Chapter 481: "Danzou's Death!!"

Karin looks on in shock wondering if that's the extent of his feelings for her. Sasuke confirms by stating she became useless the moment she was taken hostage. She falls to the ground and Danzou turns to stumble away. Madara lands to block his escape and Danzou remembers his younger self from fifty years earlier. Six ninja surround the Second Hokage: Homura, Hiruzen, Koharu, Danzou, Akimichi Torifu and Uchiha Kagami. The group debates how best to handle the skilled Cloud ninja tracking them. They decide someone must sacrifice themselves to lure the Cloud away. Danzou looks on and ponders what Hiruzen will do. His confidence fails him as he can't get out the words to volunteer. Before he can speak Hiruzen says he'll do it and offers he might survive anyway since he's the strongest. Danzou is shocked into silence by his weakness and Hiruzen asks his friend to watch over of the others. Danzou slaps Hiruzen's comforting arm away and says he'll do it, his father and grandfather also died as ninja in battle. It's a ninja's duty. The Second stops the debate by saying he'll do it, he then asks Hiruzen and Danzou to unite and watch over the village. The Second offers that he was slow to decide, but one must know oneself and be calm when making such decisions. He then tells the young men to not be too hasty, as their time will come; they just need to stay alive until then. He then declares that Hiruzen must watch over and protect those in the village, as he'll be the Hokage starting tomorrow. Danzou and Hiruzen are shocked and the new Hokage bows his head in honor. Danzou grits his teeth due to his friend always being one step ahead of him. Back in the present, Danzou removes his robe and says for the sake of Konoha and the world of ninja he can't let his opponents live. Revealing a seal on his chest, surrounding matter begins to draw in towards his body. Madara tells Sasuke to flee and Danzou offers to his deceased comrade Hiruzen that it's his turn now, but he never did become Hokage and catch up to him. While Hiruzen was the tree basking in the sun, he was the roots growing in the dark. Elsewhere Sakura and her team rush on. They question if Sakura should have told Naruto the truth. Sakura asks them to stop as Kiba finally locates Sasuke and Madara's sent. She asks Kiba the location and then apologizes as she moves to throw a bomb. Sai grabs her arm and says he knew should would try to knock them out. Kiba and Lee ask what's going on and Sai surmises she wanted to take Sasuke on her own. Sai says he can't let them go on anyway, as he promised Kakashi. Pulling tight her gloves, Sakura tells Sai to get out of her way. Elsewhere Sai's clone explains to Kakashi that there might be trouble ahead. Back at the bridge, Danzou's body rests at the end center of a huge chunk depression which was sucked from the bridge. Madara offers that Danzou must have set it to go off when he died. Sasuke tells the man they'll head for Konoha next...