The arrival of Lady Hinata Gin, the Iron Princess, did not go unnoticed. Though unannounced, her presence commanded attention, and I—Reizan, Daimyō of the Land of Fire—was genuinely pleased to receive her. My beloved wife, Lady Sumire, stood beside me, equally curious about the reputation that preceded the young emissary. If I felt any regret, it was only that my eldest son was not present to witness the occasion. I had a strong suspicion he would have found her as fascinating as we did.
As we guided our guest through the corridors of our residence, adorned with art and history, she made a remark that at once pleased me deeply:
"I've heard many stories about your gardens, Lord Reizan. They say they're a living treasure, with flowers from every corner of the continent. I'd love to see them with my own eyes."
I straightened with pride. "Ah, yes. The camellias from the Land of Tea are in bloom this season, right beside the Mist lilies. My gardeners tell me they've never been more splendid."
Lady Sumire smiled gently. "We would be delighted to show them to you. It's a place dear to us both."
Then Hinata, in her graceful manner, took a small step forward. "Would it be too much to ask if the lunch could take place there? I hope I'm not disturbing protocol, but today is a beautiful day and I think it would be unforgettable."
Sumire nodded before I could answer. "That would be lovely."
"Indeed," I said. "Such elegance deserves an equally refined setting. It will be an honor."
And so it was arranged. Preparations moved swiftly, and with great care. Patrols were redirected. The attention of every guard and servant shifted to the the most beautiful corner of the palace gardens, where flowers glowed under the falling sun—and where Hinata's true intentions quietly began to unfurl.
As the orange light bathed my family's prized garden, I couldn't help but feel content. My father had begun this place as a legacy, a symbol of peace and diplomacy through flora. I had continued that legacy.
Lady Hinata arrived in an immaculate kimono of white and silver, reflecting the last rays of sunlight. Her elegance was undeniable. Her presence noble. I noted quietly that my son would certainly be interested in her… but that thought was fleeting, overtaken by her conversation. She spoke to us of her travels across the elemental nations, sharing observations that revealed a sharp, insightful mind. My wife and I were both impressed—enchanted, even.
But then, just as the meal reached its peak, she set down her teacup with serene finality.
"Lord Reizan," she said with a respectful bow of her head, "I've heard disturbing rumors—ones I believe you deserve to hear directly. And I believe they should be addressed in the presence of Konoha's senior advisors. May I request the attendance of the three Elders? I ask not out of doubt, but in the hope that their wisdom can clarify these concerns."
Her composure was remarkable. Her sincerity undeniable. I glanced at Sumire, who was clearly intrigued. My own curiosity had long been piqued.
"Of course, Lady Gin," I said, setting down my own cup. "I admit I'm eager to hear what troubles you. And I agree—these men should be present."
I issued the summons at once. Homura, Koharu, and Danzō answered swiftly.
We exchanged formalities, and then Lady Hinata spoke—this time with purpose, her voice calm but resonant.
"It is an unsettling coincidence that Akatsuki struck the Hidden Leaf at the precise moment its strongest shinobi were stationed here in the capital. This pattern—this quiet withdrawal of strength—had been happening in secret for months. Many lives were lost. The village was nearly destroyed. It endured only thanks to the sacrifice of many brave shinobi, and the strength of three heroes—Naruto, Sasuke, and Jiraiya—and of course, the Fifth Hokage."
She allowed the words to linger in the garden air.
"I've heard whispers," she continued. "That someone from within the village orchestrated this vulnerability. That someone ensured the guard rotations left them exposed. That someone deliberately weakened the Leaf from within. A person with influence… and access."
Danzō intervened, his voice laden with authority: "These are unfounded accusations—"
But before he could say more, a silver thread flicked from Hinata's sleeve. In a delicate motion, she dispelled the clone in an instant.
Gasps rippled through the gathering. Homura and Koharu went pale.
"Then why," Hinata said gently, "did he not come in person?"
<<<< o >>>>
Deep within the estate of Lord Reizan, hidden beneath layers of stone and secrecy, a Root stronghold pulsed quietly in the dark. There, in the dim chamber lit by flickering chakra lanterns, I—Danzō Shimura—waited. I believed myself cloaked in secrecy, untouched, unreachable.
But she found me.
The doors to my sanctuary did not creak, did not shudder. They simply unraveled—seals shattered and hinges torn away by the silent force of her silver threads. She stepped through like a phantom from another realm. Her presence was unbearable, suffocating. She walked with an eerie stillness, and yet, her body seemed to blur and reappear meters ahead, blinking between space with ghostlike serenity. My hands, now trembling, fumbled with the bindings that held my arm—desperately trying to free the hidden weapons beneath.
My agents—loyal Root shinobi, born of shadow and obedience—hesitated. Their precision faltered. They could feel it too: that she was not just a kunoichi, not just a shinobi of legend. She was something more. And she had come for me.
Silver threads danced across the room, infinite in number and terrible in grace. The air thickened around us as if wrapped in an unseen vice. Her voice came then, soft but sharp, silver eyes glowing with righteous fury:
"You never considered me a threat," she said. "You didn't even bother to learn what I was truly capable of—not when you violated the sanctity of my soul. I don't blame you. Even Shino didn't know the full extent."
I activated my second Sharingan, its red glow cutting through the haze. "Coming here was a mistake," I snarled. "You'll die here, foolish girl."
She stopped mere meters away. My forces, snapping out of their fear, unleashed a barrage of elemental jutsu—flames, lightning, stone, and illusion. They passed through her, all of them. As though she was smoke, or more precisely, something that defied their reality.
Then, the ceiling exploded.
Her silver threads tore through stone like it was paper, and before I could react, they wrapped around me—countless, cold, and inescapable.
"I know this won't kill you," she said, her voice like ice pressed to the skin. "But I hope it hurts. The rest… I leave to them."
The world blurred. I was hurled skyward with terrifying force.
Mid-flight, I tore away the wrappings from my arm, revealing the stolen Sharingan embedded along it. I reached for a jutsu—any jutsu—but my mouth wouldn't move. My tenketsu had been sealed. Clever witch.
I grit my teeth and summoned what chakra I could. A single hand sign. Izanagi.
One eye gone. Pain surged. But I survived the impact.
I crashed into the earth like a meteor, a crater blooming beneath me. Groaning, I rose slowly.
Waiting for me at the crater's edge were two figures: Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka, their bloodlust thick in the air.
And behind them—her.
Hinata Gin.
With that damned spectral wolf and her serpent beside her.
Shino stepped forward, eyes hidden behind his glasses, but his voice steady and sharp:
"We've been expecting you."
So… it was finally time.
<<<< o >>>>
Danzō rose slowly from the crater, his breath ragged. On his arm, one of the Sharingan closed forever, consumed by the Izanagi. His remaining eyes darted rapidly, analyzing the terrain with desperation.
In front of him stood Kiba Inuzuka, and at his side, Shino Aburame maintained a serene stance, arms crossed, silent as death. Further back, I watched. I did not move, but the shadows of my silver threads stretched across the earth like living roots, making it clear to him that there was no escape. Beside me, Mitsue and Kuro followed the battle attentively.
"We were waiting for you," said Shino, his voice as flat as it was sharp.
Danzō tensed. He knew he was cornered, but he wouldn't fall without a fight. "Insolent children," he spat, unleashing a gust of wind from his right arm. "Show me you're more than noise!"
Kiba didn't respond. As soon as his hand touched Akamaru, the two fused into their two-headed werewolf form. Both heads looked at Danzō with pure disdain before launching like a projectile. In a blink, Kiba crossed the distance. Danzō barely managed to form a seal and coat his sword in wind chakra, but the attack was faster: a spinning fang tore through his abdomen, splitting him in two. His body vanished like smoke.
Danzō reappeared several meters away. Another eye closed.
"Did you think one was enough?" Kiba growled. "I won't stop until I'm satisfied."
The next attack was even more brutal. Kiba unleashed a combination of Gatsūga and Void Blades, generating slashes of wind and fire. Danzō, a master of wind Jutsu, tried to counter… but it was useless. Kiba's Jutsu, empowered by his wind breathing and Akamaru's fire breathing, cut through his defenses like paper. He barely dodged the first strike, but the next slash crossed his chest and sent him flying into a tree.
"Second!" Kiba roared. Another Sharingan lost its light. Another Izanagi activated.
Danzō no longer spoke. He only fired Void Bullets, projectiles capable of piercing rock. But even those weren't enough. The beast hounding him was too fast.
Danzō tried to use Genjutsu only for one head to release the other before he could make a difference.
The third slash came from behind. Kiba split him open as Danzō tried to escape with a Shunshin. Another eye closed. The fourth came when he tried to plant an explosive seal. Kiba intercepted him with a direct Gatsūga to the chest.
When the next eye closed, Danzō's face showed fear. Real fear.
"Now it's my turn," said Shino, stepping forward.
Kiba stepped back, panting. "I left him in one piece… more or less."
Danzō raised his arm, trembling. "You, Aburame? Come to lecture me?"
"No. Only to extinguish you."
Shino's insects began to move. Danzō didn't see them. But he felt them. In his chakra, on his skin. Shino's form vanished.
"What is this...?" Danzō murmured. "Where are they?"
"Invisible," Shino replied. "Hidden seals in the field camouflage them from your senses. Techniques I've used many times in your service... but today you'll find I've perfected things just for you."
The first kinchaku rose from the ground, draining his chakra. Danzō screamed, trying to repel them with a burst of wind. It was useless. Then he felt something new. A burning pain coursing through his veins.
"Your Hashirama cells ignore common poisons," said Shino. "That's why we used new ones."
Mitsue murmured, "I helped him with those poisons. I learned a lot from Jiren in Yumegakure."
Danzō tried to move, but his muscles were stiff.
"Ha! That one's a slow venom," Mitsue said, "designed to cloud chakra control."
Kuro frowned. "I don't know why they let him waste those eyes… I wanted one for myself."
Danzō roared, "Damn you all!" He released a spiral storm of Void Blades… only to fall to his knees. Another eye closed forever.
He reappeared again. Tried to run. The ground turned to swamp beneath him, created by Shino's Jutsu. And again, the kinchaku swarmed him, laced with new poisons promising a slow death.
"Every move you make accelerates the drain," said Shino.
Danzō collapsed to his knees. Only two eyes remained. And we all knew it.
In a final act of desperation, Danzō activated a seal on his chest. "If I'm going down… you're coming with me!"
Chakra crackled. The seal glowed and consumed everything around it—light, earth, air… and Shino.
But Shino didn't flinch.
A clone.
The real Shino appeared behind the affected zone, his figure emerging from the smoke. "You were never fighting me. Only the judgment you deserved."
And I, from a distance, bowed my head. In silence.
The cycle, at last, was closed.