Early Morning, Konoha, Kakashi's Shadow Clone POV
The sky was just beginning to lighten over Konoha, the horizon painted in soft orange and grey hues. And birds hadn't even begun chirping yet.
But something stirred in the trees east of the village.
Kakashi's shadow clone, stationed discreetly atop a small rooftop near the Hokage's tower, suddenly flinched as pulses of chakra feedback surged into him. Tiny bursts, snakelike, cold, and rhythmic.
The snakes he had hidden as sentries gave their silent message.
"Target confirmed. Danzo and two subordinates have left the village."
The shadow clone's eyes narrowed.
No time to waste.
In a blur of motion, he vanished and reappeared seconds later inside Tsunade's office.
She was already awake, dressed in full Hokage regalia, standing beside the window with her arms crossed.
She turned before he even spoke.
"They left?" Tsunade asked, her tone clipped.
Kakashi's clone nodded once. "Danzo. Fū. Torune. They're heading toward the decoy location. We're clear to move."
"Good. The others are ready. They've been notified."Tsunade exhaled and stepped toward the large map laid out on her desk.
Behind her, the doors opened again, and elite ninjas from across the village began to file in. ANBU, Hyūga, Aburame, Inuzuka, and even a few Nara shinobi silently took their places.
Each one of them had been handpicked. Each one trusted.
And none of them knew Kakashi was behind the deaths of Homura and Koharu. Tsunade had kept that part secret to protect him.
She had only shown them the evidence, mountains of it. Proof of corruption, embezzlement, and in Danzo's case… dark experimentation.
Now, justice would begin.
Tsunade gave the nod.
"Let's move."
Root Base, about 10 Minutes Later
The forest leading to the Root base was deathly quiet. The group of Konoha's finest moved like ghosts. Dozens of ANBU, clan heads, and specialized trackers swept forward, surrounding the hidden underground lair.
A few masked Root operatives spotted them and jumped down, kunai drawn.
"You are trespassing, !" one of them shouted.
But the chakra in the air suddenly boomed as Tsunade flared her strength.
Her voice thundered over them. "This is a direct order from the Fifth Hokage. Lay down your arms. Interfere, and you will be treated as traitors."
The Root ninjas hesitated.
And that was all the time Tsunade needed.
"Now!"
ANBU from the Sealing Division slammed their palms to the ground. Chakra patterns erupted outward in wide circles, webs of light glowing as they formed a powerful containment barrier, inside and out.
No one was allowed in, nor anyone out.
Kakashi's shadow clone stood beside the edge of the barrier, maintaining the outer layer with his own chakra.
He turned toward a fleeing Root Ninja and caught him mid-leap, slamming him against the wall.
"You," he said calmly, holding him by the collar. "Take me to Danzo's office. Now."
"I… can't. The seal-" The Root Ninja gritted his teeth.
He stopped speaking, his throat twitching in pain. The black tongue-seal glowed faintly under his jaw.
Classic Danzo.
"I thought so. Let's remove that." The clone narrowed his eyes, then raised a glowing hand.
With a series of swift hand signs, the clone activated a special glyph. His fingers glowed with a pale blue seal shaped like a rotating spiral, then pressed it to the man's neck.
Formula Reconstruction Technique: Seal destroying.
The black tattoo on the ninja's tongue fizzled, cracked… then shattered into smoke.
The man gasped in shock, trembling.
"You can talk now," the clone said, as he released him.
"Follow me. His office is hidden below his main chamber." Shaken, the Root ninja gave a stiff nod and began to walk, glancing over his shoulder.
As they moved, Tsunade barked out further orders to the ANBU and clan heads.
"Fan out! Search every room. Every floor. I want all medical labs, detention chambers, and storage units documented. Nothing leaves this place, not even a scrap of paper."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" came the calls.
Danzo's Office, Secret Chamber
The shadow clone reached the main office and stepped behind Danzo's high-backed chair.
The room was barren, spartan. No windows, no warmth. But with his experience, the clone already knew where to look.
He ran his fingers along the edge of the desk, finding the embedded seal underneath.
A small click sounded, and the chair sank down slowly, revealing a spiral staircase that led underground.
The clone descended quickly.
The chamber below was dim and cold. Its walls were stone, and the only light came from low-burning lamps. Rows of scrolls lined the shelves, each marked in Danzo's handwriting.
Glass containers lined the back wall, some glowing faintly green. Inside were floating eyeballs, Sharingans, each one spinning slowly, preserved in nutrient fluid.
The clone frowned.
He stepped toward them, pulling out a special scroll from his vest. This one had been modified by the real Kakashi beforehand. Its surface shimmered with layered storage seals, each one reinforced to hold massive amounts of material.
One by one, the clone placed his palms against the scroll and absorbed every piece of evidence, scrolls, samples, notes, and even the containers. The clone was methodical. Nothing was left behind.
He looked over his shoulder once before sealing the final jar.
It was disturbing to realize just how many eyes Danzo had stolen from the dead Uchiha.
After finishing, he turned and ascended the stairs again.
Main Root Hall, Moments Later
When he returned to the upper level, the mood had shifted.
Tsunade stood frozen, fists clenched. Her face was pale, eyes wide with unspoken rage.
Behind her, two ANBU members held open a large steel door leading to one of the lower chambers.
"Tsunade." Shadow Clone Kakashi approached.
She didn't look at him right away.
When she finally did, her voice was low and trembling with fury.
"They were here," she whispered. "Their bodies…"
"Whose?" the clone asked carefully.
"Hashirama and Tobirama. My grandfather and grand-uncle. Their preserved corpses. Stored in stasis."
"I… see," he said softly.
Tsunade's eyes burned. "He used their DNA. That's how he had the power of the First Hokage's cells. That's how he was preserving himself in a good way, desecrating their bodies."
The clone reached into his pouch and pulled out the scroll he had just filled.
He held it out to her with both hands.
"Everything Danzo had. Notes, eyes, forbidden seals. Give this to my main body. He'll go through it all carefully."
Tsunade took it with slow, reverent fingers.
"Thank you," she said.
"Um." The clone nodded.
"Take care of the rest. The main body will finish things."
And with that, the shadow clone gave a single hand sign and vanished in a cloud of smoke.