A glint of greed flashed in the Hyūga branch jōnin's eyes. Marginalized in his clan, he craved a shining achievement to prove himself.
The Inuzuka and Akimichi jōnin's eyes lit up, their ambitions stirred. Even the hesitant Inuzuka, swayed by Asuma's analysis, felt a surge of desire.
Only Yūhi Kurenai worried for Tsukikage, longing to confront him about his motives.
"Relax, everyone. Their team's at most a dozen Uchiha. No worries—I've got a backup plan," Asuma said, grinning confidently.
His words dispelled the jōnin's fears.
Kurenai's concern deepened. She had to join this hunt—if not to save Tsukikage, at least to ensure he didn't die in shame.
She felt nothing for Danzō, less for Root or ANBU. Their deaths meant little.
She simply couldn't believe Tsukikage would betray the village.
The five melted into shadows, vanishing into the night, led by the Hyūga and Inuzuka jōnin's search.
---
Midnight fell, silencing Konoha's bustling streets.
Hokage Tower, Entrance.
Two rows of elite ANBU stood ready, backs straight, katanas sheathed, their animal masks radiating lethal intent. Their aura outshone the ANBU vanguard.
Under the night sky, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado paced, awaiting the vanguard's report.
Like Danzō, as Hokage advisors, they wielded authority and cunningness. But now, their aged faces bore deepening worry and unease.
"Why is there no word yet?" Homura muttered, his furrowed brow heavy with concern.
Koharu reassured, "No need to panic. The Uchiha will fall tonight, one way or another. If they won't die, we'll grant them a dignified death."
Homura mused, "Summon Hiruzen. It's about time we clean up the mess."
In Danzō's 'Uchiha extermination plan,' they played pivotal roles, fully endorsing it. If the Uchiha harbored rebellion, it had to be crushed at its root.
Unable to resolve Konoha's feud with the Uchiha, they'd eliminate the Uchiha instead.
A battered ANBU flickered into view, kneeling before the advisors.
Koharu and Homura, seeing his state, felt a chill. The situation seemed beyond their expectations. Had the Uchiha fought back?
The ANBU detailed the Uchiha grounds' events.
Koharu and Homura's pupils dilated, bodies trembling, shock and disbelief replacing unease, their faces ashen as if they'd eaten a rotten rat.
They strode toward the Hokage's office, side by side.
The Uchiha were exterminated as planned, but Danzō was dead, Root and the ANBU vanguard decimated!
"Senpai, what happened?" Yamato whispered to the fox-masked ANBU beside him.
Kakashi replied bluntly, "Didn't catch it, but—"
Crash—
A water cup shattered in the brightly lit Hokage's office, followed by Sarutobi Hiruzen's roar. The ANBU flinched.
Their kindly Third Hokage hadn't raged like this in years. Something major had shaken the village.
Kakashi fell silent. Yamato didn't press.
---
Uchiha Clan Grounds, Forest.
ANBU swarmed the recently battled area again. Leading them, Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged face darkened. His Hokage hat shadowed his eyes, white robes billowing as he marched forward.
Advisors and elite ANBU trailed, some taking high ground.
The stench of blood hit Hiruzen, his eyes narrowing, fists clenching behind his back. A glance at the corpses told him the ANBU vanguard had been ambushed by Root.
Root's losses exceeded eighty percent; the vanguard, over half.
"Danzō, that old geezer, deserved to die!" Hiruzen seethed, unable to swallow his fury. He waved, "Evacuate the wounded, recover the bodies!"
ANBU captains nodded, directing subordinates to clean up—killing, scrubbing, burning, their routine.
Kakashi and Yamato, as Hiruzen's guards, stayed close.
The carnage struck Kakashi and Yamato, who sighed inwardly. Konoha's losses—elite Root and ANBU—would take years to replace.
Hiruzen, face grim, strode deeper, halting at the massive tree. The advisors froze before a hollow, staring at the familiar face embedded within.
"Danzō…" Homura adjusted his glasses, wrinkles tightening, rushing to the hollow. He checked Danzō's nose and neck pulse.
Moments later, Homura turned, head bowed, face dark, shaking his head. No signs of life.
Koharu, grave, stepped forward, pulling medical tools from a scroll. A skilled medical ninja in her youth under the Second Hokage, she tested Danzō's vitals.
The electronic devices showed nothing.
Koharu's heart sank. "No life signs. Biologically, he's dead."
Danzō's death rocked Konoha. Intelligence networks would falter, external agents possibly unrecoverable. Without Root, Konoha lost a blade to balance internal threats.
Hiruzen's eyes widened, fury consuming his heart. Blood rose to his throat; he swallowed it, inspecting Danzō himself.
Staring at the face in the hollow, Hiruzen's gaze fixed on the katana hilt piercing Danzō's heart—an Uchiha blade.
Thoughts exploded like a thousand explosive tags. Had Danzō lived uselessly like a dog, unable to handle a mere Uchiha, dragging Root and ANBU down with him?
He deserved death!
"Uchiha Tsukikage killed him," Hiruzen muttered, yanking the katana free. Rage overwhelmed him, blood spurting from his mouth as he staggered back.
"Hiruzen!" Koharu and Homura rushed to steady him.
"Leave me," Hiruzen rasped, tossing the katana, standing tall. "Take his body back. Those Wood Release growths contain the First Hokage's cells." He glared toward the Uchiha grounds. "To the Uchiha district, now!"
---
The full moon sank. Dawn broke.
Northwest of Konoha, eighty miles away, in the abandoned Training Ground 007's primal forest, Tsukikage led his team northwest.
With chakra, they covered in two hours what an ordinary army would march in a day.
Silence hung heavy.
Passing a ruined campsite, a young Uchiha carrying Tamao shouted, "Captain Tsukikage, Tamao's passed out!"
Tsukikage stopped, turning. Words flashed in his mind:
[Side Mission]: Heal Your Teammate
[Options]:
1. Heal your teammate.
[Reward]: Reiyaku.
(End of Chapter)