Amid the chaos engulfing Konoha, where was the man who claimed to shoulder all darkness for the sake of the village, hidden deep beneath its surface?
...
Rewind to just after Rasa's self-destruction.
At that time, Danzō stood atop the Hokage Rock, overlooking the entirety of Konoha. Every disturbance was laid bare before his eyes, especially the glaringly conspicuous Four Violet Flames Formation. And yet, Danzō remained calm—stoic as ever—watching the village spiral into turmoil.
A masked ninja with orange hair suddenly appeared beside him. As he saw the vast sea of sand, driven by a rampaging Tailed Beast, spreading across the village, he couldn't help but ask,
"Danzō-sama, the situation seems out of control. Should Root not intervene?"
Danzō's gaze briefly swept over Sasuke. As expected of the Uchiha, always full of surprises. Itachi was like that, and so was Sasuke. But he quickly shook his head. Sasuke couldn't compare to Itachi. He was too foolish—to think he could take on Konoha all by himself.
Retracting his gaze, Danzō turned to the orange-haired ninja.
"This isn't destruction—it's rebirth. Hiruzen is old, and the village has rotted under his rule. Konoha needs a new, stronger Hokage. Don't forget Root's creed. You've overstepped."
The ninja immediately dropped to one knee, voice devoid of emotion.
"Yes, Danzō-sama. I was out of line."
Danzō nodded in satisfaction. "You have no names, no feelings, no past, no future. All that exists is the mission. You live in the unseen depths, supporting the great tree of Konoha from the shadows. That is the will of Root."
The ninja bowed his head even lower, eyes filled with fervent conviction. He clearly agreed with every word.
"One-Tail is under Uchiha Sasuke's control now. He's just venting. From my understanding of those Uchiha fools, as long as he still has bonds in the village, he won't truly destroy it. All this current destruction… is just a necessary sacrifice. I will lead Konoha into a new era!"
He gave him a glimpse of his scheme. Feeling the Wood Style and Sharingan powers coursing through his arm, a solid sense of confidence welled up inside him. He, Shimura Danzō, had nothing to fear!
His thoughts were clear: Just an Uchiha brat and a little One-Tail, that's all. With Izanagi—the ultimate Sharingan genjutsu—on top of the First Hokage's power in my hands, Uchiha Sasuke is nothing!
Once his visual prowess runs out, I'll descend like a savior and take him out. Then I'll be hailed as the hero who saved Konoha! Who else could be more qualified to become the next Hokage?
In short, Danzō was getting cocky.
That smug sense of invincibility lasted right up until he saw a rapidly growing, high-density ball of chakra flying straight toward him.
—Damn Uchihas! They're all lunatics!
The Hokage Rock exploded.
A flicker of light—and Danzō, who should've been reduced to ashes in the blast, reappeared unharmed. His clothes were torn open, the seal on his arm released, revealing a grotesque pale limb embedded with numerous Sharingan. He had faced a Tailed Beast Bomb head-on and come out without a scratch—well, almost. One of the Sharingan on his arm had shut forever.
He was furious.
Those talents painstakingly plucked from the major clans… The elite Root agents trained with such care… All utterly brainwashed, and now vaporized in an instant by that damn Tailed Beast Bomb!
Danzō was livid—he wanted Sasuke dead, killed in the most brutal way imaginable.
Still, he didn't lose his composure. He had to change clothes first. Appearing disheveled would be unacceptable for someone who intended to step into the light as Konoha's savior.
Once properly dressed, Danzō performed a summoning.
With a puff of smoke, Baku appeared. Danzō leapt onto its back, and Baku let out a long, eerie cry that echoed across the entire village. Taking advantage of the moment, Danzō shouted:
"Those who trespass on Konoha's sacred land shall be struck down by Root! The time is now—full mobilization! Protect the village! Uphold the will of Root!"
...
Temari and Kankurō were soaked in cold sweat as they watched the Hokage Rock get obliterated.
This was their first time facing the raw power of a Tailed Beast. But despite the shock, a hint of schadenfreude crept in. Sunagakure had been in decline in recent years, but Konoha just lost its most iconic landmark. Clearly, Konoha's in worse shape.
When you're in a bad spot, seeing someone else suffer even more tends to ease the pain, strangely enough.
After today, Konoha's face was shattered.
Heh... Should we take advantage of the situation to widen the war and further weaken them?
But before they could make up their minds, they heard Danzō's pre-battle declaration.
...
Watching Danzō leap out on his own, Sasuke genuinely smiled.
"So you finally decided to show yourself, Danzō."
From atop Baku, Danzō stared down at Sasuke. He was just about to deliver a righteous speech to further bolster his image when—
A sharp, cold sense of danger surged through him.
A slicing sound cut the air. He reflexively dodged, but not in time—a sand arrow pierced his shoulder.
Danzō gritted his teeth and glared at Sasuke.
You bastard! Don't you know the rules?! Aren't both sides supposed to explain their reasons and motivations before a battle?!
"Die!"
With killing intent blazing, Sasuke began condensing another Tailed Beast Bomb. No fancy jutsu, no speechcraft—just pure, overwhelming force.
Boom!
As the deep crimson orb hurtled toward him, Danzō's face twisted in panic.
He may have joined the battle, but he hadn't come for a fair fight. He just wanted to sweep in at the end like a hero.
Only now did he realize—Sasuke wasn't like the other Uchiha. Even Madara had listened to Hashirama at times.
But Sasuke? He didn't listen to anyone.
He'd strike without warning.
...
The explosion roared.
Hiruzen Sarutobi cried out instinctively, "Danzō!"
They'd had many differences over the years, but they'd been comrades for decades. Seeing Danzō struck by a Tailed Beast Bomb left him reeling with despair.
"Damn you, Uchiha…"
...
From the swirling dust came a gut-wrenching scream of rage.
Shimura Danzō emerged unscathed—face twisted in fury, eyes locked on Sasuke with murderous intensity.
Hiruzen was stunned.
So were the few others still alive nearby.
Danzō had survived a direct Tailed Beast Bomb? Was his power really this monstrous?
But soon, someone noticed Danzō's arm covered in embedded Sharingan. Horrific. Disgusting.
In that moment, many seemed to understand why Sasuke had snapped and attacked Konoha.
Their gazes shifted subtly toward Hiruzen.
Did he know about those twisted things on Danzō's body?
----------------
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