Chapter Text
In a seemingly ordinary house, nestled amongst others of its kind, resided a man of slightly advanced age, his black hair unkempt and shaggy, his right eye concealed beneath a bandage. To the casual observer, he might have appeared frail, yet this man was the orchestrator of countless heinous acts, unjust killings, and conspiracies—all under the guise of 'for the village.'
Suddenly, the shadows within the room contorted, and a figure emerged, clad in a black robe and obscured behind a mask. "Danzo-sama," the figure intoned, kneeling respectfully.
Danzo, without fully turning, cast a sidelong glance towards the masked individual—one of his most trusted subordinates. The slight acknowledgment served as tacit permission to speak. "We recently discovered that Sandaime has been covertly gathering information and secrets related to Root's past activities."
Danzo's stoic demeanor momentarily faltered, his eyes widening in palpable shock. "What?" he exclaimed, his tone betraying his disbelief. Hiruzen had always been a thorn in his side, consistently interfering with his plans, yet he had never demonstrated any interest in delving into Root's affairs. Even though he had vehemently denounced Root's activities, he had always tasked Danzo with dismantling them himself. Hiruzen had never ventured into the murky waters of curiosity, likely out of fear of the darkness he might uncover. This revelation was both baffling and unsettling.
"Are you certain?" The sharp edge to Danzo's voice was characteristic of the leader of a faction of elite traitors.
The masked figure nodded affirmatively. "Our insiders within the Anbu have relayed that Sandaime plans to divulge this information to the Daimyo. It appears that Sandaime intends to use Danzo-sama as a scapegoat to deflect the inevitable investigations from the Daimyo following his abdication."
Danzo's world seemed to crumble around him. The cane he clutched in his hand splintered under the force of his grip. Although he was advanced in years, he had survived three major wars and bore witness to their aftermath. He was far from a feeble old man. A surge of rage welled up within him, yet the revelation defied all logic.
Could Hiruzen genuinely be capable of such treachery? Had he truly forsaken the bonds of friendship and brotherhood that they had forged as disciples of Niidaime? The pain that pierced his heart was excruciating. The sting of betrayal was acute and promised to leave an indelible mark on his soul.
As loathsome and implausible as it seemed, Danzo had no cause to doubt his subordinates. Given the 'unique' nature of Root's training and selection process, they were incapable of deception or betrayal before him. Root had always served as his bedrock, his most dependable source of strength, and his most lethal weapon.
It suddenly became clear. Danzo had been biding his time, anticipating that Hiruzen would eventually intervene on his behalf and overturn the house arrest imposed upon him by the council. Yet, a year had elapsed, and his circumstances remained unchanged. How had he, the Hokage's Advisor and esteemed village Elder, been reduced to a mere prisoner within his own home? It seemed that Hiruzen had been scheming to eradicate him all along.
He clenched his teeth in frustration. It was inconceivable that even Hiruzen would betray him in such a manner. He had executed the village's unsavory tasks for its benefit and had even assisted Hiruzen in consolidating his power in the early days. After all, how could the Hyuga and Uchiha clans accept a Hokage from a minor clan? Danzo had covertly eliminated the most vocal opposition and had tirelessly worked to suppress dissenting voices for decades. At times, he had been Hiruzen's sole ally in the treacherous game of power politics, and now he was being discarded like a spent pawn?
No.
Unacceptable.
If Hiruzen believed he could be sacrificed with impunity, he was sorely mistaken. A fleeting glint of madness, long suppressed, flickered in Danzo's remaining eye. If Hiruzen sought to bring about his downfall, he would preemptively strike.
He pivoted to face the Root operative. "We're leaving. First, we'll return to the hideout to retrieve our concealed assets and the incriminating evidence against that traitor. Then, we'll depart the village."
"Hai, Danzo-sama!" came the unwaveringly loyal response.
As the two figures disappeared into the shadows, the room was once again consumed by darkness—a darkness that seemed to foreshadow the events to come.
The sun was setting, casting a warm golden hue over the Hokage office as Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, returned after a grueling meeting with the village council. His neck muscles tightened, causing a series of cracks as he tilted his head from side to side. He sighed heavily, mentally cycling through the day's remaining tasks: managing the village's finances, preparing for the upcoming chunin exams, addressing the ongoing civilian unrest, and navigating the ever-looming oversight of the Fire Daimyo.
As he approached his desk, a strange sense of unease washed over him. It was too quiet, almost as if the air itself was holding its breath in anticipation of a storm. He shook off the feeling, chalking it up to his heightened senses playing tricks on him. However, as his gaze fell upon an unfamiliar scroll lying on his desk, his heart began to race. His well-trained staff and the Anbu guards would never forget to notify him of any pending work, let alone leave it unattended on his desk.
A knot of dread tightened in his stomach, making him feel nauseous. His instincts, honed over decades of leadership and battle, screamed that something was terribly wrong. Unable to resist the pull of curiosity, he picked up the scroll, checked for traps and then unfurled it. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his face contorted with a mix of shock and horror as he read through the contents.
The scroll was extensive, and it could easily take the entire day to read it thoroughly. However, as he skimmed through the lines, each word felt like a knife cutting into his soul, and every sentence seemed like a proclamation of his own downfall. His heartbeat raced seemingly at the speed of light and every thump sounded like a deafening thunder in his ears. The scroll slipped from his trembling hands, falling to the floor as time seemed to warp around him. Hours passed like seconds, yet each moment felt like an eternity of torment.
His face turned ashen, and he struggled to breathe as the weight of the revelations bore down on him. He was experiencing a full-blown panic attack, but there was no one around to offer aid. The Anbu guards remained outside, oblivious to their leader's internal struggle. The sky seemed to press down on his chest, the ground felt like molten lava, and the air turned toxic, each breath bringing him closer to the edge of madness.
The gravity of the situation was not lost on him. The contents of the scroll were tantamount to a death sentence, and the repercussions would be far-reaching and devastating. His reputation would be tarnished, his own clan would disown him, the other clans would demand retribution, and the village he loved so dearly would turn against him with a vengeance. In a single stroke, his life's work, legacy, and very existence were obliterated.
Desperate to regain control, he clenched his fists to steady his trembling hands, closed his eyes to hide the quivering of his pupils, and took slow, measured breaths. With immense effort, he began to regain some semblance of composure. However, any sense of relief was short-lived as the door burst open, and an Anbu guard rushed in with alarming news.
"Hokage-sama! Danzo-sama has escaped from his home, injuring and possibly killing several police guards in his way!" The guard's voice trembled with urgency, snapping Hiruzen out of his reverie.
Stunned, Hiruzen could only stare at the guard, frozen in disbelief. The guard, noticing his leader's unusual demeanor, repeated, "Hokage-sama?"
With a surge of determination, Hiruzen declared, "I will go to find him."
The guard nodded, "I will request backups from Team—"
"NO!" Hiruzen interrupted, surprising both the guard and himself with the intensity of his response. Taking a deep breath, he continued in a more controlled tone, "Deploy all Anbu forces to the village's border to capture Danzo if he tries to escape."
"Understood!" The guard responded, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Should we inform the Council?"
"NO!!" Hiruzen's voice boomed, causing the guard to stumble back. Regaining his composure, Hiruzen instructed, "We don't have time. We need to stop Danzo first. I'll run after him, and the Anbu will monitor all exits and entrances to prevent Danzo from escaping. Try to be as discreet as possible and don't rattle the village."
As he briskly walked towards the door, he stopped abruptly, turned back, and grabbed the damning scroll before exiting. Had Orochimaru been present, he would have been utterly baffled to see the scroll he had given to the ‘mysterious person' now in the hands of his former teacher.
In a dimly lit room, hidden away from prying eyes, the leaders of the powerful clans of Konoha gathered around a heavy oak table, its surface worn from years of use. Officially, it was a friendly gathering of clan heads, a casual meeting to discuss trivial matters. However, the atmosphere was anything but friendly; it was thick with tension, the air almost crackling with it, the only sounds the occasional rustling of fabric as someone shifted uncomfortably in their seat. Their faces, usually composed, now reflected the gravity of the situation they found themselves in, eyes narrowing and jaws clenching involuntarily.
Shikaku, the head of the Nara clan, broke the silence. "So everyone's high-ranking clan members have been briefed?" he asked, his gaze intense as it swept over the faces of the other clan heads. The flickering candlelight cast deep shadows on his face, accentuating his furrowed brow. There was a collective nodding of heads, and Shikaku's eyebrows rose in further questioning, as if probing for any hint of hesitation.
Hiashi of the Hyuga clan spoke up, his voice steady despite the weight of the situation. "Many were shocked, but frankly, the evidence was far too strong. I have increased surveillance just in case, but I assure you that no one will secretly leak the information." The determined set of his jaw underscored his words.
Murmurs of agreement echoed around the room, a ripple of uneasy concurrence. The upcoming reckoning required the concerted effort of all of Konoha's powerhouse clans. Their strength was needed to dismantle the corrupt factions while maintaining as much calm as possible, minimizing the shock to the village's operations, and preventing permanent scars and unnecessary collateral damage.
The Nara continued, his eyes cold and calculating, “As some of you may be aware, the Saint had left for the capital city under the guise of Noble activities to discuss with the Daimyo about the next actions."
Before he could continue, the door burst open, revealing a disheveled Anbu, his breaths uneven from the rush. The sudden intrusion made everyone jolt in their seats. "Reporting! Former Elder Danzo has escaped from his house imprisonment!" he gasped out.
The room erupted into chaos as everyone leaped to their feet. Fugaku, head of Konoha’s Military Police that’s also garrisoned to guard Danzo’s imprisonment, quickly questioned the Anbu, his voice sharp and demanding. "The guards?"
"Injured, though it seems that there was no fatality since enough iryo nin were readily available," the Anbu clarified, his voice trembling slightly under Fugaku's intense scrutiny.
As the clan heads exchanged worried glances, another ninja, an Uchiha Police officer with the clan's fan emblem on her uniform, entered the room. Her face was a mask of professionalism, but the tension in her shoulders betrayed her concern. "Report, Fugaku-sama. Former Elder Danzo has managed to break free from his house confinement.”
"We know. Did any of you know where he escaped?" Fugaku demanded, his voice edged with frustration. Both the Anbu and Uchiha Police shook their heads, and the clan heads' concern deepened, a palpable sense of dread settling over the room.
"The Root members that were incorporated back into Anbu are also conveniently missing. We believe they have all gone back to assist Former Elder Danzo," the Anbu added, his voice laced with a hint of accusation.
Shikaku cradled his forehead in his hand, exasperation etched on his face. The room was heavy with the collective sense of impending doom. Why the hell were things going out of hand at the last minute?! Couldn't everyone just stick to the script for a few more days?
"Prepare your own clan members! If Danzo tries to escape, we can't let him leave alive, lest we incur the wrath of the Daimyo! He forcefully left his imprisonment and even attacked fellow members of the village. Does the Council agree to impose the charges of treason against Shimura Danzo?" Shikaku commanded then put up the unprecedented and arbitrary vote with his voice steely.
A cacophony of “Agreed!” followed suit. “With supermajority consensus, the Konoha’s Council hereby declare Shimura Danzo as a traitor of the village! On behalf of the Konoha’s Council, I hereby order all Anbu and the Police Force to hunt down the traitors and his accomplice, dead or alive, immediately!!” His voice thundered across the room.
Without hesitation, everyone created several shadow clones. Some would head towards their clans to gather more manpower, some would surveil the area to guard and seek trails of Danzo, while the real bodies would visit Danzo’s house to directly investigate what happened. As the room emptied, each clan head moved with a practiced, militant ease, ready to confront the storm that was brewing on the horizon. The last echoes of their footsteps faded away, leaving the room eerily silent once again.
In the bowels of a secret underground Root base, a hive of activity buzzed with fervor as dozens, perhaps over a hundred, Root operatives hastily gathered scrolls, experimental notes, and materials. Danzo, the mastermind behind the operation, sneered with a sense of satisfaction, silently thanking Hiruzen for his foolishness.
Despite the forced integration of Root members back into the Anbu, Hiruzen stubbornly thwarted all Council attempts to interrogate or question them.
Hiruzen was, of course, protecting his own interests, but this also meant that all the operatives were still bound by the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, ensuring their loyalty remained solely with Danzo. Although the former Root operatives were eventually separated from the rest of the Anbu, this made it incredibly easy for Danzo to reel them back into his private forces.
For decades, with the help of two other elders, Homura and Koharu, Root had been falsifying Konoha’s budget and discreetly siphoning off small sums of money from various expenses across different departments.The accumulated funds substantially bolstered Root’s resources, allowing it to easily compete with their Anbu counterpart.
Now, as Danzo prepared to leave, he planned to take the accumulated funds with him. He could use the funding to entice Orochimaru, so they could team up to ‘save’ Konoha from Hiruzen’s ‘oppression’. A sinister grin spread across Danzo’s face.
“And the two traitors?” Danzo inquired of one of his subordinates.
The man kneeled before him. “Per your request, I have ordered the Root undercover Anbu agent to assassinate Homura and Koharu in the name of the Hokage to sow more chaos and potentially buy us time and cover,” he reported dutifully.
Danzo nodded in approval. He believed that those two, especially Homura, must have been complicit with Hiruzen. How else could he have been under house arrest for so long? Now that they were leaving their past behind, Danzo didn’t mind using their deaths to fuel more chaos, hoping it would make it easier for him to escape amidst the chaotic and tangled mess.
“What about the Kyuubi Jinchuriki?” Danzo pressed.
The Anbu answered without hesitation, “Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the Jinchuriki. We suspect he might be with the Saint, but their whereabouts remain unknown.”
Danzo frowned. It was truly unfortunate. If the Jinchuriki was in his hands, his comeback would be much easier.
As the Root operatives gathered most of the items and prepared to leave, Danzo suddenly stopped. A flicker of madness danced in his remaining good eye as he greeted their unexpected guest. “Hiruzen! It seems you have come here to die!!” he declared loudly.
The Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen, entered through one of the entrances, halting a short distance from Danzo and the encircling Root members. He cautiously eyed them all before speaking. “Do you understand what you have all done?” Despite the gravity of the situation, not a single person answered. Hiruzen continued, “Escaping from your imprisonment and attacking fellow ninjas of Konoha, the Council may just declare you a traitor, Danzo!!” Despite his inner turmoil, Hiruzen’s first priority was to prevent a further rift between Danzo and the Council.
Regardless of the contents of the scroll, Hiruzen believed he could find a way to bury it or weather the storm. However, if Danzo fled now, Konoha would have no choice but to declare him a traitor, and he could never return. Despite now fully understanding the heinous acts his lifelong friend had committed over the decades, Hiruzen didn’t want that to happen, no matter what. They were still friends, criminal or not. With renewed determination, he tried to persuade Danzo and his followers to abandon their foolish attempt to escape.
Hiruzen’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Danzo’s fingers dance swiftly, intricately weaving hand signs. Taking a deep, measured breath, Danzo roared, “Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!” A turbulent vortex erupted from his mouth, quickly coalescing into a formidable sphere that seemed to shake the very atmosphere around them. As if on cue, the Root members followed suit, releasing a barrage of jutsus dominated by wind and fire elements.
As fire and wind jutsus mixed, they transformed into a combination jutsu, akin to a blazing tsunami of scorching fiery waves, continuously fueled and stoked by the wind. The enormous tide swiftly headed towards Hiruzen, who was completely taken aback by the sheer decisiveness and ferocity of his old friend. He’s trying to save him, kami dammit!
But the Hokage was not one to be easily defeated. With a single hand sign, four kage bunshin of Hiruzen appeared. Within mere moments, they completed their hand signs and began their counterattack. “Five Release: Great Combo Technique!” Each clone expelled a different elemental attack—fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning—showcasing why the world had dubbed Hiruzen ‘The Professor,’ a master of countless ninjutsus.
As the two attacks collided, an explosion ensued, shaking the underground cave and causing rubble to rain down on them. Everyone on both sides quickly dodged the falling debris.
Despite managing to offset Danzo and Root’s attacks, Hiruzen was clearly at a disadvantage. He was alone, having refused to bring Anbu for fear they would be forced to testify about the events to the Council. He no longer held all the power centralized within his grasp.
Hiruzen’s heart ached, a maelstrom of emotions swirled within him, attempting to fathom the twisted logic that drove Danzo to such extremes. Why throw everything away when, with time, they could slowly mend their relationship? Maybe when Haruki took over, he could convince him to be more lenient with Danzo. So why act now?
“Stop your foolish attempts at running, Danzo!” Hiruzen shouted, desperation in his voice. “The attacks just now must’ve alerted the others! Once the Council finds out about this, things will go beyond being salvageable!” He pleaded with his friend. “We just need more time to find a way to help you out of this mess, Danzo!”
Danzo sneered, but before he could respond, his most trusted subordinate, Yamanaka Jun, approached. Jun whispered, “Danzo-sama, one of my summoning contract animals has informed me that the Council is heading towards our location as we speak.” Danzo gritted his teeth, but Jun continued, “Apparently, Sandaime leaked our location to the Council and urged them to come sooner.”
Lines of strain appeared on Danzo’s face, the prominent veins on his forehead pulsating with the rush of adrenaline and anger. He couldn’t believe Hiruzen was still putting on his ‘kind old man’ facade, as if he thought Danzo was too stupid to realize this was an elaborate trap. Hiruzen could fool Konoha with his fake persona, but Danzo knew too much about the secretly calculative, indecisive, and incompetent man Hiruzen was.
Danzo’s rage boiled over, and with a sinister smile, he declared, “If that’s the case, let’s give them a show they’ll never forget!” He quickly formed hand signs and summoned a massive windstorm, while his Root members followed suit with their own powerful jutsus. Every clash, every released jutsu sent tremors through the very foundation of the cave, a symphony of destruction, with dust tickling their nostrils and the acrid scent of burnt earth lingering in the air.
Hiruzen, realizing that words were no longer effective, focused on defending himself and minimizing the damage to the surrounding area. With swift and meticulous hand signs, Hiruzen summoned a shimmering barrier of chakra, its surface dancing with light, standing firm as a bulwark against the relentless onslaught. Despite his efforts, the sheer force of the combined jutsus was overwhelming, and cracks began to form in his barrier.
As the battle raged on, it became clear that neither side was willing to back down. With a final surge of energy, Hiruzen launched a counterattack that caught Danzo off guard, forcing him to retreat momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, Hiruzen pleaded one final time for his old friend to surrender.
“Danzo,” Hiruzen’s voice cracked, memories of shared youth, dreams, and sacrifices echoing in his plea, “Can we not put an end to this madness? There’s still a chance for us to make things right!” Hiruzen’s voice trembled with a mix of exhaustion and desperation.
Danzo ignored him, taking the chance of Hiruzen hopefully being distracted to push harder. The latter gritted his teeth in frustration. He was only trying to keep the peace, but now that he’s being pushed back maybe it’s time for him to use force first to remind his old friend why he had stayed in power for so long.
Resolved to end this foolish fight as possible, still considering the council’s eventual arrival, Hiruzen switched gears. He bit his finger and quickly smashed his palm into the ground, “Kuchiyose no Jutsu!” He screamed. A large puff of smoke appeared in the middle of the battlefield. Before the smoke receded, a large and elongated black rod pierced through the fuzzy cloud and hit one of the Root members, taking him out, before slowly dragging along left and right to take out other Root members beside him.
The black rod was Enma, Hiruzen’s trusted summon, in his Adamantine Staff form. The staff moved with deadly precision, striking down Root members one by one as if they were mere training dummies. Despite their training and experience, the Root members were no match for the might of Monkey King Enma. The staff moved with a life of its own, smashing into one member and then immediately moving on to the next, leaving a trail of unconscious bodies in its wake.
Danzo gritted his teeth, he knew Hiruzen was now fighting back for real. It was a strategic response. Hiruzen alone couldn’t handle Danzo and the over a hundred Root members who were at least high chunin to elite jonin level. So the dirty bastard resorted to reducing their numbers first.
Before they could muster a counterattack, a followed-up attack of bullets made from earth, fire, and wind were shot from behind the receding smoke. Danzo was furious to be forcefully reminded of the might of his ‘old traitorous friend.’
Unbothered by the slowly reducing number of his own people, Danzo bit his finger before slamming it on the ground as well. “KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!” he howled. Instantly, a towering elephantine chimera with huge tusks and a trunk, predominantly dark-orange in color, roared.
Baku, the creature from legends said to be able to devour dreams and nightmares, opened its mouth as a large air-sucking inhale swallowed the many elemental bullets, rendering Hiruzen’s attack null.
The ground trembled beneath the weight of the summoned creature, and the cave walls threatened to collapse from the sheer force of its presence. Dust and debris filled the air, making it difficult to see, and the deafening roar of the Baku echoed throughout the cave, causing the remaining Root members to cover their ears in pain.
As the two summoned creatures clashed, the battle between Hiruzen and Danzo intensified. Both men were well-versed in the art of combat, and their movements were swift and precise. Hiruzen, determined to end the fight quickly, unleashed a barrage of powerful jutsus, each one aimed directly at Danzo.
However, Danzo was not one to be easily outmatched. With a cold, calculating expression, he deftly dodged Hiruzen’s attacks while countering with his own. The two former friends moved with a deadly grace, each attack and counterattack a testament to their years of training and experience.
In a cavern concealed amidst the rugged terrains, far removed from the bustling life of the village, the tumultuous clash of two shinobi legends resonated. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, and Danzo Shimura, the leader of Root, locked in a relentless battle of life and death. The cave’s dark expanse was intermittently illuminated by their dazzling jutsus, with the shadows of elite Root members, trained undeviatingly by Danzo, flickering in the background.
As the battle continued, the remaining Root members began to regroup and launch a coordinated attack on Hiruzen. Despite their reduced numbers, their training and discipline made them a formidable force. They attacked in waves, with some launching long-range jutsus while others engaged in close combat. Hiruzen was forced to divide his attention between defending against Danzo and fending off the Root members.
Danzo, seizing the opportunity, launched a series of rapid-fire attacks, all of wind nature. "Wind Style: Vacuum Blades!" he shouted, sending a series of wind blades towards Hiruzen. The Hokage expertly dodged the blades and countered with "Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!" A dragon made of mud and stone emerged from the ground and fired a series of mud bullets at Danzo.
Danzo deflected the attack with “Wind Style: Gale Palm,” sending a powerful gust of wind from his hand that redirected the mud bullets towards Hiruzen. He then followed up with a "Wind Style: Whirlwind Fist," sending a vortex of wind towards the Hokage with a powerful punch.
Hiruzen countered with "Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Tornado," creating a dragon made of lightning that collided with Danzo's whirlwind, causing a massive explosion that sent shockwaves throughout the cave.
The two powerhouse-level ninjas clashed with incredible speed and ferocity, their movements a blur to the naked eye. They exchanged a series of punches and kicks, each one landing with bone-crushing force. Hiruzen, despite his age, moved with the agility and speed of a much younger man, while Danzo showcased his mastery of taijutsu with a series of precise and powerful strikes.
As the taijutsu battle continued, Danzo abruptly lunged forward with a kunai, aiming for Hiruzen's heart. Hiruzen parried the attack with his own kunai and countered with a series of shuriken, which Danzo expertly dodged.
Danzo then unleashed a "Wind Style: Vacuum Wave," sending a blade of wind at Hiruzen that sliced through his clothes and left a shallow cut on his chest. Hiruzen, ignoring the pain, continued to attack with a series of powerful strikes.
Meanwhile, the Root members launched another coordinated attack on Hiruzen. A group of them formed hand signs and unleashed a combination of "Water Style: Water Bullet Technique" and "Lightning Style: Lightning Bolt Technique," sending a stream of water infused with lightning towards Hiruzen. Hiruzen defended with "Earth Style: Earth Wall," creating a barrier of earth that barely absorbed the attack that wiped out a substantial amount of his chakra reserve.
Another legion of Root members combined their "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique" and "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough," sending a terrifyingly gigantic fireball propelled by a gust of wind towards Hiruzen. Hiruzen countered with "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique," injecting yet another overwhelming amount of chakra, creating a dragon made of water that extinguished the flames.
Despite being outnumbered and facing opponents of considerable skill, Hiruzen held his ground, showcasing his mastery of all five chakra natures. He moved with incredible speed, dodging attacks and countering with his own jutsus. His experience and skill were evident in every move he made. Showcasing his worth as one of the most powerful existence of his era. Though everyone understood that he must be running out of chakra soon.
The Third Raikage's legendary confrontation with what appeared to be an insurmountable force of 10,000 men remains a captivating chapter in history. Yet, a closer examination reveals a narrative shaped by strategic evasion rather than head-on combat. Within the colossal army, the presence of high chunin and elite ninja was a rarity, a mere fraction of the whole.
In stark contrast, the Root forces, although smaller in number, boasted an unparalleled level of skill and expertise. Their quality far surpassed the sheer quantity that the Third Raikage faced, emphasizing the significance of the difference in their respective challenges.
As the battle raged on, Danzo decided to up the ante. Hiruzen, realizing the gravity of the situation, decided to unleash his trump card. The Baku that was losing against Enma unleashed a powerful gust of wind that swept away the remaining Root members and threatened to knock Hiruzen off balance.
Hiruzen, however, stood his ground and engaged the Baku in combat. With Enma back in his hand, he launched a series of powerful strikes that forced the Baku on the defensive. The two summoned creatures clashed with incredible force, their battle causing the cave to tremble.
As the battle between Hiruzen and Danzo reached its climax, both ninjas unleashed their most powerful jutsus. Danzo, with most of his remaining chakra, unleashed a "Wind Style: Tempest," sending a torrent of wind blades towards Hiruzen. Hiruzen, countering with "Water Style: Water Colliding Wave," created a massive vortex made of water that extinguished the wind blades.
The two ninjas then engaged in a final exchange of blows, each one landing with bone-crushing force. Hiruzen, summoning the last of his strength, unleashed a powerful "Earth Style: Earthquake Slam," sending a shockwave through the ground that knocked Danzo off balance.
Seizing the opportunity, Hiruzen lunged forward and struck Danzo with a powerful punch that sent him crashing to the ground. Danzo, however, refusing to give up, quickly recovered and countered with a "Wind Style: Vacuum Wave," sending a blade of wind at Hiruzen that sliced through his clothes and left a shallow cut on his chest.
Hiruzen, ignoring the pain, continued to attack with a series of powerful strikes. Danzo, realizing that he was outmatched, decided to make a tactical retreat. He formed a series of hand signs and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
However, just as Danzo thought he had escaped, Hiruzen appeared in front of him, blocking his path. "It's over, Danzo," Hiruzen said, panting with exhaustion. Danzo, also out of breath, glared at his former friend with a mix of anger and resignation. Both warriors, their bodies drenched in sweat, breaths ragged from the fierce duel, locked eyes, an unspoken understanding passing between them: this was but one chapter in their tumultuous saga.
Suddenly, an infant’s sharp cry pierced through the cave, a chilling contrast to the earlier sounds of warfare. Both Hiruzen and Danzo, weary and gasping, turned in disbelief. A Root operative, clad in ominous black robes, held the wailing baby in one arm and menacingly pressed a kunai to its tender skin with the other.
Recognizing the baby, Hiruzen’s voice cracked, “Konohamaru!” The unexpected presence of his grandson amidst this perilous battle threw him into emotional disarray. A flurry of questions raced through his head, each one more distressing than the last.
As his mind whirled with confusion and concern by the startling and unexpected turn of events, Hiruzen was caught off guard by a sudden attack. Despite the alarm bells ringing in his head, he was unable to dodge or muster to defend himself in time. His eyes, already wide with shock, expanded slightly as a trickle of blood began to flow from the corner of his mouth. The piercing pain that followed caused his mind to go numb momentarily. He looked down at his chest and saw a kunai, imbued with the cutting power of wind, embedded deep within. As he tried to process what had just happened, he suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood.
From behind the mortally wounded Hokage came a maniacal, crazed laughter. Danzo, also heavily injured and covered in dirt, sweat, and blood, laughed uproariously with his eyes closed, head tilted back towards the sky.
Danzo's mind had become unhinged. In a matter of hours, his entire world had been turned upside down. Lifelong friends had betrayed him, and the man he had helped prop up as the leader of Konoha for decades had turned against him, engaging him in a battle that could end in his death.
Had there been even a shred of rationality left in him, Danzo might have questioned the situation. Why was a Root member holding Konohamaru? He had not ordered it. When had the Root member left the battle? He had not authorized it. There were so many inconsistencies that didn't add up.
But none of that mattered to Danzo in that moment. His former friend was now fatally injured, and perhaps on the brink of death. Maybe now, he could finally take over as the rightful successor and become the next Hokage!
Yes! After everything he had done, everything he had sacrificed to get to this point, he had earned it! He deserved—!!
Before he could finish his thought, Danzo felt a sharp, stabbing pain. His mind went blank as he limply fell sideways. He tried to move his hand to the source of the pain, but he was too weak, too depleted of chakra and energy to even move any of his limbs. Had he been able to check, he would have found a kunai embedded in his chest as well.
The sound of someone running quickly approached. "Hiruzen!!" Enma, the Monkey King, yelled out, regret weighing heavily on his mind as he saw his longtime friend and contractor lying in a pool of his own blood. He had just finished defeating Baku, the legendary creature lived up to its name.
But before he could reach Hiruzen, Enma had to defend himself from a barrage of ninjutsu attacks. Despite being injured, he continued to move forward, determined to reach his dying friend.
The atmosphere in the cave was tense and chaotic. The unending wails of the baby, the labored breathing of the two fallen men, and the determined footsteps of Enma filled the air. The flickering light from the battle outside cast an eerie glow on the scene, highlighting the desperation and determination on the faces of those involved. The smell of blood and sweat mixed with the dampness of the cave, creating a heavy, oppressive atmosphere that weighed down on everyone present.
As Enma reached Hiruzen and Danzo, both men were struggling to stay conscious. Hiruzen, his eyes filled with a mix of pain and regret, looked at his former friend and whispered, "Danzo, why...?"
Danzo, his face twisted with anger and resentment, spat out, "You... betrayed me... Hiruzen..."
As the two men locked eyes, both realized that this was the end of a friendship that had lasted for decades. A friendship that had survived wars, losses, and countless challenges, only to be shattered by betrayal and mistrust.
As the darkness began to close in on both men, Hiruzen and Danzo knew that their long-standing rivalry had come to a bitter end. Whether they would live to see another day or not, their friendship was over, and the consequences of their actions would resonate throughout the Hidden Leaf Village for years to come.
In a world brimming with peril, Enma found himself grievously wounded, on the brink of surrendering to a reverse summoning as Hiruzen, drained of chakra, could offer no further aid. Yet, before the summon could take place, four members of the Root appeared, their arrival swift and their countenance oddly unmarred by battle. Despite the oddity of their pristine state, the gravity of the situation left no room for pondering.
Enma, eyes wide with disbelief, watched as the Root members, with a shocking resolve, plunged their tantos into their own hearts. As life ebbed from their bodies, a sinister transformation took place; the blood that spurted from their wounds turned as black as the abyss, and their forms glowed with an unholy light. Had Danzo been conscious, he would have recognized the technique as the 'Reverse Four Symbols Sealing,' a Fuinjutsu he had pillaged from the remnants of the Uzumaki clan. The realization that his subordinates had access to such forbidden arts he never authorized would have incensed him, yet he lay prostrate amidst the rubble, each tick of the clock pulling him closer to the void.
As the nefarious jutsu ensnared him, Enma found himself powerless to counter or escape, and he perished, leaving no trace of his existence.
A haunting silence descended upon the chamber, the infant's cries having ceased, amplifying the ominous sound of approaching footsteps. The majority of the Root members had met their end, with only six remaining. With callous disregard for their fallen comrades, they dragged the battered bodies of Hiruzen and Danzo together, causing further injury as the rough terrain scraped against their flesh. The scene was one of malevolent intent, enough to strike fear into the heart of any observer.
Yamanaka Jun, tasked with dragging Danzo's limp form, was suddenly assailed by a cacophony of voices in his mind, each distinct in age, gender, and tone, yet united in their message: "Well done. It’s time for your final mission." An understanding of the grim implications dawned on Jun; the nature of this 'final mission' was clear to any member of the black ops, whether Anbu or Root.
Without a shred of hesitation, Jun and his comrades drew their weapons, and he delivered a final stab to Danzo's heart before they each turned their blades upon themselves. As their lives ebbed away, a torrent of ink-black blood erupted from their wounds, engulfing everything in its path, including Hiruzen and Danzo. Even in his final moments, Jun remained a faithful servant of his ‘master’, his will subjugated by years of indoctrination and the seal on his tongue.
Unable to resist, the lifeless forms of Hiruzen and Danzo were consumed by the 'Reverse Four Symbols Seal,' which manifested as six immense black spheres that expanded and coalesced into a single mass. This dark entity enveloped the cavern before seeping into the village above, leaving destruction in its wake.
In the aftermath, a phenomenon unnoticed by anyone unfolded. As the dust settled and an eerie silence enveloped the area, two radiant souls emerged. Liberated from their mortal coils, they ascended towards the heavens, only to be abruptly halted by an unseen force that encased them in ice, leaving them suspended in the air. The sight was confounding; how could an intangible soul be affected by any form of attack?
Suddenly, a figure materialized from the void, its aura malevolent and its arrival unexpected. It was the Shinigami, the god of death, its eyes alight with a cold, otherworldly glow. With a deliberate motion, the Shinigami devoured the souls whole before disappearing as abruptly as it had appeared, leaving no trace of its presence or the souls it had consumed. The Shinigami had come and gone while the world remained oblivious.
The final spectacle witnessed by the eerily tranquil village was the silent explosion, devoid of sound yet chilling to the core.
Aburame Shibi, Hyuga Hiashi, and Uchiha Fugaku arrived just in time to witness the conclusion of the tragic event.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, and Shimura Danzo, the former elder, had met their end.
Amid the twilight’s eerie caress, the fabric of reality quivered, swirling like a tempest before morphing into the silhouette of a man. Draped in dark robes adorned with restless red clouds, his face was veiled by an orange mask, its spiral pattern circling around his right eye in an unsettling dance.
Beside him, a bizarrely concocted creature emerged from the earth’s embrace — an unholy blend of a Venus flytrap and a human torso, its skin a canvas of black and white. The creature’s arrival was unhurried yet sinister, contrasting the tranquility that rested below them.
The village of Konoha lay nestled in a serene reprieve, its inhabitants cocooned in peaceful slumbers, blind to the ominous shadows now looming overhead.
“Looks like we missed the show,” the masked man remarked, his voice tinged with a trace of regret as his gaze swept over the peaceful village below.
The plant creature sighed, its tone laden with distress. “It all went down faster than a comet. And about the Zetsus, it’s like playing hide and seek with ghosts. They vanish no matter where we tuck them away.”
Behind the mask, a sneer curled on the man’s face; the issue of disappearing Zetsus had been like a pebble in his shoe, nagging and persistent. He had also noticed an unsettling shift in the unseen veils around Konoha, Kumo, and Iwa. The shadow of unseen eyes seemed to follow him during his village visits, a far cry from the days when he roamed unwatched, unfeared.
His nefarious designs of sowing discord within Konoha by exploiting the Uchiha as kindling were becoming a saga of frustrations with every passing hour. The subtle dance of allegiance and resentment among the Uchiha was a fertile ground for chaos, one he intended to cultivate ruthlessly. Each previous visit to the village revealed the cracks forming within, the potential for turmoil simmering just beneath the surface awaiting a spark to ignite.
Yet, amidst the frustration, fortune had thrown him a bone. The fall of Sandaime and Danzo had left Konoha on shaky grounds, a fragile leaf in autumn awaiting the merciless gust of fate.
“Send the word out far and wide: The Third Hokage and Danzo are no more,” the masked man instructed, his voice a chilling whisper against the night. “Dig up every skeleton in their closets. It’s time we add fuel to the fire.”
The plant creature nodded, “On it,” and sank back into the earth’s bosom, its form melding with the shadows that cradled the land.
The masked man lingered for a breath, his ominous gaze fixed on Konoha as if willing the embers of chaos to spark to life. Then, with a last sweep of the chilly breeze, he dissolved into the void, space bending around where he stood until nothing remained.
Unseen by the sinister duo, another enigmatic figure had caught every whisper of their dark plot. Hidden in shadows and donning a pure white mask adorned with a single, precious ruby, this figure was a ghostly whisper in the night, its presence an enigmatic riddle as it bore witness to the malignant plot the masked man and his monstrous ally had begun to embroider in the fabric of fate.