Root's Reckoning
Huge flames surged through the dark forest bordering Konoha.
At first, it was the outer patrol units who noticed the smoke. Then word spread—within minutes, much of Konoha was aware that something was burning near the village outskirts.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was resting at home when his wife, Biwako Sarutobi, stirred him awake.
"Hiruzen… look outside," she said sharply.
Groggy at first, Sarutobi rose slowly. But when he glimpsed the distant blaze coloring the night sky red, a chill settled over him.
That section of forest wasn't random. If memory served, it bordered one of Danzo's concealed Root facilities.
His expression darkened. "This can't be natural," Hiruzen muttered. "The wind is still tonight, yet the flames are spreading with intensity. It's not a wildfire… it's ninjutsu."
Worse, he remembered clearly: Danzo had repurposed that sector for sensitive human experimentation. It was off the books, and even Hiruzen had chosen to turn a blind eye—for the sake of Konoha's "security."
But recently… Uchiha Kai had been digging.
Orochimaru, after his exposure during the Chūnin Exams, had also let slip troubling hints. Though the Sandaime didn't fully trust him anymore, Orochimaru had mentioned a certain Uchiha poking around the wrong places. Uchiha Kai. And behind Kai stood Uchiha Fugaku—silent, cautious, but no fool.
Hiruzen had braced for a political backlash. He'd even arranged for the Yamanaka clan to prepare memory scans, just in case. Yet… the Uchiha hadn't made a move—at least not openly.
That silence had lulled Hiruzen into thinking Fugaku was indecisive. Weak, perhaps. He'd believed Kai was trying to bluff for leverage—maybe for a negotiation.
"Hmph," Hiruzen exhaled. "If they think this gives them an advantage, they're mistaken."
Still, as always, he acted carefully. He'd instructed Danzo to clean house weeks ago—move the equipment, reassign personnel, encrypt the records. Even the most sensitive documents were supposedly sealed in Danzo's personal vault.
That should've been enough.
But the fire tonight suggested otherwise.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter," he said flatly.
An ANBU in black knelt before him—one of Danzo's loyalists, reassigned to Hiruzen's direct command after Root's official disbandment.
"Report," Hiruzen ordered.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. The fire is being fueled by chakra. It's ninjutsu-based—very likely a large-scale Fire Release. Too dangerous to enter right now."
"And the Security Division?"
"They've surrounded the area. Multiple Uchiha are present. They came well-prepared."
Hiruzen's brow twitched.
"It is them then," he murmured. "Go on."
"One more thing… someone from the Uchiha clan requested a formal search warrant this afternoon. It was authorized by Lord Fourth."
"…Minato?"
The ANBU hesitated. "Also… we've confirmed that Orochimaru was seen entering that forest tonight. It appears he clashed with the Uchiha forces."
"Orochimaru!?" Hiruzen's tone sharpened. "Was the site evacuated?"
"Yes, my lord. Lord Danzo's men had already cleared the facility. There are no critical assets left."
Sarutobi relaxed, if only slightly. Danzo had kept his word. For now.
Despite their personal tensions, Sarutobi knew he and Danzo had a mutual understanding. They had been comrades since the First Shinobi World War. Over the decades, their bond had soured, sharpened, yet remained intact.
In the political arena, they could oppose one another. But as old soldiers and leaders, they remained allies when it counted.
Still, tonight was dangerous.
"What does Danzo intend to do?" Sarutobi asked, voice calm but cold.
"He says he awaits your directive."
"Hmph." A thin smile crept across Hiruzen's lips. "So he's growing restless too."
He rose from his chair, straightened his Hokage robes, and took up his staff.
"Inform Danzo. We'll observe the situation together."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Elsewhere, at the Namikaze Residence
Minato Namikaze stood silently on his balcony, gazing at the distant blaze. His eyes reflected the flickering flames.
"…It's begun," he murmured.
Behind him, Kushina Uzumaki emerged in her nightclothes, rubbing her eyes. Her pregnant belly showed clearly in the moonlight.
"Minato? What's going on? Is that a fire?"
He smiled gently. "Go back to sleep, Kushina. I'll check it out."
"You're smiling too much," she said, squinting. "It's serious, isn't it?"
He chuckled. "You always see through me."
"I don't care what it is," Kushina said firmly, crossing her arms. "Just don't die. I'm not raising this baby alone, got it?"
Minato nodded, touched by her protectiveness. "I promise. It's not a war, just… politics."
"You sure about that?" she muttered. "Don't make me come after you."
"I'll be back before you know it," he said, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "Kai already gave me a heads-up."
"…He better not get you killed."
Minato gave a light laugh. "I don't think that's his plan."
But once she'd gone back inside, his smile faded.
Uchiha Kai hadn't said much—just requested a warrant. No details. But Minato had read between the lines.
The location was one that Sarutobi had shielded. Root operations. Off-limits even to him.
And Kai had marched straight in.
'He's forcing their hand,' Minato realized. 'And if Fugaku's involved… then this is a coordinated strike. They're exposing Root's secrets publicly—forcing transparency.'
It was a gamble.
A risky one.
But it was also a rare chance to dismantle what remained of Danzo's shadow empire.
Minato's eyes sharpened. "If the old guard takes the bait, this ends tonight."
He vanished in a flash.
Midair, he created four shadow clones.
"One to the forest," he ordered. "The others—go to Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Hyuga Hiashi. We need eyes, minds, and leverage."
He knew the risk of splitting his chakra this way. But he also knew: this was the night the Hidden Leaf would change.
And Uchiha Kai had just lit the match.