Danzo's Poisonous Scheme: The Fruit Called "Longevity"

Konoha, deep underground.

Sunlight never reached this place year-round. The air was filled with the pungent stench of old formaldehyde mixed with rust. Inside the Root base, the lights were dim, and every breath felt especially stifling.

Half of Shimura Danzō's body was wrapped in yellowed bandages. Beneath the flickering candlelight, his single eye gleamed with cold, fanatical light. Expressionless, he stared at the top-secret report sent back by a spy embedded in the Land of Rivers.

[Report: In the battle at the Abyss of Annihilation, Ye Zhetian slew an Outworld Cultivator, but suffered a backlash from the Heavenly Dao after forcibly using "Sage Art." He is currently "recovering" at a border station in the Land of Rivers, barely clinging to life, with only the Fifth Hokage Tsunade personally sustaining him.]

"Heh... Has this day finally come?"

Danzo's voice was hoarse, like two pieces of dry wood grinding violently together. He casually set the report alight over the candle flame and watched it turn to ash, while his inner thoughts crazily scrolled through his dark mind: "Tch, even though Admin's 'System Patch' failed to delete that brat completely, it still left him in a state of 'Power-Off Reconfiguration.' A seriously wounded 'sage'? No. To this old man, he is a perfectly ripe 'Longevity Fruit,' radiating an exotic fragrance. What Will of Fire? Only the 'eternal life' held in one's hand is the true Truth."

"My lord, should we act now?"

From the shadows, a Root ninja kneeling on one knee spoke in a cold, utterly emotionless voice.

"No rush."

Leaning on his cane, Danzo slowly rose to his feet. The cane gave a dull thud against the bluestone floor. "This old man has seen the defensive power of that 'Innate Dao Body.' Not even an outworld Flying