Natsuki pocketed the two scrolls without ceremony.
Their contents alone were enough to destroy Shimura Danzo. Officially, Konoha prohibited human experimentation — especially on its own ninjas and civilians.
He turned to leave, then stopped.
Destroy wasn't the same as kill.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura — they'd intercede on Danzo's behalf. That was certain. And with decades of service and genuine contributions to point at, there was every chance his sentence would stop short of execution.
Natsuki rubbed his chin.
He thought of the original timeline — of what Orochimaru had done. If Danzo chose to defect the way Orochimaru once had, then killing him outside Konoha became perfectly justifiable.
The question was whether Danzo would run.
Probably not.
The man wasn't stupid. He knew that staying in Konoha meant survival, however diminished. Fleeing meant rogue status — hunted, vulnerable — unless another Great Village took him in.
A thought crystallized.
He could have Pakura reach out. A contact from the Hidden Sand, dangling heavy incentives — it might be enough to tip the scales.
And if that failed, there was always the direct approach: kill him outright.
Natsuki left the laboratory.
It didn't take long for Shimura Danzo to receive word of the breach.
The stolen items were the most critical documents from his Wood Release experiments.
"It has to be Natsuki." Danzo's expression twisted.
His laboratory was buried deep and meticulously hidden. In all of Konoha, the man who controlled the Anbu was the only one with the resources to find it. And if Natsuki knew, Orochimaru would know within the hour.
"What now?"
He paced, anxiety gnawing at him.
The problem was no longer whether he could acquire Orochimaru's transplant data. The problem was whether he could survive what came next.
Stolen Hashirama cells. Unauthorized human experiments. Dead civilians.
For any other ninja, that was a death sentence.
Two paths remained.
The first: go all-in. Kill Orochimaru. Seize the title.
He dismissed it almost immediately. Killing Orochimaru would be staggeringly difficult, and even if he managed it, Tsunade and Natsuki would never submit to his authority.
The second: lean on old alliances.
Hiruzen had retired, but he was still Orochimaru's teacher. Homura and Koharu held their advisory seats. Together, they might shield him from the worst of it.
Meanwhile, Natsuki arrived at the Research Department and handed the two scrolls to Orochimaru.
"He truly never learned to quit." Orochimaru's tone held no surprise as he scanned the contents.
"Sensei, should we arrest him?"
"Not yet. He's still the Hokage Assistant and Root's leader — at least on paper." Orochimaru considered for a moment. "Summon him. Tell him to come see me."
"And if he refuses?"
"Then arrest him."
No hesitation.
"Yes, Sensei."
Natsuki left and headed straight for the Root base.
"Lord Natsuki." An operative met him at the entrance. "Lord Danzo has gone to see Lord Hiruzen."
Of course he has.
Natsuki redirected to the Sarutobi compound.
Sure enough — Hiruzen and Danzo, side by side.
"Natsuki." Hiruzen exhaled slowly. "I'm aware of what Danzo has done. I'll accompany you to see Orochimaru."
Natsuki nodded.
The three arrived at the Hokage's office.
"Sensei?" Orochimaru looked past Danzo. "Why are you here?"
"I bear responsibility for this as well." Hiruzen met his student's gaze steadily.
It wasn't an empty statement. Danzo's years of unchecked operations owed everything to Hiruzen's indulgence.
"Then how do you suggest we handle it?"
"This violates Konoha's laws and demands severe punishment." Hiruzen's voice dropped. "But considering Danzo's years of service — if not merit, then sheer commitment — the death penalty should be commuted. Strip him of both titles: Hokage Assistant and leader of Root."
Danzo stood rigid, jaw clenched, saying nothing.
This was clearly the deal they'd brokered before walking in.
"As you wish, Sensei," Orochimaru said easily.
He'd expected exactly this.
Hiruzen nodded and turned to leave. Danzo followed.
"Natsuki." Orochimaru paused. "Have the Anbu issue an official notice. Effective immediately: you are the new Hokage Assistant. Root is disbanded. All its personnel are to be absorbed into the Anbu."
"Yes, Sensei."
Natsuki blinked. He hadn't expected that to land in his lap quite so fast.
If Root hadn't been dissolved, he'd be holding five simultaneous titles.
The news tore through Konoha like wildfire.
Shimura Danzo — a founding pillar of the village's shadow infrastructure, Hokage Assistant, Root's commander, student of the Second Hokage himself — stripped of everything.
The reaction was disbelief. Then shock.
Then, in one particular compound, celebration.
"Hahahaha!"
The Uchiha district rang with laughter.
Danzo's fall was the best news the clan had received in years. Root had targeted them relentlessly — and now Root no longer existed.
"This is the best thing that's happened in a decade!" Uchiha Fugaku laughed — genuinely laughed, a sound so rare his clansmen stared. "I'm happier than the day Itachi was born!"
His first child had arrived in June. Despite marrying Uchiha Riya, he'd still named the boy Itachi.
Fugaku's thoughts drifted to Mikoto.
Positioning her close to Natsuki was, without question, the single best decision the Uchiha Clan had ever made.
The official notice didn't state why Danzo had fallen, but it named Natsuki as the new Hokage Assistant and confirmed the Anbu's absorption of Root. The connection was impossible to miss.
Trading one Uchiha Mikoto for the total collapse of Shimura Danzo's power?
A steal.
Senju Clan compound.
"Hmph — Hiruzen-sensei already retired. He had no business sticking his nose into this." Tsunade's displeasure was plain.
"Danzo's lost every title and every scrap of authority," Natsuki said mildly. "He's no longer a threat."
"Even so, he got off light."
"Given Danzo's personality, I wouldn't count on him enjoying a quiet retirement." Natsuki let the implication hang. "And if he makes a move after this, things won't end as gently."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She caught the subtext but didn't press it. Danzo's fate was a minor concern in the larger picture.
"On another note — Sensei mentioned you should choose the next candidate for transplantation. Anyone in mind?"
Over the past month, Natsuki, Tsunade, and Yakushi Nonou had all learned the Hashirama cell procedure under Orochimaru's guidance.
"That decision belongs to the Hokage," Tsunade said after a beat. "As long as Wood Release stays within Konoha's ranks, the Senju Clan has no objections."
Both Hashirama and Tsunade, Natsuki thought. Remarkably selfless, the pair of them.
"Actually, I have someone in mind." Nawaki grinned. "Wood Release scales best with massive chakra reserves — which makes Kushina perfect."
"Me?" Kushina blinked.
Natsuki's eyes sharpened.
She was an excellent candidate. As the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, her chakra was practically limitless. Her Wood Release could rival — or even surpass — Hashirama's at his peak.
"If you're willing, Natsuki can perform the surgery," Tsunade said with a nod.
"All right then — let's learn Wood Release together!" Kushina agreed without hesitation.
Natsuki took her to Konoha Hospital. With Yakushi Nonou assisting, they completed the transplant that same day.
The following morning.
Every ninja Natsuki passed on his way to the office greeted him — with noticeably more warmth than before.
Four concurrent titles. His authority within Konoha was now second only to Orochimaru's. Even the two Hokage Advisors fell slightly below him in the hierarchy.
"Natsuki."
Mikoto produced a summoning scroll. "The Clan Head asked me to deliver this."
"What is it?"
He took it, curious.
"A gift."
He broke the seal and scanned the contents. Everything imaginable — but the bulk of it was high-grade forging materials for ninja tools.
He understood instantly. This was Fugaku's way of expressing gratitude for Danzo's downfall. The Uchiha compound had probably been a party all night.
Natsuki sealed the scroll and pocketed it.
It would be foolish to refuse. And frankly, he'd earned it. Without him, the Uchiha Clan's trajectory led to one destination: the Massacre.
He looked at Mikoto, and a smile tugged at his mouth.
"What is it?" She tilted her head, puzzled.
He stepped forward, tipped her chin up, and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.
Mikoto's pulse spiked. She leaned in and returned the kiss — quick, impulsive, landing on his cheek.
"I need a favor."
Natsuki moved to his desk, took out pen and paper, and wrote a single line. He folded the slip in half and handed it to her.
"Deliver this to your Clan Head."
The instruction was simple: have the Uchiha Clan make Shimura Danzo's life miserable.
Paired with Pakura's invitation from the Sand, the pressure from both ends would make staying in Konoha all but unbearable.
"Understood." Mikoto took the note and left.
Shimura Clan compound.
Danzo sat alone in the courtyard, staring at nothing.
He hadn't set foot in the Shimura estate in years. Ever since his appointment as Hokage Assistant and Root's commander, he'd lived at the base.
But returning now, he sensed the shift immediately.
The clan members' reverence had thinned. The deference was gone.
He understood why. He was an ordinary ninja now — and not the kind who'd retired with honor like Hiruzen. He'd been stripped. The new Hokage Assistant and Anbu Commander who'd absorbed Root owed him nothing.
Unlike Hiruzen, who could still exert influence through his bond with Orochimaru.
"Damn Orochimaru. Damn Natsuki."
The words came out hollow. Impotent rage with nowhere to go.
He knew his career was over. Age precluded reinstatement. And under Orochimaru's leadership, there would be no second chances.
Under Hiruzen? Perhaps. But Hiruzen was no longer Hokage.
Danzo clenched his fists, face contorted with bitter refusal.
A kunai whistled through the air and embedded itself at his feet, a small slip of paper tied to the ring.
He vaulted onto the roof in an instant, scanning the surroundings — but found no trace of anyone.
He dropped back down and retrieved the kunai.
He unfolded the note.
His pupils contracted.
The message was straightforward: defect to the Hidden Sand Village. In exchange for Konoha's intelligence, he'd receive full protection and the title of Kazekage Assistant.
Hesitation crept across his face.
For all his transgressions, his attachment to Konoha ran deep. Decades of his life were embedded in these streets, these walls.
But Pakura's offer was clear. She wanted him to turn — to sell what he knew. And what he knew was everything. Troop deployments, sealed techniques, political fault lines. Any of the Five Great Villages would welcome that kind of intelligence.
Yet the Sand's terms were the most generous. A high-ranking position, guaranteed. The Cloud and Stone would never extend that kind of trust to a foreign defector.
Konoha — the home he'd served his entire life.
Or the Sand — and power again.
For a long time, he couldn't decide.
A knock at the door shattered his thoughts.
Who would come looking for him?
Danzo opened the door.
Eight Uchiha jōnin stood on his doorstep.
His stomach dropped.
"An enemy spy was tracked to this area. We need to search your residence." The lead Uchiha's tone was flat, procedural.
"There's no spy here."
"That's not your call to make."
"Meaning what, exactly?"
"We're acting in accordance with Konoha Military Police regulations. If you have a complaint, take it up with the Hokage." The Uchiha paused. "Search."
"I'd like to see you try."
All eight activated their three-tomoe Sharingan simultaneously.
Danzo took an involuntary half-step back.
This was targeted — blatant, deliberate provocation. Eight jōnin dispatched to hunt a single "spy?" Even the Uchiha Clan wouldn't waste resources like that.
This was revenge, pure and simple.
"...Search." The word ground through his teeth.
The eight swept inside and tore the place apart for ten minutes.
They reappeared at the entrance.
"No spy found."
They left without another word.
"Bastards."
Danzo was shaking. It was a petty humiliation, but humiliation all the same. And knowing the Uchiha, this was only the opening act. There would be more — routine inspections, patrols lingering outside his gate, paperwork audits — all technically within the Military Police's jurisdiction.
Even if he complained to Orochimaru, nothing would change. Hiruzen had already spent his last political favor. Homura and Koharu were fair-weather allies at best. Now that he had nothing to offer, they wouldn't antagonize the Uchiha on his behalf.
Danzo's gaze drifted to the slip of paper still in his hand.
One week later.
A moonless night, the wind howling through the trees.
Shimura Danzo left Konoha Village.
In the seven days since his fall, the Uchiha had visited three more times. Each visit was more degrading than the last.
He'd made his decision. The Hidden Sand Village awaited.
He moved quickly through the darkness, arriving at the agreed-upon rendezvous — a narrow stream cutting through the southern edge of the Forest of Death.
A figure stood by the water, silhouetted against the faint starlight.
Danzo exhaled. He stepped forward.
The figure turned.
Danzo's eyes blew wide, disbelief flooding his face.
It was Natsuki.
No warning. No words. Natsuki's Mangekyō Sharingan blazed to life.
Danzo was already in shock — and it had never crossed his mind that Natsuki possessed the Mangekyō. The genjutsu seized him before he could form a single hand sign, locking his body in place like a puppet with severed strings.
Natsuki closed the distance, drew Minazuki, and drove it through Danzo's heart.
The searing agony ripped Danzo back to consciousness.
"You — how do you have the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
The question came reflexively, bewildered.
"You're seconds from death, and that's what you want to know?" Natsuki let out a low laugh. "Shimura Danzo... even at the end, you can't stop obsessing over the Uchiha."
Danzo's mouth opened. Whatever he meant to say died in his throat.
Natsuki stepped back and withdrew the blade.
Shimura Danzo fell.
Natsuki didn't leave. He stood over the body and waited.
In this timeline, Danzo certainly didn't possess Wood Release or Shisui's Mangekyō — but he might have a standard Sharingan. And a Sharingan meant access to Izanagi, the Uchiha's forbidden resurrection technique. At the cost of permanently blinding one eye, every wound sustained during its brief duration was simply erased — as if it had never happened. Uchiha Madara himself had used it to cheat death at the Valley of the End.
A full minute passed.
No movement. No pulse of chakra. Nothing.
Natsuki shook his head. Either Danzo had never acquired a Sharingan, or without the Hashirama cell arm, he couldn't sustain one.
He considered the body for a moment, then built a fire.
The flames consumed Shimura Danzo — the Darkness of the Shinobi World, the original Scapegoat Kage — and reduced him to ash.
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