Danzo gasped for breath, looking at the Third and Fifth Hokage. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way. The contingency he had prepared, a measure of last resort, had actually been forced into use like this.
"Lord Danzo!" Two ANBU operatives appeared with a swoosh beside Danzo, kneeling on one knee as they awaited his orders.
"Mm, you two, keep an eye on these two," Danzo gestured towards the two civilians – Sakura Haruno's parents.
"Yes, sir!"
The two ANBU then drew kunai, pressing them against the necks of Sakura's parents.
Danzo hadn't initially intended to do this. Even if he had, he wouldn't have let it be seen. Kidnapping them was merely a backup plan. But due to the Third Hokage's change in attitude, he knew that if he allowed the situation to develop further, the Fourth Great Ninja War might very well erupt from this.
Towards the village, Danzo was utterly devoted and loyal. Though he had committed many despicable acts, Danzo believed them necessary for the village's interests.
Towards the Hokage, Danzo had silently supported Hiruzen without complaint ever since Hiruzen had taken office. The tasks the Hokage feared would dirty his hands, Danzo did. The actions the Hokage feared would tarnish his image, Danzo also undertook.
Danzo knew that Hiruzen wasn't ignorant of the stakes in certain matters; he simply didn't want to bear the infamy. For the sake of the village, Danzo shouldered this infamy for the Hokage. Even if the world called him the "Darkness of the Shinobi World," he didn't care in the slightest. He only wanted to prove to Hiruzen, to prove to the Second Hokage, Lord Tobirama.
His, Shimura Danzo's, resolve was no less than Hiruzen's! Hiruzen could resolve to act as a decoy; he, Danzo, could bear infamy for Konoha!
And now, this was the moment to prove his, Shimura Danzo's, determination: eliminate Sakura Haruno and prevent the Fourth Great Ninja War!
"Danzo... stop it... We were all wrong..." The Third Hokage no longer possessed his earlier forcefulness; instead, his eyes had become somewhat dejected.
To realize that the Will of Fire he had upheld for so long had been misunderstood – this feeling was no less devastating than Sakura's sense of collapse from her mistaken belief about being in the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
In the world of shinobi, only conviction drove one to constantly grow stronger, to even continue living. The collapse of one's beliefs was far more despairing than being defeated by a powerful enemy.
"Danzo, do you know what you're doing?! They are just civilians!!" Tsunade's anger seemed even more intense than before, but the two hostages in Danzo's hands prevented her from acting rashly.
Just moments ago, she had received news from Katsuyu: Karin had told her Sakura wasn't dead, that Junko had saved her. Though she didn't know how Junko had managed it, it was, at least, good news.
But just then, Danzo had suddenly made his move. Although she had managed to stop Danzo and his subordinates' attack, she hadn't expected him to have actually captured Sakura's parents. The situation had instantly become complicated.
"Heh, Hiruzen!" A smirk tugged at Danzo's lips, tinged with a hint of sorrow. "For the village, I am willing to shoulder its darkness. But I no longer care about that. What I care about are the village's interests. This time... even if you try to stop me, I will not give up! This is my resolve, do you understand?!"
After roaring his last sentence at the Third Hokage, Danzo turned to Tsunade. "The village you have now inherited was built bit by bit by Lord First and Lord Second. I, this old man, have spared no effort to see it flourish. So... so... I cannot watch you destroy the painstaking efforts of myself and two generations of Hokage! What do you understand?!"
"Framing and forcing a village ninja to defect – was that also for the village?" Tsunade berated angrily.
"That is why you will never understand. I was eliminating potential future instabilities for Konoha," Danzo said coolly.
"Wh-what?" Hearing Danzo's words, the Third Hokage was instantly aghast. He asked in a low, grave voice, "So, Sakura Haruno's defection – that was your doing?!"
Danzo looked at the Third Hokage, silent for a moment, then said, "Hiruzen, you always wait until the mistake is made before you realize your error. The Uchiha..."
"Silence!" the Third Hokage immediately cut Danzo off. He addressed his ANBU, "ANBU members, apprehend Danzo! Bring him back to the village for interrogation!"
"Yes, sir!" the ANBU replied.
"Ugh..."
A trickle of blood seeped from the necks of Sakura Haruno's parents, held captive by Danzo's Root members.
"Stop!" the Third Hokage commanded urgently. He then looked at Danzo, frowning. "Don't make any more mistakes, Danzo!"
Danzo ignored the Third Hokage. He called out loudly to Sakura Haruno, who was behind the crowd, "Sakura Haruno, come out! Your parents' lives are in your hands. If you don't care, I will help you resolve this."
Click, clack, clack.
The ninja present all drew their weapons, tightening their grips on their kunai. Faced with Danzo acting in such a manner, they all felt a profound sense of crisis. Most Konoha ninja already held no goodwill towards Danzo; now, his actions made their hearts turn even colder. They fought on the front lines, while their families left behind were threatened. Who would be willing to work with such a high-ranking official?
Even if the earlier conflict between the Third and Fifth Hokage had made them remain silent, now they had to stand united against this external threat.
Danzo looked around, knowing his advantage was lost. Even if he released the hostages now, his only destination would likely be Konoha Prison. But Danzo felt no regret. Although this operation had been fraught with variables, Danzo firmly believed he was not wrong.
Sakura Haruno's icy, savage aura was not something that could be formed in a day or two. This proved she had been hiding her true nature all along.
Her ruthless cruelty towards enemies excited even him, the head of Root. She was, quite simply, a perfect killing tool.
Unfortunately, she was not cultivated by Root. Therefore, Danzo had to eliminate her, to eradicate all threats to Konoha.
He didn't know if threatening her with her parents would work, but if she once again revealed that savage, icy aura and killed a few Konoha ninja, Danzo was confident he could get most of the ninja present to stand by his side.
Sakura Haruno, in a daze, seemed to hear her father and mother calling from a distance. She gently released her grip on Junko's collar and, with light steps, began to walk towards her parents.
The shouts in her ears irritated Sakura. She just wanted to go to her parents, but a hand blocked her, holding her immobile.
She turned her head blankly and saw it was Master Tsunade. Her mouth was opening and closing, as if saying something to her, but Sakura couldn't hear anything.
Gently, she pushed Master Tsunade's hand away and continued walking forward.
The moment Sakura pushed her away, Tsunade was sent flying backward as if struck by a cannonball.
"Lady Fifth Hokage!!" The surrounding ninja, recovering from their shock, rushed towards where Tsunade had been flung.
"Wh-what?!" The Third Hokage stared in astonishment at Tsunade flying backward. He hadn't seen Sakura make any punching motion, just a gentle push...
"Stop!" Danzo, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, barked. "One more step closer, and they die here!"
Sakura Haruno looked at Danzo and halted, about a hundred meters away, gazing at her parents ahead.
"Father, Mother!" Sakura called out.
Both had been unconscious until Danzo brought them out and woke them. They looked at the scene before them, not knowing what had happened. But after listening for a while, they realized their presence here was somehow related to their daughter, Sakura.
Sakura hadn't been home for several months, and they had already harbored some suspicions. They had wanted to ask Karin, but Karin had stuck to the excuse of Sakura being on a long-term mission.
So, they had tried to inquire privately, but being civilians, and with a gag order on the matter, they hadn't found out anything. Now, listening here for some time, they understood.
"S-Sakura..." Mebuki Haruno looked at Sakura's tattered appearance, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
"Mother..." Sakura just called out dazedly, her emerald eyes seeming to have lost their color. Two clear streams of tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Hahaha... Sakura, seeing you alive, I'm relieved," Kizashi Haruno said, seemingly without any awareness that he might die at any moment.
"Father..." Sakura's eyes seemed to have lost their earlier anxiety.
"Don't cry. You look better when you smile. Hahaha... You've always smiled so little since you were young. Girls should smile more..." Kizashi joked unhurriedly.
"Is... is that so..." Sakura forced a pained smile.
"Sakura... where have you been these past few months? Have you... have you been eating well...?" Mebuki Haruno, seemingly influenced by her husband, stopped her tears and asked Sakura.
"I... I'm fine, Mother..." Sakura replied woodenly.
"Th-that's good..." Mebuki Haruno could no longer hold back; the tears she had just managed to stop flowed anew.
"Chatting time is over!" Danzo suddenly interjected. He then took out a kunai and threw it towards her. "Sakura Haruno, if you want to save them, you know what to do!"
"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!" The Third Hokage formed seals, and Monkey King Enma, wearing a Konoha forehead protector, appeared on the scene.
"Danzo, in my capacity as the Third Hokage, I declare: you have disregarded village unity, framed a ninja of this village, and incited war... You are hereby designated a rogue ninja!" the Third Hokage roared. "ANBU, on my command, rescue the two civilians and apprehend Danzo!"
"Root members!" The Third Hokage then shouted to the Root members opposite him, "Danzo has been designated a rogue ninja! Release the civilians in your hands, or you will all be treated as rogue ninja!"
"Danzo, hmm..." Enma surveyed the situation and sighed. "Sarutobi, I told you long ago not to grant Danzo too much power. You never listen..."
"I was wrong, old friend," Sarutobi said. "But now we must deal with the present situation."
The Root members remained completely unmoved. Just as the ANBU were the Hokage's private soldiers, Root was likewise Danzo's private army.
Sakura Haruno tremblingly picked up the kunai embedded in the ground. Her eyes were vacant, her mind a complete blank. From the beginning of this ordeal until now, Sakura had lost the ability to think.
"Sakura!" Kizashi Haruno suddenly spoke. "I believe in you. You haven't done anything to betray the village. We've known everything about you since you were little. You are our pride..."
"Ugh... Sakura, I... I believe in you too. To... to be your mother, I... I'm truly so happy... You must take good care of yourself..." Mebuki Haruno was already choking on her sobs, her words broken and intermittent.
"Honey, don't let our child see you like this," Kizashi Haruno said softly to Mebuki with a wry smile.
"Mm... I... I know..." Mebuki Haruno looked at Sakura, who was holding the kunai, and couldn't stop her tears.
"...Mebuki, if there's a next life, I'll definitely become a ninja who can protect you..." Kizashi Haruno said, his eyes finally glistening with tears.
"Me... me too..." Mebuki Haruno finally managed to compose herself.
Danzo had been watching Sakura Haruno intently, but hearing the couple's conversation, his expression changed. Not good, he thought. He hadn't expected them to be so resolute. Before he could even order his subordinates, two squelching sounds were heard.
Two jets of blood spurted from their necks, and they slumped to the ground.
Seeing Sakura Haruno safe and sound, Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno had already found peace in their hearts. For months, though they had acted normally, Mebuki, this outwardly strong woman, would often cry in Kizashi's arms at night.
They couldn't get any news from the village, and Karin's evasive answers had cast a dark cloud over their hearts.
Perhaps Sakura had already died on a mission – this was the conclusion they had both eventually reached. That was why, for these past few months, they had endured immense grief, pretending everything was normal, trying to transfer their thoughts of Sakura towards Karin.
Seeing Sakura today, besides the mixture of joy and sorrow, they also understood their current predicament. Although Danzo called Sakura a rogue ninja, Lord Third and Lady Fifth were clearly on their daughter's side.
And they themselves were being used as bargaining chips to threaten Sakura. Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno couldn't bear to see their daughter take her own life. To avoid burdening her, the only way was to make the bargaining chips disappear. Seeing Sakura Haruno standing before them, whole and unharmed, had already fulfilled their deepest wish; they had both believed their daughter had perished on a mission.
"Damn it!" Danzo's expression changed drastically.
Seeing Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno dead, the Third Hokage took the lead and charged forward with his ANBU.
However, just as a major battle was about to erupt, everyone suddenly heard a muffled sound like distant thunder.
Thump-thump.
A sound like a heartbeat made everyone's own heart feel as if it were being squeezed. They all stopped in their tracks, clutching their chests as they half-knelt on the ground.
"Wh-what is this...?" The Third Hokage's face was pale. Gritting his teeth, he looked around, trying to understand what was happening.
Thump-thump!
Another heartbeat, like a muffled thunderclap, resounded. This time, it wasn't just the Third Hokage; everyone's face turned deathly pale. Danzo's summoning animal and the Third's summoning animal both vanished in puffs of white smoke, their summonings dispelled.
"What's going on?" The Third Hokage forced himself to stand, enduring the discomfort, and asked.
THUMP-THUMP!!
Another heartbeat, no less powerful than before, rang out.
"Old man, what's happening?" Tsunade rushed over from a distance. Though her face was equally pale, the Yin Seal on her forehead had already dispersed.
"I... don't know..." the Third Hokage said, propping himself up on the ground and waving his hand weakly.
"This... this is..."
Suddenly, a somewhat terrified voice came from behind Tsunade. Tsunade turned to see it was Junko.
"What happened?" Tsunade asked, grabbing Junko's shoulders.
"Th-this... th-that... th-there..." Junko was so terrified she couldn't form a complete sentence, pointing ahead.
Tsunade followed Junko's pointing hand.
"S-Sakura..." Tsunade saw Sakura standing motionless in the same spot.
"Wh-what's going on?" Tsunade asked Junko. "That sound just now... could it... could it have come from Sakura?"
"Y-yes... I... I don't know..." Junko had lost her composure, stammering, her eyes fixed intently on Sakura Haruno.
"What exactly is happening? Answer me! What's wrong with Sakura?" Tsunade said, shaking Junko's shoulders.
"You... look..."
"Look at what?" Tsunade turned her head to look again and was astonished to find that the plants around Sakura were withering at a visible rate. The light of the dawn sky seemed to distort, swirling around Sakura Haruno.
"This... what on earth is this..." Tsunade had never seen such a sight.
"Tsu... Tsu... Transformation..." Junko muttered, her face a mask of extreme terror and disbelief as she uttered the word.