Danzo

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Shimura Danzō (Danzo; 团藏) 14
Alias(es)	“Darkness of the Ninja World”; Elder Danzo 14 15 53
Gender	Male 9 14
Affiliation	Konohagakure; Root 14 16
Occupation/Role	Konoha elder, Hokage advisor, and Root leader; later commander of the Southern Army Group against Hidden Mist 9 16 82
Status	Deceased—consumed by Satori 111
First Appearance	Chapter 9 9

Appearance

• Bandages: His right eye is covered, and roughly half his body is described as wrapped in bandages during his nighttime confrontation with Setsuna 9 14.
• Voice: Hoarse, likened to withered wood 14.
• Wartime injuries: He wears even more bandages after his defeat on the Hidden Mist front 101.

Personality

Danzo treats ninja as expendable weapons and argues that individual lives must be sacrificed to secure Konoha’s future. He uses the threat of war to justify human experimentation, including turning Setsuna into a Wood Release test subject despite Hiruzen’s explicit refusal 9.

His claimed devotion to Konoha coexists with personal ambition. He believes only he can restore the village’s greatness, refuses to sacrifice himself against Setsuna, and later considers whether a failed rescue operation could weaken Hiruzen enough for him to seize power 15 77.

Danzo is prejudiced against the Uchiha, calling them inherently evil while making an exception for Kagami. He nevertheless relies on Kagami’s Sharingan to survive fatal injuries 15 16.

His authoritarian confidence collapses when he encounters someone he cannot control. After Setsuna repeatedly kills him, Danzo becomes cautious, flattering, and willing to reverse his public positions to avoid another confrontation. He also interprets unexpected setbacks as conspiracies by Orochimaru or Hiruzen 21 32 77 91.

Abilities & Skills

Wind Release

• Wind Release: Shuriken: Used to interfere with Setsuna’s pursuit while retreating toward a forest 14.
• Wind Release: Vacuum Wave: Expels cutting wind blades that converge around Setsuna like a tornado 15.
• Limit: Setsuna tears through the wind attack, preventing Danzo from containing him 15.

Shadow Clones and Ambush Tactics

• Creates dozens of Shadow Clones, then leaves additional clones behind while his real body hides underground 15.
• Successfully conceals his withdrawal from Setsuna and launches a rear kunai attack from beneath the ground 15.
• The ambush fails because the kunai snaps against Setsuna’s body; Solar Flare blinds the clones and allows Setsuna to destroy them 15.
• Danzo is explicitly identified as not a sensory ninja 15.

Izanagi

• Uses implanted Three-Tomoe Sharingan to negate fatal injuries and reappear unharmed 15.
• Each eye’s activation lasts one minute, permitting repeated recoveries during that interval 15.
• Setsuna kills him roughly twelve times during one activation’s final thirty seconds, then forces him to expend his remaining eye as Hiruzen arrives 15.
• Danzo identifies the eyes as Kagami Uchiha’s and claims Kagami gave them to him before dying. Hiruzen questions whether Danzo was involved in Kagami’s death; the claim is not independently confirmed 16.

Sealing Techniques

• Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal: Restrains Setsuna with band-like markings after Danzo’s first apparent death. Setsuna breaks the seal through physical strength and surging vitality 15.
• Reverse Four Symbols Seal: Considered as a means of dying alongside Setsuna, but not activated because Danzo intends to preserve his own life 15.

Covert Operations and Research

• Directs Root operatives trained to suppress their identities and emotions and obey his orders without question 14.
• Possesses an intelligence network that learns of Hidden Cloud’s demands almost immediately and later identifies opposition to Hanzo in the Land of Rain 9 78.
• Collaborates with Orochimaru on forbidden Hashirama-cell experiments and retains a child capable of Wood Release under his command 19 20.
• Regards that child’s Wood Release as incomplete because it has the technique’s form but lacks its expected vitality. His research does not establish that Danzo himself can use Wood Release 20.

Equipment / Items

• Two implanted Three-Tomoe Sharingan: Used for Izanagi and exhausted during the fight with Setsuna; Danzo claims they belonged to Kagami 15 16.
• Kunai: Used for an underground ambush; breaks against Setsuna’s defenses 15.
• Smoke bomb: Thrown to escape Orochimaru’s base when Setsuna unexpectedly arrives 21.

History

Forbidden Research and Conflict with Hiruzen

Danzo and Hiruzen share a former teacher, the Second Hokage. Danzo later invokes that teacher’s experiments to defend his own methods, while Hiruzen rejects the argument that their legacy justifies experimenting on Konoha’s people 9 32.

During the dispute over Hidden Cloud’s demand for the culprit behind a recent incident, Danzo opposes surrendering a Konoha ninja because it would make the village appear weak. He then proposes reproducing Hashirama Senju’s power through cell experimentation, identifying Setsuna’s strong physique and poor ninjutsu aptitude as ideal experimental material 9.

Danzo claims an earlier experiment produced a surviving child with Wood Release, concealing the secret research he and Orochimaru actually conducted. Hiruzen refuses permission to use Setsuna and ends the argument by asserting his authority as Hokage 9 19.

Defeat by Setsuna

Danzo sends two Root agents to summon Setsuna at night. After Setsuna defeats them, Danzo arrives personally and demands obedience. Setsuna pretends not to recognize him, labels him an enemy spy, and uses the Will of Fire to challenge his legitimacy 14.

Their confrontation moves from East Tenth Street into a forest. Danzo’s clones, Wind Release, kunai ambush, and binding seal all fail. Izanagi keeps him alive, but Setsuna repeatedly destroys his body and exhausts both available Sharingan 14 15.

Hiruzen intervenes and confirms Danzo’s identity. Setsuna forces Danzo to apologize and accept responsibility for the battle’s property damage. Hiruzen then questions his disobedience, his use of Izanagi, and the origin of his eyes 16.

Danzo retaliates indirectly by assigning Hizashi’s rookie teams an 800,000-ryo D-rank mission to repair East Tenth Street, ensuring Setsuna works on the damage Danzo must finance. He nevertheless continues seeking Orochimaru’s help with Wood Release experiments, fleeing when Setsuna appears at the laboratory 17 18 20 21.

His fear becomes visible during a later council meeting: after demanding the return of the Second Hokage’s Thunder God Sword, he immediately supports leaving it with Setsuna upon learning who recovered it. He also defends Setsuna’s actions against Hidden Cloud to avoid provoking him 32.

The Kazekage Assassination Accusation

Chiyo selects Danzo as a convenient suspect for the Third Kazekage’s disappearance because his reputation makes the accusation credible. Sunagakure plans to demand his surrender, then use Konoha’s expected refusal as evidence of guilt 53.

At the Chunin Exam finals, Rasa publicly names Danzo as the suspect. Hiruzen refuses to hand him over, fearing exposure of Danzo’s undisclosed activities. The accusation becomes a pretext for attacking Konoha’s delegation 67.

Sasori subsequently reveals the Kazekage’s corpse puppet and openly admits the murder, disproving the accusation against Danzo. Danzo is furious at being framed and at losing the anonymity needed for covert operations. He privately acknowledges that he had considered assassinating the Kazekage but had not acted 68 76.

War Command and Declining Influence

After Setsuna returns from Sunagakure, Danzo suspects Hiruzen staged the proposed rescue operation to make him appear heartless and turn Setsuna against him. He then proposes eliminating Hanzo’s opposition in exchange for military support, but Setsuna immediately rejects the plan 77 78.

Hiruzen appoints Danzo commander of the Southern Army Group, with Torifu Akimichi as deputy, against Hidden Mist. Danzo later returns to Konoha wounded and narrowly avoids a ki blast when Setsuna discovers him concealed nearby 82 91.

Reports reveal that Danzo was severely injured fighting the Six Ninja Swordsmen. Han credits his survival partly to Setsuna having already killed Raiga, reducing their number. The defeat leaves Danzo unusually quiet during subsequent council discussions 94 101.

When Setsuna accepts the Hidden Mist’s invitation to travel alone for negotiations, Danzo recognizes that a successful return would make Setsuna overwhelmingly popular and effectively end his own hopes of becoming Hokage. Hiruzen orders him back to the front to receive Setsuna; Danzo tries to evade the assignment by citing unhealed injuries 107.

Death and Aftermath

Minato reports that Satori consumed Danzo after absorbing the Zero-Tails. Danzo’s immense inner darkness supplies the monster with a major power increase, after which it kills the Third Raikage 111.

Hiruzen is overwhelmed by guilt over Danzo’s death and decides to resign. His eventual nomination of Setsuna as successor completes the political transition Danzo had feared 111 112.

At the Continental Conference, Satori explicitly credits Danzo’s darkness for its evolution into “Super Satori” and its ability to predict attacks through inner darkness. Setsuna overwhelms and ultimately kills the creature 115 116.

Relationships

• Hiruzen Sarutobi — Old friend, political rival, and the Hokage who appointed him advisor. Their relationship deteriorates over forbidden research and disobedience, although Hiruzen still protects him from foreign interrogation and feels guilt after his death 9 16 19 67 111.
• Chiaki Setsuna — Intended recruit and experimental subject who becomes his greatest personal and political threat. Setsuna’s repeated killings force Danzo into fearful accommodation 9 14 15 32 107.
• Orochimaru — Collaborator in secret Wood Release research. Danzo distrusts him and wrongly interprets Setsuna’s arrival at his base as a deliberate betrayal 19 20 21.
• Kagami Uchiha — Source of the Sharingan used for Izanagi. Danzo claims Kagami gifted the eyes in hopes of changing his prejudice against the Uchiha; Hiruzen remains suspicious 16.
• Root operatives — Subordinates conditioned for unquestioning obedience. Witnessing Setsuna repeatedly kill Danzo frightens them despite their emotional suppression 14 15.
• Hizashi Hyuga — Recipient of Danzo’s street-repair assignment. Hizashi mistakes the petty retaliation for evidence of a larger Hokage conspiracy 17 18.
• Rasa — Helps frame Danzo for the Kazekage’s murder, then later idealizes him as an unseen protector and attempts to become Sunagakure’s equivalent 53 81.
• Satori — His killer; converts Danzo’s inner darkness into a source of destructive power 111 115.

Notable Quotes

“Ninja are weapons of war. That is a ninja’s fate.” 9

“Hmph. You will regret this!” 9

“Forget it. As long as I can obtain perfect Wood Release, this loss is nothing.” 15