The chill of the late autumn night bit at Itachi Uchiha's exposed skin, a familiar sensation he had long gotten used to.
He stood silently on a rooftop overlooking the darkened Uchiha district, his weasel ANBU mask impassive, his senses alert. Tonight was supposed to be the night of the clan meeting, the night Shisui would attempt his desperate gamble with Kotoamatsukami to sway Fugaku and avert the coup.
Itachi had agreed to Shisui's request to stay away, to avoid being scapegoated if Fugaku's mind suddenly changed. The waiting was a torment, a tight knot of anxiety in his stomach.
He was eleven years old, an ANBU operative barely half a year into his tenure under Kakashi-taichō in Team Ro, yet already burdened with secrets that could tear his village and his clan apart. He knew about the surveillance on his own people, a necessary evil he tried to rationalize. He knew his father was leading the Uchiha down a path of self-destruction. And he knew Shisui, his best friend, his brother in all but blood, was risking everything to stop it.
A sudden, violent flare of multiple chakra signatures erupted from the direction of Fugaku's residence, followed by the unmistakable, immense surge of Shisui's Susanoo.
Itachi's blood ran cold.
Before he could even react, before his training to remain disciplined and await orders could be overridden by the desperate urge to rush to his friend's aid, another, even more potent chakra signature exploded nearby – the blinding, unmistakable yellow flash of the Fourth Hokage.
Then Kakashi-taichō's familiar chakra signature. Konoha ANBU. Root ANBU. It was chaos.
Itachi remained frozen, torn. His orders were to remain clear of the Uchiha assembly. Intervening directly in whatever was unfolding at Fugaku's house, especially with the Hokage himself present, could compromise everything. But Shisui…
Just as he tensed to move, a different ANBU operative, wearing a dog mask, flickered into existence beside him. "Weasel-san," the operative said, his voice toneless. "Emergency summons. Hokage-sama requires all available loyal ANBU to rendezvous at Sector Gamma-7 immediately. Code: Crimson Root."
Crimson Root. Itachi knew the code. It was a contingency plan, rarely discussed, for dealing with extreme internal threats, specifically… Danzo Shimura's Root organization. What in the world had happened? Had Shisui's attempt somehow exposed Danzo?
"Status of Uchiha Shisui?" Itachi asked, his voice carefully controlled beneath the weasel mask, betraying none of the turmoil raging within him.
"Compromised. Condition critical. Hatake Kakashi has extracted him to Konoha Hospital under direct Hokage orders," the operative reported succinctly. "Your orders are to join the primary assault force. Hokage-sama and Sandaime-sama are leading."
Shisui compromised. Critically injured.
By Root.
The pieces slammed together in Itachi's mind with sickening clarity. Danzo had moved against Shisui. Stolen his eyes? Tried to kill him? The clan meeting, Kotoamatsukami – it was all secondary now.
Danzo had shown his hand, committed open treason.
A cold fury, an emotion Itachi rarely allowed himself to feel, began to smolder deep within him. "Understood," he replied, his voice devoid of inflection. He followed the ANBU, melting into the shadows, his mind racing.
He arrived at Sector Gamma-7, a discreet ANBU rallying point near the hidden entrances to Root's subterranean headquarters, to find a tense, focused gathering of Konoha's most elite.
Minato stood at the forefront, his usual warm demeanor replaced by an aura of icy determination, his blue eyes possessing a hint of rare anger. Beside him, Hiruzen Sarutobi, no longer the gentle retired elder but the formidable 'God of Shinobi' from wartime legend, his expression grim, his chakra already gathering.
Kakashi-taichō was there, his posture radiating a barely suppressed fury, his single visible eye fixed on the hidden Root entrance. Several other ANBU captains and trusted Jonin were present, their faces set, their chakra signatures thrumming with readiness.
"Weasel, report," Minato acknowledged Itachi's arrival with a curt nod.
"Ready, Hokage-sama."
"Good," Minato said, his gaze sweeping over the assembled shinobi.
"Listen up. Intelligence confirms Danzo Shimura has committed high treason. He orchestrated an attack on Uchiha Shisui tonight in an attempt to steal his Mangekyō Sharingan. He succeeded in taking one eye before Shisui was rescued. Shisui is currently in critical condition."
Itachi felt a fresh wave of cold rage.
"Danzo has utilized Root operatives for this illegal action, confirming Root remains active and operational outside Hokage authority," Minato continued, his voice like chipped flint.
"This ends tonight. Our objective is to infiltrate Root headquarters, neutralize all resisting operatives, and apprehend Danzo Shimura. He is to be taken alive if possible, for interrogation. If he resists capture with lethal force, respond in kind. Root, as an illegal organization operating against the interests of Konoha, is to be dismantled. Any operative who surrenders will be detained. Any who resist will be eliminated."
The orders were brutal, unequivocal. This wasn't a political maneuver, this was a purge.
"Hiruzen-sensei and I will lead the primary breach," Minato stated. "ANBU teams Alpha and Beta, you will secure the upper levels and cut off escape routes. Team Ro," he looked directly at Kakashi and Itachi, "you are with me and Sandaime-sama. Your objective is Danzo himself. We move on my signal."
Itachi nodded, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his ninjatō.
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Minato gave the signal.
The assault began with terrifying speed and precision. Hiruzen, his movements belying his age, slammed his Adamantine Staff into the concealed stone entrance to Root headquarters, shattering it with a roar of displaced earth and stone.
Minato flashed inside instantly, followed closely by Hiruzen, Kakashi, Itachi, and the rest of Team Ro, with other ANBU teams fanning out to secure the perimeter.
The interior of Root was a labyrinth of cold, damp stone corridors, lit by flickering, foul-smelling torches.
Resistance was immediate, and fanatical. Root operatives, their faces hidden behind blank porcelain masks, emerged from hidden alcoves and side passages, attacking without warning, without hesitation, without a sound beyond the clash of steel and the grunt of impact.
They moved with unnerving coordination, their Taijutsu styles brutal, efficient, designed to kill or incapacitate quickly. They fought like puppets, devoid of fear, driven by Danzo's ingrained will.
Minato and Hiruzen carved a path through the initial defenders. Minato was a golden blur, his Hiraishin kunai appearing and disappearing neutralizing Root operatives before they could even fully react.
Hiruzen moved with the deceptive power of a seasoned master, his staff a whirlwind, deflecting attacks, shattering limbs, his elemental jutsu erupting with controlled fury, collapsing tunnels to block reinforcements or trap enemies.
Team Ro operated as a cohesive unit around them.
Kakashi, intercepted attacks aimed at the Hokages, his Raikiri carving through Root defenses. Itachi, despite his youth, moved with deadly grace, his own Sharingan predicting enemy movements, his ninjatō flashing. He fought with a cold, focused rage.
But Root was deeply entrenched. The corridors twisted and turned, designed to confuse and isolate attackers. Traps were everywhere – pressure plates triggering kunai volleys, tripwires releasing poison gas, illusionary walls concealing hidden passages or ambushes. The fighting was brutal, close-quarters, often decided by a single, perfectly timed strike or a fatal misstep.
Itachi saw ANBU comrades fall, caught by hidden traps or overwhelmed by sheer numbers. He saw Root operatives fight to the death, even when clearly outmatched, even when grievously wounded, their loyalty to Danzo absolute. The Tongue Eradication Seal prevented them from screaming, from surrendering information, turning them into silent, fanatical weapons.
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They finally breached a large, reinforced steel door, Minato using a focused Rasengan to vaporize the locks. Beyond lay a cavernous chamber, clearly Danzo's central command hub. Desks were overturned, scrolls scattered, indicating a hasty attempt at evacuation or destruction of evidence.
And Danzo was there, standing not with panicked urgency, but with a chilling, almost serene calmness at the far end of the room. He was flanked by only two of his most elite, masked bodyguards, but his stance radiated a dangerous resolve. He held a ninjatō in one hand, his bandaged right eye covered, his one visible eye gleaming with cold, calculating fury.
"Minato Namikaze," Danzo said, his voice smooth, unhurried despite the sounds of battle still echoing faintly from the outer corridors. "And Hiruzen. How... predictable. To see Konoha's leaders resorting to such overt force to silence dissent. Have you no appreciation for the delicate balance of shadows that truly protects this village?"
"Your 'shadows' have become a cancer, Danzo!" Minato retorted, Hiraishin kunai already materializing in his hands, his golden aura beginning to shimmer. "Your attack on Shisui Uchiha, your attempt to steal a Mangekyō Sharingan, your deployment of Root operatives against Konoha ANBU – your treason is absolute and ends tonight."
Danzo chuckled, a dry, rasping sound that held no humor. "Treason? I act only for the strength and security of Konoha, Minato. To shield it from the weakness your sentimentality, and Hiruzen's before you, has allowed to fester. Shisui's power, properly wielded, would have been an ultimate deterrent, a tool to ensure Konoha's dominance. You and Hiruzen are too soft, too idealistic. You lack the will to make the truly hard choices necessary for survival in this brutal world."
"Your 'hard choices' are built on assassination, theft of power, and the betrayal of comrades, Danzo!" Hiruzen Sarutobi growled, his Adamantine Staff thudding heavily on the stone floor, his aged face a mask of righteous anger.
"You have perverted Tobirama-sensei's teachings, twisted the Will of Fire into a justification for your own ambition. Tonight, your darkness is purged from this village!"
"Noble pronouncements, especially coming from you Hiruzen," Danzo sneered, a flicker of genuine contempt in his visible eye. "But empty words will not save you. Actions define reality." He made a subtle, almost imperceptible hand gesture.
His two bodyguards lunged forward, moving with blinding speed, their chakra signatures flaring aggressively.
Simultaneously, with a grinding of stone, hidden panels in the chamber walls slid open, revealing not just a handful, but dozens of blank-masked Root operatives pouring into the chamber, kunai and tanto flashing, forming a defensive perimeter around Danzo, their movements unnervingly coordinated, like a swarm of deadly insects.
Minato and Hiruzen met the initial charge of the bodyguards, their combined power and experience creating an oppressive force.
The battle in the chamber was brutal, chaotic. Root operatives, though individually outmatched by the likes of Minato, Hiruzen, or the elite ANBU of Team Ro, fought with fanatical, emotionless desperation.
Itachi parried a tanto thrust, spinning low to sweep his attacker's legs, then followed with a precise disabling strike to the neck as the Root agent fell. He felt a flicker of movement to his left – Kakashi-taichō, a blur of silver and lightning, intercepting two more Root agents attempting to flank him. The teamwork was instinctive, honed by their ANBU training, but the sheer number of enemies was relentless.
Danzo watched the carnage unfold from the far end of the chamber, his expression unreadable, his ninjatō still held loosely. He wasn't engaging directly, merely observing, assessing, perhaps waiting for an opportunity.
Itachi noticed the way Danzo's visible eye flickered towards the arm beneath his robes.
Suddenly, Danzo moved. Not in retreat, but with surprising speed towards Minato, who was momentarily occupied by a particularly tenacious group of Root operatives. Danzo didn't attack Minato directly. Instead, he performed a series of rapid hand seals.
"Fūton: Shinkūgyoku!" (Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!)
Multiple compressed bullets of wind, near-invisible and incredibly sharp, shot from Danzo's mouth at the supporting pillars of the cavernous chamber. With sickening crunches, several key pillars fractured, groaned, and began to collapse.
"He's bringing the ceiling down!" Hiruzen roared, immediately weaving seals for a massive Earth Style defense. "Doton: Doryū Jōheki!" (Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart!) A thick wall of earth surged upwards, trying to support the groaning ceiling, but it was too much, too fast.
"Everyone, out!" Minato yelled, realizing Danzo's intent – create chaos, separate them, and escape in the confusion. He grabbed Hiruzen, preparing to flash them out. Kakashi and the other ANBU began a fighting retreat, trying to pull back from the collapsing sections.
But Danzo wasn't done. As dust and debris rained down, obscuring vision, he lunged through the chaos, not towards an escape route, but directly towards Itachi. His speed was deceptive, his movements precise amidst the falling rock. His visible eye gleamed with a predatory light.
He clearly saw Itachi, the young Uchiha prodigy, as a primary target for acquisition or elimination.
A kunai flashed towards Itachi's exposed neck. Itachi, his Sharingan struggling to track through the dust and chaos, twisted desperately, the kunai slicing through his ANBU flak jacket, drawing a thin line of blood along his shoulder.
Pain, sharp and burning, lanced through him.
Before Danzo could press the attack, Kakashi intercepted, his Raikiri crackling, forcing Danzo to leap back. "Weasel, you alright?!" Kakashi yelled, deflecting a follow-up strike from Danzo.
"Superficial!" Itachi grit out, ignoring the sting, his Sharingan locking onto Danzo. This was it. The monster who had hurt Shisui, who desecrated his clan's sacred eyes, was right here.
The chamber was now a death trap of falling debris, smoke, and confused fighting. Minato and Hiruzen were occupied shoring up collapsing sections and dealing with die-hard Root fanatics trying to buy Danzo time. Kakashi engaged Danzo directly, their Taijutsu a blur of motion, kunai sparking against Danzo's ninjatō.
Danzo fought with a surprisingly vicious and unorthodox style, combining standard Taijutsu with sudden bursts of Wind Release – sharp vacuums, cutting gales – forcing Kakashi onto the defensive. Itachi saw his chance. While Danzo was focused on Kakashi, Itachi moved, flanking him, his ninjatō aimed for a disabling strike to Danzo's weapon arm.
But Danzo seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He spun, parrying Itachi's strike with his ninjatō, then lashed out with a powerful kick that sent Itachi stumbling back.
"You Uchiha whelps," Danzo sneered, his visible eye gleaming. "So much potential, so easily wasted on sentiment. Shisui was a fool. And you, Itachi, for all your supposed genius, are just another child."
He pressed the attack on both Kakashi and Itachi, his movements surprisingly agile for his age. He seemed to be everywhere at once, his ninjatō a silver blur, Wind Release techniques erupting without warning.
Minato, having momentarily stabilized a section of the ceiling with Hiruzen's help, saw the danger his two young ANBU were in. "Jiraiya-sensei should have arrived by now!" he muttered, frustration clear in his voice. He had sent an emergency signal via a pre-placed toad messenger when the assault began. Where was he?
Just as Danzo managed to disarm Kakashi with a well-aimed wind bullet and prepared to land a decisive blow, the far wall of the chamber exploded inwards.
"Senpō: Goemon!" (Sage Art: Bath of Boiling Oil!)
A colossal wave of superheated oil and searing flames surged into the chamber, engulfing several remaining Root operatives and forcing Danzo to leap back with surprising speed, his robes smoking. Jiraiya stood in the breach, Shima and Fukasaku perched on his shoulders.
"Took you long enough, sensei!" Minato yelled, a grin finally breaking through his grim expression.
"Had to make a dramatic entrance, brat!" Jiraiya boomed, his eyes immediately locking onto Danzo. "So, Danzo. Still skulking in the dark and thinking your someone important? Some things never change."
Danzo glared at Jiraiya, then at Minato, Hiruzen, Kakashi, and Itachi, who were regrouping. He was surrounded. The escape tunnel he'd prepared was likely buried under tons of rock from Hiruzen's earlier Doton jutsu. His forces were decimated.
"You think you have me cornered, Toad brat?" Danzo sneered, his visible eye gleaming with a desperate light. "You underestimate the lengths I will go to for Konoha's true strength."
He tore open the bindings on his right arm, fully revealing the grotesque sight underneath. An arm pale and scarred, embedded with at least ten Sharingan eyes, all now snapping open, their tomoe spinning.