Out of the alley,
The group did not head toward the underground Root base. Instead, they arrived at a small teahouse nestled beneath a willow tree beside the Konoha River.
> "Lord Danzo has been waiting for some time. Please, go in."
The Aburame clansman, Ryoma, stepped aside and gestured toward the entrance.
The teahouse was built in the traditional style — wooden walls, tiled roof, barely ten square meters inside. At the entrance was an intentionally small nijiriguchi, the sliding tea-room doorway barely sixty centimeters square.
> "Is this a dog hole? How am I supposed to fit through that?"
Duan frowned, his large frame clearly not made for crawling.
Itachi, recognizing the potential for offense, quickly interjected before Ryoma could misinterpret.
> "Uncle… in the tea ceremony, all guests kneel and bow to enter through such an opening. It's not meant to insult you. It's a symbol of humility — that regardless of rank or status, everyone steps inside on equal footing.
I believe Lord Danzo chose this setting to express friendship and equality."
Despite his still-muffled voice from his swollen cheeks, Itachi explained with composure. Born into the clan's main house, he had been taught these customs from a young age.
> "Well said," Ryoma acknowledged, his insect-like calm masking any emotion. Then, with a sharper tone toward Duan, "Mr. Duan — Lord Danzo has lowered himself to meet here. If you cannot set aside arrogance, you may turn back."
> "Uncle, let's just go in," Itachi urged quietly, not wanting further tension. He slipped off his sandals and slid inside on his knees, perfectly proper.
However, Duan had other ideas.
He walked straight to the opening, placed a massive hand on the upper frame, and yanked.
Riiip.
The nijiriguchi's frame came loose in one violent motion. Under Ryoma's astonished gaze, Duan set the wooden panel aside with casual disregard.
> "Hole's bigger now," he muttered, before forcing his bulk through without so much as a bow.
Ryoma's brow twitched as he followed him in. Two masked Root shinobi remained at the entrance, standing guard.
---
Inside, the tea room was spartan but deliberate: tatami mats, a low tea table, a small brazier for the kettle, and a flower arrangement in the corner.
Danzo Shimura sat formally at the far end, kimono-clad, back straight, one hand resting on his thigh, the other — his only functional arm — poised for the tea ceremony. His single visible eye was closed in stillness.
Itachi quietly took his place opposite Danzo, kneeling in flawless seiza, posture perfect, expression respectful.
Duan, however, dropped down cross-legged beside his nephew. The full weight of his massive frame shook the floorboards, and even made the tea cups rattle.
Danzo's lone eye opened.
> "Uchiha Duan," he said slowly, voice like gravel, "so we meet at last. As rumor claimed… you are not a man of formality."
> "Thank you, Lord Danzo." Duan's tone was flat. "But you didn't call us here at night just for tea, did you?"
> "Patience, young man," Danzo said, beginning to whisk the tea with the practiced grace of someone who had clearly studied the art.
Moments later, he slid a steaming bowl of deep green matcha toward Duan.
> "Please."
> "I don't like tea," Duan replied bluntly.
> "If you don't drink it, how will you know? Some things… must be experienced before being judged." His words carried more than one meaning.
Duan eyed him, then lifted the bowl and drank in a single gulp—
Pffft!
The raw bitterness exploded on his tongue. He spat instinctively, the green spray splattering across Danzo's face.
---
> "Bold!"
Four Root operatives emerged from hidden compartments in the walls, steel flashing — blades and kunai pressed to Duan's neck in an instant. The tiny tea room suddenly felt like a trap.
> "Stand down." Danzo's voice was calm but firm. The Root ANBU froze, then withdrew as Danzo removed a handkerchief from his sleeve and slowly wiped the tea from his face.
The truth was clear to him: Duan's reaction wasn't ignorance. It was provocation — the sort of childish defiance Danzo believed he could easily manipulate.
> "Apologies," Duan said, his voice sincere enough to sound believable. "Couldn't help it."
> "No matter." Danzo's face was unreadable. If he was offended, he buried it deep. He whisked another serving — this time for Itachi.
> "Itachi… as I've told you before, your path will be filled with turbulence. This tea will calm the mind and steady the heart."
> "Thank you, Lord Danzo."
Itachi bowed low, then lifted the bowl. Danzo had been instrumental in placing him within Anbu — something the elders would never have allowed without his recommendation. He had also tasked Itachi with the delicate mission of monitoring the Uchiha clan from within.
But as the bitterness hit his tongue, his eyes widened. His stomach churned violently. Only minutes earlier, he had downed a full liter of raw chicken-breast juice at Duan's insistence. Now, the tea combined with that foul aftertaste like poison layered on poison.
> "Mmph—"
He clenched his jaw, but a wave of nausea overtook him.
Urghhh—
A torrent of yellow-green liquid spilled onto the tatami, reeking of bile, raw poultry, and bitter matcha.
> "You see? Now all the protein's wasted." Duan thumped his nephew's back with mock severity. "Tonight you'll eat ten boiled egg whites to make up for it."
Danzo's brow tightened at last. The tea ceremony was not just a formality to him; it was a measure of composure. To be so openly disrupted — first by Duan's spit, now by Itachi's vomit — was intolerable.
Yet he inhaled slowly, controlling the flicker of anger in his single eye.
> "Duan," he said evenly, "you understand, don't you? Itachi's appointment to Anbu was due to my personal recommendation."
> "I just found that out," Duan replied with feigned innocence.
Danzo paused, then continued, voice low and deliberate:
> "The Second Hokage created the Police Force to keep the Uchiha out of the village's true power. Since then, Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura have opposed your clan's involvement in Anbu. But I put my name and honor on the line to bring Itachi in. Do you know why?"
> "Why?" Duan leaned forward, playing the fool while keeping his tone politely curious.
---
I kept:
The tea ceremony etiquette explanation from Itachi
Duan's disrespectful breaking of the tea-room door
Danzo's test with the tea and his concealed anger
Itachi's physical reaction to tea + chicken juice for comedic and plot impact
Root's hidden presence
Danzo's political statement about Uchiha in Anbu
I corrected:
Tea ceremony details to match Japanese tradition
Danzo's personality to be more canon-accurate (controlled, strategic)
Root's tactical concealment
Dialogue flow to feel like an authentic Danzo-Itachi-Duan encounter
Aburame Ryoma's mannerisms to match the clan's reserved demeanor