Deep within Konoha—
At the core of Root.
This was Danzo's office, a place considered sacred and untouchable within Root—
Yet now, that sanctified door had been blasted apart by a single force.
Danzo's gaze turned icy, his expression dark and ruthless as a cold glint flickered in his eyes while he looked toward the entrance.
But the moment he saw Raiden—
His pupils trembled.
Raiden—of course he recognized him.
Root had already gathered intelligence on this person, and according to Danzo's understanding, this man should have already been dead.
"Raiden… he's still alive?"
"Then… something must have happened to Yamanaka Fū."
Danzo's heart was shaken. Someone who should have died had not only survived, but had now appeared inside Root's headquarters—
Standing right in front of him.
This could only mean one thing.
The assassination had failed.
"Who are you to dare trespass into Root? Are you tired of living?"
Aburame Torune's voice was cold, and without a word he had already begun activating his clan's secret technique, silently directing his nano-sized insects toward Raiden.
"You've tried to assassinate me so many times, and you still don't recognize me?"
"Then you're not Danzo."
Raiden spoke calmly, having already noticed Torune's actions, though he paid them no mind at all.
"You're… Raiden? Your target is Lord Danzo?"
Torune's expression changed slightly as realization dawned on him.
"Hmph… you think sneaking in here will allow you to assassinate me?"
"This is Root's headquarters. Coming here is nothing but courting death."
Danzo's tone was cold and filled with killing intent.
"Sneaking in?"
Raiden couldn't help but laugh.
"I didn't sneak in at all."
"I walked in—openly."
Those casual words struck Torune like a hammer.
Openly?
Impossible.
Root was guarded by over a hundred elite shinobi. Even the Hokage himself would find it difficult to simply walk in unchallenged.
And from the moment the intrusion was detected until Raiden appeared, only a short time had passed—
There was no way he could have fought his way through so quickly.
Instinctively, Torune had assumed this was a stealth infiltration.
But now—
Looking behind Raiden—
There was no one.
No guards.
No resistance.
Just a silence so oppressive it felt unnatural.
Everything seemed to confirm his words.
He really had walked in openly.
"Kill him."
Danzo did not hesitate.
His instincts told him something was very wrong, so he immediately ordered Torune to act.
"Yes!"
Torune responded without delay, turning his gaze toward Raiden.
"No matter how you got in here… this will be your end."
As his voice fell, he released a cloud of poisonous insects, which instantly dispersed into the air and spread throughout the surroundings.
This was his secret technique—
Poison Mist Jutsu.
The moment the toxic dust filled the room, Raiden frowned slightly.
"I really hate annoying insects."
With that, he gently exhaled.
In an instant, a violent gust swept through the space like a scythe, dispersing the poison mist completely.
But it didn't stop there—
The same wind surged forward, engulfing Torune.
In the next moment, he was caught in that overwhelming force and blown away.
Boom!
His body slammed into the wall of Danzo's office—
And went completely still.
Dead.
"How… is that possible?!"
Danzo's pupils shrank sharply as disbelief filled his eyes.
This was one of his strongest subordinates—
A shinobi renowned even across the ninja world—
Yet he had been erased so effortlessly.
"Raiden… you truly are a monster."
"But your arrogance ends here. You will die."
As his voice fell, Danzo vanished instantly.
At that very moment—
Torune's corpse suddenly erupted.
A violent explosion of toxic gas filled the entire room, spreading faster than anyone could react.
"Good!"
Danzo's eyes lit up with satisfaction.
"Excellent work."
Looking at the space now completely engulfed in poison, he finally allowed himself to relax slightly.
Facing Raiden had placed immense pressure on him.
"Torune knew he would die the moment he was blown away. He signaled me to retreat, then used his forbidden technique—Jar Poison Jutsu—to take the enemy down with him."
"Even in death, he served me well. Truly worthy of being my subordinate."
Danzo felt a trace of regret—
But also approval.
However—
Just as he thought it was over—
A terrifying sight unfolded before him.
From within the poisonous cloud—
A figure slowly emerged.
Raiden.
Not a single injury.
Torune's technique had not harmed him in the slightest.
"He even self-destructed…"
Raiden stepped out of the poisonous haze, sounding faintly surprised.
"I didn't expect even a fly like him to have someone willing to die for him."
"I suppose I was careless… I should have dealt with you earlier."
As he finished speaking, Raiden suddenly lifted his head and looked directly at Danzo.
His expression remained calm—
But in Danzo's eyes, it was as if the word death itself was rushing toward him.
"How… how is this possible?!"
"What… are you?!"
Even someone as cunning and ruthless as Danzo could not suppress his shock.
"Monster…"
Raiden repeated the word.
His expression instantly turned cold.
"I hate that word."
"It reminds me of… unpleasant memories."
The chill in his voice made Danzo feel as though he had fallen into an endless abyss of cold.
Even his soul seemed to freeze.
"Why… is this man so terrifying?"
"Am I… actually afraid?"
Danzo, who had always considered himself above others and unshakable—
For the first time in a long while—
Felt something he had nearly forgotten.
The fear of death.