The only time Danzo had ever truly invested his emotions into someone… was with Tenzo.
But it was precisely that one time that Tenzo awakened the so-called Will of Fire at a critical moment, defied Danzo's orders, and even allowed himself to be taken into Sarutobi Hiruzen's direct Anbu unit.
That single betrayal only reinforced Danzo's conviction: the "Root" he led must remain buried deep underground.
No names. No emotions.No past. No need for a future.Only the mission in their hearts, and absolute loyalty to him.
Only such a Root could be considered a good Root.
As for things like alliances or cooperation… in the end, they were nothing but illusions—things laced with inevitable betrayal.
Danzo's goal now was to mold Senju Haruto into a man with single-minded loyalty to him, erasing Haruto's emotions, his past, his future, and that so-called Will of Fire Sarutobi Hiruzen had spent the last five years trying to instill in him.
With that thought, Danzo's resolve hardened. His hand shot up to the bandages wrapped around his right eye. With a sharp rip, he tore them away—unleashing the darkness-hidden eye he had concealed for so long.
A blood-red pupil marked with three tomoe.
The Sharingan.
Haruto's brows furrowed slightly. He hadn't expected Danzo to go straight for his trump card.
The stolen Mangekyō from Shisui… Kotoamatsukami.
A single glance, and it could invade another's mind and rewrite their will.
Even the official records described it as "a genjutsu so powerful that anyone caught within the caster's gaze becomes their puppet."
It was said to be the strongest illusion in the entire Naruto world.
Some even joked that the reason Uchiha Itachi was so loyal to Konoha—loyal enough to slaughter his entire clan—was because he had once been ensnared by Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.
But Danzo was already too late. Haruto had long since acquired immunity to genjutsu.
Tsukuyomi, Kotoamatsukami—it didn't matter. He had no need to fear them.
"Kotoamatsukami!"
With Danzo's roar, his right eye shifted—its three tomoe twisting into the intricate pattern of the Mangekyō.
The strongest illusion was unleashed.
Danzo felt a rush of pride. Not even Sarutobi Hiruzen knew he possessed this Mangekyō. Naturally, he hadn't warned Haruto to be on guard.
In other words, once this eye was revealed, resistance was futile.
Even Danzo himself harbored a degree of fear toward this terrifying power.
And that fool Shisui had wanted to waste such a precious gift just to stop a petty coup? Laughable.
Now certain that Kotoamatsukami was in effect, Danzo raised his hand and, in a lofty tone, issued his command:
"From this moment forward, you will inherit the code name 'A,' serve under me, and assassinate the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen!
When I become the Fifth Hokage, you will be the spearhead of Root—clearing every obstacle in my way!
I shall be Konoha beneath the sunlight… and you will be its roots buried deep underground!"
His voice brimmed with authority as he mapped out this new assassination plot.
The last attempt had failed because of Kakashi's betrayal.
But Haruto's power far surpassed Tenzo's—his chakra reserves alone were more than a hundred times Kakashi's.
Even if Kakashi tried to stop him again, he would only die beneath Haruto's Wood Release.
"Bring me Kakashi's Sharingan," Danzo ordered again, his tone absolute.
This time, nothing would stop him.
Shisui, do you see it now?This… this is the true way to use Kotoamatsukami!
Yet just as Danzo's confidence soared, certain he had no more obstacles ahead, Haruto stood there with his arms crossed, a dark line on his face.
Kotoamatsukami doesn't work on me… what now? Asking for a friend. Urgent.
Forget it.
Haruto shook his head with a helpless smile curling at his lips.
If Danzo had brought Kotoamatsukami to his doorstep, then he had no one to blame but himself.
After all, neither the Third Hokage nor the Konoha leadership knew Danzo had stolen Shisui's eye.
Even if Haruto took it from him here and now, Danzo would have no choice but to swallow the loss in silence.
More importantly… Danzo had started this.
It was him. He was the one who struck first—be it assassination or illusion.
Haruto was merely acting in self-defense.
And everyone knew Danzo's strength rivaled the Third Hokage's. With Root's backing, not even the greatest heroes of the shinobi world could stand against him.
Let alone someone like Haruto… who technically wasn't even a genin.
At that time… he had been terrified.
Besides, Danzo had only acquired this Sharingan after the Uchiha clan's massacre—meaning he didn't yet know Izanagi or other forbidden techniques.
"Danzo, when did you start believing the illusion that you'd actually used Kotoamatsukami on me?" Haruto's smirk turned sharp, almost mocking.
"You… what are you saying?"
Danzo's eyes widened in shock.
Had he not unleashed the Uchiha's ultimate genjutsu?
No… impossible.
Shisui had told him it would take over a decade to use it again, but with Hashirama's cells, he had drastically shortened the cooldown.
He could cast it.
So why… why hadn't it worked?
Haruto should be under his control, his will rewritten, a puppet dancing to his plan!
A chill of foreboding crept into Danzo's chest.
Could it be… that his genjutsu had failed?
"Kotoamatsukami!"
Danzo barked again, forcing his right eye's power into motion.
But Haruto only stood there, smirking with open contempt.
"Kotoamatsukami!""Kotoamatsukami!"
Panic seeped into Danzo's voice as he fired the technique again and again—each attempt met with the same result.
Worse, a stabbing pain shot through his right eye—the backlash of forcing Kotoamatsukami.
"Damn it! How is this possible? I've clearly used it! You should be mine—you should be my puppet to bring my plans to life!"
"Want to know why, Danzo?"
Haruto stepped forward, his presence pressing down like a storm.
It wasn't that Kotoamatsukami hadn't activated—it was that Haruto's little "sign-in" gift had given him full immunity to genjutsu.
Tsukuyomi, Kotoamatsukami—it didn't matter.
None of them could touch him.
Of course, he wasn't about to tell Danzo the truth.
Instead, his voice dropped into a deep, calculated tone—like a master strategist who held every card.
"You only saw the second layer… and you thought I was the first. But in reality…"
Haruto's smirk sharpened into a blade.
"I'm the fifth."
The instant his words fell, an overwhelming surge of chakra exploded from Haruto's body.
The ceiling, the walls, the floor—everything around them cracked and crumbled.