Senju Shirou! A Wood Release Ninja!
This piece of news instantly exploded throughout Konoha and spread across the ninja world at a rapid pace.
The reappearance of a legendary Wood Release ninja from the Senju clan was simply too shocking, and Konoha didn't even try to cover it up. Instead, it seemed like they were pushing the news forward from behind the scenes.
In no time, the entire Konoha knew that the Senju clan had produced a Wood Release ninja.
But this was just on the surface. The news of a Wood Release ninja overshadowed everything. However, the upper echelons of Konoha's Jonin, sat grim-faced in the Jonin meeting room.
"These are the reports of bloodline research uncovered from Root, along with a significant amount of information involving the village's deepest secrets…"
"Wood Release, Sharingan, Byakugan, the Aburame clan's nano-scale poisonous insects, the Inuzuka clan's ninja dogs…"
At this emergency Jonin meeting, as one team after another of Jonin who personally investigated Root presented their findings, their grim faces revealed the atrocities committed by Root. The Jonin in attendance erupted in anger.
"Damn it! Is this still our Konoha?!"
"To think they would lay hands on their people—Root is utterly steeped in darkness!"
"Unforgivable! How can an organization like Root still be allowed to exist!?"
One Jonin after another, including some special Jonin, voiced their anger. Konoha wasn't just their home; it was also their safest sanctuary.
And yet, now it had been exposed that Root was carrying out all kinds of cruel experiments on their villagers. It was as if an invisible hand was lurking in the dark, ready to strike at anyone, even them, someday.
"Tsunade!"
At this moment, Jiraiya, who was leading the meeting, had a face so dark it seemed like water could drip from it. He turned to Tsunade, his voice hoarse as he tried to offer some advice.
"The news about Root can't be allowed to spread any further. If this continues, the entire village will be consumed by fear and chaos."
Jiraiya wasn't exaggerating—this kind of revelation could truly plunge Konoha into turmoil.
The place they thought was their safest haven was now revealed to be so dangerous. How could people not panic?
However, Tsunade, who was presiding over the emergency Jonin meeting, sat firmly at the head of the room. Her hand slammed down on the table in anger.
"These old bastards have gone too far over the years—colluding with outsiders, turning Konoha into their personal armed force! Starting now, I issue a decree in my capacity as the Fifth Hokage!
From this moment onward, Root is hereby disbanded! All intelligence, espionage, and assassination departments under Root will be fully integrated into the Anbu. Research facilities are to be completely shut down…"
Tsunade didn't pay the slightest attention to Jiraiya's words; in fact, she felt a wave of disappointment toward him.
Political struggles, once the facade is torn away, are battles of life and death. To think of preserving the status quo—it was nothing short of a joke.
"At the same time, the news about Root is to be completely sealed. I hope all of you, as the village's Jonin, will set an example for others!"
With Tsunade's final, solemn words echoing in the room, the assembled Jonin immediately understood her meaning. They nodded gravely, responding in unison:
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
This was essentially saying that the matter of Root should be kept within the Jonin ranks. There was no need for the general population to know.
At the same time, seeing Tsunade's decisive and swift actions, many of the Jonin—especially those from clans with secret techniques, as well as the Hyuga clan—secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The abolition of Root was the best outcome they could hope for. It was as if the sword hanging over their heads had finally been removed.
Seeing that she had solidified her authority, Tsunade too let out a sigh of relief, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. In the end, the ninja world was still a place where strength spoke the loudest.
If it were just her alone, it might not have been enough. But with the addition of a Wood Release ninja from the Senju clan—one who wasn't some defective product from human experimentation—and with the terrifying chakra she had displayed earlier in front of so many Jonin, her position as the Hokage was firmly established.
"Now, I announce: the former leader of Root, Shimura Danzo, who secretly sought to steal the bloodlines of his fellow villagers, conducted inhumane human experiments on Konoha ninjas, and, based on the intelligence uncovered in Root, even framed one of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru…
I hereby declare, in my capacity as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, an S-rank bounty on Shimura Danzo as a highly dangerous rogue ninja! All Konoha ninjas are authorized to apprehend or eliminate him on sight!"
The entire assembly of Jonin erupted in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. Their Fifth Hokage was truly fearless.
To directly label a high-ranking official as an S-rank rogue ninja? They had thought Tsunade would, at most, imprison Danzo after consolidating her power. Who could have expected her to go this far?
But what followed was a wave of excitement, especially among the clans with bloodlines and secret techniques.
"Hokage-sama is wise!"
Hyuga Hiashi declared with unwavering loyalty, firmly aligning himself under the Fifth Hokage's banner.
The Inuzuka clan members also slammed their hands in agreement, outraged that their ninja dogs had been used in experiments. Danzo truly deserved death!
Jiraiya, who had initially wanted to say something, opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. At this moment, he stared at Tsunade in shock.
Orochimaru!
This was Tsunade's trump card against him!
If he dared to speak up for Danzo, then Orochimaru would have no chance of redemption whatsoever.
For years, Jiraiya had completely given up on bringing Orochimaru back. After all, even if he managed to apprehend Orochimaru, there was no way Konoha could ever accept him again.
But now, Tsunade had thrown out a tempting bait.
If Orochimaru had been framed, then maybe there was still a chance for him to return.
However, the collapse plan during the Chunin Exams… Orochimaru's crimes…
As his thoughts reached this point, Jiraiya broke out in a cold sweat. When he raised his head, he met Tsunade's calm, piercing gaze, and his heart trembled.
Tsunade wasn't just planning to dismantle the old power structure—she was going to crush it entirely.
Not break it—shatter it.
"Jiraiya, as a Jonin of Konoha, I hope you'll prioritize the greater good. Don't let the countless ninjas who bled for this village continue to bear false accusations, leaving their descendants to weep in secret!"
Tsunade's cold voice echoed, carrying a double-edged meaning. As she addressed Jiraiya, the other Jonin couldn't help but speculate.
The Root incident had already exposed the political darkness of the previous three Hokage's tenure. This meant that the high-ranking officials of that era were all implicated.
Experimenting on their villagers, researching the village's bloodlines—none of them were innocent. And then there was the Chunin Exams Incident!
As everyone silently reeled in shock, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, swept her gaze across the room. Her eyes finally landed on Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, and Jiraiya, her expression carrying a deeper meaning.
"Jiraiya, during the Chunin Exams collapse plan, our Konoha ninjas were trapped by a single barrier. If I recall correctly, you were in the village at the time, as were Kakashi and Guy!"
At this, both Kakashi and Guy broke out in cold sweats, lowering their heads in embarrassment.
What could they say? That when the Third Hokage was surrounded, Guy wanted to rescue him, but Kakashi stopped him?
And Jiraiya—he had spent the entire battle being held up by a few summoned beasts?
At this moment, Jiraiya felt utterly humiliated.
"Tsunade! I… I understand!"
This time, Jiraiya couldn't clear his name no matter what he said. Tsunade's veiled remarks were a warning to everyone that Root had records of the Chunin Exams incident, and now was not the time to stir up trouble.
At this moment, Jiraiya felt deeply frustrated. Back then, he had indeed refrained from intervening, but he hadn't expected the old man to die.
All he wanted was for the old man to acknowledge his limits. The so-called Chunin Exams collapse plan had been nothing more than child's play.
Orochimaru had merely wanted to show the Third Hokage that Konoha had lost its way.
The Third Hokage had stepped down after the Third Great Ninja War, and the Fourth Hokage had taken over, only to die within a year. The Third Hokage had resumed the position of acting Hokage, but instead of stepping aside after stabilizing Konoha, he had clung to power. It was only natural that things had come to this point.
After you old geezers came out of retirement again, no one even mentioned the Fifth Hokage anymore. This temporary replacement lasted all the way until death—thirteen whole years!
Is Konoha really out of people?
Let's not even talk about distant candidates, but right here in the village, why not pick Jiraiya or Tsunade back then? Especially over these past thirteen years, these old fogeys became even more greedy and brazen after taking power—oppressing the clans and bleeding them dry. They've long lost the hearts of the people.
Otherwise, during the Third Hokage's final battle, when the Sound Four activated the cursed seal barrier, Konoha had so many Jonin. If they'd just sent ten or so to work together, they could've easily broken through the barrier.
Instead, Jonin like Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy sat on the sidelines the whole time. Guy didn't even open the Sixth Gate. If he had, the Four Violet Flames Formation wouldn't have withstood a single kick. And Jiraiya? He was guarding the gate! Even more ridiculous, Orochimaru had both his hands sealed but still walked away unscathed. The entire Konoha Jonin force was just sitting on their hands.
....
Meeting of the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans.
"Tsunade is leaving us no room to live! Danzo has been listed as an S-rank rogue ninja!"
"If she won't let us live, then we'll fight to the death!"
"Who does Tsunade think she is? Without our support, could she have even come back to become Hokage?"
"Sarutobi! If your spirit lingers, just look at what your disciple has done!"
"Now every single Jonin in the village looks at us with disgust and exclusion!"
"There's even ANBU monitoring our clans…"
As the elite members of the three clans angrily discussed the changes of the past few days, the entire meeting room descended into chaos.
They'd grown used to their high and mighty status in Konoha after so many years. Suddenly being toppled was something they couldn't accept.
Utatane Koharu angrily slammed the table.
"Tsunade! She's gone too far! How dare she send ANBU to monitor us!"
Meanwhile, Mitokado Homura's hands and feet were ice-cold. When he heard that Root had been taken down and Danzo classified as an S-rank rogue ninja, his vision darkened, and he nearly fainted.
"It's over! Tsunade is going to completely wipe us out!"
The faces of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu turned pale, their lips trembling. At that moment, it felt as if they had lost all hope.
...
Outside the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire.
"Lord Danzo, we're ready to depart!"
"Hmm, then let's prepare to return to the village."
Danzo, with one eye covered, leaned on a cane, his expression calm. Surrounded by Root operatives, his departure was nothing short of grand, comparable to the leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Slowly, he began his journey back to the village.
Just then, a messenger hawk flew by. Danzo raised his head indifferently, frowned slightly, and muttered coldly:
"What on earth could Tsunade have that's so urgent she needs to use a messenger hawk? She truly doesn't know how to act as Hokage!"
Danzo snorted in dissatisfaction, his heart filled with disdain. How could someone like Tsunade possibly be suitable to be Hokage? It should've been him.
"Lo-Lord Danzo… this is bad!"
One of the Root operatives, who had received the hawk's message and opened it expressionlessly, suddenly froze, his pupils shrinking in shock. His tone instantly carried a rare trace of panic.
This reaction was shocking—Root operatives were supposed to be emotionless tools!
Seeing his subordinate's panic, Danzo's face darkened with anger.
"Useless! A Root ninja should never waver or panic under any circumstances…"
Before he could finish scolding, Danzo grabbed the message himself. As his eyes scanned the contents, his expression turned even darker than his subordinate's.
His face twisted into a grotesque scowl. Finally, Shimura Danzo let out an enraged roar:
"Tsunade! Tsunade! How dare you! How dare you!"
The roar was filled with despair and fury, breaking his composure completely. The Root operatives around him exchanged bewildered glances, stunned at their leader's loss of control.
Aren't Root ninjas supposed to remain calm? Why is their leader…
"Useless! Useless, all of you are useless!"
The message was from Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, informing Danzo of Tsunade's sudden coup in the village.
She had already begun dismantling Root!
Danzo still didn't know he'd been classified as an S-rank rogue ninja.
The news of Danzo's rogue ninja status had only been relayed to Konoha's Jonin, accompanied by a strict gag order.
The plan was to wait for Danzo to return, trap him, and then officially release the news.
After raiding Root, Tsunade had even locked down the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans, placing them under constant surveillance to prevent any leaks.
As for the Shimura clan's handful of people?
They were practically hoping for this old relic to return and get himself killed. Only then could they live normal lives. The Shimura clan had suffered under Danzo for far too long!
"All of you, listen up! Full speed back to Konoha!"
Shimura Danzo, in his fury, tore the message to shreds. If he didn't return soon, Root would cease to exist.
Tsunade's move was ruthless!
Danzo saw through it clearly—this was a calculated, premeditated strike. She had taken advantage of his absence to wipe out his base of operations.
Danzo and his group raced back to Konoha, unaware that a massive web was waiting to ensnare them.
Meanwhile, Root's lair had already been completely dismantled, leaving nothing but a handful of stragglers.
...
Hokage's Office.
"Damn it! That old hag…"
"Naruto!"
Kakashi frowned and sternly interrupted Naruto's outburst.
But Naruto wasn't backing down, glaring at Tsunade.
"Why won't you let Konohamaru into the Hokage Building? This isn't fair!"
"Naruto! Do you even know what you're saying? Konohamaru wanted to enter the Ninjutsu Archive!"
Even Shizune couldn't help but step forward to urgently reason with Naruto. But Naruto, as usual, showed no signs of relenting, instead declaring self-righteously:
"So what? Konohamaru was always allowed in before, so why not now?"
Naruto, with his brash and hot-blooded personality, could sometimes be so unreasonable. He wouldn't listen to any explanation—he only believed in what he thought was right!