The Earth Flow Wall Cage completely absorbed the violent explosion.
Outside, only tremors and muffled blasts could be felt. No real damage spread beyond the enclosure.
Inside, however, was a different story.
The detonation sent shockwaves through the underground base, and the Root ninjas caught within the confined space suffered devastating casualties.
More than half perished instantly.
The remaining survivors were left critically injured, barely clinging to life amidst the destruction.
Danzo, who had been the closest to the explosion's epicenter, was in a pitiful state.
Though he had instinctively circulated chakra through his body to mitigate the impact, the explosion had still shredded his surroundings.
His severed right arm—already a grievous wound—was now nothing but scattered fragments, completely obliterated in the blast.
Ten minutes later—
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, arrived at the scene with a large contingent of Anbu and security forces.
The moment they laid eyes on the carnage before them, a heavy silence fell over the group.
The stench of blood was overwhelming.
Scattered across the ruins were mangled corpses and severed limbs—fragments of what had once been highly trained shinobi.
Sarutobi's gaze darkened.
This level of destruction… inside the village itself?
Then, from beneath the rubble, a figure stirred.
Danzo crawled out of the debris, his body battered and covered in dust.
His right side was a ruined mess, blood leaking from the remains of his lost limb. His lone remaining eye burned with rage as he looked up at the gathered shinobi.
The moment he spotted the Third Hokage and the assembled forces, his fury erupted.
His Root had been annihilated in a single night.
His base—reduced to nothing.
His body—crippled.
All of this had happened without warning.
But the thing that enraged him the most…
Was the final words of his assailant.
"Traitor… You target your own fellow shinobi. You will pay!"
The accusation still echoed in his mind.
It made no sense!
Yes, he had taken action against fellow Konoha ninja before—but that had been a long time ago!
Besides, he hadn't issued any such orders in the past month!
Why would someone wait so long to retaliate?
Yet, the rage and sorrow in that final outcry were undeniable.
And worse—many had heard it.
The Earth Flow Wall had blocked the view, but the voice had carried across the battlefield.
And now, as he stood there, looking at the questioning expressions on the faces of the surrounding shinobi—
Even his old comrade, Hiruzen, regarded him with suspicion.
As if asking: What have you done?
Danzo felt the blood rising in his throat.
He spat out a mouthful of it in frustration.
The silence was finally broken by the Third Hokage.
"Danzo… what happened?"
His voice was calm but carried a weight of authority.
"The entire village felt that explosion. Explain yourself."
There was no room for excuses. The magnitude of this event could not be brushed aside.
Danzo, barely holding himself together, gritted his teeth.
"I… I didn't do anything!"
His voice was hoarse, but he forced himself to speak.
"I was inside the Root base when I was suddenly attacked! I have no idea who was responsible!"
Even as he spoke, one of the Anbu stepped forward, carrying an initial report.
"Lord Hokage."
"Speak."
Hiruzen's tone was sharp.
Danzo remained silent, but his glare was icy.
The Anbu glanced at Danzo before continuing his report.
"After a preliminary investigation, we found that the entire scene is littered with the remains of Root operatives."
A brief pause.
Then, he added pointedly—
"Only Root operatives. No traces of any external ninja."
Danzo's eyes widened.
"Impossible!"
The Anbu continued without hesitation.
"The explosive chakra signature found at the scene suggests that the attacker was present within the base before the explosion occurred. Additionally, we recovered the body of a masked individual—wearing Root's signature gear."
Danzo was frozen in shock.
A Root ninja?
His mind raced.
It made no sense!
Every single Root operative bore his personal Binding Seal Curse Mark—betrayal was impossible!
And yet…
The evidence was undeniable.
The training process Root followed was highly specialized. The elimination process, the secret drugs, the conditioning—these were things that no outsider could possibly replicate.
If this ninja was an imposter, how had he undergone Root's training?
If he wasn't an imposter… then who had turned against him?
Danzo struggled to process it all.
Then, an icy voice cut through the tension.
Uchiha Sukesuke.
"Lord Hokage… I don't care about anything else right now. I only have one question."
His Sharingan glowed ominously.
"The assassin called out Danzo's name, accusing him of attacking fellow Konoha shinobi. Is it true?"
A ripple of tension spread through the crowd.
The Uchiha Clan had suffered mysterious disappearances in the past.
But not just them.
Many prominent Konoha clans had lost shinobi under suspicious circumstances.
Hiruzen remained silent, his expression unreadable.
The truth was clear.
Even if Danzo had not ordered any recent eliminations, he had certainly done so in the past.
And the ninja world never forgets.
Even if they only counted the most well-known clans in Konoha, at least seven or eight had suffered losses.
Seven or eight clans.
At least one missing shinobi per clan.
Uchiha Sukesuke had long believed that the various clans were responsible for each other's disappearances.
But now…
The assassin's final words hinted at a more sinister truth.
Had it been Danzo all along?
Danzo's mind was spinning.
He had orchestrated these assassinations.
He had worked for years to manipulate clan rivalries, weakening their influence for the sake of the village.
It was a necessary burden.
But now…
Now, he was being blamed for something he hadn't done.
The real enemy had used this moment to frame him.
And the worst part?
It was working.
He could see the suspicion in the eyes of those around him.
Being attacked was one thing.
Being held responsible was another.
Danzo clenched his teeth.
At that moment, the Third Hokage spoke.
"Enough. This situation is escalating beyond control."
He turned to the Anbu.
"Take Danzo to the hospital for immediate medical attention."
Then, addressing the gathered shinobi—
"This event must be contained. For now, spread the word that this was an attack by Sunagakure spies. Konoha cannot afford internal strife in the middle of war."
Uchiha Sukesuke narrowed his eyes.
But Hiruzen continued, his voice carrying finality.
"Danzo will provide explanations later."
It was an implicit acknowledgment of guilt.
Even if Danzo was not responsible for this specific attack—his past actions were undeniable.
No further arguments were raised.
The major clans received a summarized report later that night, with Hiruzen promising a full investigation.
But in truth—
This matter would not be forgotten so easily.
Konoha had barely recovered from the death of Nawaki Senju, which had been brushed aside over a year ago.
Now, another scandal was brewing.
And this time…
The consequences would be far more difficult to suppress.
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