"You're telling me someone's Genjutsu is powerful enough to control a Konoha jōnin and two tokubetsu jōnin?"
Danzo's voice was sharp as a blade as he questioned the ANBU before him.
"He can remotely manipulate your own men into killing each other? And you couldn't even get close?"
Yako nodded solemnly.
"Yes, Lord Danzo. His strength is overwhelming—extremely difficult to handle. White Ram Squad Leader is from the Hyuga clan. Once we lost his scouting ability, we were blind. I had no choice but to retreat and request backup. My squad leader, Purple Cat, was also severely wounded by that strange attack."
A Root operative standing beside Danzo leapt down from the tree to check on Purple Cat.
Fortune was on their side: the operative was from the Yamanaka clan.
Danzo had always favored the Yamanaka for their mind control and manipulation—tools perfectly suited to his methods.
After a brief examination and emergency treatment, the operative sprang back up to the branches and whispered in Danzo's ear.
Danzo nodded several times. The pieces fit. He had identified the culprit.
"So it's him... I should've guessed. He dared to strike down ANBU… Anyone who slaughters comrades of Konoha must be executed."
With so many subordinates around, Danzo didn't name names. But in his mind, he was certain:
Kato Dan.
After a brief pause to consider his next move, Danzo issued his order.
"Fox, your intel is valuable. You'll lead the way. Take me to the location you mentioned—quickly. If it really is him, numbers will only be a disadvantage. Send your unit ahead to the frontlines in the Land of Grass. Only you come with me."
"Understood, Lord Danzo."
Yako gave the order for his squad to evacuate, carrying the unconscious Purple Cat, and then turned to lead the way.
'What do I do now? I'm just a lowly ANBU squad leader. How should I know who the real enemy is?'
'I don't even know where Kato Dan is. I just happened to stumble upon Uchiha Madara's hideout by mistake. Not my fault, right?'
If Madara dies—game over for the Shinobi world.
If Danzo dies—game over for Konoha.
Yako's pace quickened.
People always smiled when they were up to no good. Thank goodness for masks. No one could see the grin he was struggling to suppress.
With Danzo in tow, Yako led them straight toward Madara's underground lair.
I wonder if Madara's finished transplanting the Rinnegan into Nagato yet...
Chaos. Yes—let everything spiral into chaos.
Danzo had fully convinced himself that the enemy was Kato Dan. He had no idea Yako was leading him straight to the man who had controlled three Leaf shinobi with Genjutsu: Uchiha Madara.
Just thinking about it made Yako shiver with excitement.
Yako led the front, two Root operatives flanked him, and Danzo followed at the rear.
Before long, they reached the foot of the hill where Madara was hiding.
The boulders on the slope were still in place—meaning the entrance had likely been resealed after the three Konoha shinobi entered.
Danzo, confident in his Mangekyō Sharingan, stood tall at the base of the hill, exuding an air of complete control.
In a past life, money was a man's courage. In this world, power was a shinobi's.
Danzo turned to Yako. "Fox, go in first. Scout out how many guards he has with him."
Yako was reluctant—deeply reluctant.
He had just used up this month's resurrection count. Die now, and he'd die for real.
But to pit the tiger against the wolf, sacrifices had to be made.
He steeled himself and advanced.
With a swirl of chakra, Yako created a Clone, weaving through the trees with a dance of mirrored movements.
One real body, one clone—they zigzagged, then split to flank the boulder from either side.
No resistance.
'Thank the heavens,' Yako thought. 'Maybe Madara's in the middle of transplanting the Rinnegan and doesn't have time to mess with me?'
'Talk about lucky.'
He pulled out an explosive tag and affixed it beneath the rock. Still no response.
BOOM!
The boulder shattered, revealing a yawning black cave.
Yako jumped back to a safe distance, watching the cave like a hawk.
Close enough to show effort—not close enough to get killed.
From the darkness, a shadow lunged out!
Yako suppressed his instinct to flee and looked.
A Konoha jōnin, his eyes blank with Genjutsu.
Behind him came two tokubetsu jōnin, equally glassy-eyed.
The three were unmistakably under control.
Danzo scanned them. The intel matched.
Still... it didn't feel like Kato Dan's usual Spirit Transformation Technique.
Had he become stronger?
Yako lunged forward and intercepted the weakest-looking tokubetsu jōnin, as if trying to protect Danzo with his life.
The two Root operatives charged up the slope and engaged the other two.
"Snap out of it! Break the Genjutsu!"
The Yamanaka among them seized the chance to channel chakra into the jōnin's system, hoping to disrupt the flow and release the illusion.
It failed.
That's one hell of a Genjutsu…
Yako had no intention of truly fighting. He faked losing ground, retreating slowly, eyes never leaving the cave entrance.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow. Deliberate.
They rose above the sound of rain and carved themselves into every ear.
An old man emerged from the darkness, scythe in hand.
Uchiha Madara.
A flash of lightning tore across the night sky, illuminating the creased lines on his face.
And his eye—
Not the Rinnegan.
A single three-tomoe Sharingan.
He had already transplanted the Rinnegan into Nagato. What came next was shaping Nagato's destiny—pushing him further and further into extremism.
Madara stood at the cave's mouth, gazing down the slope.
"Shimura Danzo… You've grown. To think you could track me down to a place this well-hidden."
Yako sneered inwardly. You wish. This hideout was something I stumbled on in my last life while tagging along with Nagato. Danzo just got lucky.
Danzo didn't recognize him at first.
But on second glance—his eyes widened in horror.
"Uchiha… Madara! You're still alive?!"
Perfect. They recognized each other.
Did Danzo ever meet a living Madara in canon? Doesn't matter. Here he is now.
Danzo had come expecting Kato Dan.
Instead, he'd walked straight into the lair of Uchiha Madara—former clan head, founding pillar of Konoha, and rival of the First Hokage.
A man on par with Senju Hashirama himself.
Danzo immediately tore off his bandaged eyepatch, revealing the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Madara scoffed.
"You filthy little thief. So you've got yourself a Mangekyō Sharingan."
He narrowed his eyes.
"That pattern… It belonged to Uchiha Kagami, didn't it? Foolish Kagami. He trusted Konoha—and died for it. Now his eye is just another of the Leaf's war trophies."
"Every Uchiha who's ever believed in the village met a terrible end."
"I warned Hashirama about you long ago—said your mind was twisted, your methods rotten. You should've been eliminated."
"You're lucky. Lucky you wore a Konoha forehead protector. Lucky you lived past my exile. Lucky you survived Hashirama's death."
Madara's taunts were as sharp as ever.
Danzo's face darkened with rage.
The tokubetsu jōnin before Yako collapsed. Madara had released the Genjutsu. Yako quietly retreated to the foot of the slope.
This was no time to get caught between titans.
Danzo slowly drew a kunai, then exhaled a thin stream of Wind Release onto it.
The kunai shimmered with a Vacuum Blade—sharper than any sword.
"Uchiha Madara… You're old. I wonder how much of your prime remains."
Madara tilted his head, amused.
"My prime?"
"You think you've seen me at my best?"
"I had the Mangekyō then—but I still couldn't match Hashirama's Wood Release."
"Now, it's your turn to face what I once did."
"Let me show you Hashirama in his prime."
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!