Danzo stood within the underground ROOT headquarters beneath Konoha. Before him, an eye floated in a jar—its pale iris dimmed, blackened veins trailing across its surface. He stared at it, the once-mighty tool now spent. In its place, a new Sharingan gleamed within his eye socket. A worthy replacement, perhaps. But like all powerful tools, it brought both opportunity and peril.
Since bringing her to ROOT and ordering her not to return to Yumegakure, she hadn't woken up once. Convenient, as it gave him time to recover his chakra reserves and replace a tool that had exhausted its purpose. She didn't deserve a real name. 'Oni' would suffice—a useful alias for a useful weapon.
With a clearer mind, he reviewed what had been said the night before: an imminent attack on Konoha, guided from the shadows by a being so monstrous that even legendary entities like the Sage of Six Paths were allegedly intervening. That he still lived after such claims unsettled Danzo. But the sages hadn't yet appeared on the mortal stage. He would instruct Oni to manage that threat once he had personally evaluated it.
For now, it was far more reasonable to assume the attack involved Akatsuki. They had proven their capacity to challenge entire villages. If they were indeed moving against Konoha, Tsunade—and now that tiresome Jiraiya, who'd recently started showing up nightly at Tsunade's private quarters—might intervene.
All Danzo had to do was delay. If Naruto's summon from Mount Myōboku could be disrupted—if one of his agents could eliminate the messenger toad—then it might buy enough time. Not a complete solution, but it would sow chaos. And from that chaos, his roots would reshape the future. One tree, one world, one rule—his.
Then he felt it—a tremor from the surface. It had begun.
ROOT operatives swiftly gathered around him in the command chamber. Among them stood Oni—now awake—kneeling like the rest.
"Torune," Danzo commanded, "informed all operatives that we will not interfere in this attack. Recall all active units and secure the compound." His voice echoed like judgment itself. Torune vanished in a blink.
"Shino, you will head to the Hokage's location. Watch for the opportunity to eliminate the toad silently." He tossed him a marked token. "That seal will let you bypass the barrier's chakra filters. Use it wisely."
His gaze shifted to Oni. Reports from Tsunade's office indicated she still had access to Yumegakure's intelligence channels.
"Oni… what do you know about this attack?"
She hesitated—likely because she believed he already knew. Then, realizing this wasn't a test, she answered:
"I'm not entirely sure. But if events continue as they have, the one attacking the village is Pain—the leader of Akatsuki. Once he confirms Naruto isn't here, he'll likely unleash his power and devastate the village."
Danzo had seen her earlier report to Tsunade detailing Pain's abilities. He recalled her attempt to form a strike team for Amegakure. He had stalled that initiative through his own influence—and even manipulated some capable shinobi away from Konoha. Likely, Akatsuki had used Shino's intel to pick their timing. The irony was sharp.
If what Oni said was true, Konoha was in deeper trouble than expected. Structural damage of that magnitude—mass casualties—none of it fit his original plan.
"Fu," he said, without raising his voice, "join Torune. Relocate civilians and genin-level shinobi to shelters. No combat. Evacuation is the only priority."
Oni spoke up, hesitantly. Her tone was tight with urgency.
"It has to be the shelters farthest from the center. The mountain ones—they're safest."
Fu gave her a brief look.
Danzo nodded. "You heard her. The rest of you, follow Fu. This mission takes precedence." With that, the room emptied again.
He exhaled, gathering his thoughts. He knew she had removed the Hyūga seal. Shino's report mentioned her bloodline had mutated. Supposedly, her perception now exceeded the normal range ot the Byakugan.
"Oni, you're with me. We're going to observe this from the top of the Hokage Monument. I trust your vision can spot the battlefield from there?"
"Yes, Danzo-sama," she replied flatly.
"Good. Follow me. Report everything you see."
He turned and began swiftly moving, Oni trailing close behind. He hoped, truly hoped, that this crisis might be navigated without having to rebuild the village from ashes. But if it came to that—he would. With his roots deeper than ever.
<<<< o >>>>
The first rays of morning light were beginning to creep over the rooftops of Konoha. Yet the calm of dawn was an illusion—mere hours before, not only had the hidden shadows of Konoha stirred, but the forces of Akatsuki had been set into motion.
Like a sharpened blade, Pain sliced through the village's outer defenses and its night patrols with clinical efficiency. Armed with valuable intelligence, his precision was lethal—none of the shinobi on duty survived the silent purge.
Standing at the edge of the village's detection barrier, Deva Path spoke, his voice as cold and mechanical as ever, steeped in deep-seated wrath and judgment. Beside him stood the other five Paths of Pain, flanked now by the Edo Tensei forms of Kakuzu and Hidan.
"As expected," Deva Path said flatly, "there is a barrier that detects intrusions. We will divide into two groups. The first group will cause destruction, drawing Konoha's forces toward us. This group will include Kakuzu, Hidan, Deva Path, Asura Path, Animal Path, and Preta Path."
Kakuzu merely grunted, already cracking his knuckles. Hidan smirked and slung his scythe lazily over his shoulder. "Sounds like fun."
Deva Path continued, unmoved. "The second group will extract intelligence on the shinobi of Konoha while hidden beneath the chaos. Once we confirm Naruto Uzumaki's location, we will begin the next phase."
Hidan raised an eyebrow. "And what about Konan?"
"Our sources have reported that Konoha has gained information they shouldn't possess. They may attempt to strike the Outer Path. Konan will remain as a safeguard in case they attempt such a move."
Without another word, Asura Path grabbed Animal Path and launched her through the barrier with a devastating arc. Her landing cracked the ground beneath her, and she immediately began summoning allies: a giant centipede, a multi-headed dog, an enormous rhino, a massive ox—all materializing in waves.
Rather than attacking immediately, the group scattered. Each Path of Pain fanned out into the village streets, spreading like a slow-burning poison. Their goal was clear: maximum, calculated devastation.
It wasn't long before the first squads of Konoha shinobi spotted the intruders. One Chūnin raised a red signal flare high into the sky—only for five more to erupt across the village in synchronized warning. Confusion turned to horror. "There are multiple intrusions...! They're everywhere!"
The first unit to reach Asura Path attempted to engage him in the narrow merchant district. "Form up! Trap him in the alley!" shouted a senior shinobi. But the moment they closed in, Asura's arms unfolded into cannon-like appendages. A volley of missiles screamed into the street, vaporizing the squad in a burst of fire and shrapnel. The explosion blew through walls, igniting entire shops and homes in a chain reaction. Ash coated the air.
Another unit confronted Deva Path at the center plaza. Their captain tried to restrain him with Earth Release bindings while two others flanked him with kunai. Deva raised a single hand—"Shinra Tensei." The shockwave exploded outward, turning the plaza into a crater. Bodies were flung like ragdolls. Buildings collapsed inward.
Animal Path tore through Konoha's south training field, summoning chaos. A summoned rhino gored through the walls of the academy, scattering instructors. A centipede erupted from below, splitting the earth near the hospital courtyard. The multi-headed dog cornered a Genin squad and tore through their defense tags like paper.
One desperate Jonin managed to signal HQ through a falcon scroll: "We're outmatched. These are not ordinary attackers—they're monsters wearing human skin."
Panic erupted. Civilians, shinobi, and children alike awoke to fire, crumbling stone, and summoned beasts thundering through the streets. The alarm bells finally rang—too late.
And the day had only just begun.