Danzō listened carefully to Fox's report, immediately zeroing in on the critical points.
"You're saying," he asked coldly, "someone's genjutsu was powerful enough to control a Leaf jōnin and two special jōnin?"
"He could remotely manipulate your subordinates — force them to kill each other — and you couldn't even approach him?"
Yagami replied, steady but grim:
"Yes, Lord Danzō. His power is overwhelming — almost impossible to counter."
"Captain White Ram was a member of the Hyūga Clan. With his death, our squad lost all reconnaissance ability. We couldn't continue facing such an eerie, unpredictable enemy. We had to retreat and seek reinforcement.
Even my squad leader, Purple Cat, was struck by one of his strange attacks — she's been gravely injured."
One of Danzō's Root operatives leapt down from the branch to inspect Purple Cat's condition.
By sheer luck, this Root ninja turned out to be from the Yamanaka Clan.
Danzō loved the Yamanaka's mind techniques — manipulation, infiltration, control — they suited his nature perfectly.
After a brief examination and some basic treatment, the Root ninja vaulted back up to the branch and whispered something in Danzō's ear.
Danzō nodded repeatedly, his expression sharpening — he had confirmed the culprit's identity.
"So it's him. I should have known. That man dared to slaughter comrades of the Leaf… Anyone who kills his own Village's shinobi must be executed."
Because his subordinates were present, Danzō didn't name the suspect aloud — but in his mind, he was certain. Dan Kato.
After a brief moment of thought, Danzō spoke.
"Fox, the intel you brought is valuable. You'll lead the way. Take us back to the location you described."
"If it's truly him, too many people will only become a liability. Have your squad escort Purple Cat to the front-line camp in the Land of Grass. You and I will proceed alone."
"Yes, Lord Danzō."
Yagami gave quick orders for his subordinates to carry the unconscious Purple Cat away, then turned to guide Danzō himself.
What am I supposed to do now? he thought miserably. I'm just a little ANBU squad captain — how should I know where the real enemy is?
If I happen to 'accidentally' take him to Uchiha Madara's hideout instead of Dan Kato's… that wouldn't be too much, right?
If Madara dies — that's the end of the ninja world.
If Danzō dies — that's the end of Leaf.
Yagami's pace quickened.
When people are about to do something bad, their lips tend to curl upward involuntarily.
Thankfully, the mask hid his expression — they couldn't see the faint grin he was struggling to suppress.
He led Danzō straight toward the cave where Uchiha Madara was hidden.
I wonder if Madara's already completed Nagato's Rinnegan transplant…
Chaos… good. Let the world burn a little.
Danzō, having concluded the ANBU assassin was Dan Kato, must have believed Fox was leading him to finish that traitor off.
In reality, Yagami was taking him to meet the one who had been controlling the three Leaf ninja with genjutsu — Uchiha Madara himself.
Just thinking about it made Yagami's pulse quicken with anticipation.
Fox in front, two Root operatives on either side, Danzō at the rear — the group advanced rapidly.
Soon, they reached the base of a steep slope where Madara's hideout lay.
The boulders halfway up the slope were still there — apparently, after the three controlled Leaf shinobi entered the cave, they had re-concealed the entrance.
Confident in his power — and in the Mangekyō Sharingan behind his bandaged eye — Danzō stood boldly beneath the slope, exuding an air of calm mastery.
In the previous life, Yagami thought, money was a man's courage.
In this world, power is a shinobi's.
Danzō turned to Yagami. "Fox, go in first. Scout the situation. See how many guards he has."
Yagami froze inside. His last resurrection chance had been used up this month — if he died now, he'd be dead for real.
But to make the tiger devour the wolf, he had no choice but to risk it.
He formed a seal — Shadow Clone Technique.
One real body, one clone. With a series of fluid, overlapping movements, they crossed paths, exchanged positions, then split apart — circling toward the boulder from opposite sides.
Reaching the massive stone, Yagami found no resistance.
He exhaled — Thank goodness… maybe Madara's in the middle of Nagato's Rinnegan transplant and can't be bothered with me.
That would be… incredibly lucky.
He pulled out several Explosive Tags and placed them beneath the boulder. Still, no reaction.
A thunderous boom split the night. The giant rock shattered apart, revealing a dark, gaping tunnel.
Yagami moved back to a cautious mid-range — close enough to look committed, but far enough to survive if things went south.
From within the cave, a black shadow lunged out!
Suppressing his instinctive fear, Yagami forced himself to look. It was a Leaf jōnin, eyes dull and lifeless — clearly under genjutsu.
Behind him, two special jōnin followed, equally hollow-eyed.
Danzō scanned them. Three Leaf shinobi, all controlled — Fox's report was accurate.
Still, the method didn't quite resemble the Spirit Transformation Technique. Could it be that Dan Kato's power had evolved?
Yagami instantly picked out the weakest of the three special jōnin and charged, as though determined to keep him from approaching Danzō.
The two Root operatives rushed the slope as well, each engaging one of the other Leaf ninja.
"Wake up! Break free of the illusion!"
The Yamanaka operative from Root seized an opening and flooded the jōnin's chakra network with his own, attempting to disrupt the genjutsu. But it was useless.
Such strong genjutsu…
Yagami wasn't truly fighting — he only feigned struggle, slowly retreating, his attention fixed on the cave mouth.
Then — footsteps.
Slow, heavy steps echoing over the pounding rain.
An ancient figure emerged from the darkness, scythe in hand.
A flash of lightning illuminated his face — deeply lined, weathered, unmistakable.
Uchiha Madara.
His eyes gleamed red — but not with the Rinnegan. Just an ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan.
He had already transplanted the Rinnegan into Nagato, and now was setting the boy's destiny in motion — shaping him into an extremist worthy of his plan.
Madara stood at the mouth of the cave, gazing down at the men below.
"Shimura Danzō," he said, his voice calm and ancient. "You've grown… bold. To find even this hidden place."
Yagami thought privately, You mean because in my previous life, I followed Nagato and stumbled on you by accident. Don't flatter Danzō too much.
At first, Danzō didn't recognize him. But a heartbeat later — his single visible eye widened in terror.
"Uchiha… Madara! You're alive!"
Perfect. They finally recognized each other.
In the original timeline, it was uncertain whether Danzō ever learned Madara still lived. But now — fate had arranged this delightful encounter.
Danzō had expected to face Dan Kato.
Instead, he now stood before Uchiha Madara — founder of the Uchiha Clan, one of Hidden Leaf's two pillars, equal in power to the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
He instantly ripped off the bandage covering his right eye, revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Madara sneered.
"Despicable thief. You even stole a Mangekyō Sharingan."
"That pattern… it belonged to Uchiha Kagami, didn't it? Foolish Kagami — he trusted Village, and in the end, he died for it. Even his eyes became village property."
"Those who trust Konoha… no Uchiha among them meets a good end."
"I warned Hashirama long ago — that Shimura Danzō's heart was twisted. A degenerate, unworthy of life. He should have been eliminated then and there."
"You should be grateful, Danzō — grateful you bore Hidden leaf's crest. It's the only reason you survived long enough to see me leave the village… and to see Hashirama die."
Madara's trash talk — unmatched, as always.
Danzō's face had gone dark green with rage.
The special jōnin before Yagami crumpled to the ground — Madara had released the genjutsu. Yagami seized the chance to retreat further downhill.
Let the monsters fight, he thought. I'm not getting caught in that crossfire.
Danzō slowly raised a kunai, exhaled wind chakra onto its blade — forming an invisible edge of Vacuum Blade (Wind Release).
"Uchiha Madara," he said coldly, "you're so old now. I wonder how much of your prime you still possess."
The blade gleamed sharper than any sword as Danzō charged up the slope.
Madara's lips curved. "My prime? Have you ever even seen my prime?"
He watched Danzō approach, his tone full of disdain.
"When I was in my prime, I possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan… yet I was still no match for Hashirama's Wood Release."
"Now—" his chakra surged, thunder echoing with his words—
"—you'll experience what I once did."
"I'll show you Hashirama at his prime!"
"Wood Release! Deep Forest Emergence!"
***
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