---
Danzo, still hanging upside down from the ceiling, suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes. With eerie composure, he unhooked his feet and landed gracefully on the ground, his piercing gaze locking onto Terai like a predator toying with its prey.
Terai, fatally wounded, clutched his bleeding chest with one hand while desperately pushing himself backward with the other. His breaths were ragged, and even mustering chakra felt like an impossible task.
"Lord Danzo... why?" Terai gasped, his voice a mixture of betrayal and agony. "We have always been loyal... unwavering in our dedication to Konoha. Why do this to us?"
Danzo ran his tongue over his lips, his expression one of twisted amusement. "Why?" he repeated mockingly. "Because this is the fate of those who serve in the Root. I once was merely a shadow, a root of Konoha—hidden beneath the surface, feeding off the darkness to protect the village. But now, you are my roots... and you will become my nourishment."
His smirk widened. "Your strength will flow into me and continue to serve Konoha in a far greater way than you ever could. And when I stand at the pinnacle, when I ascend to become Hokage and rule over the entire shinobi world, it will be because of sacrifices like yours. You should be honored."
As he spoke, his mind wandered into a delusion of grandeur. The vision of a world under his iron rule filled him with anticipation. Konoha would no longer be governed by weak ideologies of mercy and camaraderie. True power—his power—would dictate the fate of the ninja world.
The thought alone made his blood burn with desire. His Sharingan pulsed with hunger, and his mutated instincts urged him forward. His fangs had lengthened slightly, his skin had taken on a paler tone, and the beast within him was clawing to the surface.
Terai, horrified, tried to crawl away.
Danzo moved in a blur.
A claw-like hand gripped Terai's hair, jerking his head back. Another hand clamped onto his shoulder, holding him in place. Before Terai could utter another plea, Danzo lunged forward, sinking his teeth into his exposed neck, puncturing the artery.
A guttural, primal sound escaped Danzo's throat as he drank deeply, his Adam's apple bobbing with every greedy gulp. The warm, iron-rich taste filled his mouth, and the surge of power was intoxicating.
Terai's eyes widened in agony, his body convulsing violently before rapidly withering away. His chakra, his very essence, was being drained from him.
With a final, shuddering breath, Terai collapsed to the floor, his corpse nothing more than a husk.
Danzo exhaled slowly, feeling the influx of newfound strength. His mind expanded with memories, techniques—secrets that had been embedded in Terai's subconscious. It was exhilarating. It was power beyond anything he had imagined.
He turned his gaze toward the two unconscious Root operatives nearby.
His stomach growled.
"Can't let a feast go to waste," he murmured, stepping forward.
---
Konoha – Outskirts of the Village
The sun hung high in the sky, casting golden light over the land. The tranquil scenery, however, was deceptive.
On a massive tree root, a lone figure stood, his posture relaxed but his eyes burning with intensity. The swirling orange mask of Tobi—Obito Uchiha—concealed his face as he glanced toward Sasuke, who perched atop a treetop, gazing at Konoha in silence.
"Oi, Sasuke," Obito called, voice laced with amusement. "Are you really going to charge in headfirst like this? No strategy? No deception?"
The wind tousled Sasuke's jet-black hair, making it dance in the breeze. But nothing could disturb the storm brewing within his dark, emotionless eyes.
Konoha. The village where it all began.
Memories flooded his mind. The warm laughter of his mother, his father's stern but proud gaze, the lively streets of the Uchiha compound... and then, the crimson night. The blood-streaked walls. The lifeless bodies of his clan. His brother, standing in the moonlight, drenched in their kin's blood.
And then, Naruto.
The idiot who had chased him, fought for him, bled for him. Who had never given up on him, even when he had long since abandoned himself.
All of it—his past, his suffering, his hatred—led to this moment.
He would burn Konoha to the ground.
Nearby, Karin clutched her chest, her cheeks flushed as she ogled Sasuke.
So cool... she thought, her heart racing. That windblown hair, those cold, brooding eyes, that aura of danger...
Her mind spiraled into fantasies.
What if, in the heat of battle, Sasuke suddenly grabbed me, pulled me close, and—
A mental version of herself screamed, "No, no, no! Stop thinking that way!"
Another mental version cackled, "You can do it, Karin! Go for it!"
Karin shook her head violently, snapping out of her own delusions.
Meanwhile, Sasuke slowly unsheathed his sword, slicing the air in front of him in one swift motion. A single leaf, caught in the blade's trajectory, split cleanly in two before drifting to the ground.
"Konoha flourishes under the sunlight," Sasuke muttered coldly, his grip tightening on his blade. "But it was built on the corpses of the innocent. This village is nothing more than a rotting carcass hidden beneath a facade of peace."
His eyes burned with the full power of his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
"White Zetsu Army—attack."
At his command, the ground trembled. Like grotesque sprouts after a storm, hundreds of White Zetsu clones burst from the soil, their twisted, unnatural bodies emerging in droves.
Obito sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Guess I should join the fun."
The swarm of White Zetsu surged toward Konoha's front gates, an unstoppable wave of destruction.
Inside the village, at the Konoha Defense Post, guards scrambled as an alarm blared through the air.
Kamizuki Izumo squinted at the intel in front of him. "Are you kidding me? Who the hell is crazy enough to launch a full-scale assault on Konoha in broad daylight?"
Kotetsu Hagane leaned over, scanning the report. "Looks like these things can mimic our own. Regular sensory units won't be able to tell friend from foe."
Izumo groaned. "Great. Just great. That's just what we needed—a damn invasion that makes us question our own allies."
Kotetsu smirked, nudging his friend. "You sure you're not a White Zetsu?"
Izumo shot him a glare. "If I was, I'd have replaced you already and given myself a promotion."
Kotetsu chuckled, then his eyes narrowed as he spotted a familiar document in Izumo's hand. His grin turned mischievous.
"Oi, speaking of secrets… remember that mission we had in the Land of Wind? That… special hotel bill?"
Izumo's face turned pale. "You ordered that, not me!"
Kotetsu smirked. "Suuure, keep telling yourself that, buddy."
Izumo shoved him away. "Just shut up and get ready to fight!"
As the first wave of White Zetsu breached Konoha's gates, the village's shinobi prepared for battle.
War had begun.
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