"Kira, who exactly are you?"
Uchiha Itachi stared at Naruto and suddenly asked.
Although Naruto had always shown concern, piecing together clues that exposed Konoha's corruption, the fact remained—he was a stranger. And strangers could not be trusted so easily.
"Me? Just a good-hearted passerby," Naruto replied with a smile.
"There's no such thing as someone that kind," Itachi shot back coldly.
"Itachi, your paranoia is showing. Just remember this—whatever suspicions you carry, don't let them show on your face. Hiruzen and Danzo are old foxes. Don't let them see through you."
Naruto chuckled, left that warning behind, and vanished.
"This guy… he must be from the village," Shisui muttered. "He cares too much about Konoha."
"Big Brother Shisui…" Itachi said softly.
"Don't worry, I won't act rashly," Shisui replied, his voice calm yet laced with loneliness. "I'll stay vigilant… and see with my own eyes if Konoha is really as rotten as he claims."
Itachi had no answer. His thoughts circled endlessly around a single word: extermination. Over and over, like a nightmare.
"No. Impossible," Itachi finally muttered. "No matter what, no one can force me down that path." He firmed his will.
"Damn the Third Hokage. Damn Danzo. Why couldn't you just wait until I was strong enough?"
Meanwhile, Naruto stood before the entrance to the Root base.
He lingered in the shadows, anger simmering hotter with each breath.
Even if his deductions were only guesses, every instinct told him the same thing: whatever Konoha's tragedy, the hand behind it was Danzo. Shimura Danzo was the root of all evil in Konoha—the cancer that would never let the village heal.
As long as Danzo lived, Konoha would never know peace.
Soon enough, Danzo emerged with a group of Root operatives.
His face, as always, was sour and joyless, radiating venom. Even when addressing his subordinates, his arrogance was plain—he did not treat them as people, but as tools.
"Kotoamatsukami… that ability must be mine," Danzo muttered under his breath. "With it, I can suppress the Nine-Tails, seize control of Konoha, ascend to the Hokage's seat, unify the shinobi world, end the endless wars, and bring true peace."
His voice was cold, but his ambition burned hot.
"Shisui… don't blame me. For peace, your sacrifice is necessary."
Danzo's expression was unmoved, but his heart raced with greed. He could hardly wait to summon Shisui and rip his eyes from his skull.
The Mangekyō Sharingan… a power born of blood, unparalleled.
Just picturing the future brought a rare smile to his lips. The plan wasn't even in motion yet, but he already believed in his victory. His new eyes, the Hokage's seat, unifying the shinobi world—it was all within reach.
Hiruzen, you've sat on that throne long enough. It's my turn.
"Who's there?"
One of the Root shinobi, an Aburame, suddenly stiffened. His insects were restless, buzzing frantically in warning.
The Root operatives instantly spread out, surrounding Danzo.
Danzo's brow furrowed. "What is it?"
"Lord Danzo, my insects are reacting violently. Something nearby is terrifying them. They refuse to approach that direction." The Aburame pointed toward the darkness ahead.
Danzo narrowed his eyes. "Come out. You've already been discovered."
Here at the Root base, surrounded by his men, he had no fear. Even if a Kage-level opponent appeared, he was confident he could crush them.
Then a hoarse voice echoed through the dark:
"The source of all evil… must die."
Danzo's blood ran cold.
A figure in pitch-black armor slipped through the encirclement without effort, appearing an arm's length from him.
"Red Sun's Kira…?" Danzo muttered, pupils contracting. He instantly leapt back, retreating like lightning.
Impossible. Kira, missing for more than a year, had returned—and come straight for him.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Waves—!"
Danzo's hands blurred into seals, his Kage-level reflexes near-instant. Dozens of spinning wind blades roared toward Naruto.
But Naruto merely clenched his fist and swung once.
The blades shattered instantly, breaking apart into harmless gusts.
"Wait—we can talk about this—" Danzo tried to stall, forming more seals, but his words were cut short.
In a blink, Naruto was in front of him. His black-clad fist swelled monstrously, blotting out Danzo's view like a mountain crashing down.
"I'm dead…"
The thought barely flickered through Danzo's mind before despair claimed him.
Too fast. Too strong. No chance.
Boom!
The fist connected. Danzo's head burst apart in a spray, and his body dropped like a ragdoll. Dead beyond doubt.
"Hmph. The source of all evil deserved no less," Naruto growled, scanning the Root operatives.
Then, with a flash, he vanished.
Relief washed over him. For the first time, he felt at ease.
As for the consequences—ruining Shisui's fake-death plan, triggering who-knew-what chain of events—Naruto didn't care.
Nothing was more satisfying than killing Shimura Danzo.
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