A stack of explosive tags was slapped onto the wall.
Although the barrier here was set up by experts from the barrier squad, it wasn't as strong as the "Four Violet Flames Formation," which is a powerful defense barrier. This one was merely a multifunctional barrier meant to prevent people from using Earth Style techniques to sneak in and serve as an early warning system. Naturally, it couldn't withstand the destructive power of over ten stacked explosive tags!
"Boom!!"
With a deafening explosion, the barrier was, of course, destroyed.
The intruder didn't immediately leap through the newly blown hole. Instead, they stood still, calmly formed hand seals, and five water clones appeared beside them. Without any words, the water clones transformed using the Transformation Technique, took the already prepared explosive tags from the original's hands, and headed in different directions. They were to create distractions at various points to divert the attention of the guards.
Then,
The intruder turned to the ninja dog lying at their feet.
"Pakkun! I'm counting on you."
"Kakashi, do you really know what you're doing? You're playing with fire!" Pakkun looked up at Kakashi, who was no longer the boy he once knew, his voice full of concern.
The intruder—Kakashi—nodded lightly, his voice calm and composed. "I know. This is revenge. Although it's a little late... I think my father probably wouldn't blame me for being slow or foolish. He might even scold me for taking unnecessary risks. Pakkun, my father was so kind—why did they force him to die?"
Pakkun remained silent.
It couldn't answer this question.
Even though the ninja dogs had intelligence comparable to humans, they were still not human. They didn't understand human morals or emotions, so the love, hate, and conflicts between humans were beyond their comprehension.
All Pakkun could do
was help Kakashi achieve his goal.
That was the contract between a ninja and their summoned beast.
"Follow me!"
Pakkun was not a combat-type summon. Small in stature, its expertise lay in sensing. Its "Scent Tracking Technique" could track enemies' movements even underground. Using the Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique, Pakkun dove underground, leading Kakashi behind it, skillfully avoiding the guards rushing in from various directions. Even though they took a longer route on purpose, they successfully shook off the pursuing guards.
By the time the water clones caused commotion in different locations, drawing the guards' attention,
Kakashi's real body had silently arrived outside the cell where Danzo Shimura was being held.
There were guards at the door.
But oddly enough, there were no Uchiha or Hyuga; only two ordinary Anbu stood at the entrance. This was something Kakashi observed with his Sharingan. He didn't believe there was any trick that could deceive the insight of the Three Tomoe Sharingan.
"Pakkun, do you sense anything?"
"No, there are only three people's scents here—assuming no barriers are blocking the flow of smells."
Hidden in the shadows, Kakashi thought for two seconds and made up his mind.
Trap or not, he could only push forward. He had come this far, and there was no turning back.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
The attack came from below.
Caught off guard, the two Anbu were buried underground with only their heads exposed. Before they could struggle or resist, a pair of scarlet Sharingan eyes appeared in their vision, and, realizing their peril, their consciousness involuntarily sank into darkness.
The two Anbu were dealt with.
From here on, there were no more obstacles.
Kakashi used Earth Style to enter the cell, where he saw Danzo Shimura lying on a wooden bed, emaciated and looking like a dried-up corpse. Although he resembled a corpse, Kakashi's Sharingan detected the faint flicker of chakra still within his skeletal body.
Danzo Shimura was still alive.
Even though he appeared to be on the verge of death!
But he was indeed still alive. His body still breathed, and his chakra still flowed... although he was also definitely dying.
"Kakashi, he's almost dead!"
Pakkun's exceptional sense of smell easily picked up the overwhelming scent of decay on Danzo's body.
"Even without your intervention, he won't last much longer."
"Danzo Shimura has already been sentenced to death. Even without me, he's doomed!" Kakashi drew the small short sword he had brought. This was a gift from his father when he was promoted to chunin at the age of six. Unfortunately, his father's short sword was broken and lost during the Third Great Ninja War.
Otherwise, it would have been more fitting to use that blade.
He wiped the blade of the short sword, which he hadn't used in a long time. This was a top-quality, specially made weapon by Sakumo Hatake. Despite the years, it was still as clean and sharp as new, with no trace of rust. The cold, gleaming blade even reflected the deep hatred and anger in Kakashi's eyes!
"I know Danzo Shimura is as good as dead. I could even apply to be the executioner. But... that would be the village's execution of Danzo Shimura. What I want is revenge—for my father's death!"
"And besides, just Danzo isn't enough!"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly as fresh memories surfaced in his mind. While carrying out a mission for the Anbu, he had found some documents in a secret compartment in Danzo's office. Those documents contained many things he had never heard of before, including records about his father.
His father had indeed committed suicide, but it wasn't out of guilt over a failed mission. His father had been driven to death by malicious manipulation of rumors!
What enraged and devastated him the most, however, was that
Sarutobi Hiruzen's signature was on those documents.
The Third Hokage, whom he had once respected as an elder, had agreed to and tacitly allowed Danzo Shimura's persecution of his father.
As for the authenticity of the documents, Kakashi had been in the Anbu for nearly six years. He wasn't so inexperienced as to be unable to distinguish real from fake.
Pakkun closed his mouth.
Its last attempt at persuasion had failed.
It could only sit quietly by, watching as Kakashi slowly approached the wooden bed, stood in front of it, and gradually raised the short sword in his hand before swinging it down.
A cold, sharp flash of light gleamed.
Amid the faint, crisp sound of bones breaking,
Danzo's head rolled off the bed, his withered face still bearing a look of endless numbness and a hint of unresolvable regret.
And then...
Blood spurted out like a fountain, though the actual amount wasn't much. That withered and decaying body couldn't produce much blood, and the droplets splattered onto Kakashi's forehead and mask, casting a resolute red glow over the killing intent in his eyes.
He wiped the blood off his small sword with his sleeve.
"Pakkun, let's go! This is just an appetizer! The real main course is still ahead!"
Pakkun sighed helplessly. At this point, there was no turning back. He could only do his best to help Kakashi achieve his goal. As for what would happen in the end... that wasn't something he could influence anymore!
Kakashi was no longer that small kid from back then! He didn't need a ninja dog worrying about his life anymore!
———
Akimichi Torifu arrived quickly, but he was still a step too late. Before he could enter the secret prison, the latest intel came in: Danzo Shimura had been beheaded.
"Danzo's dead?"
Upon hearing this, Akimichi Torifu didn't even blink. He just scratched his forehead. "So, the intruder came to kill him? Doesn't he know that Danzo had already been sentenced to death?" From Danzo's death, a lot could be inferred. The intruder wasn't there to save anyone, meaning he probably wasn't a remnant of Danzo's Root. More likely, he came from one of the clans or individuals who wanted Danzo dead.
"Shikaku, what do you think?"
"Maybe... it's personal revenge."
Nara Shikaku gave his answer, then fixed his gaze on the Hyuga clan guard captain present and asked, "Have you confirmed the intruder's identity?"
"Sorry, Lord Hokage. The enemy used Water Clones and Transformation Jutsu to confuse the Byakugan. I couldn't confirm his true identity, and his chakra signature isn't anyone I recognize," the Hyuga captain respectfully explained to Akimichi Torifu.
The guards responsible for the secret prison were mainly from the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Aburame clans. Due to ties with the Sarutobi clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio didn't send anyone to join. Akimichi Torifu had only dispatched a batch of fresh recruits from the ANBU to assist.
So, when the Hyuga and Aburame deliberately played blind, Akimichi Torifu genuinely had no clue about the intruder's identity.
At that moment, all the sensing ninjas present instinctively turned their heads toward the east and southeast. Two groups of powerful chakra were approaching at high speed.
"It's the Uchiha and Hyuga clan leaders."
Yamanaka Inoichi whispered to Akimichi Torifu.
"They're quick to arrive!"
Akimichi Torifu's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Within just a few seconds, the figures of Uchiha Sōgen and Hyuga Hiashi appeared in everyone's view. They weren't alone either—there was a considerable number of their clan members accompanying them. After all, as clan leaders, it wouldn't make sense for them to roam around alone.
"Lord Hokage! You're looking quite well today!"
The two leaders greeted Akimichi Torifu simultaneously, offering their compliments.
"Enough flattery, my ears are already tired of your sweet talk," Akimichi Torifu replied with a chuckle, joking with them as if they were all old friends.
After exchanging some small talk, Aburame Shibi arrived as well.
Now, the new core circle of Konoha's high-ranking leadership, formed after the recent political upheaval, was complete.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Uchiha, Hyuga, and Aburame clans—they now represented the strongest force in Konoha. Naturally, they had become Konoha's new leadership. Unlike Hiruzen Sarutobi, Akimichi Torifu didn't exclude the Uchiha from the center of power.
Whether it was by choice or necessity didn't really matter.
What mattered was that the Uchiha were now part of Konoha's inner power structure. They had a seat at the table, rather than being used as pawns.
"Alright, enough chit-chat."
Seeing that everyone he had been waiting for had arrived, Akimichi Torifu clapped his hands to stop the conversation and got to the point. "Gentlemen, Danzo Shimura has been killed by an intruder, who is now heading for the prison where Hiruzen Sarutobi is being held. Any thoughts?"
Yamanaka Inoichi, standing next to Nara Shikaku, blinked in confusion.
He didn't understand why Torifu was asking such a strange question.
Shouldn't they focus on catching the intruder first?
"What about the intruder's identity? Still no clue?" Uchiha Sōgen asked.
The Uchiha's Sharingan had insight that was nearly on par with the Byakugan in terms of precision, but it lacked the large-scale and long-range reconnaissance abilities of the Hyuga's Byakugan or the Aburame's insects. So, like Akimichi Torifu, Uchiha Sōgen had no idea who the intruder was.
"Not yet," Akimichi Torifu shook his head.
"… Danzo's dead, and you still don't know who the intruder is?" Uchiha Sōgen's expression turned strange. Wow! It looks like I'm not the only one stirring things up! Could the intruder be working with the Hyuga or Aburame?
But then again...
Probably not! The Hyuga and Aburame didn't have such serious grievances with Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other elders that they'd risk their lives to eradicate them. Besides, with the Uchiha clan standing as a big target upfront, the ones who wanted Hiruzen gone the most were definitely the Uchiha. They wouldn't risk helping the Uchiha share the blame.
So… was Hyuga Hiashi or Aburame Shibi deliberately letting the intruder act? This intruder was starting to look interesting!
The next second, Uchiha Sōgen's suspicions were confirmed.
"Lord Hokage, how about we go to the scene of Danzo's murder? Maybe we can find some clues to identify the intruder," Hyuga Hiashi suggested.
"If I've encountered him before, my insects can detect his chakra," Aburame Shibi added, agreeing to inspect Danzo's death site.
"I have no objections!"
Uchiha Sōgen welcomed their proposal. The more time they spent here, the higher the chances that Zabuza's mission would succeed. That is, as long as the unknown intruder didn't get in the way!
"Then let's go check out the scene!" Akimichi Torifu agreed readily.
And so, a bizarre situation unfolded.
While the intruder headed toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Fifth Hokage and the clan leaders casually made their way to investigate Danzo Shimura's murder site. Even the prison guards gathered to protect the Hokage, leaving huge gaps in the defense elsewhere!
(End of chapter)