"Minato-sensei, this is the full report."
Kakashi stood in the Hokage's office, having just returned via Kamui space. His voice was calm, but the weight of what he had to say was anything but light.
Minato Namikaze listened intently, arms crossed, eyes serious. When Kakashi finished, Minato furrowed his brows slightly.
"So… Danzo is dead?"
He didn't sound surprised. His voice held no anger, no sorrow—just contemplation. He didn't particularly mourn Danzo's death, but he understood the political ripple it would cause. Danzo had long been a close associate of the Third Hokage. His death would undoubtedly stir unrest within the village.
Still, Minato remained composed.
"If Danzo has truly fallen, we need to act immediately. We must gather enough irrefutable evidence against him to make it an open-and-shut case," Minato said decisively. "Only then can we withstand the backlash from the Elders and the Council."
He turned toward Kakashi.
"Lead the Anbu and raid the Root base. Secure the area, seal off the entrances, and make sure not a single piece of evidence is destroyed."
Minato had made up his mind. The situation had escalated beyond diplomacy. If war was inevitable, so be it—he would stand against the remnants of the old era and cleanse the darkness that had been festering beneath Konoha for far too long.
As for Kakashi, Obito, and Shisui—those who had personally dealt the final blow to Danzo?
Minato smiled inwardly.
As their teacher, it's my duty to shield them from the storm.
"Yes, sir!"
Kakashi bowed respectfully before leaving behind a shadow clone to accompany Minato. The real Kakashi swiftly departed with the Anbu, heading straight to the Root's hidden base.
Minato understood the intention behind the clone immediately.
Kakashi wasn't just an eyewitness—he was also Minato's direct subordinate and a member of the Anbu. His firsthand account would carry far more weight than the testimony of the two Uchiha, especially in the eyes of the Elders.
Minato turned to his remaining team.
"Let's not waste time. Kakashi, Obito, Shisui—you're all coming with me."
"Yes, sir!"
---
Meanwhile, in a quiet courtyard far from the chaos, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat enjoying a warm cup of tea. A peaceful moment… until an Anbu under his personal command suddenly appeared in front of him and whispered something in his ear.
Snap!
His pipe slipped from his hand and clattered onto the table, rolling off and hitting the floor.
Hiruzen's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What…? Minato issued an official notice labeling Danzo a traitor-nin?!"
He shot to his feet.
"He's accusing Danzo of leading the Roots in rebellion? And Kakashi is leading a raid on the Root headquarters?!"
"Namikaze Minato, what the hell are you doing!?" he roared.
The serenity of the courtyard shattered.
"Notify the two Hokage advisors immediately!" he barked. "And mobilize all available Anbu. We're heading to the Root base!"
"Yes, Lord Hiruzen!"
---
In the dark, winding corridors of the Root headquarters, Kakashi and the Anbu had already taken control.
Surprisingly, the Root members didn't put up much of a fight. With Danzo dead and the infamous Seal of the Tongue no longer binding them, many of them simply surrendered.
To most of them, being part of Root meant serving Konoha in secret. With Danzo gone, resisting the Fourth Hokage's forces would be nothing short of treason. And none of them wanted that mark on their name.
The surrendered Root operatives were quickly rounded up and subjected to interrogation by Anbu Torture and Investigation.
What they revealed shocked even the most seasoned Anbu agents.
According to multiple testimonies, all Root members were either brainwashed before joining or forcibly reconditioned afterward. The indoctrination was extreme.
Their training, known among them as the "Purification Trial," was brutal beyond imagination.
Each recruit was paired into groups of two and forced to undergo six months of hellish training. These lessons included intelligence gathering by any means, enduring physical and mental torture, and—most horrifyingly—how to kill or sacrifice their comrades if it meant delivering vital intel.
When the training ended, Danzo would make them fight to the death.
Only the survivor was worthy of becoming a true "Root."
Kakashi's expression grew darker as he listened.
"And if the survivor was female…" one of the Root women said bitterly, "an additional test awaited her."
Anbu agents paused, brows furrowed in confusion. "What kind of test?" someone asked.
The answer made even hardened shinobi recoil in disgust.
"She was required to… please Danzo," the operative said coldly. "Flirt with him. Seduce him. Wag her tail like a dog, if that's what it took."
It wasn't a test of loyalty, but of submission.
Danzo, as the self-proclaimed sole judge, would sit and watch. If the woman failed to entertain or satisfy him, he would summon a group of Root Jōnin to discipline her—brutally.
And he wouldn't stop them until he was satisfied.
If she never reached his so-called "standard," she was simply left as a toy—tortured day and night until death finally claimed her.
"Danzo… you don't deserve to be called human," Kakashi muttered, fists clenched tightly.
He had always known the ninja world was cruel. But this? This was something far darker.
To subject fellow Konoha shinobi to this madness—this wasn't war. This was evil.
And that was just the beginning.
As the investigation deepened, Anbu agents discovered evidence of Danzo using missions as a cover to eliminate fellow Leaf ninja, dispose of their families, and silence potential whistleblowers.
He manipulated public opinion, erased the legacy of war heroes who might challenge the status quo, and even orchestrated political assassinations.
What emerged from the shadows of Root wasn't just treason—it was a grotesque tapestry of crimes that reached back decades.
With this kind of evidence, not even the Third Hokage could shield Danzo's legacy.
And if the Second Hokage were alive to witness this?
He'd likely be the first to put Danzo down himself.
"Captain Kakashi!"
Mao Yue Xi Yan appeared at his side, panting slightly.
"What is it?" Kakashi asked.
"The Third Hokage is on his way. He's bringing backup."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
Of course. Danzo's lair was overflowing with secrets. If Minato could secure everything before Hiruzen arrived, then Danzo's crimes would be exposed beyond doubt.
Hiruzen would naturally try to interfere.
"I understand," Kakashi said. "Continue the investigation. I'll handle the Third Hokage personally."
Without another word, he teleported to the surface, arriving at the entrance to the Root facility.
Not long after, Hiruzen appeared with his personal Anbu.
"Kakashi," Hiruzen called out, his voice firm. "Leave the Root facility. Evacuate your men. I'll be taking over the scene."
Kakashi remained calm.
"Apologies, Elder Hiruzen. The Anbu are acting under direct orders from the Fourth Hokage. No one is permitted to enter or interfere with the investigation."
His tone was polite, but his words cut deep.
Elder Hiruzen.
A clear message—you are no longer Hokage.
Hiruzen's face didn't change, but his tone turned sharp.
"Hmph. Even Minato wouldn't dare speak to me like this."
He narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps it's time I recommended a new, more obedient Anbu captain to him."
Despite the obvious threat, Kakashi merely shrugged.
"If that makes you happy, go ahead."
He smiled faintly.
If Minato-sensei wasn't so short on manpower, I would've quit this job a long time ago.
The pay is terrible, the benefits are non-existent, and don't even get me started on the lack of retirement plans.
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