Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 498 Izanagi 4

As the number of ciphers increased, Sasuke felt the pressure on his body growing stronger, as if every cell was imprisoned by this strange power. He tried to mobilize the surging chakra within his body to break free of the restraints, but the ciphers were like an unbreakable cage, and no matter how hard he tried, it was all in vain.

Seeing that Uchiha Sasuke was trapped by the binding curse he had placed the moment he made contact with him, Danzo Shimura finally felt relieved enough to release his secret technique that was constantly reviving him. After all, this technique required the Sharingan in his arm to activate and consumed a significant amount of chakra to maintain. He needed to conserve enough chakra to deal with the masked man not far away.

Sasuke was frantic with worry, knowing full well that his attack had failed, and he had not only failed to inflict any damage on his opponent but was also in grave danger. However, he refused to give up and secretly vowed to find a way to escape his predicament and deliver a fatal blow to Shimura Danzo!

"Hmph! Your clumsy genjutsu skills are utterly pathetic! Compared to the Tsukuyomi cast by Uchiha Itachi, who could control genjutsu time at will and manipulate his enemies, it's like comparing heaven and earth, worlds apart!" Shimura Danzo glanced disdainfully at Uchiha Sasuke, a contemptuous sneer playing on his lips. Then, he quickly shifted his gaze from Sasuke to the mysterious man sitting calmly not far away, wearing a strange mask. Although he appeared composed on the surface, his heart was in turmoil, his thoughts surging like a tidal wave as he frantically considered his next move.

Now that Sasuke Uchiha knows the truth about Itachi Uchiha, the Akatsuki organization probably won't be kept in the dark for much longer. Continuing to conceal this information is clearly a futile endeavor. How can this imminent crisis be resolved? Shimura Danzo frowned, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his mind racing…

Thinking of this, he suddenly turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Uchiha Sasuke. In a flash, he appeared in front of Sasuke, his movements as swift as lightning, and without any mercy, he snatched the gleaming longsword from Sasuke's hand.

He gripped the sword hilt, silently gazing at Uchiha Sasuke before him, his face expressionless, but his eyes as cold as millennia-old ice. After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice calm and low, as if talking to the air: "Uchiha Itachi, I truly don't understand why you were so merciful? You spared this piece of trash's life! Look at him now, so wretched and barely clinging to life, a complete and utter loser! And all of this is because of you, Uchiha Itachi!"

At this point, he suddenly raised his voice, his tone becoming increasingly sharp: "Open your eyes and take a good look, Uchiha Itachi! Look at this man's current miserable state, this is the biggest failure of your life! Today, I will end all of this for you, and let the world know that so-called genius ninjas are nothing more than this!"

Before he finished speaking, he swung his arm violently, and the longsword in his hand drew a dazzling arc in the air, carrying a sharp sword aura and boundless killing intent, slashing fiercely towards Uchiha Sasuke. This sword strike was as powerful as a thunderbolt, as if it would tear the entire space apart, giving the opponent no chance to breathe, determined to annihilate him in one fell swoop, to prove Uchiha Itachi's defeat.

Trapped and unable to move, Sasuke Uchiha's heart was in turmoil. His mind kept replaying the shocking conversation he had with the masked man, those words like sharp swords piercing his heart mercilessly.

The masked man recounted in detail Itachi Uchiha's tragic life and the numerous predicaments he was trapped in. Itachi Uchiha, the man once regarded as a genius and revered by his clan, actually slaughtered his own people with his own hands to protect the village! Yet, this cold-blooded man could never bring himself to kill his only younger brother.

As Sasuke thought this, his eyes welled up with tears, which mingled with blood and slid down his cheeks. He couldn't understand why that man, who could erase all emotions, was so soft-hearted towards him. Could it be that, for Itachi Uchiha, his life was truly more important than the entire village?

Countless questions swirled in Sasuke's mind, causing him immense pain and confusion. He didn't know how to face the truth, nor did he understand which path he should take in the future.

However, at this very moment, the man standing before him, named Shimura Danzo, actually attempted to completely deny Uchiha Itachi's entire life trajectory, and even wanted to erase his past existence! This behavior undoubtedly touched the most sensitive nerve in Uchiha Sasuke's heart, and for him, it was an intolerable and overwhelming hatred.

Just as the incredibly sharp sword was about to pierce Sasuke's vulnerable neck, he, who was already exhausted and forced to abandon Susanoo due to excessive chakra consumption, suddenly felt an endless hatred from the depths of his soul surge forth like a raging torrent. This powerful, suffocating hatred, like a blazing flame, instantly ignited all the energy hidden within him, and in an unimaginable way, completely activated Susanoo.

With a loud bang, the once aggressive Shimura Danzo was sent flying backward like a cannonball, drifting through the air.

At the same time, Sasuke Uchiha, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, unleashed a deafening roar that echoed through the heavens. This roar contained boundless hatred and rage, seemingly capable of piercing the barriers of time and space, reaching the deepest recesses of the human heart. At this moment, his hatred for Danzo Shimura had reached its peak, successfully unleashing the full potential of his Mangekyou Sharingan.

Originally only in its second stage form, Susanoo, influenced by this powerful force, began to undergo astonishing changes at a visible speed. Countless streams of deep purple chakra, like agile pythons, rapidly coiled around Susanoo's massive body, instantly covering it with an indestructible and awe-inspiring armor. Furthermore, a colossal crossbow, capable of destroying the heavens and earth, gleamed with a chilling, terrifying light, materialized from within Susanoo's enormous hands.

Sasuke Uchiha swiftly formed hand seals, chanting incantations as powerful chakra surged like a raging torrent into the giant crossbow in his hands. Simultaneously, a long arrow formed from pure chakra was steadily nocked onto the bowstring. Sasuke's gaze was cold and fixed on Shimura Danzo, who was rapidly moving through the air. With a slight release of his fingers, the arrow, imbued with terrifying power, shot towards its target like lightning!

At that moment, Shimura Danzo, suspended in mid-air, inwardly cried out in alarm. He knew the arrow was incredibly powerful, and if he were hit head-on, the consequences would be unimaginable. So, without hesitation, he exhaled a powerful gust of wind from his mouth, using the wind to control his direction, and desperately rushed towards the bridge below.

In the blink of an eye, the moment Shimura Danzo's feet touched the bridge, the massive, rapidly approaching arrow was already upon him! Facing imminent death, Shimura Danzo had no time to consider anything else. Without hesitation, he concentrated all his chakra into his right hand. His right hand had once received cells from Senju Hashirama, and now, the chakra within those cells was finally fully unleashed!

In an instant, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded: countless thick branches and vines suddenly sprouted from Shimura Danzo's right arm, growing wildly at an astonishing rate and intertwining to form an incredibly sturdy barrier. Then, this barrier of trees suddenly exerted its force, forcefully shifting Shimura Danzo's position and narrowly avoiding the fatal blow from Uchiha Sasuke's Susanoo arrow!

Uchiha Sasuke's sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on Shimura Danzo in front of him. When he caught the fleeting, subtle change in expression on Danzo's face, he immediately realized that the opponent's bizarre ninjutsu, which was so troublesome and seemed to be able to resurrect endlessly, was finally about to stop!

Without the slightest hesitation, Sasuke formed hand seals with lightning speed, instantly mobilizing the surging chakra within his body. He swung his arm forward with a sudden burst, and countless incredibly sharp crossbow bolts hurtled towards Shimura Danzo like a torrential downpour. These bolts gleamed coldly, slicing through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, as if they intended to tear everything in their path to shreds.

Meanwhile, Shimura Danzo, a seasoned veteran, displayed reaction speed beyond imagination. Just as the deadly arrows were about to strike his body, he swayed, dodging to the side with ghostly speed. At the same time, he chanted incantations, his hands rapidly forming a series of complex and indistinct hand seals. As the last hand seal was completed, a mysterious light suddenly burst forth from his body.

So this was the secret technique that Shimura Danzo relied on to save his life and bring himself back to life! At this moment, facing Uchiha Sasuke's fierce and merciless Mangekyou Sharingan attacks, this secret technique undoubtedly became his last lifeline and weapon for counterattack.