Torune saw the incoming black flame arrows streaking toward him—multiple Amaterasu projectiles tearing through the air. Without hesitation, and unwilling to gamble with such a technique, he leapt backward, retreating instantly. The arrows struck the ground where he had been standing, and a burning chasm of Amaterasu formed between Sasuke and Torune, the black flames writhing and spreading, cutting off any direct approach.

However, the same could not be said for Fu.

Positioned behind Torune, Fu had already been waiting for this moment. His Mind Body Switch Technique was fully prepared, and he activated it immediately. Sasuke, standing still within the Susanoo, became the target—and the technique struck true.

Fu’s consciousness entered Sasuke’s mind.

But the moment he did, the space around him changed.

In the blank mental expanse, a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan slowly opened, their gaze piercing and merciless. A cold, overwhelming presence pressed down on him, and Sasuke’s voice echoed through the void.

"Get out of my mind."

The command was absolute.

In the next instant, Fu was violently expelled from Sasuke’s body, his consciousness forcefully thrown back.

Sasuke knew exactly what technique had been used on him. Not willing to take any chances—and recognizing this as the perfect opening—he moved without hesitation. In the other hand of the Susanoo, chakra condensed rapidly, forming a Yasaka Magatama. As it took shape, several streams of Amaterasu peeled away from the chasm and fused onto it, coating the spinning projectile in black flames.

Like a massive shuriken, Sasuke hurled the Yasaka Magatama toward Fu.

Fu had only just returned to his body when the attack was already upon him. He barely managed to stagger backward, but it was far from enough. The shockwave of the Yasaka Magatama slammed into him, throwing him off balance. Worse still, Amaterasu clung to his face and clothes—the black flames writhing violently as they spread.

If only his hand or clothing had been caught, he might have had a chance.

But his face was already engulfed.

Still disoriented from the backlash of the technique and unable to react in time, Fu could do nothing as the Amaterasu rapidly consumed him. The black flames spread across his entire body, burning relentlessly until nothing remained.

Moments later, Fu was reduced to ash.

Torune looked toward Fu as his body crumbled into ash.

"Fu," he said quietly.

There was no loud grief in his voice—no hesitation either. Instead, a heavy resolve settled over him. In his heart, Torune realized that he might not be able to fulfill Lord Danzo’s orders. And that was something he could never accept. The idea of failing an order from Danzo was unthinkable to him.

Without a moment’s pause, Torune reached up and removed the sleeves from his arms, then stripped away the upper cloth covering his torso. His exposed body began to take on a disturbing purple hue, the change spreading rapidly across his skin.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. Activating the full focus of his Mangekyo Sharingan, he fixed his gaze on Torune’s body. Through the heightened perception of his eyes, he could see it—countless tiny creatures, smaller than grains of dust, almost like bacteria, crawling continuously across Torune’s skin.

Aburame, Sasuke realized immediately.

But these insects were different. Far smaller. Far more dangerous.

They were poisonous.

Sasuke’s alertness sharpened instantly. He made a clear mental note: Those insects cannot touch me. Even once. If they did, he would have no choice but to sever the affected body part immediately.

Still, he waited—watching carefully to see Torune’s next move.

What happened next, however, surprised him—and in a way, pleased him. It was the best possible outcome Sasuke could have hoped for.

Torune leapt forward.

He jumped straight across the chasm of Amaterasu that burned between them on the bridge, forcing his way through the searing heat. In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Sasuke’s Susanoo and slammed his hand against the armoured surface.

The nano-insects surged outward.

They spread rapidly across the Susanoo’s armour, gnawing at the chakra construct itself, eating away at it relentlessly. Sasuke felt it immediately—the unnatural sensation of his Susanoo being eroded from the outside.

He knew that if this continued, his Susanoo would eventually be destroyed by the insects consuming its chakra.

But this was exactly the scenario he wanted.

With Torune this close, Sasuke did not hesitate.

He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan ability Kagutsuchi once more, shifting his control to the Amaterasu chasm behind Torune. The black flames obeyed his will, surging upward and collapsing inward.

The Amaterasu poured over the Susanoo, engulfing it completely—and with it, Torune as well, who stood directly in front of the towering construct.

The Amaterasu coating the front surface of Sasuke’s Susanoo finally stirred, the black flames drawing inward before condensing once more into a blazing orb and returning to the Susanoo’s right hand. Across the armour, the damage was now clearly visible—sections eaten away where Torune’s nano-insects had crawled and gnawed before his death. Even his ashes, which had moments ago drifted in front of the towering construct, were gone, scattered into nothingness. But at the very least, Fu and Torune had succeeded in one thing: they had bought Danzo enough time to unseal and remove every restraint placed upon his right hand.

Sasuke did not attack immediately. He stood there, eyes fixed on Danzo, watching—waiting. He wanted to see exactly what Danzo had been trying to achieve by first locking his right hand away, then deliberately unlocking it, and finally peeling off the cloth bandage that concealed it. What are you hiding? The air felt tight, heavy with anticipation.

The moment Danzo removed the bandage, Sasuke saw multiple Sharingan embedded in Danzo’s right hand, and his blood boiled.

A surge of rage exploded within him, so intense it felt as if he might leap forward and devour Danzo on the spot. His chakra flared violently, the Susanoo reacting to its master’s fury. Danzo, however, did not recoil. On the contrary, this was exactly what he had been hoping for.

And that was the reason Danzo had left the bandage over his right eye untouched—because he wanted Sasuke to be enraged first, before revealing everything. For behind the bandage covering his right eye lay Shisui’s Mangekyo Sharingan, the eye that possessed the forbidden ability—Kotoamatsukami. Danzo had been waiting for this precise moment. Sasuke’s rage, raw and unrestrained, was exactly the state he needed. Without hesitation, Danzo activated the eye and cast its power upon him.

Sasuke stood there, eyes bulging with fury, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles trembled—every inch of his body screaming with murderous intent. Then, in an instant, it all vanished. The rage drained away as if it had never existed. His posture loosened, his clenched fists slowly relaxing, and the wild fire in his eyes dimmed into an unnatural calm.

The Susanoo that loomed around him dissolved into nothingness, its towering presence fading as silently as smoke. Sasuke’s knees gave way, and he lowered himself to the ground, resting on one knee before Danzo. His face was serene, obedient—empty of resistance.

He bowed his head slightly and spoke in an even, unwavering voice,

"Lord Danzo, please order me what I need to do."

----

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