With Shimura Danzō's arrival, a large number of Root operatives surrounded Tsunade and Kitazawa.
Tsunade gave them a glance and stopped paying attention.
First, she trusted her own strength.
Second, she was certain Danzō wouldn't dare make a move.
And in fact, he didn't.
As much as Danzō wanted to give the order to kill them all, he forced down the impulse. He couldn't bear the consequences of killing Tsunade. Odds were he'd have to pay with his own life. Even if it didn't come to that, he would permanently lose any chance of becoming Hokage.
"Tsunade!" Danzō demanded, his tone displeased. "You forced your way into a Root base and injured Root operatives. Do Konoha's rules mean nothing to you?"
He looked righteous, but he was anything but calm inside.
This wasn't his first time dealing with Tsunade since her return. She never picked a fight without a reason. Last time, she barged into a Root base to rescue Aburame Torune—and while she was at it, she reported his noncompliant recruitment practices, which cost him a large chunk of his manpower.
So what was it this time?
This "Root base" was, bluntly, Shigaraki Tanuki's laboratory. His "Gozu Tennō Experiment" involved Hashirama's cells. If Tsunade learned that and it reached Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzō wouldn't escape punishment. Even Hiruzen didn't know about Shigaraki's Gozu Tennō work.
"I should be asking you that," Tsunade shot back with a snort, then pointed at the nearby lab. "What experiments are happening in there?"
"Whatever they are, they have nothing to do with you," Danzō said, heart lurching but face unmoved. "This is Root. You have no authority here."
"They're my grandfather's cells. Do I have authority over that?"
"What cells? I don't know what you're talking about." Danzō's hand tightened on his cane.
Had she found out ahead of time?
A flicker of killing intent flashed through him and died just as quickly. Killing Tsunade inside Konoha would be sheer madness. He couldn't do it.
Use Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō technique—Kotoamatsukami?
Now might be the best opportunity. She'd come alone, after all.
As for Kitazawa, Danzō dismissed him out of hand. In his eyes, a Special Jōnin couldn't stir up real trouble.
"Still won't admit it?" Tsunade actually laughed in anger. "Fine—if you don't know, let's ask someone who does."
"What do you mean?" Danzō's eyes narrowed.
Only two people knew the Gozu Tennō experiment best: himself and Shigaraki Tanuki.
Could it be more than Tsunade and Kitazawa had broken in?
Useless fools!
Right then, a commotion rose from the lab. A gust swept by, and Uchiha Itachi appeared before everyone, an unconscious Shigaraki Tanuki dangling from his hand.
"An Anbu?" Danzō's face stiffened at Itachi's attire.
An Anbu's presence meant Tsunade and Kitazawa's actions had Hiruzen's approval. As far as Danzō knew, only Hiruzen could command the Anbu. He suddenly felt caught riding a tiger—no easy way off.
"Anything to say now?" Tsunade looked at Danzō and smiled coldly.
"He's a researcher under me," Danzō said after a beat. "I don't know how he offended you, but it's true I failed to keep a tight rein on him. Kill him!"
His tone swung mid-sentence, ending cold and lethal.
"You dare?!" Tsunade hadn't expected him to act like that; shock and anger flashed across her face.
Root operatives only took orders from Danzō. The moment his words fell, they unleashed their attacks on Shigaraki. Itachi, standing right beside the man, was also swallowed by the barrage. The Root didn't care about his life.
Itachi reflexively opened his three-tomoe Sharingan. He seized Shigaraki and was about to evade when a spiraling water wall rose around them on all sides.
"Sharingan?" Danzō's heart jolted—he now knew which Anbu this was. Very few Uchiha had ever joined the Anbu.
He hesitated, torn. With Itachi here, using Kotoamatsukami would be messy. Realizing that, his hesitation curdled into rage.
In front of the water wall, the ground heaved up into an earthen rampart carved with two dog heads—and Danzō's own face.
"Bastard!" Danzō slammed his cane down, his expression dark. "Are you looking to die?"
"What? You don't like it?" Tsunade burst out laughing when she saw it, her mood lifting. "It's a tribute. You should be honored."
Kitazawa shot her a sideways look. Since when did she start stealing his lines?
"Tsunade, you go too far!" Danzō shook with fury.
If there had been three portraits of him, he might have taken it as respect. Two dog heads and one of him was a pretty clear message: he was no better than a dog. In his mind, Kitazawa didn't dare do that on his own—it had to be Tsunade's idea.
"Stop!"
A familiar voice rushed closer from afar.
Danzō's face soured, a chill running through him. It was Sarutobi Hiruzen.
His chance to eliminate Shigaraki evaporated. No matter how bold he was, he couldn't kill someone in front of Hiruzen—and certainly not a Konoha shinobi.
"What's going on here?" Hiruzen strode forward, Shizune and eight Anbu at his back.
"Hokage-sama." Itachi bowed at once.
"You don't know what's going on?" Tsunade said, displeased. "You're the Hokage, and you don't even know what Root is experimenting on?"
Hiruzen's heart sank.
Had Danzō not given up on Wood Release?
Back when Hiruzen took the only Wood Release survivor, Yamato, he'd warned Danzō to stop. The mortality rate was too high. Both the official village program and Danzō's private one with Orochimaru had cost many lives—the former volunteers, the latter abducted victims.
"Danzō," Hiruzen said, fixing him with a stare, "what exactly have you done?"
A suffocating pressure rolled over them. Danzō's body trembled. For a moment, he saw the dashing, domineering shinobi Hiruzen had been in his prime.
Danzō had endured for years because he'd always been under Hiruzen's thumb. As Hiruzen aged, that pressure eased. But right now, it felt like the old days again.
"See for yourself." With Danzō silent, Tsunade casually tossed Hiruzen a scroll.
Hiruzen unrolled it slowly. It was the scroll Itachi had handed over earlier—the materials on the Gozu Tennō experiment.
Seeing it wasn't Wood Release, Hiruzen let out a hidden breath. If it had been, today could have gotten truly ugly.
But the Gozu Tennō experiment wasn't something he could wave away either.
"Danzō, I want an explanation."
Hiruzen threw the scroll back at him. One glance told Danzō all he needed to know.
No wonder Tsunade was so hard-line—they already had evidence.
"Hiruzen, everything I've done is for the sake of Konoha!" Danzō blurted. "If the Gozu Tennō experiment succeeds, the village will—"
"Enough." Hiruzen's face didn't change. "That's not what I asked."
"…"
Danzō swallowed the rest. He knew Hiruzen well. At this point, the man wouldn't hear any justification—especially with Tsunade standing right there. With proof in hand, Hiruzen had to act as an impartial Hokage.
"I did violate the village's rules," Danzō said through clenched teeth. "I'm willing to accept punishment."
If explanations were useless, he'd eat the loss. At least he knew Hiruzen's soft heart—how bad could the punishment be?
"Effective immediately, all Root experiments are canceled," Hiruzen said, stone-faced.
"What?" Danzō's eyes bulged. "Hiruzen, you can't! Those experiments will give Konoha a powerful edge!"
"For Konoha?" Hiruzen's voice cooled. "From where I'm standing, they only serve Root. This is not up for discussion."
"That's all the punishment?" Tsunade cut in. "Old man, the prime culprit is Shimura Danzō."
"Tsunade! Don't push it," Danzō snapped, color draining from his face.
"She has a point," Hiruzen said, drawing a long breath. "Root is dissolved. Danzō is removed as its head."
"Hiruzen!" Danzō stared in disbelief. "Are you insane?!"
Tsunade arched a brow and held her tongue. As much as she wanted Hiruzen to arrest—or even execute—Danzō, she knew that wasn't happening. Dissolving Root was still a solid win. Without it, Danzō would be a commander with no troops.
Itachi clenched his fist, barely restraining a laugh. Danzō's leverage over the Uchiha had been Root and his high rank in Konoha's leadership. With Root gone, he no longer had the manpower to suppress the clan. Half of Shisui's vengeance was done. The rest, Itachi figured, would have to wait until Tsunade became Hokage.
"I think you're the insane one," Hiruzen said to Danzō. "You know exactly what you've done. If not for your past service to the village, this would be more than dissolving Root."
The decision had started as a snap call, but it felt right. Root had flouted Konoha's rules too many times. Hiruzen had tolerated it because, as Hokage, he could keep Danzō in check. But if Tsunade took the hat, her temperament meant she'd clash with Danzō and Root constantly. That would invite ridicule from outside and turmoil inside.
Between Tsunade and Danzō, Hiruzen chose the former. To avoid future trouble, he'd cut Root now.
"You… you…" Danzō stumbled back half a step. He heard the clear threat behind Hiruzen's words.
Was this the Sarutobi Hiruzen he knew?
"Haru," Hiruzen said, giving Danzō no room to maneuver, "pull every Anbu in the village right now. Seal Root first, then clean house."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Haru vanished.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!" Danzō roared, eyes bloodshot, a storm of anger and grief boiling inside. He'd struggled half his life, only to lose everything in a day. With Root gone, the Hokage's chair drifted even farther away. He might outlive Hiruzen, but Tsunade?
Impossible. Once Tsunade became Hokage, he'd have no chance left.
No. He couldn't let that happen. He had to stop her.
"You're getting old. Go home and rest," Hiruzen said, meeting his eyes with a sigh.
Danzō blinked. For once, he didn't hear the usual "Danzō, I am the Hokage." That abnormality only underscored how serious this was.
Old, was he?
He turned and left without another glance at Hiruzen.
If you're ruthless, don't blame me for being heartless.
Hiruzen watched him go and shook his head. He hoped his old comrade would finally settle down. Konoha was thriving; he couldn't allow Danzō to stir up chaos.
"Tsunade," Hiruzen said, turning to her, "I promise no one will ever use the First Hokage's cells for experiments again."
"You'd better keep that promise," Tsunade said with a cool huff.
"I'll have the Sealing Corps reinforce the First's tomb right away," Hiruzen added after a moment's thought.
Kitazawa's mind flashed to Orochimaru. Would he still use Impure World Reincarnation to summon Hashirama? With Orochimaru's skills, if he truly wanted to steal something, the Sealing Corps might not be able to stop him.
"Mm." Tsunade's stance softened. Hiruzen was doing what needed to be done; she had no more to pick at, even if Danzō's brazenness ultimately stemmed from Hiruzen's favoritism.
"Old man, I'll leave this to you. I'm heading out," Tsunade said, waving a hand.
The faint smell of blood in the air made her uncomfortable. Thankfully she hadn't seen the gore directly, and Kurama Yakumo's treatment had been effective, so she felt fine.
"Once Root is handled, I'll have Anbu bring you the detailed outcome," Hiruzen said, knowing her temperament and letting it rest there.
"Kitazawa," Tsunade called, striding off.
"Excuse me, Hokage-sama," Kitazawa said, hurrying after her.
Shizune followed too, a little aggrieved—was Tsunade not calling for her these days?
"Itachi," Hiruzen said, eyes back on the young Uchiha, voice stern, "tell me everything you know."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Itachi recounted the whole sequence.
Hiruzen fell silent in thought. None of this was Tsunade's fault. Danzō had simply failed to cover his tracks, letting Kitazawa sniff something out. Dissolving Root was for the best. In all this, Hiruzen saw again how Tsunade had changed. She was almost certainly the Fifth Hokage—indeed, the only real choice.
Once they left the Anbu base, the light outside seemed brighter.
"What's your take?" Tsunade drew a deep breath. "Also, the air out here is much fresher."
"Hokage-sama handled it very fairly," Kitazawa said.
"And?" Tsunade gave him a look. "Speak freely in front of me."
"Given Danzō's personality and his hunger for the Hokage's seat, you'll be the person he most wants to eliminate," Kitazawa said, voice low. "This isn't the end. It's the beginning."
"You're right," Tsunade said, clenching a fist. "Seems I need to cure this hemophobia sooner rather than later."
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. So she really had changed her thinking. Then again… of course she had. She was already entangled in a struggle with Danzō. Even if she wanted to duck out, he wouldn't let her—not after she'd ruined his plans again and again. That never happened in the original story.
"As long as I'm in Konoha, he won't dare act," Tsunade said, then added, "It's you I'm worried about—be careful when you're outside the village."
"I understand," Kitazawa said, wincing inwardly. Root might be disbanded, but a centipede doesn't stiffen just because it's dead; Danzō still had resources to call on. Fortunately, Kitazawa was no pushover now. He could handle Root operatives, and even if Danzō came himself, he could at least get away.
"Call me to go with you when you head out," Tsunade said after a brief pause. "If you're free this afternoon, have Yakumo come treat me."
"I'll get her right away," Kitazawa replied. He wanted Tsunade cured as soon as possible. If she really took Danzō down, even if she didn't want to be Hokage, people would push her into it.
By afternoon, while Kitazawa and Kurama Yakumo worked on Tsunade's hemophobia, Konoha's top brass and major clans were in an uproar—the news that Root had been dissolved was everywhere.
At the Konoha Police Department, Uchiha Fugaku suddenly let out a hearty, booming laugh. Sitting in his office, it felt like joy had fallen out of a clear blue sky. He'd never imagined the Root that had given him headaches for years would be disbanded—without him lifting a finger.
"Clan Head," Uchiha Tekka coughed and asked, "how should we Uchiha respond?"
"Do nothing," Fugaku said, sobering. In his view, Tsunade had already become the true center of Konoha. Danzō and Root had long been universally hated.
With Root gone, many shinobi and clans now owed Tsunade a favor. Given her illustrious background, sidelining Hiruzen wouldn't even be hard. If the Uchiha tried to rebel now, they'd face a remarkably united Konoha. The odds of success were basically nil.
Thinking it through, Fugaku realized the year Uchiha Shisui was still alive had been their best window. But it was precisely Shisui's death that brought the Uchiha clan's plans for rebellion to an abrupt halt.
~~~
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