Rewind a month—back when Yorin brought Nagato's crew to punt old man Hanzo's head around and take over Amegakure.
Konoha was already a tinderbox.
There was no proof, but the old guard from the Third's era were bloodhounds; they could smell when eyes were on them.
The Third began shuttling between the Hokage Building and Root, trying to tamp it down.
To Minato: "Minato, I know you dislike Danzō, but he's a Konoha elder. As long as it isn't egregious, leave him a little face."
Then to Danzō: "Danzō, I know you think Minato is too young. Regardless, he's Hokage now. Give him face, yes?"
…
With the old man's mud-spreading, relations between Hokage HQ and Anbu seemed briefly to ease.
In truth it was the calm before the storm.
Minato was waiting for Yorin's signal, and for Kakashi & co. to dig up Danzō's crimes. Danzō wasn't about to wait to die.
He hunted for dirt on Minato, angling for a palace coup—"Konoha Spring," a lower-overthrowing-upper gambit.
Tough luck—very tough.
Compared with Danzō, even Minato—and even Uchiha Yorin—was a spotless little white rabbit.
The "seize power" progress bar didn't move—no "representatives of the people" would go with him.
Not the clans, not the jōnin commoners, not even Anbu elites or the two "dignified" advisors.
"If Orochimaru were still here, I could plan with him."
He still didn't know Yorin had whisked Orochimaru away. Like the husbands in certain books, he still "believed."
Then came knives out.
That night, Yorin mused, "It's cold—why has no one put a coat on me?"
At that moment, Minato received Yorin's note.
He didn't get the "fish" joke, but he exhaled, eyes brightening.
"Deploy One-Empty-Transport."
Naturally, that ridiculous codename was Yorin's doing—he has a wicked sense of humor here. He'd also coined a few other ringers for the Hokage's Direct Assassination Force:
Gestapo, Cheka, and Tonton Macoute—each used for different jobs.
Gestapo for internal work, Cheka for external, Tonton Macoute for smashing "troublemakers."
Uniforms would change, too.
Names and clothes are part of combat power. Yorin's next step was to design new uniforms and insignia—eagle breastplates, Sam Browne belts, Lugers on the hip. Aesthetically, the Third Reich was on point—better than Anbu's goofy masks and gray braces or the jonin's green turtle vests.
Minato didn't care—costs were covered by Ryūchi Cave Virility Powder, textiles by Uchiha's mills.
That was for later. Now, Yorin was still cosplaying MacArthur in the Rain; the Konoha troops still looked the same—though uniforms lift morale, and morale wasn't the deciding factor here.
"Signal's in—move!"
One arrow to the sky, and the army rides.
On Minato's order, his loyal shinobi stormed the secret labs.
After Orochimaru left, Root had guarded them tightly.
As Yorin predicted, Danzō didn't abandon his taboo research.
With tensions rising, he grew even more unhinged—spamming Orochimaru 800 times a day to come back and work overtime on Wood Release, Sharingan—every power he craved.
All calls—blacklisted.
Kidding? Escape heaven only to dive back into hell? Old friend, rest easy—on holidays, I definitely won't miss you.
Danzō: "…"
Being ghosted nonstop set off alarms.
"Is Minato really going to clash with me…?"
Thinking of Flying Thunder God Slash chilled his neck—when boom—a thunderclap rolled in the distance.
"Rain's coming."
He looked back—someone was at the foot of his bed.
He started to shout; the figure pulled back their hood—Danzō's brother's face.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Danzō exhaled—and instantly flipped to the deadpan: "What are you doing here? Come to arrest me?"
"…"
Hiruzen ignored the bite, went quiet, then looked at him, complicated, and said: "Danzō—stand down. The Cheka is everywhere outside."
Danzō: "?"
"Hi—Hiruzen…?!"
Hiruzen: "If you can't—go lay low a few days. When it blows over, I'll see what—"
Danzō laughed.
With ten times the bite in his voice: "Hiruzen—now you're really senile.
"I… should avoid his spear?"
Hiruzen: "Danzō, you—"
He was livid.
"Do you even know what time it is, I—"
Danzō lifted a hand: stop. Both men tilted their heads, listening.
From afar—a roar of fury:
"Don't let that dog Shimura Danzō escape!"
"You used comrades as lab animals—die a hundred million times isn't enough!"
"And how dare you desecrate the First's remains—unforgivable!"
Hiruzen blanched. He reached for Danzō's sleeve: "Danzō—what do you mean 'desecrate Hashirama's body'? What do you mean 'used comrades as lab materials'? What did you—Danzō?!"
He grabbed air.
It wasn't Danzō—just a shadow clone.
Hiruzen nearly laughed from rage.
"Shimura Danzō!!!"
Konoha Year 50, late autumn.
Konoha elder. Anbu commander. Founder of Root. Master of intelligence. "Darkness of the Shinobi"—Shimura Danzō—defected.
~~~
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