Time passed.
Two weeks had gone by since the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
And yet, life in Konoha Village carried on as usual.
For the average villager, the Uchiha Clan's demise meant nothing more than the disappearance of a bunch of people they didn't like, and the appearance of a juicy new gossip topic.
After all, the Uchiha weren't well-loved in Konoha.
They were arrogant. Cold. Distant.
And let's not forget Konoha's long-standing unspoken motto:
> "As long as you're insulting the Uchiha,
we're all siblings—no matter the parents."
But not everyone emerged unscathed…
Like the Root Division, which suffered devastating losses the night the Uchiha fell.
---
> "Gone...
They're all gone.
Everything I built…"
Danzo Shimura had been in a daze ever since that night.
He had lost over a hundred elite Root agents.
It had taken decades—half his life—to build that force.
These weren't just cannon fodder.
Each Root operative had been meticulously trained, molded with care.
Handpicked, refined, and shaped into deadly tools.
Many were still growing.
Some were masters of reconnaissance, medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, and more.
Each one was a living weapon.
Some could have led small shinobi villages on their own.
Together, they were an elite strike force.
Strong enough to overwhelm even a mid-sized ninja village.
And now?
Gone.
Just like that.
Danzo felt like his heart was bleeding.
No—fountains of blood.
And to make matters worse?
He didn't even know how they died.
---
Danzo had bet everything on this operation.
He had even struck another secret deal with the masked man (Obito) to ensure the Uchiha's extermination.
He thought he'd win big.
Instead, he lost everything.
Back to square one.
And this time, the climb back up would be steep.
But his streak of misfortune wasn't over yet.
---
> "Danzo, I want an explanation."
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, threw a document on Danzo's desk.
> "You disobeyed my direct orders.
You deployed over a hundred Root operatives to ambush the Uchiha Clan.
What were you planning?"
Danzo, still bitter and frustrated, snapped back without thinking:
> "I, Danzo Shimura, need not explain myself to anyone."
Classic Danzo.
---
Sarutobi's eyes narrowed.
He wasn't in the mood for games.
> "Then where are the rest of the Uchiha?"
He meant the hundred-plus Uchiha who had vanished during the massacre.
Konoha had detailed records on the entire Uchiha clan—
Who was strong, who had awakened their Sharingan, their personalities, even… let's say… "special habits."
Every member was accounted for.
So where did the missing ones go?
Sarutobi was certain:
> "Root must've killed them.
And Danzo is hiding the bodies."
After all, Danzo had done this kind of thing before.
Secret experiments. Illegal corpses. Shady deals.
It wouldn't be out of character for him to snatch some bodies for research.
> "I don't know anything!"
Danzo slammed the desk. His frustration boiling over.
And, for once, he was telling the truth.
His Root operatives had been mysteriously slaughtered that night.
He still didn't know how, or even by whom.
Obito? Itachi? Some other force?
Danzo had no idea.
---
But Sarutobi didn't believe him.
> "Don't lie to me, Danzo!"
In his eyes, this was just another one of Danzo's schemes.
Even the missing bodies of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha were blamed on him.
Sasuke, now awake, had confirmed seeing Itachi kill their parents.
The Yamanaka Clan had even validated his memories.
There was no genjutsu, no mental tampering.
So why were Fugaku and Mikoto's bodies missing?
Clearly—Danzo took them.
Who else had the resources? The secrecy?
Who else but Danzo Shimura?
---
> "I said I don't know!"
Danzo roared.
He was furious.
This whole situation was insulting.
Who was Danzo?
Fire Shadow's Advisor.
Senior Elder of the Konoha Council.
Head of Root.
Right-hand of Konoha's power structure.
And now he was being treated like a criminal?
> Screw Sarutobi!
---
> "Danzo," Sarutobi said coldly.
"I can no longer tolerate your lawless behavior."
> "From this moment forward, I hereby strip you of your titles—
As Hokage Advisor and Elder of the Council."
Danzo froze.
This was a death sentence.
Root had just been destroyed.
And now, his political power was gone too?
He had nothing left.
No army.
No influence.
> "How can I become the Fifth Hokage now?!"
But Sarutobi wasn't done.
> "Root will be disbanded immediately."
> "You can't do this!"
Danzo's voice cracked. His hands trembled with rage.
Root had been his greatest weapon.
The source of his power. His legacy.
Without it, he was nothing.
> "You can't just throw me aside like this!
I got rid of the Uchiha for you!
And now you turn around and—"
Sarutobi ignored him.
> "You'll receive your official punishment soon."
"Until then, you'll be detained in isolation."
> "Sarutobi!!!"
Danzo roared in rage, his face twisted in fury.
> "You'll regret this!"
He shouted one final time—
A line he had probably used a thousand times over the years.
PS: Access advance (50+) chapters at
https://www.patreon.com/c/NanamiTL