In a dense forest on the outskirts of Konoha...
Swish!
A figure blurred into existence, breaking the dead silence of the woods.
Tejima Shinichi stood perfectly still. His gaze was locked onto an empty clearing just ahead, his eyes seeing right through the illusion to the barrier ninjutsu hidden beneath.
"This is it," he murmured, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Took me a while to track this place down."
Shinichi raised his hands, his fingers blurring through a rapid series of hand seals.
"Water Release: Hard Water Whirlblade!"
Instantly, a massive spear of high-pressure water coalesced in his grasp. The weapon hummed with violent energy. Staring at it, Shinichi's expression darkened.
"Sensei gave me this jutsu as compensation after Root attacked me," he said to the empty air. "Since our grudge started with this technique..."
He raised his arm and drew it back.
"...it's only fitting that it ends with it, too!"
With a vicious flick of his wrist, he hurled the spear. The Hard Water Whirlblade shot forward like a missile, slamming directly into the barrier.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the forest. The barrier flared wildly with light before shattering like cheap glass.
The high-pressure water didn't stop there. It tore right through the rocks behind the barrier. With a thunderous roar, the disguised entrance collapsed, sending a massive plume of dust and mist exploding into the sky.
Far beneath the forest floor, the blast violently shook the third underground level of the hidden Root laboratory.
Under the pale fluorescent lights, the liquid inside the cultivation tanks churned, causing the fleshy biological samples suspended within to violently thrash against the glass.
Shigaraki Tanuki froze. His dropper hovered just inches over a sample of Hashirama cells. He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes wide with shock.
"What is going on?!" he yelled over the heavy rumbling. "Why is it shaking like this?!"
The laboratory door suddenly burst open. A masked Root operative rushed inside, panic bleeding into his usually stoic voice.
"Lord Tanuki, we're under attack!" the ninja reported frantically. "The main entrance was blown wide open, and the barrier is completely shattered!"
"An attack?" Tanuki repeated, his heart dropping. "But this is Konoha! Who would dare attack us here? Who are they? How many?!"
"We don't know yet! The guards only reported that the entrance collapsed, and someone is forcibly breaching the base!"
Tanuki's face twitched. This facility was located just outside the village walls. It was Root's most heavily guarded secret laboratory.
It was impossible for an outsider to sneak all the way here unnoticed, let alone launch such a blatant, destructive assault.
There was only one logical conclusion.
It was an inside job. An attack by a Konoha shinobi.
The realization sent an icy chill down his spine.
"Quick!" Tanuki shrieked, panic cracking his voice. "Inform Lord Danzo immediately! Tell him to come at once! The attacker has to be a ninja from our own village. Only Lord Danzo can control this situation!"
"Understood!" The Root ninja nodded and vanished in a blur.
Above ground, the dust had yet to settle.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several figures darted out from the smoking crater left by the blast. They landed lightly on the rim, instantly fanning out into a defensive semicircle. Standard Root uniforms. Blank animal masks.
The squad leader stepped forward. His eyes swept over the chaotic wreckage before locking onto a lone figure standing casually near the treeline.
The intruder made no attempt to hide.
"Who goes there?!" one of the Root ninja barked before the leader could even speak. "This is a restricted Konoha facility! How dare you attack—"
The warning died in his throat.
The moonlight filtered through the canopy, illuminating the young man's face.
Black hair. Amber eyes.
"Tejima Shinichi?!" the squad leader gasped, pure horror bleeding into his voice.
Hearing that name, the entire squad stiffened. Their flawless defensive formation faltered for a split second.
Shinichi's reputation preceded him. This young man was no longer the ordinary genius they had been ordered to quietly bring back months ago. Moreover, his bitter, bloody grudge against Lord Danzo was practically public knowledge.
The air seemed to freeze.
The Root operative who had just shouted swallowed hard, unable to force another word past his lips. A single, terrifying thought echoed in the minds of every ninja present...
'This is bad.'
Shinichi's indifferent, chilling gaze locked onto the operative who had cried out.
"Who gave you the right...," Shinichi asked, his voice deathly quiet, "...to speak my name?"
BOOM!
A terrifying surge of chakra erupted from Shinichi.
The air instantly grew heavy. An oppressive force radiated outward, making the very pebbles on the ground tremble.
Caught directly in the crosshairs of his killing intent, the Root operatives gasped for air. It was suddenly hard to even breathe. The weaker members of the squad collapsed to one knee, cold sweat dripping from beneath their blank masks.
Meanwhile, at the Shimura Residence.
Danzo sat in the quiet of his study. He had spent the entire day pondering the secrets hidden within his diary.
Suddenly, his ear twitched.
Swish!
A faint sound echoed from the perimeter of the compound, quickly followed by the rapid, urgent approach of footsteps. Danzo slowly lifted his gaze to the closed door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Enter."
The door slid open. A masked Root ninja rushed in and immediately dropped to one knee.
"Lord Danzo!" the operative reported frantically. "The laboratory outside the village has been attacked! The entrance barrier was violently destroyed, and all outer guards were annihilated. Lord Tanuki believes the attacker is a ninja from our own village."
"What?!" Danzo's remaining eye widened in shock.
The laboratory Tanuki managed wasn't just any facility. It was the experimental site for his ultimate trump card...the Gozu Tenno project.
He had poured countless resources into developing that prototype weapon. It was the key he needed to dominate the entire ninja world.
And now, someone was attacking it?!
If some ordinary Konoha ninja had stumbled upon the lab by accident, it would only be a minor inconvenience. But today of all days... the exact day the Fifth Hokage officially took office!
A cold, murderous light flashed in Danzo's remaining eye. He snapped his diary shut and shoved it deep into a desk drawer.
"Mobilize all available Root squads!" Danzo barked, his voice echoing with ruthless fury. "We depart immediately!"
"Yes, sir!" The operative vanished.
Danzo stood, snatched his cane from the side of his desk, and strode toward the door.
The laboratory had been exposed. No matter who the attacker was, they had to be eliminated instantly.
If they were foreign intruders? ...Kill them on sight.
If they were from within the village with ulterior motives? ...They would suffer the exact same fate.
At that exact same moment....
Inside the Hokage's office.
Tsunade reached across her desk, picked up her Kage hat, and placed it firmly on her head. The shadow cast by the wide brim completely obscured her eyes.
She looked up at Shizune's tense face. When she spoke, her voice dripped with icy resolve.
"Give the order to the Anbu."
"Surround Danzo Shimura's residence immediately."
"Search the compound for evidence of his crimes."
"And if anyone resists..." Tsunade paused, her tone absolute. "...kill them on sight."
Shizune straightened her posture, giving a heavy, decisive nod....
"Understood, Lady Hokage!"
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