Shimura Danzō Finally Takes the Stage

As Konoha lay in chaos, where was that man who claimed to have buried himself underground for the village and shouldered all its darkness?

Time rewound to shortly after Rasa's self-destruction.

At the time, Danzo stood atop Hokage Rock, overlooking all of Konoha. Every bit of turmoil lay within his sight, not to mention the conspicuous Four Violet Flames Formation. Yet Danzo remained as steady as ever, watching indifferently as the village descended further into chaos.

An orange-haired masked ninja suddenly appeared beside Danzo. Watching the sea of sand controlled by the Tailed Beast spread without end, he could not help asking, "Lord Danzo, the situation seems to be spiraling out of control. Is Root still not making a move?"

Danzo's gaze briefly swept over Sasuke. As expected of the Uchiha Clan—they always brought surprises. Itachi had been like that, and so was Sasuke. But then he shook his head. Sasuke was no match for Itachi. He was too foolish, daring to face Konoha alone.

Danzo withdrew his gaze and looked at the orange-haired ninja beside him. "This is not destruction. It is rebirth. Hiruzen is old, and the village has become increasingly rotten because of him. Konoha needs a powerful new Hokage. Do not forget Root's principles, Fū. You have been disrespectful."

Upon hearing that, Yamanaka Fū immediately dropped to one knee, his voice devoid of emotion. "Yes, Lord Danzo! I was disrespectful!"

Danzo nodded in satisfaction. "You have no names, no emotions, no past, and no future. You have only missions. Beneath the ground, unseen by others, you support the flourishing branches and leaves of Konoha's great tree. That is Root's Will."

Yamanaka Fū lowered his head deeply, his eyes burning with fervor. He clearly agreed wholeheartedly with Danzo's words.

"The One-Tail is currently under Sasuke Uchiha's control. Sasuke is likely merely venting his emotions right now. Based on my understanding of those Uchiha fools, as long as his 'bonds' remain in the village, he will not truly strike Konoha without restraint. The destruction at present is nothing more than necessary sacrifice. I will lead the village into a brand-new era!"

Danzo gave Yamanaka Fū a brief explanation of his little scheme. Feeling the power of Wood Release and the Sharingan within his arm, a false sense of security welled up in him. He, Shimura Danzō, had nothing to fear!

At that moment, his thoughts were: It is merely an Uchiha remnant and a tiny One-Tail. Not only do I possess Izanagi, the Sharingan's ultimate genjutsu, but I have also gained the First Hokage's power. Sasuke Uchiha is nothing!

Once Sasuke's ocular power can no longer hold out, I will descend from the heavens and swiftly eliminate him. Then I will be the hero who saved Konoha! Who could be more suitable than me to become the next Hokage?!

In short, Danzo had gotten carried away.

It was not until he saw a high-density sphere of chakra flying straight at him and rapidly growing larger that Danzo snapped back to his senses.

—Those Uchiha bastards were all insane!

Hokage Rock vanished. With a flicker, Danzo, who should have been blown to pieces, reappeared. His clothes hung half-open, and the seal on his arm had been released, revealing a pale, grotesque limb embedded with countless eyes. He had faced the Tailed Beast Ball and still appeared unscathed, save for one Sharingan on his arm that had closed forever.

Thinking of the talented people he had painstakingly recruited from the great clans, the elite Root operatives he had painstakingly trained—men who had been thoroughly brainwashed, only to be obliterated in an instant beneath the Tailed Beast Ball—Danzo was nearly driven mad with rage! All he wanted now was to kill Sasuke, with the cruelest methods possible!

But Danzo had not lost his reason because of it. He first needed to change clothes. For a mastermind who longed to step into the sunlight, appearing in such a bedraggled state was unacceptable.

Danzo dressed himself up properly, then performed the Summoning Technique.

After a burst of smoke, the Baku was summoned. Danzo leaped onto its back, while the Baku raised its long trunk and let out a strange, booming cry that echoed throughout Konoha. Seizing the moment, Danzo shouted, "Those who violate Konoha's borders, Root shall strike down! The time is now! All forces, move out! Defend the village! Uphold Root's Will!"

When Temari and Kankuro saw Hokage Rock blown apart, their clothes were already soaked with cold sweat. This was their first time facing the might of a Tailed Beast head-on. Yet at the same time, they felt a little schadenfreude. Sunagakure's condition had worsened year after year recently, but Konoha had even lost Hokage Rock, its iconic landmark. Clearly, Konoha was worse off than Sunagakure.

When you were unfortunate, seeing someone else even more unfortunate could strangely calm your mind.

After today, Konoha would probably lose all face. Hehehe... should they seize the chance to expand the war and further weaken Konoha's strength?

Before Temari and Kankuro could finish wrestling with that thought, they heard Danzo's pre-battle declaration.

Sasuke looked at Danzo, who had finally jumped out on his own, and smiled sincerely. "You finally decided to show yourself, Danzo."

Standing atop the Baku, Danzo faced Sasuke from afar. He had just been about to deliver some righteous-sounding words to bolster his own prestige when, at that very moment, a powerful sense of danger struck him. The sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air reached him. He instinctively dodged, but an arrow of flowing sand still pierced his shoulder.

Danzo bared his teeth as he glared at Sasuke. Damn it, this brat had no sense of honor! Before a fight began, were they not supposed to explain their reasons and hardships first?

"Die!" Sasuke's killing intent surged as another Tailed Beast Ball condensed. There was no flashy talk-no-jutsu or ninjutsu—only the crushing force of absolute power.

Boom!

Watching the dark red Tailed Beast Ball draw infinitely closer, Danzo's expression changed drastically. He had joined the battle, but he had never truly intended to fight an even match. He had only wanted to wrap things up in the guise of a hero. Only now did Danzo finally realize that Sasuke was different from other Uchiha. Even Madara had listened to Hashirama, but Sasuke belonged entirely to the "won't listen" faction—he fought the instant he decided to, without any warning.

A massive explosion rang out, and Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help crying out, "Danzo!"

Though he and Danzo had many disagreements, they had been close friends for many years. Seeing Danzo struck by the Tailed Beast Ball, Hiruzen could not help feeling despair.

"Damn Uchiha..."

From the dust of the explosion came a heart-rending roar. Shimura Danzō emerged completely unharmed, his face twisted as he stared fixedly at Sasuke.

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze. The other living people present froze as well. Danzo possessed such power? He could take a Tailed Beast Ball to the face and be completely fine?

But soon, someone noticed Danzo's arm embedded with Sharingan. It was horrifying and disgusting, and in that instant, many people seemed to understand why Sasuke had suddenly gone mad and attacked Konoha.

Covert gazes swept over Hiruzen Sarutobi. Did the Third Hokage know about those grotesque things on Danzo's body?