Chapter 192: The Uninvited Guests of Root
While Ren's battle with the main Konoha force created a cataclysm on the surface, a more covert operation was unfolding in the village's shadows. Led by Karin's sensory prowess, Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Jugo moved like ghosts through the ruined streets, their target hidden deep beneath the earth.
A blinding flash from the village center, followed by a ground-shaking explosion, made them pause. Suigetsu grinned, a feral expression on his face. "Whoa! The boss isn't holding back at all! Sounds like he's turning this place into a copy of Kumogakure!"
Sasuke's gaze remained cold and focused. "Hn. Focus on our mission. Karin, have you located Danzō?"
Karin, her eyes closed in deep concentration, frowned impatiently. "Stop rushing me! Can't you see I'm working? Don't distract me!"
Sasuke fell silent, his Sharingan passively scanning their surroundings. After a tense moment, Karin's eyes snapped open.
"Found him!" she announced, adjusting her glasses. "The chakra signature is weak, hidden, but unmistakable. It's deep underground, due north of the former Hokage Tower's location."
"Then let's go," Sasuke said, his voice devoid of emotion.
The four of them vanished into the labyrinth of debris, heading toward the secret heart of Konoha's darkness: the headquarters of the Root organization.
***
Deep beneath the village, in a bunker shielded from the chaos above, a different kind of tension filled the air. The Root organization, Konoha's "foundation" in the shadows, was assembled. Dozens of elite shinobi, their lowest rank equivalent to a seasoned Chūnin, stood at attention. Their faces were masked, their emotions suppressed, their loyalty belonging to one man alone.
At the head of the chamber, seated on a raised dais, was Shimura Danzō. He received the reports of the surface devastation not with alarm, but with cold calculation. He had mobilized his forces, not to defend the village, but to wait. For him, Uchiha Ren's attack was not a disaster; it was an opportunity. An opportunity to let the "dove faction" led by Tsunade be broken by the storm, allowing him, the "hawk," to swoop in and claim power once the conflict had weakened both sides. The civilian and shinobi casualties were, in his eyes, a necessary sacrifice for a stronger, more pragmatic Konoha under his rule.
"Danzō-sama," a voice broke the silence. It was a newer recruit, not yet fully indoctrinated into Root's fanatical culture. "The village is under attack! Why are we not mobilizing to support?"
The moment the question left his lips, a dozen palpable killing intents locked onto him from the surrounding Root agents. The air grew frigid. The rookie shinobi froze, realizing he had transgressed an unspoken law.
Danzo slowly opened his single visible eye, fixing a placid but intimidating gaze on the young man. "Enough," he said, his voice a low rasp. The killing intent dissipated instantly. "Patience. We await the optimal moment. To act now would be... premature."
The rookie, drenched in a cold sweat, could only stammer, "I-I see... My apologies!"
"Your concern for the village is noted," Danzō replied dismissively, closing his eye once more. "But do not question orders again."
He was about to return to his strategizing when his eye snapped open wide. A fraction of a second later, a massive BOOM echoed from the entrance of the complex, followed by the sound of crumbling rock and the steady, unhurried crunch of footsteps approaching down the main corridor.
Every Root agent shifted instantly into a combat stance, weapons drawn, forming a protective wall in front of their leader.
The footsteps grew louder. Then, three figures emerged from the dusty gloom of the corridor into the lit chamber.
One was a white-haired youth with sharp teeth, hefting a massive executioner's blade over his shoulder, a malicious grin on his face. Another was a hulking, quiet man with orange hair and a calm, almost simple demeanor. But it was the third figure who commanded all attention.
He stood between them, a long katana at his hip, his expression one of absolute, icy contempt. His eyes—those famous, cursed eyes—glowed with a malevolent crimson light, the three tomoe of the Sharingan spinning slowly. He ignored the dozens of elite shinobi pointing weapons at him. His gaze was locked solely on the man sitting on the throne.
Sasuke Uchiha's voice cut through the tense silence, cold and sharp as his blade.
"Finally found you, Danzō."
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