Ikawa Kamimi slowly made her way to the deepest part of the Root base once again.
To be honest, she didn't want to be here. It wasn't just the oppressive atmosphere—it was also because that woman was here.
The night of the Nine-Tails rampage, Kamimi had witnessed that woman unleash an S-rank jutsu. The mere memory of the woman's hostility made Kamimi's will to resist dissolve, replaced only with fear and a desperate urge to flee.
The stone chamber seemed darker than ever. The wall-mounted torches were extinguished, leaving only vague shadows in the distance.
"Lord Danzo…" Kamimi knelt on one knee. She could feel it—the suffocating killing intent, familiar and unrestrained, locking onto her. It was a warning.
"Your strength has deteriorated significantly," Danzo's aged voice echoed from the darkness.
Kamimi trembled. She hadn't trained properly for the past two years.
"I've let you down."
Danzo then delivered harsh news:
"Root will soon withdraw from the oversight of the Land of Fire."
Kamimi's body shuddered involuntarily.
"..." A mocking, female laugh broke the silence in the darkness.
But Kamimi remained frozen, still processing the news. She had known that the Fourth Hokage's death would bring upheaval, but not on this scale. Two years of hard work—gone.
Before she could snap out of her daze, it hit her.
Her soul felt like it had been dragged into a deep sea, crushed by endless pressure and despair.
"Ugh…" A pained groan escaped her lips, entirely beyond her control.
That single instant felt like centuries. When she finally came to, Kamimi was on her hands and knees, gasping for air. Sweat dripped from her forehead, mixing with the saliva that trailed down her chin.
"I have a mission for you…"
"…Yes, Lord Danzo." Kamimi's attempt to sound calm was undermined by the quiver of terror in her voice.
...
Danzo reappeared in the Hokage's office after a three-month disappearance.
When Jiraiya arrived, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.
"Sensei… Danzo-sama…" Jiraiya chuckled awkwardly when no one acknowledged him and stepped aside. He greeted Pakura, but she didn't respond either.
The heavy, awkward air was unbearable.
Until—
"Danzo-sama. Hokage-sama. Jiraiya-sama…" A plainly dressed old man entered.
If not for the Hidden Leaf emblem on his clothing, one might mistake him for a farmer rather than a ninja.
"Kosuke, it's you," Jiraiya was the first to speak, greeting him warmly. Despite Kosuke's seniority, the two had once worked together on missions during Jiraiya's chunin days. Jiraiya had always found him to be a reliable comrade.
"I summoned you here for an important mission," Hiruzen spoke solemnly, his eyes on Maruboshi Kosuke.
Danzo, seated with his eyes closed, finally opened them to regard Kosuke—the eternal genin of Konoha, yet respected by many as a redemption-seeking shinobi.
"This is more of a request than a mission," Hiruzen added. "It's a request from the Fourth Hokage… Come in, Nonō."
Yakushi Nonō entered, holding a baby.
"This is the orphaned child of the Fourth Hokage and his wife. I promised Minato I would take care of him, but Root is no place for a child to grow up.
"I would like you to take him in as your grandson, raising him as an ordinary child."
Hiruzen paused, glancing at the infant in Nonō's arms.
"If it's you, I believe Minato would rest easy. Should you encounter any trouble, I will personally see to it."
Kosuke accepted the baby, his arms stiff. He hadn't expected this mission. He had spent his life in penance, atoning for his youthful mistakes. Now, in his old age, he found himself with a child.
But when he saw the baby's smile, a strange sense of responsibility swelled in his heart.
"Yes, Lord Danzo. I will take good care of the Fourth's orphan."
Hearing his pledge, Danzo exhaled in relief.
"Hiruzen, if you interfere with this child in any way, I will lead Root in severing all ties with Konoha. Jiraiya can bear witness to this."
Danzo's flat, slow words made everyone tense. It was a clear declaration of his stance.
"In return, Root will withdraw from Konoha's administrative departments and limit its role to information-gathering, as before."
It had taken Root years to step into the light, but only a few days to be plunged back into darkness.
Many operatives stationed outside the village were recalled, and those with public roles vanished into the shadows.
Hiruzen Sarutobi heaved a sigh of relief. Root and Danzo had weighed heavily on him in recent months.
Now, it was all resolved.
Danzo and Root became less and less mentioned in Hokage Tower meetings, almost as if they were a taboo topic.
Rumors soon spread within the village: Danzo, Root's leader, had died.
After all, many shinobi had seen Danzo gravely injured that night.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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