The Root ninjas had always believed one thing.
Even if the Hokage was powerful—
If they attacked together, they could at least wound him.
After all, they were Root.
The shadow beneath the ANBU.
The most elite and ruthless force in Konoha.
Every one of them had been trained to discard emotion, to complete missions at any cost.
They were weapons.
Nothing more.
But now—
Reality crushed that belief.
Their coordinated assault had achieved almost nothing.
The ANBU had been injured.
Some had even fallen.
But the man at the center of it all—
Hiruzen Sarutobi—
Remained completely unharmed.
Not a scratch.
Not a single sign of weakness.
Instead—
It was Root that had suffered devastating losses.
In just a few exchanges, their numbers had dwindled rapidly.
The mission…
Was failing.
For ordinary shinobi, this would have been the moment to retreat.
To preserve what remained.
But Root—
Was not ordinary.
They exchanged glances.
No words were needed.
A silent decision was made.
If they could not kill the Hokage—
Then they would take him with them.
In the next instant, several Root ninjas reached for their bodies.
Exploding tags.
Dozens—
No—
Hundreds of them.
Wrapped tightly around their forms.
Each tag alone was powerful enough to kill a Genin instantly.
Even a Jonin would suffer severe injuries if caught off guard.
And now—
Over a thousand exploding tags were about to detonate at once.
Not just the three attacking Hiruzen.
Not just those fighting the ANBU.
Even those maintaining the barrier—
All ten of them prepared to explode simultaneously.
The resulting blast—
Would rival an S-rank ninjutsu.
The Hokage Building would be reduced to rubble.
The surrounding area—
Devastated.
Konoha itself—
Would suffer catastrophic damage.
This—
Could not be allowed.
"Stop!!"
Hiruzen roared, his voice filled with fury.
"Do you intend to destroy Konoha?!"
In his anger, he spoke without thinking.
"They're Root!"
The words echoed.
And froze everyone in place.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then chaos erupted.
"Root?!"
"Danzo's Root?!"
"Wasn't Danzo imprisoned?!"
"He dares to attack the Hokage in broad daylight?!"
Shock.
Outrage.
Disbelief.
The villagers and shinobi alike began to murmur, their voices rising into a storm of condemnation.
Danzo had crossed a line.
An unforgivable one.
Even Hiruzen realized his mistake too late.
But now—
There was no time to dwell on it.
"Everyone, retreat immediately!"
His hands blurred as he formed seals at incredible speed.
But—
Someone was faster.
Aomizu moved like lightning.
In an instant—
Ten shadow clones appeared beside him.
Without hesitation, each clone rushed toward a Root ninja.
They grabbed them—
And vanished.
Gone.
Not a trace left behind.
A heartbeat later—
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of deafening explosions erupted—
Far away.
From the direction of the Forest of Death.
Even at such a distance, the ground trembled faintly.
The shockwave rippled through the air.
Everyone stared.
If those explosions had occurred here—
The consequences would have been unimaginable.
Hiruzen was the first to react.
"Aomizu… when did you learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
His voice carried both shock and delight.
Years ago, Aomizu had requested to learn the technique.
Hiruzen had agreed—
But mastering it was nearly impossible.
He had assumed the attempt had failed.
And yet—
Here it was.
"I only learned it recently," Aomizu replied calmly. "I'm still not proficient."
Hiruzen laughed softly.
"Too modest."
His eyes shone with approval.
"Besides Minato… only you have mastered it in Konoha. Including Tobirama-sensei, only three have ever succeeded."
But Aomizu's expression remained serious.
"Hokage-sama."
His voice hardened.
"This cannot be overlooked."
He stepped forward.
"For Root to go this far… Danzo must be punished."
Immediately—
The surrounding clan heads voiced their agreement.
"Indeed!"
"This has gone too far!"
"He must be dealt with severely!"
Though none spoke the word aloud—
The meaning was clear.
Execution.
Even Hiruzen understood.
For a fleeting moment—
The thought crossed his mind.
To end it.
To end Danzo.
But then—
His gaze softened.
Old memories resurfaced.
Years of friendship.
Shared battles.
Shared dreams.
His resolve—
Wavered.
Aomizu noticed.
Of course he did.
He had been watching carefully.
And he had expected this.
So—
He changed tactics.
"Hokage-sama," he said calmly, "Danzo is imprisoned, yet Root still acts under his command."
A pause.
"This requires a thorough investigation."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
"Yes…"
That much—
He could not deny.
"In the past, I turned a blind eye," he admitted quietly. "But no longer."
His expression hardened slightly.
"As Hokage, I must take responsibility."
He turned to the others.
"Handle the aftermath. Calm the villagers."
Then—
"I will personally go to the Root base."
"And we will decide Danzo's punishment afterward."
Root Base
Deep beneath Konoha—
In darkness.
A figure sat calmly.
Shimura Danzo—
Or rather—
Someone wearing his face.
Pain.
Before him stood two elders.
Homura Mitokado.
And
Utatane Koharu.
"I refuse."
Homura's voice was firm.
"We cannot kill our own people."
His expression was resolute.
Pain remained silent.
Watching.
Waiting.
Koharu, however—
Said nothing.
Her eyes flickered.
Thoughtful.
Calculating.
Tempted.
If sacrificing one man—
Could preserve her position—
Was it truly unacceptable?
Homura noticed.
His own conviction wavered slightly.
But he still did not yield.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Pain did not rush them.
He simply waited.
Then—
A voice echoed through the chamber.
"Danzo."
It was cold.
Sharp.
"Hiruzen."
The real Hokage stepped into the room.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had arrived.
Homura and Koharu froze.
"Hiruzen… what are you doing here?"
They stood instinctively.
But Hiruzen's gaze was fixed.
On them.
"Were you involved as well?"
His voice was heavy.
Disappointed.
Hurt.
These were not enemies.
They were—
Old friends.
Comrades who had stood beside him for decades.
And yet—
Now—
They stood here.
In this place.
With Danzo.
"I…"
They tried to speak.
To explain.
But—
It was too late.
A flash of movement.
Silent.
Deadly.
Pain moved.
In an instant—
Two kunai pierced forward.
Clean.
Precise.
Merciless.
Through their hearts.
The words they wanted to say—
Never came out.
Their eyes widened.
Shock.
Regret.
Then—
Darkness.
Their bodies fell.
Lifeless.
Hiruzen stood frozen.
His pupils trembled.
For a moment—
Time itself seemed to stop.
Then—
A storm of killing intent erupted from him.
"You—!"
His voice shook.
With rage.
With grief.
With disbelief.
Pain stood calmly before him.
Unmoved.
Unshaken.
Like a god passing judgment.
And the fall of the elders—
Marked the beginning of something far worse.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)