In the Land of Demons, in a barren stretch of land where the houses stood in decay.
A man with tangled hair, a grimy face, and unkempt stubble returned home in a tattered black robe, carrying the liquor he had just bought.
The place he called home was merely a dilapidated thatched hut. Dust covered every furnishing, save for a cat-faced mask hanging on the wall, which had been wiped clean as new.
After sitting down, he lit an oil lamp, filled his cup, and began drinking alone.
He drank cup after cup, sometimes shaking his head with a bitter smile, sometimes gazing at the cat mask on the wall and sighing to himself.
"Lord Danzo, why would someone with ambitions as great as yours die such a senseless, unexplained death!"
"At first, I thought... you had plans to overthrow Konoha, or even the entire shinobi world, and had only faked your death so you could carry out your schemes behind the scenes!"
"So before those people could begin their purge of Root, I went into hiding with the masterpiece you created using Hashirama Pillar cells—the [Ox-Head Heavenly King]! I waited for the day I could answer your call!"
"But... who could have known!! That Uchiha renegade, Sasuke! He... he actually made me have a dream like that!!!"
"That dream taught me two things... first, Lord Danzo, you probably really were dead! Second, with that man's power, I had no hope of avenging you!"
Shigaraki Tanuki, once Danzo's most loyal follower, could no longer control his emotions under the influence of alcohol and burst into tears.
"Tanuki." A low call came from the darkness.
Clang! The liquor bottle toppled onto the moldy floor, then rolled toward the wall.
Tanuki's pupils dilated into irregular spirals, his chest heaving as he hyperventilated!