Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 336: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

On the bridge.

Sasuke's explosive combat power left countless Konoha Jonin shocked.

Mangekyo, ninjutsu, genjutsu, shurikenjutsu, and even taijutsu—he was nearly a flawless, hexagonal ninja.

"How is this possible! During the Chunin Exams, this brat was only..."

In the crowd, Genma Shiranui looked especially stunned. Sasuke's strength in the Chunin Exams was still fresh in his memory.

But in just a few years, Sasuke had become a ninja he could no longer hope to catch up to.

"That's Sasuke!"

The Konoha Twelve were all staring in shock at Sasuke's power—their former classmate was now on a completely different level.

"So scary! Sasuke now isn't even in the same league as us anymore!"

Meanwhile, the battle on the bridge raged on.

Shimura Danzo's Wind Release ninjutsu was enough to make any ninja marvel at his skill, but now all he could do was scream helplessly.

The Sharingan on his arm kept shutting one by one. It was obvious Sasuke wanted to kill not just his body, but his spirit, too—every move was from the Uchiha clan's arsenal.

"Rat who can't stand the light, don't worry. You'll never see the light again. After this, Konoha's history will record you as a traitor who didn't even get a face..."

Sasuke walked casually, his Mangekyo eyes full of vengeful mockery. Danzo's wind jutsu was either easily dodged or blocked by Susanoo.

After the string of battles, Danzo was panting, his chakra dangerously depleted.

"Damn it! How could I fall here?!"

Danzo glared at the evil Uchiha in front of him and at the Konoha ninja encircling him from every angle.

At last, he truly felt what it meant to have no escape.

"Jiraiya! Everything I've done over the years was for Konoha, I've shed blood for Konoha, and you all just stand by and watch..."

Danzo shouted in rage, but Jiraiya crouched on the bridge in the distance, only sighed.

Normally, to avoid unrest, Danzo's fate should have been handled in secret—such a public spectacle was unwise.

But Sasuke's overwhelming power had a greater influence now.

Should they protect Danzo, who'd committed countless dark crimes, and make an enemy of Sasuke?

Jiraiya shook his head. Letting Sasuke vent his rage and return as a powerful Konoha ninja was better for the village's stability.

Jiraiya's ninja way had never changed.

Whichever side brought stability to Konoha, he would stand with them, even if it meant compromise.

"Jiraiya, Kakashi...damn you, traitors!"

Danzo screamed in fury, and Sasuke just sneered:

"Konoha S-rank traitor Shimura Danzo, I, Uchiha Sasuke, as a Konoha Jonin, give you this final ultimatum: Dig out the eyes that don't belong to you, kneel on the ground, and I'll spare you!"

This demand made Danzo's face contort with rage.

"Damn Uchiha, don't get cocky! I haven't lost yet!"

Kneel before an Uchiha? Never!

Sasuke knew Danzo would never submit, but thinking of his clan's destruction and all his pain only fueled his anger.

Danzo had destroyed everything he once had, and now he would destroy everything Danzo had!

"Heh heh...Danzo, filth like you deserves to hide in the sewers forever!"

With a sudden arrow from Susanoo, Danzo blocked the blow with Wood Release from his arm, desperate as he saw his dwindling Sharingan.

The surrounding Konoha ninja grew even angrier at the sight.

"Wood Release!"

"Damn Danzo, he even experimented with the First Hokage's cells..."

"No wonder Lady Tsunade struck so ruthlessly!"

The Konoha ninja were furious. Danzo's bloodline crimes were beyond forgiveness.

Even Orochimaru was cleaner than Danzo now.

"Wood Release, huh!"

Seeing it with his own eyes, Jiraiya couldn't help but sigh. No wonder Tsunade showed no mercy—who could tolerate this?

Danzo truly deserved this fate!

Dojutsu—Amaterasu!

Suddenly, the black flames of Amaterasu appeared, and Danzo screamed as another Sharingan closed.

"I...I haven't lost! I still have a chance!"

With his last Sharingan closed, Danzo howled and tore off his headband.

Mangekyo! He had one too!

The strongest genjutsu eye—Kotoamatsukami!

If he could control this brat, he still had a chance to return to Konoha, to become Hokage!

But as the bandage fell and Shisui's eye spun into Mangekyo, the world suddenly changed. Danzo was shocked.

No!

"It's too late!"

Sasuke's icy voice came from behind. There were no Amaterasu flames—the whole thing had been a genjutsu.

"No! Impossible!"

Three-tomoe Sharingan couldn't see through Mangekyo illusions, but as soon as Danzo showed Shisui's Mangekyo, he saw through the illusion.

But now Danzo's pupils trembled in disbelief, his body paralyzed.

"I...I fell for this brat's trick!"

Black sealing marks appeared around Danzo—his sealing jutsu.

Reverse Four Symbols Seal!

Seeing Danzo like this, Sasuke sneered.

"Familiar, isn't it? Didn't expect I'd be good at this jutsu too, did you?"

Sasuke slowly approached, a vengeful gleam in his eyes.

"If not for that eye, do you think you'd still be alive?!"

From the start, Sasuke had targeted Shisui's Mangekyo.

There was a seal under the bandage—if it was forcibly removed, the eye would be damaged. Only if Danzo undid the seal himself could Sasuke take it.

Rip!

Amidst Danzo's screams, Sasuke dug out Shisui's eye that Danzo had stolen years ago, blood splattering.

"Sasuke! Get back, Danzo's chakra is going berserk!"

As Sasuke took the eye, a sensory ninja in the crowd shouted in alarm.

The next moment, with the loss of the Mangekyo, Danzo's power balance broke, and the Wood Release cells in his right arm went wild.

"Damn! I won't let you toy with me, Uchiha...ah!!!"

His right arm mutated into a giant tree, breaking the seal.

"Haha! For the ninja world! For Konoha! I can't let you live, Uchiha!"

Danzo screamed and grabbed Sasuke, black sealing marks appearing on his chest.

"No! Sasuke, get away—that's the Reverse Four Symbols Seal!"

Kakashi yelled, but Sasuke only scoffed.

"A suicide attack? Even so, disgusting things like you don't deserve a burial..."

With an explosion of black ink, Sasuke vanished in a puff of smoke in Danzo's crazed gaze.

Shadow Clone Jutsu—even Mangekyo and Rinnegan couldn't always tell the difference.

"I...I haven't become Hokage, how could this... I won't accept it..."

Realizing he'd caught nothing, Danzo glared at the Konoha ninja dodging around him. For the first time, he felt the pain of being abandoned.

Abandoned by Konoha!

Clang!

With a clear sound, his Konoha forehead protector fell from his arms—his symbol as a Konoha ninja.

Sasuke, watching from afar, threw a kunai.

With a hiss and a burst of sparks, a traitor's scratch appeared on Danzo's headband.

"Traitor Danzo—this is where filth like you belongs!"

At Sasuke's mocking words, Danzo's spirit finally broke. He screamed in rage.

"I did everything for Konoha! I wasn't wrong..."

It wasn't death he feared.

He feared his life's work being denied, and dying branded a traitor.

Danzo's spirit collapsed before death.

Reverse Four Symbols Seal!

With a thunderous roar, the enormous black seal swelled, swallowing the bridge.

Danzo sealed the entire bridge as he died.

"Is it over?"

"What a terrifying sealing jutsu!"

The Konoha ninja watched in shock, as did the captured Root ninja, stunned at their leader's death.

"Dead!"

Danzo's corpse lay at the bottom of the cold bridge pit. The approaching Konoha ninja shook their heads in silence.

Once high and mighty, now fallen so low.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke stood before Danzo's corpse. Kakashi hurried over.

"Danzo is already dead. His corpse is still valuable—don't destroy it!"

He worried Sasuke would take out his anger on the body, but surprisingly, Sasuke, once obsessed with revenge, had matured enough to control his anger.

"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. I wouldn't dirty my hands with this thing's corpse."

Sasuke said calmly, picking up the scratched headband, and looking down at the corpse at his feet.

"Take it back—it belongs to you."

Even in death, Sasuke wanted Danzo branded as a traitor.

Jiraiya sighed. Danzo got what he deserved.

"Seal Danzo's traitor's corpse. Return to Konoha."

"Yes!"

The Konoha ninja nodded and began clearing the battlefield, sealing Danzo's corpse, then quickly leaving the ruined bridge.

No one expected Danzo would be so crazy, his crimes so blatant.

He couldn't be washed clean—throw him in the sea, and the sea itself would turn black.

At the same time, Sasuke forcefully chose to return to Konoha.

On the ruined bridge, after the Konoha ninja left, two figures in black cloaks with red clouds appeared.

"Heh, who would've thought, Mr. Itachi, that your brother awakened Mangekyo too—and he seems quite strong."

Kisame's raspy voice joked. The figure beside him slowly looked up, revealing Uchiha Itachi's cold face.

"Looks like you've grown a lot, Sasuke—you even have eyes like mine. Is this your confidence, Sasuke?"

His last words were a question, making Kisame's shark eyes narrow as a figure appeared behind them.

"Uchiha Itachi!"

Sasuke emerged from the shadows, and Kisame was astonished—he hadn't sensed him at all. If not for Itachi, he would have been caught off guard.

Itachi turned, gazing at the now-taller Sasuke, feeling a warmth inside.

Sasuke had grown! He no longer had the impulsiveness for revenge.

"Looks like you've learned to control your desires, able to suppress your anger."

Seeing Sasuke standing calm before him, Itachi spoke coldly, as if the brothers would soon fight.

"Itachi, seems your eyes are failing."

Unexpectedly, Sasuke scoffed, as if hinting Itachi was nearly blind.

"Isn't that perfect? Sasuke, you can be my spare eyes!"

Itachi still played his planned role. Though he was happy Sasuke returned to Konoha, and grateful to Hokage Tsunade, it wasn't enough—he wanted Sasuke to rise higher.

Sasuke's face twisted in mockery.

"Itachi, I've learned the truth from Root. But no matter your reasons, genocide! Killing father! Killing mother! None of that is justified!"

"I'll wait for you in Konoha... My eyes now see farther!"

With that, Sasuke vanished in smoke.

Shadow Clone!

"Sasuke!"

Itachi stood dazed, looking down at his blood-stained hands, a gentle glint in his cold eyes.

Yes, these bloodstained hands—it was time to end everything.

This time, Itachi had no more doubts.

Before, he worried about Sasuke's future. But now Sasuke had returned to Konoha—as a hero!

He had no more regrets.

"Kisame, you go back. I'll go to Konoha alone this time."

A light rain began to fall. In the gloomy rain, Itachi's figure disappeared into the forest, heading for Konoha.

Kisame left alone on the bridge, watched Itachi's back disappear, then hefted his sword onto his shoulder and left.

"Mr. Itachi, maybe you're right. For those of us with bloodstained hands, death may be the only release."