At the Fire Country border—
Hanzo's wounded retreat was witnessed clearly by the Root operatives.
They were stunned.
Wasn't Uchiha Akihito supposed to lose?
How did it completely reverse?
The Root squad captain was the first to react.
"Mission failed."
"Retreat!"
No hesitation.
They grabbed the wounded and fled immediately.
They weren't suicidal.
Hanzo—the so-called Demigod—had been forced back.
Staying would only mean death.
They framed it as tactical withdrawal.
In truth—
They were terrified.
Akihito's Focus: Danzo
Akihito didn't bother pursuing them.
Root members were pawns.
Danzo was the head.
Cut off the head, and the body collapses.
And unlike Danzo, Akihito understood something fundamental—
Root operatives came from major clans.
If he slaughtered them all, he would create unnecessary enemies.
Better to dismantle the system than massacre the pieces.
Danzo, however—
Had to disappear from the ninja world completely.
No half measures.
No second chances.
The Real Objective: Iwagakure
After brief rest, Akihito continued toward Iwagakure.
The trip wasn't random.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha embedded numerous spies in the Stone Village.
Those spies once answered to Danzo.
Now—
With Danzo stripped of official power—
They technically fell under the Hokage's office.
Which meant—
Under the Hokage's advisor.
Under Akihito.
He had already reviewed the infiltrator roster.
Most were mediocre.
Three stood out.
Quality over quantity.
Always.
And among them—
One name mattered more than the others.
Yakushi Nono.
Yakushi Nono — The Wandering Miko
Former elite Root intelligence operative.
Master medical ninja.
Nicknamed the "Walking Shrine Maiden."
Compassionate.
Capable.
Morally conflicted.
Exactly the opposite of Danzo's ideology.
After leaving Root, she had run an orphanage—
Raising war orphans.
Among them—
Yakushi Kabuto.
To Kabuto, she was a mother.
But Danzo never lets useful tools go.
He pulled her back into long-term infiltration.
Five years in Iwagakure.
Alone.
Surviving.
Sending intelligence.
Danzo never intended to release her.
Retired spies become liabilities.
And liabilities get erased.
Akihito knew this pattern well.
Danzo eliminated loose ends.
Always.
Akihito's Philosophy
Akihito was not Danzo.
He did not rule with fear.
He ruled with strength and loyalty.
If Nono agreed to join him—
He would allow her to return to the orphanage.
Freely.
Earned loyalty is stronger than enforced obedience.
Danzo's control was built on threats.
Hiruzen's control was built on ideology.
Akihito would build something different—
Competence plus trust.
Long-Term Expansion Plan
After Danzo's destruction—
He would need a true power structure.
Names already in consideration:
Hatake Kakashi — Future Sixth Hokage. Tactical genius. Balanced skill set.Might Guy — A mortal who can rival gods. The Eight Gates are a weapon of last resort unmatched in raw output.Yuhi Kurenai — High-level genjutsu specialist.Possibly others from elite jonin ranks.
As for Asuma—
Hiruzen would never release his son.
And politically, pulling him would create unnecessary friction.
Timing matters.
Everything in stages.
Infiltrating Iwagakure
Iwagakure was fortress-like.
Mountains surrounded it.
Steep cliffs.
Natural defense.
Economic weakness.
Strong military.
Akihito avoided confrontation.
He summoned a hawk.
Used shrinking technique.
Entered hidden within its beak.
Simple.
Effective.
Untraceable.
Unlike Rain Village—
Iwagakure had no Pain-level detection system.
Risk minimal.
Stone Village Observations
The architecture was austere.
Massive stone constructions.
The Tsuchikage's tower rose prominently at the center.
At this time:
Onoki was aged.Deidara was still a child.Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi were young.
Four-Tails Jinchuriki Roshi had reportedly left the village.
Akatsuki's shadow was beginning to move in the world.
The timeline was advancing.
Akihito understood something clearly—
Before the Fourth Great Ninja War begins—
Preparation must be complete.
Because once that war starts—
Overpowered monsters will flood the battlefield.
Madara.
Obito.
Ten-Tails.
Sage-level combat.
No room for complacency.
Nightfall Approaches
Akihito left coded signals at the rendezvous point.
Spies would only appear after dark.
Daytime contact was too risky.
So he wandered casually through the village streets, disguised.
Calm.
Unhurried.
But beneath that calm—
A chain reaction had already begun.
Hanzo's defeat.
Root's failure.
Danzo's exposure drawing near.
When Akihito returned to Konoha—
It would not merely be a political shift.
It would be a purge.
And from the ashes—
A new power structure would rise.
One that answered to him.
Danzo's era was ending.
Akihito's was only beginning.
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