Squelch—!
The sound of metal piercing flesh echoed sharply through the dim underground chamber.
Blood splattered across the floor.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane froze in place, their faces filled with disbelief.
Their lips trembled.
"Danzō… you—"
They wanted to say more.
To question him.
To curse him.
But they never got the chance.
The kunai twisted mercilessly within their chests.
Their hearts were crushed instantly.
Even the greatest medical ninjutsu could not save them now.
The two elders—who had held power as Konoha's advisors for decades—fell lifelessly to the ground.
Their eyes remained wide open.
Staring.
Fixed.
Locked onto the man who had betrayed them.
Danzo Shimura.
"DANZŌ!"
The roar of Hiruzen Sarutobi thundered through the chamber.
His voice trembled—not with fear, but with fury.
And disbelief.
He could not comprehend what he had just witnessed.
Friends.
Companions of decades.
Men and women who had stood beside them through war, politics, and countless crises…
Killed.
Without hesitation.
Right in front of him.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Hiruzen demanded, his eyes blazing.
"Danzō!"
But the figure before him only sneered coldly.
Except—
This wasn't truly Danzō.
It was Pain in disguise.
"They were nothing but useless trash," Pain said indifferently. "I should have killed them long ago."
His gaze shifted toward Hiruzen.
"Next… it's your turn."
Hiruzen's expression darkened instantly.
"For the sake of the Hokage's position… you would slaughter your own comrades?" he asked, his voice heavy with disappointment.
Pain chuckled coldly.
"The position of Hokage should have been mine from the beginning."
"If you hadn't taken it, Konoha would have already united the shinobi world under my rule."
As he spoke, his hands moved rapidly, forming seals.
"Today…"
His voice grew colder.
"I will prove to Master Tobirama Senju… that I am the true Hokage."
Before the final word fell—
He slammed his hands onto the ground.
ZZZZZT—!
Hidden throughout the Root base, countless explosive tags activated simultaneously.
The entire underground facility trembled.
"Hiruzen," Pain said, his voice echoing through the chaos, "atone for your past mistakes."
"From today onward… Konoha will belong to me!"
His laughter rang out—maniacal and chilling.
The Third Hokage's Wrath
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted one after another, flames and debris tearing through the chamber.
Yet—
Amid the destruction—
Hiruzen stood firm.
"Earth Release!"
The ground rose in layers, forming a protective barrier that absorbed the blasts.
When the smoke cleared—
He stepped forward slowly.
In his hand—
A black staff.
Unyielding.
Indestructible.
The Adamantine Staff.
His expression was no longer one of shock.
Only resolve.
"Danzō…" he said quietly, his voice heavy with finality.
"You've gone too far."
"For the sake of our teacher… I will end this myself."
The staff extended suddenly—
BOOM!
It shot forward like a spear, smashing toward Pain with overwhelming force.
This was no ordinary attack.
It was a blow capable of repelling even the Nine-Tails.
But Pain reacted instantly.
"Wind Release: Cutting Wind!"
With one hand—
Just one—
He formed seals.
Sharp blades of compressed wind surged forward, slicing through the air.
Hiruzen's pupils shrank.
"One-handed hand seals…?"
When had Danzō learned such a technique?
At that moment—
The man before him felt completely unfamiliar.
But there was no time to think.
He leapt back, narrowly avoiding the deadly wind blades.
Taking advantage of the opening—
Pain threw a smoke bomb.
The chamber filled with dense fog.
By the time it cleared—
He was gone.
"…He escaped?"
Hiruzen's voice was low, but the anger within it was unmistakable.
He turned immediately.
"ANBU!"
Shadows appeared instantly.
"Issue an immediate kill-on-sight order for Danzō Shimura!"
"Mobilize all forces!"
"Find him… and eliminate him!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The ANBU vanished.
The hunt had begun.
The Weight of Loss
The Adamantine Staff in Hiruzen's hand shifted—
Transforming into a monkey.
Enma, the Monkey King.
He placed a hand on Hiruzen's shoulder.
"Hiruzen… are you alright?"
Hiruzen didn't answer.
Slowly—
He walked toward the fallen bodies of Homura and Koharu.
He stopped.
For a long moment—
He simply stood there.
Silent.
The weight of decades pressed down on him.
"How did it come to this…?" he murmured.
Old comrades.
Old bonds.
All shattered.
In an instant.
He knelt down.
Gently—
He reached out and closed their eyes.
"…Rest well."
His voice was soft.
Tired.
At that moment—
The Third Hokage seemed to age ten years.
No—
Twenty.
Enma watched quietly.
There was nothing he could say.
The True Culprit Moves
Meanwhile—
Deep within Konoha Prison—
The real Danzo Shimura sat in his cell, resting.
Unaware.
Uninvolved.
Unprepared.
Suddenly—
A figure appeared.
Danzō's eyes snapped open.
"Killing intent…?"
He tensed—
But upon seeing the visitor—
He relaxed slightly.
Orochimaru.
"Where have you been?" Danzō demanded angrily. "Why did the mission fail?"
But instead of answering—
Orochimaru only smirked.
"Danzō… you really are carefree."
"Konoha has been thrown into chaos because of you… and you're still sleeping?"
"…What?"
Danzō frowned.
He didn't understand.
At all.
Before he could ask further—
Another figure appeared.
It was Pain—
Disguised as a Root ninja.
"Lord Danzō!"
The man spoke urgently.
"The mission has failed!"
"You must escape immediately!"
Danzō's confusion deepened.
"What mission?"
"The one you ordered!" the man replied quickly. "The assassination of the Hokage!"
"Even the two advisors have been killed!"
"Now the Hokage has issued a kill-on-sight order against you!"
"If you don't flee now—the ANBU will arrive any moment!"
Silence.
Danzō froze.
"…What?"
"I never gave such an order!"
But even as he said it—
A realization dawned.
This…
Was a setup.
A perfect one.
Someone had acted in his name.
Framed him.
Turned the entire village against him.
Pain watched with amusement.
"I didn't expect to witness such an entertaining spectacle," he said lightly.
Danzō's face darkened.
For the first time—
He felt it.
Powerlessness.
The bitter taste of being falsely accused.
Of being unable to defend himself.
"…Whoever did this…"
His voice trembled with rage.
"I will make them pay!"
But there was no time.
The situation was already beyond saving.
"Move!" Orochimaru urged.
Danzō gritted his teeth—
Then followed.
Escape was the only option.
Escape from Konoha
The moment they left the prison—
They were discovered.
"There!"
"It's Danzō!"
"And Orochimaru!"
"Kill them!"
"Revenge for the advisors!"
Shouts echoed as ANBU forces closed in.
Without hesitation—
They attacked.
Shuriken.
Kunai.
Fire Release.
Water Release.
A barrage of lethal techniques rained down.
There was no mercy.
No hesitation.
They were aiming to kill.
Only now—
Did Danzō fully understand.
"…It's real."
He had truly been condemned.
"Lord Danzō, go!" Pain shouted.
"I'll hold them off!"
Without waiting—
He stepped forward.
Taking the attacks head-on.
Explosions erupted.
His body was torn apart—
Reduced to near nothing.
But—
It didn't matter.
He was merely a puppet.
As long as the Naraka Path existed—
He could be restored.
Danzō didn't question it.
He didn't hesitate.
He ran.
Following Orochimaru—
Out of Konoha.
Aftermath
When the news reached Hiruzen—
His fury reached its peak.
"Danzō Shimura…"
His voice was ice-cold.
"From this moment on—"
"He is declared an S-rank rogue ninja."
"Enemy of Konoha."
He turned sharply.
"Send Sakumo Hatake."
"Lead a squad."
"Hunt him down."
"Bring him back—dead or alive."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The order was given.
The chase had begun.
And somewhere—
In the shadows—
Pain watched.
Satisfied.
The seeds of chaos…
Had been successfully sown.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)