VII

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Arc VII Chapter 5

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It was over. Everything was over. Everything was lost.

Asami laughed without control. Her maniac chuckling filled the air. She didn't cry. Shedidn't despair. She didn't complain. Her laughter continued, while her Susanoo faded.

Reality was ridiculous, surreal, absurd, but reality didn't lie. Her hands killed. Her hands committed treason. She crossed the line. No return was possible any more, but her heart felt no regret.

Asami stood amidst the crater, surrounded by destruction and mountains of corpses. Konoha burned, devastated by the fires of war. The average Konoha ninja didn't enjoy the protection of her Susanoo. Her explosion proved lethal. Her former comrades didn't survive. They were crushed in their insignificance by her might.

They were nothing. Even Konoha's elite died like flies.

She stood at the precipice of her life, only to witness her fall. Her blood boiled in ecstasy. The disappointment, the frustration, the hatred nourished her desire for revenge. Raze the village.

Thousands upon thousands of brave ninja met their fate this day. What were a few thousand more?

Blood stained her innocent hands, but Asami had long since stopped caring. Blood was the price of power.

Her heart yearned for destruction, for bloodshed. Her sanity eroded, but her will resisted her urges, her inner demons.

Asami strode across the rubble without tripping. The debris rendered the ground uneven and treacherous. Slowly, but surely, she progressed. Kunai, swords, headbands littered the silent battlefield. They were testament to her crime, to her betrayal, but Asami soldiered on. She had little choice. The situation was chaotic and her options limited. Today was a horrible day.

Denying responsibility wouldn't work. Witnesses were few, but plenty of circumstantial evidence incriminated her. Konoha would judge her for her crimes. The council wouldn't show any mercy.

Her only option was to defect, to leave the village. Nobody would miss her in the chaos following the invasion.

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Asami sighed. Misfortune truly smiled upon her. Disappointment kept piling up, but her tender heart could only bear so much.

They expected her. ANBU, jonin, chunin, genin, Konoha awaited her arrival. They were prepared to fight. They were prepared to die. Her eyes swept through their ranks and spotted a familiar figure among the crowd.

A frail old man commanded Konoha's brave ninja. He was the mastermind behind all. He was the one responsible.

Asami grinned. “Lord Danzo ... What do I owe the honour of your presence? It seems that you also brought some of your friends with you.”

Danzo smirked. “You see, I am a popular man.”

Asami touched her chest. “Your kindness warms my heart, Lord Danzo. I never knew I was such an important person, but considering Konoha's current state, your men might be required elsewhere. We are under attack, and the village needs every man. But I guess that your advanced age must have clouded your judgement.”

Danzo clenched his fists in anger. “Silence. Know your place, traitor.”

Asami chuckled amused, inspecting her polished nails. “How ironic ... To think that it would be you of all people, Lord Danzo, the bloody butcher of Konoha, to call me a traitor ... Cease your provocations. You are overestimating your position, old man. Now get out of my sight. My time is precious.”

“...” Danzo gritted his teeth. The girl taunted him. Her arrogance, her pride, her hubris, they were her downfall. He manipulated Itachi. He manipulated Madara. He eradicated her entire cursed clan, but the Uchiha still haunted him from their graves.

Asami escaped the massacre unscathed and undetected for years, but her path would end here. He couldn't allow the girl to grow in power.

“...” Danzo glared. Neither him nor, Asami yielded as tension rose. They both waited.

His cane hit the ground, calling for attention. “Ninja of Konoha, kill her! Eliminate the traitor!”

His men hesitated. Even his Root ANBU showed reluctance. Their resolve faltered and Asami grinned. Danzo's loyal minions wavered.

Danzo clicked his tongue. “What are you doing? I said ...”

Asami giggled. “Tell me, Danzo, why are you calling me a traitor?” The old man made a costly mistake.

Her lovely saccharine smile adorned Asami's lips. A purple sphere sprang forth from her palm. “You are behind this entire operation, aren't you? You gave the orders. You are the one behind it all. You are the one responsible, and you are going to face judgement. I will vanquish your existence, and I will relish your demise.”

Danzo sensed her chakra. This wasn't planned.

“Attack! Attack, you idiots!” Danzo commanded, but to no avail. His orders fell on deaf ears.

Asami laughed. Her purple orb expanded. “I always knew that you are a coward, Lord Danzo, but I never expected that you don't even have the courage to face me in person.”

Her eyes glimmered purple. Her sharingan unleashed their primal power. “You are hiding behind numbers, but they won't save you.”

Danzo discarded his cane and charged. His vacuum bullets traversed the air, but her shield nullified his attack. Her defence proved formidable.

“You disappoint me, Danzo. You seem ill prepared.” Asami extended her arm. Her floating sphere contracted. “Only two kinds of people oppose me, the brave, and the foolish. I doubt you belong to the former.” Her sphere cracked.

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