Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Danzo Shimura transformed into a giant tree, and he roared at the top of his lungs, "Ryoma Aburame, attack!"

Suddenly, a large number of parasitic insects emerged from under Xia Zuo's feet and enveloped him.

The reason Xia Zuo was wasting time talking to Danzo was because he sensed the Wood Release chakra stirring within Danzo's body.

Danzo Shimura cooperated with the conversation because Ryoma Aburame needed time to secretly prepare his last and strongest poisonous parasitic insect.

As a result, Shimura Danzo's Wood Release chakra was activated by Natsume, turning half of Danzo's body into a large tree.

Meanwhile, Ryoma Aburame's venomous parasites successfully surrounded Natsume, biting him so badly that his face was unrecognizable.

Danzo Shimura laughed loudly: "Idiot, you're dead now, you 14-year-old brat, you're all so annoying."

Aburame Ryoma cried out in alarm, "Lord Danzo, be careful! That's not Natsume's real... uh, uh!"

A wooden splinter suddenly pierced through the ground, angrily passing through her chrysanthemum, her abdomen and chest, and emerging from the side of her neck, stringing the oil-woman dragon horse together into a human chain.

Xia Zuo also appeared behind Aburame Ryoma, and said with a smile, "It seems you don't know the information about Wood Release, and don't understand how amazing the realism of the Wood Clone is."

Then he turned to look at Shimura Danzo and said coldly, "The Wood Release chakra within you is more ferocious and violent than mine, and it gives me a sense of superiority and dominance."

"It seems you transplanted Hashirama's cells from the First Hokage. You're really courting death."

"Since you can barely maintain your balance, it proves that you have a Sharingan transplanted into your body, and it must be the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Xia Zuo appeared in front of Danzo, reached out and tore off the bandage on Danzo's face, revealing the eye below that would never close.

The intricate and exquisite patterns on the eyes are so dazzling that they can make one dizzy at first glance; they are none other than the Kotoamatsukami Eye of Uchiha Shisui.

Just then, Danzo, who had been as still as a dead dog, moved. His chakra fluctuated in an orderly fashion, activating the Mangekyou Sharingan's eye technique in his right eye.

【Mangekyou Sharingan - Kotoamatsukami】

Danzo, whose head was now only partially functional, was overjoyed and laughed loudly, saying, "Become my slave, Shazo!"

"This is my true killing move!"

The stunned Xia Zuo suddenly lost his human skin color, turned into a wood-like texture, and then collapsed into satisfied fragments.

The third Xia Zuo appeared behind Shimura Danzo.

He first reached behind Uchiha Shisui and gouged out his Mangekyou Sharingan, then threw the eyeball into a small bottle that already contained one eyeball.

Then he placed his hand on Danzo's right arm, which had turned into a large tree, and after a careful examination, confirmed that there were no other eyes.

"Tsk, so it hasn't been modified by Orochimaru yet. No wonder its chakra is so unstable; I could control it so easily."

After losing Hashirama's cell arm, Danzo Shimura activated his Mangekyou Sharingan using his own power, but he was unable to hit the real person.

The backlash from the failed spell was quite severe, leaving the person on the verge of death.

However, Xia Zuo still carefully created a wooden clone, which thoroughly searched Danzo's personal belongings and unexpectedly found a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan eyes.

These eyes gave Xia Zuo the same feeling of a kaleidoscope, but they were withered and aged, like rotten wood, only able to maintain a complete shape.

Xia Zuo sighed, "It's a pity that these eyes have been completely ruined. There's no chance to even activate them once for research."

He carelessly tossed the eyes away, only to have them pierced and devoured by a nearby tree branch.

Xia Zuo was confident that he could train Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Sasuke to develop Mangekyou Sharingan. With fresh Mangekyou Sharingan to study, there was no need to care about these two decaying things.

Shimura Danzo suddenly struggled to his feet, making gurgling sounds, but he could no longer speak clearly.

He struggled so fiercely that he completely ignored the numerous wounds torn from his tree-like right arm, which stained his white undershirt with blood.

Finally, Danzo broke free of the wooden spikes that were controlling his heart and lungs. He spat out blood and shouted, "Shazo, die with me!"

【Sealing Technique - Inner Layer - Four Symbols Sealing】

Sealing runes flowed from Danzo's stomach, spreading to an area of ​​nearly a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. Then, the sealing runes curled up and began to envelop the space within the area.

Xia Zuo showed no panic. He calmly activated his Swift Escape state and started the two [Emperor Engines] on the left and right, instantly severing Shimura Danzo's head and escaping the range of the Four Symbols Seal.

Thanks to the miraculous Yang Release chakra, Danzo Shimura was fortunate enough to witness the scene of his own body committing suicide, which was quite magnificent and bizarre, leaving a deep impression.

Then Danzo Shimura lost consciousness forever.

he died.

Xia Zuo did not kill all the Root members.

Those responsible for transporting the materials and the researchers were clearly coerced and should not be killed.

He didn't kill those ninjas whose eyes still held light, but who were used to obeying orders and had followed Shimura Danzo in his defection.

There are many promising talents among them who could become pillars of Konoha in the future. Among them are Kou, who later changed his name to Yamato, and a boy named Sai.

But those combat weapons with completely lifeless eyes, resembling wooden figures, were all strangled and devoured by the Wood Release, becoming nutrients for the forest's growth.

As for the supplies from the Root rogue ninja, Xia Zuo only took ninjutsu, some research data, and money.

He left the rest to the ANBU ninjas who had tracked him down.

……

The destruction of Root was a good thing for Konoha, especially for the various ninja clans, so before nightfall, people started setting off fireworks.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the fireworks rise, he felt a mix of emotions. He was filled with frustration at his failure and bewilderment at why he was so confused.

Confusion did not rob Hiruzen Sarutobi of his fighting instincts. He promptly sensed the abnormality and prepared in advance to deal with Xia Zuo's sudden attack after entering the office.

But Xia Zuo simply placed his head on the Hokage's desk, right on top of a pile of documents.

Then he said to the Third Hokage, "Shimura Danzo, an S-rank rogue ninja of Konoha, has been beheaded."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints, his vision reduced to only Danzo Shimura's head. The veins on his temples bulged, throbbing with rage.

But he ultimately suppressed his anger and asked in a deep voice, "Where are Danzo's belongings?"

Xia Zuo replied, "Most of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal that perished with him was destroyed. I only had time to snatch Uchiha Shisui's eyes, which I will return to him later."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was horrified: "That's the Mangekyou Sharingan, that's..."

Xia Zuo sneered, "I know, the Eye of Kotoamatsukami. Danzo tried to use Kotoamatsukami on me."

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't understand: "You already know, and you still want to return Shisui's eyes?"

Xia Zuo turned around, saying as he walked away, "Of course, don't you trust Uchiha Shisui?"

"I know you think you believe in Zhishui, but your heart is not at peace, which is why you act so contradictory."

"Third Hokage, you've really gotten old. You're so old that you can no longer trust anyone."

"So, you'd better decide on the Fifth Hokage as soon as possible."

"You don't have much time left."