IMPORTANT WARNING: I warn all readers this chapter is very intense, and if you don't want to see very difficult moments, don't read the chapter and I'll put a short summary at the end.
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The streets of Konoha were calm under the moonlight, but tension gripped Hinata with every step she took under the guise of the enigmatic Oni. Shino guided her along a discreet path, past ANBU patrols, until they reached what looked like an ordinary house in the village's suburbs. There, Shino sat carefully, and Hinata joined him.
She could clearly sense the mental and spiritual strain he carried—knowing he had been used to betray his allies. She felt his protective instinct toward her, yet he remained silent, visibly struggling to organize his thoughts. She could feel his soul slowly trying to realign itself, returning to its true shape.
"He'll be here as soon as possible. We are waiting for him here…" Shino murmured.
"Who is he? And why are you so sure he'll help?" she asked gently, trying to steer his mind away from the guilt that gnawed at him after Shikashi's influence.
"He's a specialist in information flow. He might help us turn what I leaked into something useful—maybe even into a victory for Konoha." Shino's voice drifted, lost in a sea of memories and guilt.
"Then let's talk. Start with me. I'm sure it will help you sort through things—and you're not alone." She extended her hand, which he took with a firm but gentle grip—seeking stability in her presence.
"I was with Kiba and Akamaru, and Rugen, a Jonin from Kumo. We went to rescue Yugito Nii, a Jonin captured by Akatsuki. We reached the Fire Temple… but the monks attacked us when we told them our purpose. I hadn't noticed it before, but their eyes—they were red, too dark. When we reached the temple's heart… no one saw it coming. I saw him. The Red Monk. It was as if he stood before me… and no one else could see. His burning eyes stared into my soul, and in that instant, my darkest thoughts rose up—my inferiority, fear, jealousy, greed, pride—all swirling uncontrollably. When I looked at him, everything made sense… a kind of sense I couldn't explain, but it felt right. When he asked me for information about Konoha—its shinobi, its news, ways to secretly transmit that info—it sounded like a brilliant idea. I wanted to help him. Everything felt perfect… until you… you freed me."
"Don't worry, Shino. You're not alone. Let's go over everything you shared with this… Red Monk," Hinata said calmly.
Time passed as Shino recounted events and Hinata remained his anchor during that storm of memory and remorse.
But suddenly, someone appeared as if torn from the air—a man, old, dark-haired, with a Sharingan in his right eye. That eye began to spin—Mangekyō.
In that instant, Hinata felt his presence. Danzō Shimura.
She tried to move—her body didn't respond. Her muscles froze. Her senses dulled, as if drugged. She realized Shino was holding her firmly, keeping her seated. She extended her awareness—she could feel insect-marked traps throughout the house. Kinchaku insects. The same technique Shino had once used during their training in Yumegakure.
And then came the order: "You serve Danzō Shimura."
His words shattered the mental walls she had built. The power of her gray soul was not enough. His insidious presence seeped into her mind. Her eyes spun. Her soul screamed. Shino's protective will wavered. And her mind couldn't stop asking why.
And those very doubts gave Kotoamatsukami more power.
…She saw her desperate childhood—but he was there, guiding her. He gave her her first qualstaff. He stood by her when her family ignored her. He taught her when no one else did. He gifted her Kuro to be her companion.
NO… THAT'S A LIE!!!
…She saw how he had secretly taught her to realign her chakra. How he had supported her when her father was absent. He taught her to separate emotion from action… to feign weakness and draw others into her trap.
NO, ALL FALSE!!!
…She lived a version of her past where he led her step by step into Team 8. At night, she would go to his house instead of the Hyūga's cold halls. By then, she had become his secret agent—one of his shadows.
ENOUGH!!!
…He orchestrated her mission to approach her next target: Takama Gin. The Chunin Exams stripped everything from her—her bloodline blocked—but then Michel appeared. He was there… and he worked for Danzō. He was proud of her, his secret agent. He had trained her other half to serve as well.
HHHAAAAaaaa…
…Danzō saw potential in her. Despite her kindness, despite being broken and chakra-less, he believed she could still serve the village and its dream. He deceived Takama, a man with a good heart, and manipulated the Hyūga into allowing the adoption.
…
…When she learned of the future Michel had brought, it was Danzō who helped her understand it.
..
…Thanks to Danzō's teachings, she grew. Using deception and subtlety, she learned to adapt. Takama acted like a true father—but every step he took was Danzō's will. From the shadows, he moved Orochimaru to accept Takama's offer.
.
…He named Yumegakure, the land of his dreams. He allowed her to rule it as his proxy—for his will… and the world's.
She fought, every moment, every idea, every thought, every emotion... all her ties one by one, she fought for all of them... but every turn she found more losses than victories, every victory led to a hundred defeats.
One by one—thought by thought—memory by memory—growth by growth—everything was rewritten to create one absolute truth:
SHE SERVES DANZO SHIMURA.
That was… and would always be… her only truth.
<<<< o >>>>
Danzō could barely believe the resistance this girl had shown to his Kotoamatsukami. He had truly felt her push back against the power of his Mangekyō. He was forced to mobilize every ounce of chakra within his body just to maintain the Dōjutsu. When it was over, he knew he had succeeded… but the cost—his eye was now blind, exhausted beyond its limit. Still, if the information he'd received was accurate, it was a small price. With this young girl under control, Yumegakure no Kai was in his hands.
Shino knelt beside Hinata, still holding her hand. His array of seals had been flawless. The venom administered through his kinchaku insects had worked perfectly. When Danzō launched his attack, she was completely vulnerable. And yet… she fought. She resisted so much that even Danzō had trouble believing it. This technique was meant to be perfect. But now, at last, she will serve.
"From now on, you will maintain your identity as Oni under my service. Is that understood?"
Her silver eyes, clouded and unfocused, slowly found him… and with great effort, she bowed before him. "Danzo-sama, it will be done."
Shino bowed beside her, and Danzō noticed tears streaking down his cheeks—perhaps remnants of the man he had once been. It didn't matter. Everything was under control now.
He leaned heavily on his cane, his body nearly drained of chakra. "Shino, you reported that a Red Monk used a technique to make you spy for him, and that Oni located and removed this technique, correct?"
Shino, still kneeling, replied, "Yes, sir. This monk forced me to relay information to him in secret… but the pattern changed. When I informed him of Sasuke Uchiha's presence in the village, he told me to monitor all the shinobi—names, ranks, numbers. It seems he's planning something around these dates."
"Oni… do you have anything to add about the situation?" he asked. After all, she had detected and eliminated the Red Monk's influence. Perhaps she knew more.
"Nothing you're not already aware of, Danzo-sama," she replied slowly. The drugs were still coursing through her system… but her answer—it unsettled him.
"Assume I know nothing. Report everything, Oni."
"Danzo-sama… is this a test?" she asked, genuinely perplexed.
The moment she sensed his rising irritation, her tongue loosened.
"…He is the incarnation of Shikashi—the Soul Horror that seeks to devour this reality and everyone in it. Your plan is already underway. Hamura and Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki have agreed to it." She said it with complete composure.
"…"
Danzō's mind froze. This girl had just mentioned someone who wanted to destroy the world… and the Sage of Six Paths… in the same breath?
What had he gotten himself into by trying to use her?
He could feel his legs trembling, chakra-depleted, at the mention of things far beyond his understanding.
"Oni… I forbid you from returning to Yumegakure until further notice. Shino, you as well. Both of you, come with me to Root. We'll rest there, and I'll consider our next steps. Shino, remove the poison from Oni."
Both bowed lower, replying in unison: "Danzo-sama."
Shino immediately began injecting antidotes into Oni's neck.
Danzō could feel the pounding in his skull—pain and confusion colliding.
An attack on the village loomed, led by a force he couldn't understand. And somehow, this girl… this girl worked for the Sage of Six Paths.
And now, he was caught in the middle.
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Summary Chapter 223: Shino tricks Hinata into a trap and weakens her with poison and seal arrays. When Danzō appears, he unleashes the full power of his Mangekyō Sharingan, using Kotoamatsukami to implant a single command into her soul: "You serve Danzō Shimura."
The strain of the Jutsu blinds his Sharingan, but he succeeds—Hinata succumbs to the rewritten truth. However, Danzō quickly realizes that this was no ordinary girl. As she speaks, he learns that she knows of Shikashi, a being called the Soul Horror, who seeks to devour all existence. Not only that—she claims that Hamura and Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki have already aligned with a plan to stop him.
Now, Danzō finds himself with a weapon he doesn't fully understand, caught in a web that stretches far beyond Konoha, Akatsuki, or even the elemental nations.