Minato Namikaze drew in a deep breath, both furious and shaken.
As Hokage, he had sworn to make the village better, but now it was painfully clear—he had not done nearly enough.
Thinking of Danzō's crimes, a surge of rage burned within him.
"This will never be allowed!"
"Fugaku, Kazuyama! Take a squad and seize Root's headquarters immediately!"
"Midori, while Kazuyama was searching for evidence, Root ambushed him. They're all sealed away by his Crystal Release now. Take a team and bring back every Root member trapped in crystal."
"Shikaku, you're coming with me to face the three advisors. We need answers!"
Minato's determination was absolute. Seeing this, Kazuyama Gekkō felt deeply reassured. He had placed his trust in the right man. Sure, Minato could be a little dramatic at times, but as Hokage, he was without question the strongest pillar to lean on.
Uchiha Fugaku's face brimmed with killing intent. He would see justice done for his clan. Kazuyama Gekkō needed no further reason—bringing Danzō down was a task he was eager to take on.
Once it was over, he swore he'd head straight to the Land of Waterfalls to drink with Orochimaru. Both master and disciple had been thoroughly disgusted by Danzō.
Soon, the three groups set off on their respective missions.
Kazuyama Gekkō didn't send Fugaku with the Police Force but instead went to the ANBU, gathering five squads. Among them were Kakashi and Shisui.
"Kakashi, look—that's Sensei, isn't it?"
"Yeah, no mistake. Something big must be happening, or Sensei wouldn't be leading the squad himself. And the other one—you recognize him too, right? That's your clan's leader."
Uchiha Shisui spotted Fugaku as well. Normally, the Uchiha clan had no dealings with the ANBU. They handled village security, while ANBU carried out covert and extreme missions—two entirely different worlds.
But today, Shisui was witnessing something unthinkable: Kazuyama Gekkō and Uchiha Fugaku walking into the ANBU together.
When all fifteen ANBU assembled, Kazuyama Gekkō spoke first.
"What comes next is for you to carry out without question."
"Move out. Target: Root headquarters."
Root headquarters?
The ANBU were all veterans. They immediately understood what this meant.
They were going to move against Root?
Root was a force that operated solely in the village's shadows. It belonged entirely to Danzō—and Danzō himself was a senior elder of Konoha.
If this order had gone to ordinary shinobi, they would have hesitated. After all, this was a strike against their own.
But ANBU were different. Their sole purpose was to execute missions. And with Kazuyama Gekkō as their instructor, who regularly "educated" them about Danzō and Root's so-called achievements, their mindset had long since been shaped. That was the power of indoctrination.
Led by Kazuyama Gekkō and Fugaku, the ANBU soon arrived at the Root base.
But to their surprise, it was completely deserted.
"Where are they?"
"No idea..."
Kazuyama Gekkō and Fugaku exchanged a glance, an ominous feeling rising within them.
"Search everywhere!"
"Don't leave a corner unchecked!"
"Senjutsu: Coiling Serpent Technique! Tagitsuhime, come forth and aid me!"
As the ANBU spread out, Kazuyama Gekkō entered Sage Mode. The moment Tagitsuhime's crimson chakra flared into being, he quickly summoned her to assist with sensing.
Sage perception was overwhelming—she could scan even multiple Root bases in an instant.
"Kazuyama, there's no one here. Not a single living soul."
"What? Are you sure?"
"What? You don't believe me?"
Tagitsuhime materialized in human form beside him, clearly irritated.
How dare this fool doubt her senjutsu?
"No, I'm just shocked."
"That bastard Danzō... he abandoned his base and fled?"
"But where could he have gone?"
Kazuyama Gekkō frowned, while Fugaku's face darkened in frustration. He had been ready to fight Danzō to the death—and now he was told the man had fled?
The ANBU quickly completed their sweep. With no one inside, it didn't take long.
"Captain Kazuyama, no one here."
"Same here. Not a soul."
Kazuyama Gekkō already knew the answer. With no choice, he ordered the squad to pull back. He and Fugaku then returned to the Hokage Building.
...
Inside the Hokage's conference room, Minato Namikaze and Shikaku Nara stood before the three advisors.
"We've always known about Root's existence."
"Danzō's methods may be extreme, but in the end, they were for the village."
"Isn't it improper to target Root so directly?"
Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly.
Beside him, Koharu Utatane nodded in agreement. Only Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent.
"Advisors, Danzō's actions have long exceeded what is acceptable."
"Human experiments, other projects, even interfering with the orphanage—none of it can be tolerated."
"Not to mention the countless deaths his schemes have caused. Are those deaths something you're prepared to condone?"
Minato Namikaze's usual warm smile was gone. His presence now was like a drawn blade, his words cutting straight into the crimes of Danzō.
"And you, Advisor Sarutobi—the First Hokage's Cell Cultivation Project. You signed off on it, didn't you?"
"Yes, it succeeded. But how many lives were lost in the process?"
"I intend to correct this mistake."
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Minato, Danzō has indeed crossed the line. But he is still one of the village's pillars."
"I agree to disband Root, but I hope you won't push him to the edge."
"I'll speak with him myself and do everything I can to restrain him."
At this point, it wasn't surprising that Hiruzen still wanted to shield Danzō.
The Second Hokage's guard platoon had once been six strong. With Uchiha Kagami already gone, the remaining five shared a bond that had never faded.
Even after all his wrongs, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't bring himself to kill Shimura Danzō.
"But the truth is, once the village learns what Danzō has done, even with your protection, he may still be beyond saving."
Nara Shikaku rubbed his forehead. The situation was too tangled, too exhausting for him to even want to think about.