Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 265: Chapter 264: Taking Control



Chapter 264: Taking Control

"Lord Danzo..."

"He's alive? But we saw him die… his neck was broken!"

The Anbu were visibly shaken. They had all witnessed Tonari snap Danzo's neck. His body had gone limp, completely lifeless.

Yet now, here he was, standing before them.

There was no mistaking it—his summoned Baku was also real.

"What are you all gawking at? Follow my orders!" Danzo barked, scanning the Anbu with a deep frown.

He knew the Anbu worked best in smaller, coordinated teams, and a battle of this level was out of their league.

But under his command? That changed things.

"Wind Release and Fire Release—NOW!"

At his signal, he formed hand seals.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

The Anbu obeyed immediately.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"

"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"

In an instant, what had been a one-on-one battle between Tonari and Hiruzen became a full-scale ambush.

At the same time, Danzo's summoned Baku unleashed its terrifying suction.

Tonari stumbled slightly, his feet nearly lifting off the ground.

The Baku was no ordinary summon—it fed on dreams, had immense wind-based chakra, and its suction was so powerful that even Sasuke's full-body Susanoo had struggled against it in the future.

Now, combined with the dozens of simultaneous attacks from the Anbu, the battlefield had turned into a storm of destruction.

Tonari watched everything unfold.

The momentary shock of Danzo surviving via Izanagi had passed.

Now, he understood.

Danzo had been waiting for the perfect chance. He had sacrificed one Sharingan to rewrite his own death, giving himself an element of surprise.

But…

It didn't matter.

"You want to use Wood Release but don't have the guts to admit it?" Tonari sneered. "Fine. Let me help you achieve your wish."

Bringing his hands together, he clapped once.

A low rumbling filled the air.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"

CRACK—

All around them, roots, vines, and towering trees burst from the ground.

The underground Root base was completely obliterated.

The entire ceiling collapsed, exposing the night sky above.

The trees didn't stop growing—they continued expanding, spreading beyond the battlefield, breaking through the streets of Konoha.

Every Anbu caught within range found themselves ensnared by thick wooden tendrils, unable to escape.

Even their attacks—the wind and fire jutsu—were blocked by the sheer volume of trees.

Even Danzo's Baku—

SPLAT—

It choked violently, its massive mouth clogged with splintering wood.

Tonari opened his fingers slightly.

"Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Jutsu."

The trees that Baku had inhaled exploded outward—piercing through its massive body.

Danzo's summon groaned weakly, then collapsed, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Danzo staggered backward.

Even he had barely managed to tear himself free from the sea of trees.

Tonari stood atop the tallest tree, gazing down.

From here, he could see all of Konoha—the village he once called home.

A place where he had laughed, fought, and bled.

But in the end, reality had always been cruel.

He exhaled slowly, turning his gaze back downward.

Among the trapped ninja, only Hiruzen Sarutobi remained standing—his staff whirling through the trees, shattering branches with every swing.

Tonari looked at his hands.

They were a little pale.

"Still not on Hashirama's level… but much better than before."

Everyone caught in the Deep Forest Emergence could feel it—the trees were absorbing their chakra.

Hiruzen gripped his staff tightly, staring up at Tonari with an unreadable expression.

It felt as if he was standing before both Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha at the same time.

Even though Tonari's abilities were a lesser version, the sheer pressure was overwhelming.

Then, Hiruzen moved.

His staff swung wildly, crushing tree after tree.

Tonari smirked.

"Looks like you're finally getting serious, Third Hokage."

From above, he dove down—blade aimed directly at Hiruzen.

CLANG—

Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal.

Despite his age, Hiruzen held firm, blocking Tonari's round blade with his adamantine staff.

Beneath them, the ground cracked apart, unable to withstand the force.

Tonari's eyes narrowed.

"Not bad."

Hiruzen gritted his teeth.

"You won't win."

"You're old, Hiruzen."

Tonari's blade pressed harder.

Hiruzen's arms shook, but he held his ground.

"Ruyi Jingu Bang—Cyclone Barrage!"

The staff spun like a storm, forcing Tonari to step back.

Hiruzen launched into a rapid, relentless assault, pushing Tonari backward—for the first time in their battle.

The watching Anbu were stunned.

"He's forcing Tonari back…!"

"Three Hokage's staff style… still as terrifying as ever!"

For a moment, it seemed like Hiruzen had the advantage.

Then—

A massive wooden dragon coiled through the air.

Tonari leapt onto its head, grinning.

"It's over, old man."

A shadow loomed overhead.

Hiruzen looked up—

A Wood Release: Dragon Bind Jutsu was already diving toward him.

BOOM—

The Third Hokage was sent crashing into the ground, a deep gash in his abdomen.

Blood poured freely from the wound.

For the first time, his age truly showed.

Tonari breathed heavily, wiping blood from his mouth.

**He was regenerating—**but Hiruzen wasn't.

Still, the old man didn't fall.

He pushed himself back to his feet, gripping his staff tightly.

"You're still standing?" Tonari raised an eyebrow.

Hiruzen glanced at his wound, then at Tonari.

"I won't let you… destroy this village."

Tonari laughed softly.

"Destroy it? I just saved it."

The ground rumbled.

Hiruzen's breath hitched as a massive stone platform rose from beneath the battlefield.

Atop it—

Corpses.

Or worse—half-living shinobi, their bodies mutated with tree-like growths.

Hiruzen's heart stopped.

The Anbu gasped.

The Konoha shinobi stared in horror.

Some even recognized the bodies.

"T-Tanaka…? He died three years ago on the frontlines!"

"That's… that's Uchiha Hoishi…!"

"No… those are all our comrades!"

Tonari's voice cut through the chaos.

"You thought the 'roots' of Konoha were supporting the tree?"

His eyes glowed crimson.

"You were wrong. The tree was sucking the life out of them."

For the first time, the truth was laid bare.

Konoha's shinobi turned their gazes to Danzo—

And in that moment, he knew.

He was finished.

Tonari exhaled slowly.

"Seize the traitor."

A chorus of voices shouted in unison—

"YES, LORD TONARI!"

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