"Lord Danzo! The Hokage requests your immediate presence for an emergency meeting!"
Inside the Root headquarters, an Anbu operative under the direct command of the Third Hokage bowed respectfully to the man seated behind the desk. Danzo Shimura, his right eye and arm swathed in thick bandages, remained impassive.
"I understand. I shall leave at once."
The moment the operative left, Danzo summoned his most trusted confidant, Tatsuma Aburame. He tapped the armrest of his chair with his bandaged right hand—the arm grafted with Hashirama's cells was beginning to throb with a dull, familiar ache.
"Has the investigation into last night yielded anything?" Danzo's voice was as cold as the stone walls around them.
"Lord Danzo," Tatsuma reported, his voice low and steady. "Last night, a mysterious masked shinobi attacked the Hyuga compound. Hizashi Hyuga was critically injured and has been moved to the hospital. Hiashi Hyuga sustained minor injuries. Most importantly... the Head Ninja of the Cloud has vanished."
'A masked mystery?' Danzo's left eye narrowed, his brow furrowing.
His thoughts immediately drifted to the current Akatsuki organization. He knew of a masked man lurking within their ranks. However, since the battle four years ago, the Akatsuki had gone into deep hiding, ceasing all public recruitment. His spies in the Hidden Rain could only provide scattered, indirect fragments of intel.
"Could it be the Akatsuki?" A flash of malice crossed Danzo's eyes. The regret of failing to seize the Rinnegan four years ago still ate at him.
"Unlikely," Tatsuma analyzed. "Our spies in the Rain haven't reported any movement. If the Akatsuki wanted revenge, their first target would be Hanzo of the Salamander. They have no reason to strike the Hyuga."
Four years ago, Danzo had conspired with Hanzo to ambush the original Akatsuki, leading to Yahiko's death and the awakening of Nagato's Rinnegan. Now, the remnants of that group were likely just small-time rebels nursing their wounds.
"Let's go," Danzo said, rising slowly and tucking his bandaged arm into the folds of his dark robes. "We shouldn't keep the Hokage waiting."
——————
Hokage Office: Conference Room
The air in the room was thick with tension and the acrid scent of pipe tobacco. By the time Danzo arrived, the village's top brass were already seated.
At the head of the table sat Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, draped in his formal white robes. To his left sat the advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. To his right sat a weary, bandaged Hiashi Hyuga. Behind the Hokage stood a silver-haired Anbu in a cat mask.
"You're late, Danzo," Homura said, pushing his glasses up his nose, his eyes sharp behind the lenses.
"Root business is never-ending," Danzo replied curtly, taking his seat next to Hiashi.
"Now that everyone is here," Hiruzen began, setting down a file and taking a long drag from his pipe. He gestured to the masked Kakashi. "Hand the report to Advisor Danzo."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
As Danzo scanned the Anbu's findings, his left eye squinted.
"Last night," Hiruzen continued, exhaling a cloud of smoke, "a mysterious intruder murdered the Cloud Envoy and dumped the body within the Hyuga compound. It was an obvious attempt to frame the clan. Fortunately, Hiashi discovered the anomaly and engaged the enemy, preventing an international catastrophe."
"However, the enemy's strength is formidable. Hizashi is in critical condition, and even Hiashi was wounded. My Anbu lost the trail near the village perimeter. The intruder seems to possess an intimate knowledge of our barrier system. This is a grave matter."
Hiruzen set his pipe down.
Hiashi Hyuga maintained a stoic face. He had no intention of telling the truth—that he was the one who killed the Cloud Envoy. By pinning everything on the "masked stranger," the Hyuga had provided a perfect scapegoat. With one brother critically injured and the other battered, Konoha's leadership couldn't possibly blame the clan without alienating every other noble house in the village.
"Lord Hokage," Hiashi added, his voice gravelly. "When I returned to the estate this morning, I found that someone had infiltrated my private study."
'A return strike?' Hiruzen's brow tightened.
"It seems he evaded the Anbu only to double back," the Hokage mused. "This enemy is far too familiar with our terrain."
Hiruzen's mind raced through the list of rogue ninjas from recent years. But even among the S-rank criminals, he couldn't think of anyone capable of taking down both Hyuga brothers simultaneously. A ninja of that caliber couldn't be a nameless ghost.
"Did the intruder's techniques have any defining characteristics?" Danzo asked, turning his gaze toward Hiashi.
Hiashi chose his words carefully. "His taijutsu was exquisite, showing a profound understanding of the Gentle Fist, though his specific style remains unknown."
He conveniently left out the part where they were both flattened in under twenty moves.
"He also used a technique I've never seen before," Hiashi continued. "He condensed chakra into a spherical shape. The destructive power was immense."
'A sphere of chakra?' Hiruzen immediately thought of the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan.
"It resembled Lord Fourth's Rasengan," Hiashi clarified, "but the scale was much larger. And unlike the bright, spinning light of the Rasengan, the enemy's version was dark and somber. Hizashi was nearly killed by a single hit."
"Then what is his goal?" Koharu asked, puzzled. "To reignite the war with the Hidden Cloud?"
Hiashi replied without blinking, "Perhaps."
In reality, Hiashi was internally relieved. If the masked man hadn't shown up to take the "pot" of blame, this meeting would have been an interrogation of the Hyuga clan's loyalty.
"I will send word to Jiraiya and our scouts abroad to look for any mention of this man," Hiruzen concluded.
As the meeting adjourned and the others filtered out, only Danzo remained.
"Hiruzen," Danzo's voice turned icy as he looked at his old rival. "It has been barely three years since the Nine-Tails' attack, and the village is compromised again. Is this the 'peace' you promised when you took back the hat?"
"The village is lacking high-end combat power. Give Naruto to the Root. I will turn him into the weapon we need."
"That is Minato's son!" Hiruzen barked, his voice echoing in the chamber.
"Precisely because he is Minato's son, he should be forged into a true shinobi!"
The Third Hokage slammed his hand on the desk, his presence filling the room. "Enough! Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
"Hiruzen... you will regret this."
Danzo turned on his heel and stormed out, the door slamming shut behind him with a heavy thud.