"Lord Danzo, the Akatsuki organization is attacking. Shouldn't we go meet the enemy?"
"No."
Shimura Danzo waved his subordinate away.
"With Tsunade around, she'll handle it. The Root only needs to observe."
Danzo leaned back calmly.
All members of Akatsuki attacking Konoha at once?
To him, that was actually good news.
Tsunade was Hokage now. Danzo knew her personality well—she would absolutely fight with everything she had to defend the village.
And she had the strength and courage to do it.
But the Akatsuki organization was no small threat either.
Compared to Konoha, they weren't much weaker.
If the two sides clashed, it would most likely end in a mutual disaster.
Konoha, however, possessed deep foundations.
In the end, it would probably be the last one standing.
And when that happened…
Whether Tsunade died in battle or was gravely wounded—
That would be the perfect opportunity for him.
Shimura Danzo would step forward.
And seize the position of Hokage.
The Sixth Hokage.
Danzo couldn't help smiling.
Just imagining himself wearing the Hokage robe, standing proudly while the people of Konoha cheered and looked up at him—
The corners of his mouth curled upward uncontrollably.
He didn't even notice the crack forming above the base.
Only when blinding light poured down into the underground hall did he finally realize something was wrong.
Sunlight.
Streaming directly inside.
Danzo squinted at the sudden brightness.
He couldn't see clearly what stood above him.
"Tsk tsk."
"A rat hiding in the sewer for too long can't even recognize sunlight anymore."
A clear voice echoed down from above.
Danzo narrowed his eyes.
An ominous feeling rose in his heart.
"Lord Danzo…"
"Lord Danzo!"
"Lord Danzo!"
Root members rushed forward and surrounded him.
Only then did Danzo feel a little more secure.
Above the base, Naruto, Tsunade, and countless Konoha shinobi stared down at the underground headquarters.
The massive complex of tunnels and chambers stretched in every direction.
The Root ninja stood silently in the darkness like shadows.
Many Konoha shinobi were stunned.
They knew about Root.
But they had never imagined its scale was this large.
It was practically comparable to the ANBU.
"This is Root?"
"This base is even bigger than ANBU headquarters!"
"How much money did they spend building this place?"
"Shimura Danzo… I knew the name from the elder council, but I've never actually seen him."
"They say Root ninja are even colder than ANBU."
"They treat everyone like enemies."
"They're like machines."
"I heard Root operates independently from ANBU."
"Yeah… apparently even the Hokage can't interfere with their missions."
"So it's basically a village within a village?"
The Konoha ninja whispered among themselves.
Most of them clearly disliked Root.
More importantly—
Naruto had led the Akatsuki organization straight here.
Which meant one thing.
Root was about to face serious trouble.
"Come on."
"Everyone take a good look."
"This is the famous darkness of Konoha."
"Konoha's Root."
"And the well-known elder—Shimura Danzo."
Naruto laughed and stepped down.
Stone steps formed automatically beneath his feet, connecting the surface to the underground base.
Nagato followed close behind.
His expression was dark.
Murder burned in his eyes as he stared at Danzo.
The first catastrophe of Akatsuki—Yahiko's death.
For years Nagato believed Hanzo of the Salamander was the only culprit.
But Naruto had revealed another name.
Danzo.
Konan's eyes were filled with the same murderous hatred.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Danzo finally saw clearly who had arrived.
"You actually brought Akatsuki into Konoha?!"
"As Hokage, you dare cooperate with the most wanted criminals in the ninja world!"
"As a council elder, I will impeach you immediately!"
"You must step down!"
The moment Danzo saw Tsunade walking alongside Akatsuki members, everything else vanished from his mind.
One thought remained.
Tsunade had made a catastrophic mistake.
She must be removed.
Then the next Hokage could only be—
Himself.
Danzo's excitement was obvious.
His attempt to appear angry couldn't hide the joy on his face.
Everyone present saw it clearly.
Naruto clicked his tongue.
"The enemy attacks Konoha."
"And the man who claims he would sacrifice everything for the village…"
"Doesn't even bother to show up."
"But the first thing he thinks about now is becoming Hokage."
"Tsunade, must be exhausting having an elder like that."
Tsunade's face darkened with anger.
Since becoming Hokage, the three elder advisors had obstructed her constantly.
She had endured it out of respect for their seniority.
But Danzo's behavior today erased that restraint.
"Shimura Danzo."
"As Hokage, I hereby declare—"
"Your position as council elder is revoked."
"The Root organization is disbanded."
"All members are to lay down their weapons and await reassignment."
Tsunade's voice was firm and decisive.
Root members looked confused.
Their instincts told them to obey the Hokage.
But years of indoctrination made them hesitate.
They all turned to Danzo.
Danzo sneered.
"Tsunade."
"You have no authority over Root."
"And besides—you brought enemies into Konoha."
"That's treason."
He looked at his subordinates.
"Root members."
"The Fifth Hokage has betrayed the village."
"As a loyal shinobi of Konoha, I declare Tsunade stripped of her title."
"She is now a traitor."
"You are not required to obey her."
Tsunade froze.
Even the Konoha shinobi watching were shocked by Danzo's arrogance.
An elder declaring the Hokage removed?
The audacity was unbelievable.
Naruto sighed.
"Even now, your brain still works like this."
"Danzo, I truly don't understand how you survived this long."
He had never been able to understand Danzo's twisted logic.
Not in his world.
Not in this one.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
Danzo glared coldly.
"This is none of your business."
Instantly everyone around Naruto fell silent.
They looked at Danzo with sympathy.
Like he was a fool who didn't realize what he'd just done.
"Hey!"
"Why can't he talk?"
Uzumaki Naruto jumped forward angrily.
"You old ghost look suspicious from the start!"
"Everything you say sounds like garbage!"
Danzo froze.
Two Narutos stood there.
One in an Akatsuki cloak.
One in normal clothes.
Identical faces.
Naruto laughed.
"Exactly."
"Danzo is an old dog."
He crooked a finger.
Suddenly Danzo felt his body lift into the air.
He flew helplessly out of the Root formation.
BOOM!
Naruto slammed him onto the ground.
Then stepped on him.
"Lord Danzo!"
"What's happening?!"
"Let him go!"
Root members erupted in fury.
Their eyes turned red.
But seeing Danzo pinned beneath Naruto's foot, none dared attack recklessly.
"Silence."
Naruto spoke one word.
Every Root member dropped to their knees instantly.
The pressure crushed them.
"Answer me."
"Are you Konoha's ninja…"
"Or Danzo's ninja?"
His voice penetrated their minds.
Like a bell ringing inside their souls.
The indoctrination controlling them began to crack.
"Let me go!"
Danzo struggled uselessly beneath Naruto's foot.
"I am a Konoha elder!"
"Tsunade!"
"As Hokage, will you just stand there while outsiders humiliate Konoha's people?!"
"I've served Konoha for decades!"
"I'm a hero of Konoha!"
"Are you going to watch a hero be humiliated?!"
He shouted desperately.
Trying to stir the emotions of the watching shinobi.
Some Konoha ninja hesitated.
But Naruto laughed coldly.
"A hero?"
"Maybe others could say that."
"But you?"
"That's ridiculous."
He grabbed Danzo by the neck and lifted him up.
The bandages on Danzo's arm tore open.
A pale arm was revealed.
Covered in Sharingan.
Dozens of crimson eyes opened simultaneously.
They twisted unnaturally, making everyone shudder.
"Shimura Danzo…"
Sasuke's eyes instantly turned red.
Murder poured from his voice.
Itachi's expression didn't change.
But his eyes had grown cold as well.
Naruto glanced at Orochimaru.
"You installed those eyes."
"Yes."
"And when you fled Konoha after your human experiments…"
"What role did Danzo play?"
Orochimaru smiled.
"Danzo wanted to integrate the First Hokage's cells into his body."
"To obtain Wood Release."
"The human experiments were ordered by him."
"The test subjects were captured by his Root agents."
The Konoha shinobi erupted in whispers.
They had never heard these secrets before.
Even Tsunade's anger exploded.
"Shut up!"
Danzo shouted wildly.
"Orochimaru is a traitor!"
"He has no right to speak!"
"I'm a Konoha elder!"
"If sacrificing some people strengthens Konoha—"
"Then their sacrifice is honorable!"
Naruto sneered.
"Oh?"
"And you call yourself Konoha's hero?"
He pointed at Uzumaki Naruto.
"Look at him."
"The son of the Fourth Hokage."
"The true hero who sealed the Nine-Tails."
"How did you treat him?"
"Didn't the rumors about the demon fox originate from Root?"
Naruto casually cut off Danzo's Sharingan arm.
It fell to the ground twitching.
The eyes rolled wildly.
"All the darkness in Konoha…"
"All the tragedies…"
"They all lead back to you."
"Shimura Danzo."
"Konoha's greatest cancer."
"Have you ever reflected on that?"
Naruto ripped the bandage from Danzo's right eye.
A crimson eye stared back.
"Reflect?"
Danzo suddenly grinned.
"What should I reflect on?"
"I am Konoha's Root."
"I bear the village's darkness."
"That's natural."
"My conscience is clear."
He stared directly at Naruto.
"And you…"
"Boy."
"You shouldn't have looked into my eyes."
The Sharingan in his right eye spun rapidly.
The tomoe twisted into a Mangekyō pattern.
"Kotoamatsukami."
Danzo smiled wickedly.
"Release me."
"Obey my command."
"And serve me faithfully for the rest of your life."
Blood streamed from the corner of his eye as he forced the technique to activate.
This was his ultimate trump card.
Naruto looked straight into Danzo's eye.
Completely calm.
As if—
He had truly become Danzo's puppet.
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