"What on earth is happening over there?"
Koharu Utatane's voice trembled slightly. The terrifying chakra emanating from that direction made her heart quiver—it felt like the Nine-Tails was rampaging.
Homura Mitokado followed up. "That area… isn't that where the Root headquarters is? What's going on now? Is that Danzō again?"
He immediately assumed it was Shimura Danzō's doing. Although they were old partners, Homura didn't have the rose-colored filter that the Third Hokage did. He was well aware of the messes Danzō had stirred up over the years.
Especially now that the Uchiha clan had turned over a new leaf and were leading everyone toward prosperity, Homura had shifted his suspicions away from them—and that only made him view Danzō's actions as even more excessive.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned at Homura's accusation. "We can't jump to conclusions. It's too early to say Danzō is responsible. What we should do now is head there and investigate the situation."
As always, Hiruzen defended Danzō, his first assumption being that some unknown enemy had attacked Root and Danzō.
Just then, Namikaze Minato reappeared via teleportation.
Everyone turned to him at once. Hiruzen quickly asked, "Minato, what happened over there? Did you find out anything?"
Minato's expression was grim. "Someone attacked the place. They're strong. And..."
He paused, clearly hesitant.
Seeing this, the elders encouraged him to speak freely. Minato sighed and finally said:
"The attacker used Wood Style."
Instantly, the faces of the Konoha F4 darkened. Tsunade, who had been listening nearby, cried out:
"What!? Wood Style!? Minato, are you sure you weren't mistaken? Was it my grandfather's Wood Style?!"
Hiruzen also spoke urgently. "Yes, Minato, are you certain? Maybe it just looked similar? You've never seen Wood Style firsthand. Maybe you're wrong."
Their skepticism was understandable. Wood Style was too significant—it symbolized the very essence of Konoha, known to have been used only by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. It wasn't just power; it was legitimacy.
If someone outside the village possessed Wood Style and was using it to attack Root, it could shake the very foundations of Konoha's identity. In a politically charged environment, such an event would cast doubts on the legitimacy of Hiruzen's leadership.
While Hiruzen didn't fully understand political maneuvering, he'd been Hokage long enough to sense the danger. He instinctively wished the Wood Style user wasn't an enemy.
As for Tsunade, her reaction was pure disbelief—because she knew exactly who the attacker was.
That's right. The man who had always been her grandfather's greatest rival—Madara Uchiha—was now using Wood Style? It was absurd.
When Minato nodded solemnly and confirmed that the jutsu looked nearly identical to Deep Forest Emergence, no one could deny it anymore—even if they hadn't seen it firsthand.
At that same moment, the Nine-Tails was trembling.
As a Tailed Beast, he could clearly sense the immense power of that Wood Style. It wasn't on par with Hashirama's—who once suppressed him single-handedly—but it was still strong enough to be a real threat.
And since the attacker was reportedly Madara Uchiha, the Nine-Tails panicked.
This was the worst-case scenario. Madara, who could control him with a glance, now wielded Wood Style? What kind of nightmare was this?
For the first time ever, the Nine-Tails felt like being sealed inside a jinchūriki wasn't such a bad deal. At least this way, he wouldn't be captured by Madara and kept as a pet.
He quickly shouted at Kushina: "Kushina, whatever you do, DO NOT go over there! You can't handle this enemy! Just follow Kei-dono's plan—don't act on your own!"
Uzumaki Kushina, who had been tending to Rin, froze in surprise at the sudden warning. "What's wrong? What did that old monster Madara do this time?"
"That wicked man... he's mastered the First Hokage's Wood Style!"
Kushina: "!!!"
———
Back in the Hokage Office, Hiruzen's expression darkened. "Why… Why would someone in this era possess the First Hokage's Wood Style—and attack Konoha?"
No one could answer. Everyone fell silent, until Homura finally spoke:
"If my guess is correct, this is Danzō's fault. He must be paying the price for his own sins."
Everyone turned to stare at him. Minato and Tsunade exchanged glances, both startled and confused.
What did he mean by 'sins'? Did Danzō really have a grudge with Madara Uchiha? And why would Homura know this?
They were still processing when Homura dropped a bombshell.
When Hiruzen asked what he meant, Homura calmly adjusted his glasses. The reflection in the lenses gleamed sharply.
"I've said it before, Hiruzen. You've been far too lenient with Danzō. Did you really think he stopped his Wood Style research just because you told him to?"
Hiruzen froze. "What are you saying?"
"You need me to spell it out? Danzō didn't stop. He went underground and continued experimenting in secret. He's more obsessed with Wood Style than anyone else."
Hiruzen's face turned pale. "How… How could he do that?"
Homura snorted. "Why wouldn't he? It's not like there are consequences. Or are you finally going to punish him for abducting people for experiments?"
"I... I—"
Hiruzen couldn't answer. His guilt was laid bare. He had always chosen to trust his old friend, even when he knew Danzō was capable of terrible things.
Minato and Tsunade, meanwhile, sat stunned. It was like listening in on premium content.
Then again—Minato was the future Fourth Hokage, and Tsunade his top aide. So yes, this was their business.
Homura continued his tirade, recounting how Danzō had conducted human experiments in Root to recreate Wood Style. Though he didn't use Konoha citizens, he'd captured people from the Land of Fire and beyond.
Homura hadn't paid much attention at the time, focused as he was on Uchiha affairs. But eventually, he noticed Root shinobi searching frantically. After confronting Danzō, he learned one of the experimental subjects had escaped.
He didn't know if the escapee had been caught. No one cared enough to find out. Not Hiruzen. Not anyone.
After all, Danzō hadn't experimented on comrades. Just outsiders.
In the twisted world of shinobi, no one cared about outsiders. Not even Tsunade, a healer who should've had compassion, seemed concerned with the victims' lives—only the consequences of Danzō's overreach.
Remember: in canon, Orochimaru wasn't hunted for human experiments. He was hunted for experimenting on Konoha citizens.
Had he only targeted outsiders, he'd have been left alone.
Minato, however—perhaps due to Kei's influence—was disgusted. Even if they weren't enemies, capturing innocents for experiments was a monstrous act.
Still, he said nothing. He lacked power and influence. There was nothing he could do… yet.
So he stayed silent and watched the elders' "performance."
Homura concluded that the current attacker must be the escaped test subject, having awakened Wood Style and now returning for revenge.
The logic was sound—and very "shinobi world." Revenge fueled much of their culture. Grudges led to war. The cycle never ended.
Even now, peace was tenuous. The Third Great Ninja War loomed on the horizon, fueled by hate.
Minato and Tsunade exchanged looks again—this time deeply conflicted. They had been trying to cover for Madara. And now Homura had served up a perfect excuse for them.
In truth, his theory wasn't wrong. If there had been a Wood Style test subject who escaped, it would make sense for them to return and seek vengeance.
As for Danzō—he had escaped Root with a few elite guards. Shocked and enraged, he too assumed it was the escaped test subject.
After all, there *had* been such a person—a Wood Style user who fled Root, their body ravaged by Hashirama's cells.
Their face and body had become grotesque. They had to wear a mask to hide their appearance.
And now, the attacker wore all black and a spiral-patterned mask—matching perfectly.
How did Danzō know what the attacker looked like?
Simple. Madara Uchiha had appeared directly in front of him.
He had been tracking Danzō through White Zetsu. Every move was exposed.
And when Danzō saw Madara, he jumped to the wrong conclusion.
"You… You're that escaped test subject! How dare you master Wood Style—*my* rightful power!"
The Root shinobi beside him tensed. But Madara remained silent.
Had his face not been masked, one might've seen a giant question mark.
Still, Madara was no fool. He instantly realized what Danzō meant.
He *had* seen that failed test subject before. They had died not long after escaping. Their body gave out. White Zetsu had retrieved the corpse and delivered it to Madara for study.
It wasn't a total loss—he gained some minor insights into Wood Style.
Now, seeing Danzō mistake him for that failure, Madara could only sigh internally.
But he had no reason to correct the mistake. This man was already doomed.
Standing tall in his black cloak, his spiral mask hiding the Mangekyō Sharingan underneath, Madara pressed his palms together.
Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!