Three days later.
Konohagakure. Root headquarters.
Shimura Danzō sat at the head of the chamber, half his body wrapped in bandages, his expression dark as iron.
"Well?" he asked coldly. "Have you confirmed everything?"
Standing below him were two of his most trusted subordinates—Yamanaka Fū and Aburame Ryūma. Because Danzō had personally led the Rain operation, the two had remained behind to oversee Root's internal affairs.
And because of that—
They had survived.
Yamanaka Fū stepped forward first.
"Our agents in the Land of Rain report that three days ago, Hanzō convened a high-level meeting of Amegakure's leadership."
"The meeting's exact content remains unknown. Our operative's clearance wasn't sufficient."
"However, after the meeting concluded, an official announcement was spread."
"Hanzō has accepted the three leaders of the organization Akatsuki—Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—as his direct disciples."
"Additionally, all Akatsuki members have been formally integrated into Amegakure's forces."
"There are also rumors that Hanzō is preparing successors… and that the three of them may become the future leaders of the village."
"Bastard!"
Danzō slammed his uninjured left hand onto the armrest, fury flashing across his face.
"What use are you if you can't even infiltrate a minor village like Amegakure?!"
His rage spilled outward—but neither Fū nor Ryūma reacted.
They knew better.
Danzō wasn't angry at Root's infiltration failure.
He was furious about something else entirely.
Amegakure was a war-torn fortress state. The shinobi there were united, insular, and suspicious of outsiders. Their internal scrutiny was infamous. For an infiltrator to reach even middle rank was already extraordinary.
Danzō knew that.
His outburst was displacement.
Because the truth was simple.
Hanzō had played him.
Based on the intelligence, it was clear that Hanzō had discovered Nagato's Rinnegan—and decided to cultivate him as Rain's future ruler.
The so-called joint operation against Akatsuki?
Most likely bait.
Danzō still remembered—shortly before their meeting, Hanzō had privately met with Nagato's group.
They had probably reached an agreement then.
Danzō's involvement had served multiple purposes:
Solidify Nagato's resolve.Awaken the power of the Rinnegan.Provide Rain with a legitimate heir.Cripple Root's elite forces.
One stone. Three birds.
And Danzō?
A pawn.
A fool.
Nearly the entire elite unit he brought to Rain had been annihilated.
How could he not be furious?
If possible, he would grind Hanzō to dust and scatter the ashes.
But rage was a luxury.
After a long moment, Danzō exhaled and regained control.
A shinobi must remain calm—no matter the circumstance.
Especially one who bore the title "Darkness of the Shinobi World."
He turned to Ryūma.
"How many combat-ready personnel remain in Root?"
Ryūma answered without hesitation.
"Excluding administrative staff and operatives currently deployed across the continent—"
"Eighteen jōnin-level shinobi."
"Two hundred thirty-four special jōnin and elite chūnin."
That number sounded respectable.
It wasn't.
Most were scattered across long-term covert assignments throughout the Five Nations.
At headquarters, they couldn't even assemble a full battalion.
And genin?
There were none.
Without elite chūnin-level ability, one didn't qualify for full Root membership.
Danzō clicked his tongue softly.
"When will the current training camp graduates be ready?"
Ryūma paused.
"They're not fully prepared. If we accelerate graduation, the qualification rate will drop significantly."
Root's training camp was not the Academy.
It operated on chūnin-level standards.
Failure meant death.
No retakes.
No mercy.
"Standards remain unchanged," Danzō said flatly.
"Better none than the wrong one."
"My Root is not a refuge for mediocrity."
"Inform Terai—intensify training. Graduate them as soon as possible."
"And begin gathering new orphans. Prepare the next intake."
Yamanaka Fū hesitated briefly.
"Danzō-sama… should we lower assessment thresholds for this batch?"
He already knew the answer.
But someone had to ask.
Danzō's gaze did not waver.
"No."
Fū bowed slightly.
He had once survived that same system.
He understood.
Personnel shortages were temporary.
Corruption of standards was permanent.
Danzō was about to inquire further about events during his absence—
When he sensed a presence.
He stopped speaking immediately.
A moment later—
Whoosh.
An ANBU operative materialized in the hall.
"Danzō-sama."
"The Hokage requests your presence in his office."
No emotion. No inflection.
Just protocol.
Danzō's eye narrowed slightly.
As expected.
Sarutobi Hiruzen would never ignore such a large movement of Root forces.
"I understand."
"I will go at once."
He rose from his seat.
Unauthorized deployment.
Severe losses.
That alone was a chargeable offense.
But Danzō had already prepared his response.
The next battle—
Would not be fought in Rain.
It would be fought in the Hokage's office.
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