The Shadow of War: The Decapitation Squad Targeting Toji

A year passed in the blink of an eye after Tobirama Senju decided to resume development of the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.

It was now the end of Konoha's seventeenth year.

Over that year, Shimura Danzō had gone on a killing spree.

To gather enough human subjects for Tobirama's work, he sent the Second Division to hunt down wandering ninja by day.

At night, he led a team of trusted men disguised as Iwagakure Ninja. Using Konoha's extensive Anbu intelligence network, they abducted ninja from smaller villages and passed them off as enemy casualties.

To make sure these ninja said nothing they shouldn't in front of Tobirama, Danzo rendered the innocent captives mute. He replaced their forehead protectors, scored a line across each one to mark them as rogue ninja, and sent them to Tobirama's laboratory.

Tobirama had his suspicions about Danzo's methods.

But he did not demand an explanation. He merely asked, "You left no trace of the village, did you?"

Danzo's heart tightened. "Every trace has been cleaned up," he answered at once. "Nothing will lead back to the village."

With no evidence left behind, Tobirama chose to look the other way. "Well done," he said casually.

At last, Danzo had earned his teacher's approval. His heart burned with excitement.

As for guilt over abducting innocent people, Danzo felt none. For Konoha's prosperity and stability, the suffering and sacrifice of outsiders were worth it.

He was—

One step closer to becoming Hokage!

Too far from heaven, too close to Konoha.

The smaller ninja villages around Konoha fell victim to Danzo one after another. Of them all, the Sky Ninja suffered his attacks most often.

The seeds of hatred were quietly sown.

Danzo had wanted to disguise his men as Cloud Ninja, whose reputation was even worse.

But his