Danzo

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Shimura Danzo (团藏) 8
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Konohagakure; Root, which continues obeying him after its official dissolution 103 104
Occupation/Role	Konoha senior advisor; leader of Root; aspiring Hokage 39 103 120
Combat Level	Kage level during the Sunagakure confrontation 145 149
Status	Deceased; killed by Zhou Cheng in Sunagakure 153
First Appearance	Chapter 4, receiving Root’s report on Zhou Cheng’s talent 4

Background / History

Danzo commands Root from an underground headquarters beneath Konoha. Its recruits undergo training to “erase the self” and receive cursed seals that enforce secrecy. He intends its members to become tools without personal identities, feelings, or ambitions beyond their missions 4 39.

After Minato’s death, Danzo attempted to assassinate Hiruzen Sarutobi before he resumed the Hokage position. He approached Kakashi for support, but the plan failed when Kakashi changed sides 39 45.

Danzo also manipulated Itachi into destroying the Uchiha clan, an act Hiruzen explicitly references during their discussion about controlling Zhou Cheng. His later exposure reveals numerous transplanted Sharingan, prompting Konoha’s witnesses to connect his stolen eyes with the massacre. Zhou subsequently explains Danzo’s responsibility when arranging Itachi and Sasuke’s return to Konoha 75 145 206.

Appearance

Danzo is an elderly man whose bandages conceal extensive modifications to the right side of his body 97 119 145.

• Usually exposed left eye: His right eye remains concealed until he reveals its abilities 13 145.
• Deathly pale right side: Transplanted Hashirama cells give the covered portion of his body a corpse-like pallor 145 146.
• Sharingan-covered right arm: Numerous implanted eyes supply his repeated uses of Izanagi 145 146.
• Shisui’s right eye: The transplanted Sharingan in his right eye grants Kotoamatsukami 121 151 153.

Personality

Danzo treats exceptional talent as something to possess. On learning that Zhou Cheng extracted chakra in a single evening, he immediately wants the boy for Root. He repeatedly presents recruitment as service to Konoha while privately imagining a weapon that will eliminate obstacles to his becoming Hokage 4 8 39.

His ambition overrides his loyalty to the village. He withholds Root’s forces during the Konoha Crush to preserve his strength, later invites foreign villages to attack Konoha, and ultimately declares that he wants to rule the entire shinobi world. When challenged, he maintains that the strong should rule the weak 103 104 120 152.

Danzo alternates between intimidation, appeals to rank, and desperate bargaining. He tries to label Zhou a traitor when legal authority appears useful, offers political advancement when defeat becomes likely, and threatens to massacre witnesses when he believes Kotoamatsukami has secured victory 120 151 152.

Abilities & Skills

Izanagi

Danzo uses transplanted Sharingan to erase unfavorable events, including fatal injuries, and substitute a favorable outcome 121 146.

• Survives chained explosive-tag blasts and repeatedly reappears after otherwise lethal attacks 121 145.
• Each use permanently blinds a Sharingan, making his apparent immortality a finite resource 146.
• Zhou counters it by repeatedly killing him to exhaust the implanted eyes 121 150.

Kotoamatsukami

Shisui’s right eye allows Danzo to impose commands through powerful mind-control genjutsu. He plans to use it to make Zhou Cheng permanently loyal to him 121.

• Commands the apparently controlled Zhou to turn against his companions and unite the shinobi world under Danzo 150 151.
• Ordinary Genjutsu Release fails to free the affected fighter; Ino’s Mind Body Switch briefly restrains him instead 151.
• Shadow clones complicate Danzo’s targeting by concealing the original 121 145.
• His apparent victory in Sunagakure is a deception: the controlled fighter is Zhou’s powerful Earth Release clone, while the original watches from a rooftop 152.

Wood Release and Regeneration

Hashirama’s cells implanted into Danzo’s right side grant him Wood Release and rapid recovery 121 146 152.

• Uses a surprise wooden attack to impale and restrain Zhou’s clone 150 152.
• Performs Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree against Kakashi at close range 151.
• Rapidly heals the shoulder wound inflicted by Kakashi’s sword 152.
• Kakashi counters his wooden projectiles with Kamui and targets the modified right arm 151.

Wind Release

Danzo uses compressed air projectiles and cutting wind attacks 145 146 149.

• Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere: Fires a highly compressed air cannon from his mouth 145.
• Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere: Attempts to break through Sunagakure’s encirclement 149.
• Wind blades: Attacks Sakura after her attempted strike; Zhou intercepts them with an Earth Wall 146.

Summoning: Baku

Baku is Danzo’s summoned beast and participates in the disruption of Gaara’s succession ceremony 145.

• Its rampage forces Sunagakure to organize civilian evacuation and defensive teams 145.
• Zhou overwhelms it with a massive Rasengan and Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, canceling the summoning 145.

Body Flicker Technique

Danzo uses Body Flicker for rapid travel, including reaching the Academy assessment area and entering Hiruzen’s office 7 8.

Root Command and Coercion

Danzo maintains control through indoctrination, cursed seals, and personal loyalty rather than the organization’s legal standing 39 103 104.

• Root’s cursed seals prevent subordinates from disclosing protected information 39 97.
• Plans to subject Zhou Cheng and Kurama Yakumo to sealing and brainwashing 75 97.
• Retains obedient operatives after publicly announcing Root’s dissolution 103 104 117.

Reverse Four Symbols Seal

Zhou identifies the Reverse Four Symbols Seal among Danzo’s dangerous close-range options. The provided account does not show Danzo activating it 121.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Bandages — Conceal Shisui’s eye and the modified, Sharingan-covered right side of his body 121 145.
• Transplanted Sharingan — Provide the expendable eyes used for Izanagi 145 146.
• Shisui’s right Sharingan — Grants Kotoamatsukami. Danzo removes and offers it to Zhou before his death; Zhou seals it away rather than transplanting it. It is later transplanted into Uzuki Yugao 152 153 173.
• Hashirama cell implants — Enable Wood Release and rapid wound recovery 146 152.

Relationships

• Zhou Cheng — Initially a coveted recruit, later Danzo’s principal enemy. Failed attempts to control him escalate into assassination contracts, foreign conspiracies, and a final battle in Sunagakure 4 75 100 153.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi — Political rival and intermittent collaborator. They compete over Zhou’s training but cooperate when his growing independence threatens their authority; Danzo had previously attempted to assassinate Hiruzen 8 39 75.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu — Political allies who support his prospective Hokage bid after Hiruzen’s death. They later withhold assistance as his position collapses 89 103 120.
• Tsunade — Opposes his continued control of Root, orders the organization dissolved, and later orders his arrest for colluding with invading villages 98 122.
• Kurama Yakumo — Desired recruit because of her genjutsu bloodline. Her clan hands her over against her will, and Danzo plans to turn her into a loyal killing machine 97 99.
• Itachi Uchiha — Manipulated into carrying out the Uchiha massacre 75 206.
• Kakashi Hatake — Former target of political recruitment who helped foil Danzo’s assassination plot against Hiruzen. Later fights Danzo using Kamui and Hatake swordsmanship 45 151.
• Baki — Co-conspirator in Sunagakure. Danzo encourages his ambition to become Kazekage and publicly exposes their alliance when he believes victory is assured 142 151 153.
• Akatsuki — Paid assassins hired to kill Zhou. Sasori and Deidara later abandon the contract while retaining Danzo’s payment 100 146 149.
• Orochimaru — Accused by Zhou of collaborating with Danzo in the Konoha Crush. At the time of Root’s dissolution, the villagers have no proof of that collaboration; Zhou later infers that the two divided stolen Uchiha eyes after the massacre 103 234.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Attempts to Recruit Zhou Cheng

Danzo learns of Zhou’s rapid chakra development through Root’s surveillance and insists that such talent belongs in his organization. He uses the boy’s uncertain background as an argument for placing him under Root’s control, but Hiruzen refuses 4 8.

Even after an investigation finds no evidence that Zhou is a spy, Danzo continues demanding custody. He supplies training techniques and later brings medicine after Zhou suffers internal injuries, participating in the elders’ efforts to win him over 16 19 59.

When Konoha’s leaders offer Zhou institutional training, Danzo proposes three years in Root while privately anticipating successful brainwashing. Zhou chooses ANBU instead, although the elders have already agreed that each faction will receive three years of influence over him 34 39.

Coercion During the Chunin Exams

Reports of Zhou’s strength, Yang Release, and connections alarm Danzo. He urges Hiruzen to force the boy into Root, declare him a rogue ninja if he refuses, or kill him if control proves impossible 75.

Danzo joins the interrogation about Zhou’s origins and powers. Hiruzen orders a year of Root training, but Zhou refuses; Danzo angrily challenges his defiance of the Hokage 76 77.

Failed Bid for the Hokage Position

After Hiruzen dies defending Konoha, Danzo announces that he will temporarily take charge. Zhou publicly asks why Root never participated in the village’s defense, turning the assembled shinobi against the takeover 89.

Danzo subsequently campaigns for Hokage, only to face the same question again. His refusal to deploy Root becomes a lasting obstacle to his legitimacy 94 103.

Yakumo’s Captivity and Root’s Dissolution

Yakumo’s clan deceives and restrains her before handing her to Danzo. Zhou locates her unconscious inside Root and attacks the headquarters. Danzo claims the clan delivered her voluntarily, but refuses to surrender her until Tsunade intervenes 96 97 99.

The rescue devastates Root, leaving more than half its personnel lost by the time Danzo seeks outside assassins. He accepts Akatsuki’s demand for a ten-million-ryo advance payment and agrees to lure Zhou outside Konoha 100.

Public anger over Root’s absence during the invasion eventually forces Danzo to announce its dissolution. He privately intends to keep it operational, await Zhou’s assassination, and resume his pursuit of the Hokage position 103.

Foreign Conspiracy and Flight from Konoha

Danzo sends loyal Root operatives to other villages with letters requesting an attack on Konoha and promising benefits in exchange for support 104.

After Itachi and Kisame arrive seeking Zhou, a thirty-million-ryo bounty leads Zhou and several jonin to identify Danzo as the likely sponsor. Tsunade supports another confrontation with Root, where Danzo’s political allies refuse to defend him and his repeated survival exposes a hidden technique 118 119 120 121.

Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure then attack Konoha’s outposts. Tsunade orders Danzo arrested and promises execution after the war, while ANBU remain behind to contain him. He subsequently flees Konoha; the account does not explain how he escapes 122 140.

Final Confrontation in Sunagakure

Zhou discovers the disguised Danzo meeting Baki before Gaara’s inauguration. During the ensuing conflict, Zhou defeats Baku, repeatedly kills Danzo, and tears away his bandages to expose the implanted Sharingan 142 145.

Sasori and Deidara reveal their agreement to assassinate Zhou after Danzo weakens him. They ultimately withdraw, leaving Danzo surrounded and still attempting to escape 146 149.

Danzo’s final gambit combines Wood Release with Kotoamatsukami. Believing he controls Zhou, he announces plans to kill the witnesses, blame Akatsuki, and seize Konoha. The apparent victim is actually an Earth Release clone, and Zhou reveals the deception after his companions intervene 150 151 152.

Isolated, Danzo offers to help Zhou become Hokage, then removes and surrenders Shisui’s right eye. Zhou accepts the eye and kills him with a single punch 152 153.

Notable Quotes

“A child like this must join my Root, and nowhere else!” 8

“Order him to join Root. If he refuses, declare him a rogue ninja!” 75

“Everything I've done has been for Konoha!” 120

“Root is hereby dissolved!” 103