Danzo fled into the Land of Rice Fields, a small nation bordering the Land of Fire. Without a hidden village of its own, it was isolated and ideal for someone trying to disappear.
After days of evading pursuit and finally shaking off Homura Mitokado's forces, Danzo entered a dense forest deep within the country.
Although Hiruzen Sarutobi had publicly agreed to let him go, appearances still had to be maintained. More importantly, not every shinobi involved in the pursuit fully understood the Hokage's intentions.
Having spent days on the run, Danzo was exhausted.
He leaned his back against a massive tree and slowly slid down to the ground. Letting out a long breath, he finally allowed himself a moment of rest. It felt as though he had been completely severed from his former life.
As he looked around at the unfamiliar forest, bitterness welled up inside him.
In his eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi was his lifelong nemesis.
Everything that had happened to him seemed tied to Hiruzen's interference.
"Everything I did was for Konoha's sake."
Danzo's expression darkened.
He firmly believed that if Konoha wished to survive and prosper, it needed to constantly fuel conflict throughout the shinobi world.
Only when the world was engulfed in chaos could Konoha seize opportunities and devour its rivals.
Chaos was not an abyss.
It was a ladder.
The path that would allow Konoha to stand above all others forever.
Hiruzen had been given the chance to climb that ladder, yet he had chosen to become a caretaker instead.
A cold smile gradually spread across Danzo's face.
One day, he would return to Konoha.
And when he did, he would reclaim everything he had lost.
"Heh heh... To think that Danzo, once known as Konoha's Shadow, would end up in such a miserable state. Life truly is unpredictable."
An aged voice suddenly echoed from above.
Danzo's eyes snapped open.
"Who's there?!"
He looked upward and saw a masked figure floating in midair.
Instantly, Danzo became alert.
Beneath the bandages covering his right eye, the Sharingan slowly spun.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
He had managed to escape Konoha's pursuit. There was no way this encounter was a coincidence.
The masked man chuckled.
"I am also a rogue shinobi from Konoha. Like you."
"My name is... Uchiha Madara."
"Heh. Save your tricks. Madara died long ago."
"Indeed. Tobirama personally recovered my corpse and conducted extensive research on it before sealing it away." The masked man's tone was casual. "Surely you searched for my remains in secret. Did you find them?"
Danzo's pupils contracted.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I know Tobirama better than anyone."
The masked man let out a low laugh before continuing.
"Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. I'm here to invite you to join the Akatsuki."
"Akatsuki..."
Danzo fell silent.
Truthfully, he had little interest in joining the organization.
No one knew better than him how Yahiko had died.
Everything had been orchestrated because of the Rinnegan.
He had intended to use Hanzō's hand to destroy the Akatsuki and seize Nagato's eyes.
Instead, the plan had failed completely.
Not only had he failed to obtain the Rinnegan, but his own forces had suffered heavy losses, and Hanzō had died as well.
The reason Danzo had transplanted Hashirama Senju's cells and multiple Sharingan was simple.
He feared retaliation from the Akatsuki.
He had strengthened himself for survival.
The possibility of joining the organization he had once targeted made him deeply uneasy.
As if reading his thoughts, the masked man chuckled softly.
"If you're worried about Nagato, there's no need."
"Hanzō is dead. Apart from me, no one knows the truth behind what happened at Iron Mirror Mountain."
Danzo's expression darkened.
"You seem remarkably well informed."
"Naturally."
The masked man spread his hands.
"After all, I am Madara."
Then his tone grew colder.
"You have two choices."
"First, join the Akatsuki."
"Second, I tell Nagato that you were the mastermind behind the Iron Mirror Mountain incident."
"Believe me. With my intelligence network, Nagato will find you no matter where you hide."
"Are you threatening me?"
"You can call it that."
The masked man tilted his head and laughed.
"Relax. I have plans of my own and need capable people to carry them out. Why would I let Nagato kill you?"
"Besides, Uchiha Fugaku has already joined the organization."
"Don't you want to know what purpose I've gathered all these people for?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes.
His resistance began to weaken.
If Nagato truly knew the truth already, there would be no need for persuasion.
An assassination squad would have arrived instead.
As long as his safety was guaranteed, joining the Akatsuki could actually be beneficial.
He could continue supplying information to Hiruzen.
By maintaining a unique relationship with both sides, he could leverage Konoha while remaining beyond its control.
Most importantly...
The Rinnegan.
He had never truly given up on obtaining it.
Now he possessed Uchiha Kagami's Mangekyō Sharingan.
All he needed was the right opportunity.
After a long silence, Danzo brushed the dirt from his clothes and stood.
"I agree."
"Excellent."
Beneath the mask, Fugaku's lips curled into a faint smile.
"I'll send someone to guide you."
---
"Danzo Shimura has fled to the Land of Rice Fields. Should we establish contact with him?"
A hoarse voice echoed through the darkness.
The speaker was a strange black-and-white humanoid wrapped in large aloe-like leaves. The creature possessed two distinct personalities sharing the same body.
Its appearance was unusual, but its true value lay in its unparalleled reconnaissance abilities.
Its name was Zetsu.
Deep beneath Amegakure, inside a heavily concealed underground chamber protected by layers of barrier ninjutsu, several figures gathered in secret.
The room remained shrouded in darkness.
Their faces were hidden.
Only their voices could be heard.
The plan to capture the tailed beasts was progressing steadily.
"Danzo Shimura," the Deva Path said indifferently. "He possesses Hashirama's cells and multiple Sharingan. The fact that he escaped Konoha's Yellow Flash proves he possesses considerable strength."
"Even someone like him becoming a rogue ninja." Biwa Jūzō laughed. "The world really is changing."
"So what?" Kakuzu sneered. "You were once one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and Pakura was hailed as a hero of Sunagakure. Danzo becoming a rogue ninja isn't surprising at all."
Kakuzu had never held much respect for shinobi from the major villages.
"If you stayed quiet, no one would mistake you for a mute."
A woman's cold voice sounded from nearby.
It was Pakura.
"We currently need additional manpower," the Deva Path said. "Danzo's participation would be useful. Who will guide him here?"
The room fell silent.
After a moment, the Deva Path turned toward the one person who had remained quiet throughout the discussion.
"Fugaku, will you go? He's from Konoha as well."
Fugaku opened his eyes.
"No. Jūzō is already my partner. Send someone who doesn't have one."
"Fugaku, your loyalty moves me."
Jūzō clutched his chest dramatically.
"For a moment, I thought you'd abandon me to form a Konoha duo."
Fugaku ignored him entirely.
"Then..."
"I'll go."
Sasori suddenly interrupted.
"No." Kakuzu immediately objected. "You already have Pakura as your partner. I'll handle it."
"You?" Sasori replied coldly. "How many partners have you killed already?"
"That's because they were weak."
Kakuzu snorted.
At the same time, he quietly wondered how much Danzo's head might be worth on the black market.
After a brief pause, the Deva Path made his decision.
"Kakuzu will go."
The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished.
A faint smile appeared on Fugaku's face.
Danzo possessed multiple Sharingan capable of activating Izanagi.
More importantly, he carried Uchiha Kagami's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Its abilities remained unknown.
Even Fugaku was cautious.
Since that was the case, letting the fearless Kakuzu test Danzo's capabilities was the safest choice.
===
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