasn't exactly unforgivable... even stealing from a fellow Konoha shinobi wasn't beyond him—especially if it was a damned Uchiha.
But to have his secret exposed in broad daylight? As a high-ranking official? That was the end of his political life.
No villager would ever trust a Hokage candidate who preyed upon his own subordinates.
Still, he told himself, it wasn't the end. So what if he couldn't show his face in public anymore? With a mask, he'd still be the Shadow.
For now, that kid had to die.
Danzō clapped his hands together.
"Summoning Technique: Baku!"
Bang—
A burst of white smoke exploded outward, and a massive orange-yellow summoning beast appeared on the field.
It resembled a giant elephant, with razor-sharp claws and a long, curling tail behind it.
"Roooar..."
Baku's trunk curled, spewing out a thick white mist. As a Wind-type summoning beast, it could swallow everything around it.
Kairen glanced at the beast from head to toe and frowned.
"So ugly."
He formed hand seals.
"Hundred Transformations: Giant Panda!"
With a boom, white smoke filled the air.
Out from the mist burst a colossal black-and-white creature, tearing through the smoke with its claws.
"Rooaaar!"
In an instant, a panda as large as Gamabunta landed heavily on the ground, clutching a thick green bamboo stalk in its hand.
"Roar! Roar!"
The giant panda bellowed twice, dark circles burning with anger—as if its caretaker had forgotten to bring its milk this morning.
"Whooosh—"
Baku opened its massive mouth, unleashing a Wind Release—but instead of blowing outward, it sucked inward.
Wind was normally weak against Fire—but only if the Wind blew outward.
This suction-type Wind Release couldn't be countered by fire at all.
Kairen didn't use Fire Release though—he just wanted to play.
He felt a powerful suction tearing at him, dragging his enormous panda body forward.
Planting one paw firmly on the ground, Kairen suddenly dashed sideways, narrowly escaping Baku's pull.
The beast immediately turned, trying to suck him in again.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Danzō kept releasing continuous spheres of compressed air from his mouth.
Kairen's panda form was too large to dodge, and he took the attack head-on.
Ding!
"[Danzō dealt 150 damage to you!]"
Kairen lifted the green bamboo like a spear, jabbing it forward like Uchiha Lintu stabbing a boar, launching it straight at Danzō.
Danzō flickered with a Body Flicker Technique, narrowly dodging the bamboo.
Kairen slammed his paw to the ground and roared.
A raging giant panda charged straight at Baku.
The beast opened its massive mouth—the suction force was like a tornado tearing through a parking lot.
"Rooaaar!"
Kairen's paws shattered the earth as he lunged skyward like a flying bear.
Baku tried to lift its head—but two black paws clamped it shut, sealing its mouth completely.
"Up you go!"
Kairen heaved with all his might, slamming the creature down into the ground.
It exploded into white smoke, vanishing instantly.
Then, from behind Kairen, he felt the whistle of a kunai slicing through the air.
He turned—Danzō was there, thrusting a fifteen-centimeter kunai straight toward the panda's rear, expression utterly calm.
Kairen: "..."
"Hahaha!"
His clones burst out laughing.
"Only you could come up with a move like that! I hereby dub you the greatest tactical master of all time!"
No big deal, really—didn't Danzō once stab Sasuke's Susanoo with a kunai in the original timeline?
"Rooaaar!"
Kairen growled, raising his massive paw. His fist, the size of a water tank, came crashing down.
The wind pressure alone could rip Danzō apart with a single blow.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed—but when the smoke cleared, Kairen had only smashed a puff of white smoke.
A Shadow Clone.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Dozens of massive wind blades, each several meters long, sliced through the air.
It was a powerful jutsu—strong enough to even shatter Sasuke's Susanoo in the original.
The blades struck Kairen's back, tearing deep into his chakra-formed panda body.
Ding!
"[Danzō dealt 200 damage to you!]"
Kairen burst into white smoke, reappearing in his human form.
Across his bare back were several deep gashes—blood running freely.
"Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth!"
He inhaled sharply, and life-force chakra flooded over his wounds, instantly healing every trace of damage.
Smiling faintly, he looked at the panting Danzō before him.
"Danzō, you old bastard... your chakra's running low, isn't it?"