Kakashi, Sakura, ANBU Yuugao, and another masked ANBU arrived quickly at Naruto's side.
The attack had been too sudden. The violent burst of Naruto's Rasengan-storm technique had forced everyone to retreat and regroup.
Kakashi's single eye fixed on him, serious.
"...Naruto. Where is Shimura Danzo?"
Everyone else carried the same burning question. Had Danzo been killed? Or had Naruto let him escape?
Naruto's voice was calm, though there was a sharp edge beneath it.
"Shimura Danzo ran. The old man used the Mangekyō Sharingan to save himself. His jutsu pulled him back from death... by the time he revived, he was already ten miles away."
The moment Naruto spoke, the others understood. Danzo's escape was no small matter. The man had ruled Root for years, hidden in the shadows of Konoha's leadership. His knowledge of the village's secrets ran deeper than anyone could measure. If a man like that fled...
The thought chilled them.
At that moment, Tsunade herself arrived, leading a squad of Konoha shinobi.
Kakashi, Sakura, and the ANBU gave a swift report. Tsunade listened, her face darkening as the truth sank in.
She had not been prepared for this. At first, she had only learned of Danzo's attempt to abduct the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki. Then came the ANBU reports of Danzo's corruption and crimes.
If she had been ready from the start—if she had planned to bring Danzo down—she might have moved more carefully. Instead, she was caught completely off guard.
An emergency had erupted inside another emergency.
If Danzo had been captured, it could have been smoothed over, the crisis contained. But now that he had escaped, the entire affair threatened to explode into something far more serious.
Tsunade gave her order without hesitation.
"All personnel, return immediately. We convene at the Hokage Tower for a full council meeting."
Naruto said nothing, but inside, he smirked. Konoha would feel the impact of this scandal. The ripples would spread far and wide. But for him, this chaos was irrelevant. His own goal had been met. What mattered now was the war that lay ahead, not the old guard's politics.
In Takigakure, within the elder's chambers, a guard leaned in and whispered the fresh news.
The elder chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Unbelievable. A scandal of this size in Konoha? They can't even capture one of their own advisors? And now that Danzo has escaped... hah, Konoha will try to push all blame onto us and our Seven-Tails' jinchūriki."
Another guard asked nervously, "Elder, should we pursue Danzo ourselves? Perhaps rescue Fū?"
"Fool," the elder snapped. "This is Konoha's mess. Let them choke on it. Our job is to use this to pressure them further. The moment we move against Danzo ourselves, we shoulder the burden. Better to let Konoha bleed."
The chamber fell silent, everyone nodding grimly.
Two hours later, the Hokage's council room was filled. Every major figure of Konoha not away on a mission had been summoned.
Tsunade had already dispatched three ANBU teams to chase Danzo, though she knew the odds were slim. He was too experienced, too slippery. Still, she could not appear negligent.
Two members of the old guard sat uneasily in the corner. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado shifted in their seats, restless. They knew their names would be tied to Danzo's. His crimes would not leave them untouched.
Shizune stood at Tsunade's side.
Tsunade's voice rang out once the murmurs had died.
"You've all heard the rumors. Now hear the truth. One of Konoha's elders, Danzo Shimura, has defected. He stands guilty of crimes that violate our laws and betray the Will of Fire itself. The details, Shizune will present."
Shizune unrolled the prepared scrolls and read aloud. One by one, Danzo's deeds spilled into the air like poison. The more the council heard, the more shock and outrage spread across their faces.
Kidnapping. Human experimentation. The use of forbidden jutsu. Manipulating missions. Sacrilege against the First Hokage's remains. The sheer scope of his betrayal dwarfed even Orochimaru's.
The chamber erupted in furious voices.
Hinata Hiashi rose sharply.
"Tsunade-sama, this cannot be buried! The entire shinobi world must be informed. Danzo Shimura must be declared a missing-nin of the highest order. Only then can we preserve Konoha's honor."
Naruto's eyes slid sideways toward Hiashi. The Hyūga clan head's outrage... he knew it stemmed from personal wounds inflicted by Danzo's schemes.
"I support Hiashi-sama," Yamanaka Inoichi said firmly.
Others began voicing agreement, the room swelling with angry voices.
Tsunade slammed a palm down, silencing the chamber.
"Enough. You are correct. A worldwide notice will be sent. Danzo Shimura is hereby declared an S-rank missing-nin. Furthermore—another announcement. The two elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, are hereby stripped of all authority and removed from their posts."
No one spoke against her. Not one.
For years, those elders had clung to their power. Now, with Danzo gone, their time was over.
Koharu and Homura remained seated, stiff and pale. They knew resistance was useless. Their downfall had come, dragged down by Danzo's folly.
Within hours, the news left Konoha and spread across the shinobi world like wildfire.
A bounty was declared: ten million ryō for reliable information, two hundred million for Danzo's capture.
The figure was staggering. But Tsunade knew it was necessary. Danzo's crimes went beyond politics—they touched the very soul of the village.
Far away, in the shadows of Akatsuki, the news traveled just as quickly.
Uchiha Itachi listened silently as the report was given. His expression remained unreadable, but his eyes grew cold. Danzo... the man who had stolen Shisui's eye, who had driven his brother to death.
If his body had not already been failing, Itachi might have acted then and there. But his time was running short. His strength was slipping away, and his plans for Sasuke were not yet complete.
He gazed up at the cloudy sky. Silent.
In the Land of Rice Fields, within one of Orochimaru's hidden bases, a scream tore through a chamber.
Orochimaru writhed on a bed, clutching his chest.
"Damn this body... has it reached its limit already!?"
Kabuto entered quietly, setting down fresh medicine.
"Orochimaru-sama... your condition worsens. You must endure just a little longer."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
"Sasuke... how is Sasuke?"
Kabuto bowed his head. "The preparations are complete. Three days from now, the ritual can begin. Until then, please conserve your strength."
A smile twisted across Orochimaru's pale face.
"Yes... three more days. Then Sasuke-kun's body will be mine."
But outside, Sasuke himself was already aware.
Sitting alone in his chamber, eyes closed in meditation, he suddenly opened them.
"Orochimaru... you mean to take me soon. Then I'll strike first."
He rose, fastening the Kusanagi blade at his hip.
He walked straight to Orochimaru's chamber. The door creaked open—then a flash of lightning.
"Chidori Sharp Spear!"
The crackling lance pierced through Orochimaru's arm.
Sasuke stepped forward, gaze like ice.
"Orochimaru... you're already rotting. I'll end you myself."
The battle erupted.
Even weakened, Orochimaru was a monster. His body twisted, stretched, and transformed into a colossal white serpent.
But Sasuke's power had already surpassed him. Curse Mark flaring, Sharingan blazing, he cut the serpent apart piece by piece until only fragments remained.
Yet the fragments bled into smoke. Orochimaru's will dragged Sasuke into a dark, formless space.
Inside the void, Orochimaru loomed.
"This is my realm. Here, your body becomes mine."
Sasuke's Sharingan spun furiously. He fought back with pure will and power, refusing to bend. The struggle consumed the void itself.
Outside, Kabuto returned with medicine, only to find Orochimaru's chamber destroyed.
From the shadows, a single figure emerged.
Kabuto froze.
"Are you... Sasuke? Or Orochimaru-sama?"
Sasuke's eyes gleamed crimson. His tone was flat, merciless.
"What do you think?"
He walked past Kabuto without another word.
Kabuto stood frozen. Then whispered to himself, "...So. Orochimaru-sama has fallen."
Days later, word reached Konoha. Uchiha Sasuke had killed Orochimaru.
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade tapped her finger against the desk, scowling.
Naruto and Sakura entered together. She didn't need to ask why.
Before Sakura could even open her mouth, Tsunade cut her off.
"Enough. I know. I'll authorize it. You have half a month. Search for Sasuke. If you fail, you return. No excuses. This will be classified as an A-rank mission."
Both of them nodded.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
Kakashi was away, and Sai was under investigation. It would be only Naruto and Sakura.
For Sakura, it was about saving Sasuke.
For Naruto, his reason was different.
He remembered what was supposed to happen next. Uchiha Itachi would seek him out. And in that meeting, Itachi would entrust him with Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan—the left eye, holding the ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami.
A jutsu that could alter a person's will without them ever knowing.
Naruto's heart stirred. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
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