The Five Kage Summit held in the neutral Land of Iron had ended in catastrophe.
Uchiha Byakuya, whose power had long grown beyond the norm, had launched a brutal and unexpected assault. The leader of the Land of Iron, Mifune, was the first to fall—slain swiftly before his samurai guards could react. The Fourth Raikage, A, known for his unparalleled speed and strength, attempted to retaliate but was ultimately overwhelmed by Byakuya's Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release—a terrifying combination of Uchiha and Senju lineage.
Former Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, attending in a symbolic advisory capacity, attempted to restrain Byakuya with the Shiki Fūjin. But Byakuya, anticipating the forbidden technique, baited Hiruzen into sealing a Wood Clone. Realizing his error too late and enraged by the deception, Hiruzen succumbed to his injuries and fury—collapsing with blood trailing from his lips. The Reaper Death Seal dissipated without taking a soul.
The other Kage and their guards were either slain or severely injured. Few escaped.
In Kumogakure
Dodai, a trusted aide of the Raikage, barely survived. Burned, bloodied, and staggering, he returned to Kumogakure with grave news.
"Lord Tutai!? What happened to you?!"
"Where is Raikage-sama?"
Dodai coughed harshly, his voice hollow. "The Five Kage Summit was a trap... Uchiha Byakuya attacked. Raikage-sama and his guard platoon were all annihilated."
He unsealed a scroll, revealing the broken body of the Fourth Raikage, A.
"What!?"
"Raikage-sama…!"
"Damn that Uchiha Byakuya!"
Cries of rage swept across the Cloud Village. Not long ago, their revered Third Raikage had fallen during a confrontation with Byakuya. Now, the Fourth had met the same fate. The grief was immeasurable; the shame, unbearable.
"We must avenge the Raikage!"
"No! This isn't the time for vengeance," Dodai barked. "You saw what happened to A-sama. We are not strong enough. If we throw ourselves at Byakuya now, we'll be annihilated."
Tutai stepped forward. "First, we must stabilize the village. Kumogakure needs a new Raikage."
Though reluctant, some of the cooler-headed jonin nodded grimly. Revenge would come—after they gathered strength.
In the Land of Grass
The fallout reached Konoha's exiled leadership quickly.
"What!? Hiruzen is dead!?" Utatane Koharu gasped, nearly dropping her tea.
Shimura Danzō's one visible eye narrowed. "Explain."
A battered ninja from the Sarutobi clan knelt before them, barely breathing.
"Byakuya... ambushed the Five Kage Summit. Mifune... the Raikage... Hiruzen-sama… they're all dead."
"I was on guard... I escaped underground with Earth Release... I couldn't stop it."
Koharu clutched her robes tightly. "That monster… That Uchiha freak!"
Mitokado Homura stood, trembling. "We're finished... What do we do without Hiruzen?"
Danzo's voice cut through the fear. "What we must. We will avenge Hiruzen. And we will retake Konoha."
"From now on, I will rule the Grass Country…"
"I have found a way to defeat Byakuya…"
At this time, Shimura Danzo stood up and declared his ambitions openly.
For years, Danzo had coveted the seat of Hokage, but he had always been held back by Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose moderate leadership and powerful influence kept him in check.
But now, Hiruzen was dead.
The position of Hokage was finally within reach.
However, before seizing Konoha itself, Danzo needed leverage—both political and military. And so he set his eyes on the weakest and most overlooked of the small nations: the Land of Grass.
"Really, Danzo? Can you truly take back Konoha?"
Utane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, the two remaining members of the Konoha Council, asked warily. Though they had their doubts, they also understood that desperate times required desperate actions.
"Of course," Danzo replied with cold certainty.
"I've nearly completed the Impure World Reincarnation Technique… Once perfected, I can summon the strongest dead shinobi to fight for me. Konoha will fall into my hands, and Byakuya—he will not be able to resist."
Danzo had spent months studying the forbidden Edo Tensei, piecing together the lost elements of Tobirama Senju's technique. The more he delved into its secrets, the more convinced he became of its unmatched potential.
Koharu and Homura exchanged tense looks.
They had never trusted Danzo's methods—but with no Hokage, and with the Uchiha Byakuya rising to power, they chose pragmatism over principle.
"If that's the case… Danzo, we'll leave the Grass Country to you. Lead us—take back Konoha."
With control over the Land of Grass granted to him, Danzo immediately set his plan into motion. But for Edo Tensei to work, he required human sacrifices—many of them.
At first, Danzo used prisoners and missing-nin from the Grass Country to fuel his experiments. But as his ambitions expanded and his failure rate remained high, he needed more "subjects."
And so, he turned to the Sarutobi clan—a once-prominent Konoha clan that had retreated into hiding after Hiruzen's fall.
Under the cover of secrecy, Danzo mobilized the Root organization. No longer restrained by Hiruzen's authority, he gave a chilling order.
"Begin the purging of the Sarutobi holdouts. Their lives will serve Konoha's rebirth."
Root agents descended upon the Sarutobi compound in Kusagakure.
"What are you doing?! We're Sarutobi—loyal Konoha shinobi!"
"You can't just—"
"Silence," a Root agent replied emotionlessly, binding their wrists.
"You will be of greater use in death than in hiding."
As they were dragged away, many Sarutobi struggled in vain.
Danzo stood atop the balcony of the fortress they had overtaken, hands clasped behind his back.
"This is all for the greater good… For Konoha's future… For my rightful place."
He turned and gave the final command.
"Take them to the experimentation chambers. Prepare for the next summoning."
And thus, the foundation of Danzo's undead army began to rise—from betrayal, from sacrifice, and from the ashes of a shattered legacy.
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