Deep beneath the surface of Konoha, the air was cold and damp.
This was the base of Root, a place that didn't exist on any map. Torches burned against the stone walls, casting flickering, unstable shadows. A Root ninja, wearing a featureless porcelain mask, dropped to one knee. His voice was devoid of emotion.
"Lord Danzo, an unidentified intruder has appeared near the Hokage Rock."
"The individual possesses the Sharingan and an unknown space-time ninjutsu."
"The Fourth Hokage has already engaged the target."
"Ultimately, both of them have vanished."
Shimura Danzo sat upon a stone throne, his face drifting between light and shadow. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's.
Vanished?
Minato Namikaze, along with that mysterious enemy, had both disappeared. Danzo's fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest, creating a dull, heavy sound.
This was an opportunity. A once-in-a-lifetime chance.
With Minato gone, a vacuum had opened in the village's high-level combat power. That intruder with the Sharingan provided the perfect excuse.
"What form did the intruder's Sharingan take?" Danzo asked, his voice raspy and tinged with hidden anticipation.
"Report: a single eye, three-tomoe."
"The Uchiha clan..."
The corner of Danzo's mouth curled into an almost imperceptible arc. He had waited for this day for far too long. The Uchiha were the most unstable element in the village. Their power and their pride were both potential threats—especially those cursed eyes.
Instead of letting them hold onto that power and threaten the village, it would be better if... he looked after it himself.
"Pass down my orders."
Danzo stood up, his figure completely swallowed by the shadows.
"All squads, mobilize immediately."
"Target: the Uchiha Compound."
The kneeling Root ninja stiffened slightly, appearing to hesitate. "Lord Danzo, are we going to...?"
"Lock down the compound and monitor the Uchiha," Danzo said, his voice Brook no argument. "Tell everyone that a suspicious individual with the Sharingan has invaded the village. The Uchiha clan is at risk of being implicated, and Root has a duty to keep them under surveillance."
He paused, his tone turning even colder.
"During this period, any Uchiha clansman who attempts to leave the compound without authorization is to be considered an accomplice of the intruder."
"Kill them on sight."
"Understood!"
The Root ninja asked no further questions. His figure flickered and vanished into the darkness.
Danzo walked out of the secret chamber, and over a dozen Root ninjas silently assembled behind him. They were like a group of lifeless shadows, answering only to one man.
"Move out."
The group traversed the silent streets of Konoha. The earlier chaos seemed to have subsided; most villagers were hiding in their homes, afraid to step outside. Only patrolling Jonin squads were still alert, sprinting across the rooftops.
Danzo and his men avoided all patrol routes, choosing the darkest corners to slip through like ghosts toward the southeast corner of the village. That was where the Uchiha resided.
Once he locked that place down, he would have countless reasons and methods to 'veto' any Uchiha who tried to leave. Then, he could quietly harvest their eyes, adding new power to his great cause.
Just as they were about to reach their destination, a figure appeared in the center of the street ahead without warning. The man stood with his back to the moonlight, his long shadow stretching out like an immovable mountain. Despite the cold night wind, he wore a loose robe and held a pipe in his mouth, leisurely exhaling rings of smoke.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Danzo came to a halt. The Root ninjas behind him stopped simultaneously, instantly dropping into combat stances.
In that moment, the air froze.
"Hiruzen," Danzo said, his voice turning cold. "What are you doing here so late?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around. His clouded eyes seemed exceptionally bright in the night. He didn't look at Danzo; instead, he swept his gaze over the bloodthirsty Root members behind him.
"I should be asking you that, Danzo."
His voice was calm, yet it carried the weight of a natural, commanding authority.
"Where are you going with your men?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes. "The village has been attacked. I am acting under orders to maintain internal stability."
"Oh?" Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe. "Whose orders? Minato's?"
"This is the duty of Root," Danzo deflected. "Intelligence indicates the intruder is related to the Uchiha clan. I need to verify this."
"Verify?"
Hiruzen took a step forward. With just that single step, his entire aura shifted. He was no longer a retired, harmless old man. He was the Third Hokage, the man hailed as the 'Legend of Shinobi' during the Great Ninja Wars.
"Do you want to verify something, or are you just trying to exploit the chaos for your own gain?"
His voice suddenly turned harsh.
"Mobilizing Root to blockade a clan compound without the Hokage's orders... Danzo, you have quite the nerve! If the other clans see this, how will the village function in the future?"
The chakra of the Root ninjas behind Danzo began to surge. If Danzo gave the command, they wouldn't hesitate to strike at the former Hokage.
Danzo raised a hand, silencing his subordinates' agitation. He stared directly at his former teammate and lifelong rival.
"Hiruzen, you've grown old. Your softhearted nature is destroying this village. The Uchiha are dangerous—like a blade without a scabbard that can cut its own master at any time. Minato is too young; he can't see through them. I must pull this thorn for him, and for the sake of the village!"
"Silence!"
Hiruzen barked, his voice like a resounding bell.
"Minato is the Hokage! His judgment is the village's will! It isn't your place to question him, and it's certainly not your place to make decisions in his stead!"
He pulled the pipe from his mouth and tapped it heavily against his palm.
"I don't care what you're plotting. Now, take your men and vanish from my sight immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding our old friendship."
Danzo fell silent. He could feel that Hiruzen wasn't joking. That mountain-like chakra had him firmly locked down. If he took one more step forward, he would undoubtedly face a lightning-fast strike.
Fighting Hiruzen here? Unwise.
Even if he could win, Root's existence would be fully exposed to the light, and his years of hard work would be ruined. He glared at Hiruzen with his single eye, his gaze filled with a resentment so thick it was almost tangible.
Why? Why is it always you who stops me, Hiruzen! Ever since the choice the Second Hokage gave us, it has always been you first! You are always like this, using that grand 'Will of Fire' of yours to bind my hands and feet!
"It seems the Third Hokage intends to shield the Uchiha," Danzo said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I am not shielding anyone."
Hiruzen's tone softened, but his eyes remained sharp.
"I am simply upholding the rules of Konoha. Since Minato is out fighting the enemy, it is my responsibility to ensure the village doesn't fall into disorder before he returns. Especially internal disorder."
He gave Danzo a deep look.
"Don't overstep your bounds, Danzo. Minato is still alive. You don't get to call the shots in this village yet."
Those words were like a needle, precisely piercing the deepest part of Danzo's heart. His bandage-wrapped hand clenched tightly. Ultimately, he released his fist.
"...We're leaving."
He squeezed the words through his teeth and turned around without giving Hiruzen another look. The Root ninjas behind him melted into the surrounding darkness like a receding tide, vanishing without a sound.
Hiruzen was left alone on the street. He watched the direction where Danzo had disappeared for a long time before letting out a long sigh.
A cold wind blew past, swirling a few fallen leaves. He put his pipe back in his mouth and took a deep drag. The smoke rings he exhaled slowly dissipated under the cool moonlight.
His gaze turned toward the Hokage Rock.
Minato... I hope everything is within your control.