BOOM\~\~
A massive tremor shook the Root headquarters. Deep underground, the complex network of tunnels quaked violently. Dust rained from the ceiling, objects toppled, and several people stumbled to the floor.
Among them was Obito Uchiha, his chakra sealed. He lost his balance and fell on his backside, crying out, "Ow ow ow—!"
Shimura Danzō's expression darkened instantly.
"Lord Danzō," a Root shinobi called out instinctively.
"The barrier's been breached," Danzō said in a low voice. "Send men immediately to stop the intruders and investigate who they are. If it's Namikaze Minato or the Uchiha clan, demand an explanation—ask them if this is rebellion!"
Classic villain move: accuse first.
Danzō was adept at exploiting both his status as a village elder and the special nature of Root.
Why did he assume it was Minato or the Uchiha? Because they were the most likely culprits.
Why didn't Minato just teleport directly to Obito and Rin?
Well, it's possible—given Danzō's standing as a village elder and close friend of the Third Hokage—that he had access to the complete notes on the Flying Thunder God Technique.
And a guy like Danzō? Of course he'd develop counters for it.
Minato might have surpassed even the Second Hokage in using the technique, but Danzō didn't need to outmatch him—just interfere with the teleport anchors.
The seals on Obito and Rin included one specifically designed to block Flying Thunder God marks, preventing teleportation.
It didn't remove the marks, just disabled them. Root had mastered this, so Danzō naturally assumed Minato was involved.
Upon receiving his command, two Root shinobi quickly acknowledged and rushed to action.
Danzō then turned to Obito, who now looked energized, eyes gleaming. Clearly, he believed his teacher or his clan had come to rescue him.
Danzō found this irritating. His face darkened.
Everything had gone wrong so quickly. He had just captured Obito—and now someone had already come knocking. Way too fast.
He began to suspect it was a setup. Obito and Rin had *let* themselves be caught—just so the attackers could catch him red-handed.
Why would he think that?
Simple. Because Danzō was the kind of guy who'd pull exactly that kind of trick.
Naturally, he assumed Minato and the Uchiha were just as devious.
Once again, he cursed the inherently evil Uchiha. How despicable—they'd even stooped to this. And Minato, for befriending them, must've absorbed their wickedness too. That sunshine smile hid a rotten soul.
How could Konoha survive under such people?
No. What *he* was doing—that was the true way to protect Konoha!
He couldn't fall here. Not yet.
There was still time. This couldn't end now.
He had to use this last chance—extract evidence of the Uchiha's crimes from Obito.
His eyes grew colder.
Obito shivered. A chill ran down his spine. It felt like a wild beast was staring him down.
He looked up. Danzō was staring at him with a gaze full of malice and cruel intent.
And then—another massive shockwave.
This time, it didn't just shake the barrier—it shattered it. The land above Root exploded open.
The underground base collapsed violently. Dust billowed. The ground split apart.
Obito's area was hit first. Stones and dirt rained down—and massive roots surged through, wrapping around two Root shinobi before they could react. Screams echoed as the roots crushed and tore them apart.
Blood and flesh sprayed across both Obito and Danzō's faces. Both their pupils contracted in horror.
Obito didn't hesitate. He turned and bolted.
Danzō lunged to grab him—but at that moment, another giant root burst through the wall, forcing Danzō to dodge and abandon the chase.
The remaining Root shinobi were stunned. Some moved to help Danzō, who was under direct attack.
But then something unbelievable happened. They launched ninjutsu at the roots—and though damaged, the roots absorbed the chakra, nullifying the jutsu almost instantly.
Even worse, the roots now reacted—writhing like living things, they lashed toward the attackers.
Caught off-guard, unable to dodge due to the collapsing structure, the Root shinobi were devoured one by one. Some were crushed, others impaled. Their chakra was absorbed.
Danzō watched in shock, eyes wide with disbelief.
"This is… Wood Style!? Impossible! Wood Style!? How? Who could…? Minato? The Uchiha? No—could it be… the Senju clan?!"
He couldn't comprehend it. Even in nightmares, he'd never imagined someone in this era could wield Wood Style—let alone at a level rivaling the First Hokage.
He immediately assumed a new Senju had awakened the kekkei genkai. His brain raced.
Tsunade?
No way.
She was a master of medical ninjutsu, but her Wood Style was basically nonexistent.
The rest of the Senju were ordinary. Some strong, yes—but elite jōnin at best. No one even came close to the legendary Hashirama or the cool-headed Tobirama.
Besides, the Senju had long merged into Konoha, marrying into other clans and civilians. The chance of producing a child with strong Wood Style? Extremely low.
The records showed no "super genius" among them.
Even compared to the Hyuga, the Senju looked unimpressive now.
So… who was it? Who awakened Wood Style—and why attack Root?
Danzō's eyes trembled. He kept searching his mind but found no answer.
Another root attack came. He was forced to flee.
He couldn't stay. If he remained, this unstoppable Wood Style would annihilate him—and all of Root.