"Minato-sensei, this is the situation."
Kakashi, who had just returned from Tobi's Kamui space, stood in the Hokage's office and finished his report.
"So, you killed Danzō?"
Minato frowned slightly at the news.
It wasn't Danzō's death that bothered him—it was the political storm it would cause. As an old comrade of the Third Hokage, Danzō's sudden fall would shake the village.
"Since Danzō is dead, we need enough evidence to make the case ironclad—so strong even a resurrected Senju Tobirama couldn't defend him."
"Only then can we withstand the Elders' questioning. Kakashi, lead the Anbu to secure the Root base immediately and protect the scene. No one destroys anything."
Minato's tone left no room for debate.
Things had gone too far to turn back. If the Third wanted to shield Danzō's memory, Minato would stand in the way.
And for the students who had acted directly—well, what kind of teacher wouldn't shield them from the storm?
"Yes!"
Kakashi bowed, leaving a shadow clone with Minato while his real body led the Anbu toward Root headquarters.
Minato understood immediately—Kakashi's firsthand account would carry more weight than the testimony of two "victimized" Uchiha.
"Without further delay—Kakashi, Obito, Shisui, come with me!"
"Yes!"
...
In another corner of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat sipping tea in his courtyard.
An Anbu directly under him appeared and whispered urgently.
Snap!
The pipe slipped from Hiruzen's hand, clattering to the ground.
Minato had posted a notice declaring Danzō a traitor-nin? Accusing him of leading the Root in rebellion? And now Kakashi was raiding the Root base?
"Namikaze Minato… what are you thinking?"
His expression darkened.
"Quick—notify the two Hokage advisors! All Anbu, mobilize and head for Root!"
"Yes!"
...
In the dark labyrinth of the Root base, Kakashi had already taken control of the remaining operatives.
Without the Seal of the Tongue, and knowing Danzō was dead, the Root members offered little resistance to the Fourth Hokage's forces.
In their minds, service to Root was service to Konoha. Without their leader, resisting the Hokage meant betraying the village itself.
One by one, they surrendered and submitted to interrogation by Anbu specialists.
The stories they told made even seasoned interrogators raise their brows.
New recruits had either been indoctrinated or forcibly brainwashed, followed by brutal elimination rounds.
Danzō split trainees into pairs for six months of "hell training"—covering infiltration, resisting interrogation, and, disturbingly, sacrificing teammates to protect intel.
The final test? Combat to the death. Survivors were considered true "roots."
For female survivors, there was an "extra" test—approach Danzō personally, seduce him, grovel, or otherwise amuse him to "graduate."
If she failed to meet his "standards," he would summon the Root jōnin to abuse her in front of him, continuing until he deemed her performance acceptable.
Those who never satisfied him became little more than objects for the others' cruelty—until they died under torture.
"Wow, Danzō… and here I thought you were just Konoha's grumpiest war hawk. Turns out you were auditioning for 'Most Despicable Human Being' all along," Kakashi muttered, his voice dry.
Even knowing the shinobi world's cruelty, he couldn't help but feel disgust.
These weren't enemy ninja—they were their own.
And this was only the visible part of Root's rot: assassinations of fellow Konoha shinobi, wiping out families to erase witnesses, silencing war heroes whose reputations might challenge the ruling clique.
As the search continued, more crimes surfaced. With this much evidence, even the Second Hokage himself wouldn't have been able to save Danzō's name—and knowing Tobirama, he'd probably have been first in line to execute him.
"Captain Kakashi, the Third Hokage is on his way here," reported Uzuki Yugao.
She had joined Kakashi's Anbu squad after her partner, Gekko Hayate, enlisted.
Knew it.
Root was Danzō's lair, stuffed with enough skeletons to fill the Naka River. If Minato got it all, the case against Danzō would be unshakable—so of course Hiruzen would try to interfere.
"Keep the investigation going. I'll personally greet the Third."
Kakashi disappeared in a flash and reappeared at the entrance, blocking the way alone.
"Kakashi, leave Root to me and evacuate your team. From here on, I'll take over," Hiruzen ordered as soon as he arrived.
"Excuse me, Elder Hiruzen," Kakashi replied, deliberately stressing the title. "The Anbu are under direct orders from the Fourth Hokage. No one is allowed in."
The emphasis was clear—you're no longer Hokage.
"Hmph. Even Minato wouldn't dare defy me like this. Do you want me to suggest he replace you with a more… obedient captain?" Hiruzen's voice was calm, but the threat was unmistakable.
Kakashi shrugged. "If you can find someone who'll work this hard for the pay, be my guest. Oh, and don't forget the generous benefits—like no benefits."
It was hard to tell if the smirk under his mask was real or imagined.
To be continued....
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