Danzō's pace shifted unpredictably—sometimes slowing to a crawl, sometimes halting completely as if lost in thought, staring blankly into the rain.
Then, without warning, he would burst forward again like a madman, sprinting so fast that Yagami and the Aburame operative were left struggling far behind.
Just imagining it made Yagami's heart ache for him.
All that meticulous plotting, all those strategies crafted to counter Kato Dan—only to have some half-dead relic of the Uchiha appear out of nowhere and beat Danzō into the dirt.
His newly transplanted trump card, Kagami's Mangekyō Sharingan, had been ruined by Uchiha Madara himself.
And who was Madara?
The very ancestor of all who had ever played with the Sharingan.
Even if Uchiha Kagami were alive today, standing before Madara, he'd still be doomed.
Yagami's heart twisted with mixed emotion—half delight, half dread.
Would Danzō really kill to vent his fury?
Maybe he'll kill the Aburame first, Yagami thought darkly. He's your guard, after all. You lost an eye—shouldn't your bodyguard bear some responsibility?
Just like when the Second Hokage died on that mission—six elite escorts returned unharmed. Tell me, shouldn't the guards take the blame for that?
Ahead of them, Danzō's face was ashen-purple, his right eye socket streaming fresh blood.
That eye had gone completely gray—utterly lifeless.
He couldn't shake the image of the all-encompassing Wood Release that had just overwhelmed him.
At the Valley of the End, Madara's Mangekyō had been defeated by Hashirama's Wood Release.
And now, with the tables turned—Madara wielded Wood Release himself, and Danzō's Mangekyō still fell before it.
Which meant—it wasn't he who was weak.
It was the Mangekyō itself.
The Wood Release simply surpassed it.
Madara had been alive all this time, yet had never attacked the Leaf again.
Could it be… because he feared the power of Hashirama's cells?
Wood Release was the Leaf's greatest strength—the power that could suppress the Nine-Tails, the very force that had once subdued Madara himself.
Using the Mangekyō in prolonged battle had taxed his body heavily.
His Sharingan had not yet fully adapted to him.
Perhaps only Orochimaru could find the perfect way to perform such transplants.
Danzō made up his mind then and there:
Once he returned, he would order Orochimaru to resume his research on Wood Release immediately.
Having witnessed true power, Danzō's obsession with gaining more only grew stronger.
Suddenly, he stopped walking.
The Aburame and Yagami halted instantly, watching him with uneasy caution.
Danzō turned his lone eye on them, his tone sharp with disdain.
"Look at you two—so timid, so frightened. It was merely a setback in one battle.
For the sake of the Leaf, what does a little failure matter?
Even the First Hokage didn't have smooth sailing. He faced defeat too.
This mission, despite its outcome, yielded an extremely valuable piece of intelligence.
The Uchiha Clan's treachery still festers—Uchiha Madara is alive.
For him to live this long, even longer than Uzumaki Mito, means he's plotting something monumental.
Once we return, we must increase surveillance on the Uchiha and cleanse their ranks of dangerous elements.
We cannot allow Madara's schemes to take root."
Yagami exhaled quietly in relief.
If Danzō had enough composure to lecture his subordinates, it meant he wasn't planning to kill them—yet.
"Fox, you did well," Danzō said suddenly. "You discovered crucial intelligence."
Yagami flinched at being called out, quickly bowing his head.
"Lord Danzō, it was my mistake in reconnaissance that led to our incomplete information about the enemy."
But Danzō, surprisingly magnanimous, replied,
"An ordinary ANBU could never uncover all the secrets of an enemy like Madara. The fault isn't yours."
He paused.
"Find a tree hollow. I need to deal with my right eye."
The Aburame immediately located a cave-like hollow that offered shelter from the rain.
Danzō entered alone.
The Aburame guarded the entrance, perfectly still, as if the downpour didn't exist.
Yagami stayed farther back, watching warily.
The relentless rain made the air thick with unease.
He couldn't help but wonder—did Danzō still have his original eye somewhere? Had he kept it preserved after the transplant?
Minutes passed.
Half an hour later, Danzō finally stepped back out.
Yagami's eyes widened—Danzō's right eye was once again wrapped beneath a bandaged eyepatch!
But something about him had changed.
His entire presence felt different—radiant with new confidence, as though he had regained control of everything once more.
Even the rain around him seemed to lighten.
Did he just implant another Mangekyō Sharingan?
Could it be Kagami's other eye?
Orochimaru's human experiments had made Danzō their greatest beneficiary—restored, empowered yet again.
The three continued north.
Ten minutes later, Danzō suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
Yagami and the Aburame froze immediately, unsure of his intent.
"Something's off," Danzō murmured. "Fox, repeat your account of what happened during your mission."
Yagami did so, describing the three Konoha shinobi who had been controlled, and how his own squadmates had turned on each other.
Danzō's expression darkened as he listened.
"Madara's appearance clouded my judgment," he said at last. "The three Leaf shinobi under genjutsu—that was his doing.
But your squad's infighting? That is not Madara's style.
If it were him, he'd have stormed into your midst and slaughtered you directly.
He's many things—a murderer, a monster—but never subtle.
No, Fox… someone else was there.
Someone capable of killing through possession and mental control.
Only one person fits that description—Kato Dan.
He's nearby. We can't let him escape."
Danzō's mind churned with calculation.
The Senju Clan's Sealing Scrolls… such priceless treasures. If I can seize them, I'll gain more insight into the Spirit Transformation Technique.
The Aburame pulled out a waterproof map, spreading it open in the rain.
"Fox, mark the location where your squad was ambushed."
Yagami did so.
Then the Aburame drew a smooth arc through several points on the map, forming a circle that indicated a possible center.
Yagami's stomach twisted.
It was exactly the direction White Ram had whispered to him before dying.
Those had been White Ram's final words—something Yagami had kept secret from everyone.
And now, this Aburame had nearly uncovered the truth by logic alone.
Danzō's eye gleamed.
"This area is far from Madara's hideout—we needn't worry about him for now.
Move toward this point. Kato Dan is a grave threat. He must be eliminated.
'B,'" he ordered, addressing the Aburame by his Root codename, "you and Fox will create a cipher system. Constantly confirm each other's identities—ensure neither of you has fallen under Kato Dan's control."
The Aburame—codename B—was of high rank within Root, and obeyed instantly.
He released a swarm of insects that dispersed into the rain, scouts spiraling out in all directions.
Every so often, a few returned to him, feeding information back through contact.
After several kilometers, B suddenly said, "I've found a suspicious cave."
Yagami went in first, cautiously sending in a Shadow Clone to scout.
The cave was empty.
B followed, scattering more insects across the ground.
The swarm slowly shifted—rearranging into the vague outline of a human body.
"Someone was lying here a few hours ago," B said. "Most likely Kato Dan.
There's a faint scent of herbs—he must have been treating his wounds.
The insects have captured his chakra trace. He won't get far."
When they emerged from the cave, the three accelerated, following the swarm's lead through the rain.
The hunt had begun.
***
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