Root, Hear My Orders! Take Uchiha Itachi's Eyes at All Costs!

Root.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed him as Root's leader,

Danzo had taken some of his most loyal followers and moved into a base he had established in the past.

It was somewhat inferior to his old base, but Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know where it was.

Inside the underground base, Shimura Danzō sat in the seat of honor, his face gloomy.

The right arm and left palm Hagoromo had severed had now been replaced with deathly pale prosthetics grown from Hashirama Cells.

Shimura Danzō kept wondering who had severed his right arm and stolen Kotoamatsukami.

Clearly, that person had cut off his right arm with the very first strike.

That showed the person knew him very well and knew what was on his right arm.

But... who could it be?

Orochimaru?

Orochimaru was the only person Shimura Danzō could think of. After all, Orochimaru had cultivated the Hashirama Cells.

And Orochimaru was the only one who knew he had transplanted Sharingan into his right arm.

But it couldn't be.

After all, he and Orochimaru were still working together. Even though he was no longer Root's leader on the surface,

he could still requisition supplies. There was no need for Orochimaru to turn on him now.

While Shimura Danzō was still racking his brains, a rush of footsteps interrupted him.

Tap, tap—

The footsteps grew louder as they approached through the dark underground space.

Shimura Danzō frowned and looked over.

Aburame Torune had come before him and dropped to one knee. "Lord Danzo, all the lines we sent out have gone dead."

"What do you mean?"

Already displeased at being interrupted, Danzo's expression grew even uglier as he asked the question in a cold voice.

"I just tried to contact our spy in the Anbu, but got no response."

"And it wasn't just that one. There's been no word from almost any of our spies."

"Also, on my way back, I saw that all of Konoha was on level-one alert."

"I heard Lord Hiruzen gave the order."

Aburame Torune had never seen that expression on Shimura Danzō's face before, and he blurted out everything he knew.

"Level-one alert, ordered by the Hokage."

"Heh heh heh—hahahaha!!!!"

"So it was you behind this, Hiruzen!"

After hearing the report, those were the only two phrases left ringing in Shimura Danzō's ears.

The hysterical words poured from his mouth, his voice full of indignation and resentment.

"Why?! Why did you become Hokage, only to come and ruin my plans too?!"

"Kotoamatsukami could only be put to its greatest use in my hands! I won't accept this!"

"I'm the one who should have become Hokage! I'm the Hokage who can lead Konoha to become the strongest ninja village in the Shinobi World! This isn't fair!"

As Shimura Danzō raged, the remaining Root ninja knelt on one knee where they stood, saying nothing.

A long time passed before Shimura Danzō finished venting.

Only then did Aburame Torune, kneeling below him, lower his head and ask, "Lord Danzo, what should we do now?"

Shimura Danzō closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Pass the order down. Pack up and leave Konoha immediately!"

Shimura Danzō knew he had no chance now. Only by getting away could he possibly turn defeat into victory!

Aburame Torune looked up, scarcely able to believe it, and asked in a slightly panicked voice:

"Lord Danzo, are we defecting?"

"Humph! Shut up!"

"This isn't defection. Hiruzen Sarutobi has become a cancer on Konoha, and we need to lie low now."

"As soon as we get the chance, we'll return as the saviors who rescue Konoha!"

After saying all that in one breath, Shimura Danzō felt greatly relieved, as though he deeply understood that he now bore the heavy responsibility of saving Konoha from disaster.

Then he ordered coldly, "Carry out my orders!"

"Yes, Lord Danzo!"

After Danzo's speech, the Root ninja all responded loudly, as though they had become missionaries.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the thirty-odd ninja Root had left had all packed their belongings.

Shimura Danzō, meanwhile, was carried on Yamanaka Tian's back. He looked back at his base.

"Burn this base when we leave, so no one can catch up to us."

The Root ninja then raced out of the Root Base. The last one out was just about to form Hand Seals and use Fire Style when

a calm voice sounded behind them.

"Shimura Danzō, by Lord Hiruzen's orders, we are here to capture you and every missing-nin of Root!"

"Who?!"

When Shimura Danzō, who was on Yamanaka Fū's back, heard this, he hurriedly ordered Yamanaka Fū to turn around and look behind them.

Uchiha Itachi walked out of the dense forest, slowly removing his mask.

Shadows filled the forest, and countless figures leaped out.

Before long, Danzo and a dozen or so Root ninja were completely surrounded by the jōnin corps led by Ino-Shika-Cho, the Anbu led by Uchiha Itachi, and the Konoha Military Police Force.

Shimura Danzō could hardly believe Hiruzen's people had found their location and come after them so quickly.

As though recalling something, Shimura Danzō turned and glared furiously at Aburame Torune, whose eyes were vacant, and shouted:

"Aburame Torune! How dare you betray me!"

"Release!"

Uchiha Itachi raised the fingers of one hand at that moment, releasing Aburame Torune from the Genjutsu.

In an instant, Aburame Torune's vacant pupils contracted sharply, and he clutched his throat in agony.

The Cursed Tongue Eradication seal had only activated after Shimura Danzō caught on and Uchiha Itachi released the Mangekyo Genjutsu.

"Lord Danzo! I didn't..."

Aburame Torune collapsed to the ground and stretched out a hand desperately, opening his mouth to tell Shimura Danzō that he hadn't.

But he could not get the words out.

"Shimura Danzō, give up your resistance and come back with us."

Only then did Shikaku Nara step forward and speak, glancing at the Root ninja who were watching them warily.

Among them were members of Konoha's many families, large and small, yet now they glared at them as though they were enemy ninja.

"Stop now, and avoid causing Konoha greater losses."

The members of the Konoha Military Police Force were somewhat dissatisfied when they heard this. After all, Shimura Danzō was the culprit who had harmed a genius of their clan.

But Uchiha Itachi, standing beside Shikaku Nara, merely turned his head and glanced at them, and the members of the Konoha Military Police Force fell silent.

That was because Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan now bore a pattern shaped like a spinning Shuriken.

His crimson eyes and cool face made him seem bewitching and dangerous.

Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan had successfully evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan when he saw Shisui in the medical department.

Shimura Danzō saw Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan as well, and only now did he truly understand

just how powerful the Mangekyō Sharingan was.

But Shimura Danzō showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he stared greedily at Uchiha Itachi's eyes.

If only!

If only I can get those eyes! I can succeed!

"All Root ninja, hear my orders! Take Uchiha Itachi's eyes at all costs!"

Shimura Danzō staggered down from Yamanaka Fū's back, raised a hand, and pointed at Uchiha Itachi as he shouted, his face wild with madness.