The Root base was bigger than I thought. Tunnels upon tunnels, like veins under the village, carrying secrets instead of blood.
I didn't move like a thief; I moved like I belonged. And that made all the difference.
Scrolls, files, ledgers—carefully hidden but no match for me. Missions that should never have existed, assassinations carried out in silence, children "recruited" against their will. Proof. Cold, undeniable proof of everything Danzo built his power on.
I gathered them, one after another, sealing them into a scroll of my own. By the time I was done, I had enough to burn him down ten times over.
Danzo sat on his raised seat in the chamber, his cane tapping once against the ground. He didn't speak at first, only watched me as if I were some puzzle to be solved.
"You are bold," he said finally. "Standing here in my domain."
I smiled, slipping the filled scroll into my sleeve. "Bold? No. Just efficient."
He frowned faintly, his one visible eye narrowing. "You think you can threaten me? Root serves the Leaf, not individuals. Not even you."
"Root serves you, Danzo," I corrected softly. "And I know every dirty detail of how. Do you think the elders would still support you if these documents fell into their hands? Or the Hokage? Or better yet—" I leaned forward just enough for my voice to carry like a whisper in a graveyard, "—the clans?"
His jaw tightened, just barely.
"You overestimate the value of your position," he said. "Secrets can be buried. Witnesses can disappear."
"Oh, I agree." I tilted my head, my eyes glinting red in the dark. "That's why I'm not a witness, Danzo. I'm a collector. And if anything ever happens to me—or to Naruto—these scrolls will find their way to the surface. Letters to the Hyūga. Records to the Nara. A sealed package on Hiruzen's desk. You'll lose everything. No Hokage seat. No advisor seat. Just a quiet, pitiful end."
The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.
Danzo's fingers tightened on his cane. For the first time, he looked—not afraid, no, but cornered.
"You would use such leverage against a loyal servant of Konoha?" he asked lowly.
I smirked, sharp and merciless. "You mistake me, Danzo. I am loyal to Konoha. That's why I won't let you ruin it."
For a moment, his eye flickered with something sharp and calculating, but he leaned back, cloak rustling. "Then we are at… an understanding."
"Good." I turned to leave, scroll secured. "And remember—obey me, and you keep your position. Cross me…" I let the pause linger, "…and you'll drown in your own shadows."
My footsteps echoed as I vanished back into the tunnels, leaving him with his silence.
When I returned home, Naruto was still curled up under his blanket, kicking in his sleep as though he was fighting imaginary ramen thieves.
I brushed his hair back and smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Naruto. Auntie's got this."
For the first time in a long while, I felt like the predator—not the prey.