Standing atop the highest point of the arena roof, Aoki Yoru gazed out over the village.
Konoha…
Had fallen into chaos.
Explosions roared in the distance. The clash of weapons echoed through the streets. Cries—both of battle and fear—blended into a constant, unsettling noise that filled the air.
The Konoha Crush had begun.
Yoru's expression remained calm.
Cold.
Calculated.
With a flicker of chakra, he formed a shadow clone.
"Handle the Sand ninja," he ordered.
The clone nodded silently and disappeared in a blur.
Yoru needed to be seen fighting.
That much was essential.
Even if the higher-ups suspected him, as long as he maintained appearances—participated, resisted, contributed—they would never be able to pin anything on him.
No evidence.
No conviction.
And once Tsunade took over as Hokage—
He might even be praised.
Turning his head slightly, his gaze fell upon another rooftop.
There, inside the blazing barrier of the Four Violet Flames Formation, stood Orochimaru.
Yoru's eyes narrowed.
For a brief moment—
He hesitated.
He knew what was coming.
Orochimaru would soon summon the Shinigami.
A god of death.
A being that existed beyond ordinary understanding.
Yoru was curious.
Was this entity similar to Jashin?
Did it share the same nature?
The same structure?
But that curiosity was quickly suppressed.
After what he had learned from Jashin—
He wouldn't act recklessly again.
The underworld…
Was no longer an unknown territory.
It was tied to the domain of the Six Paths Sage.
Whether Jashin was created by him, or subdued by him—
Didn't matter.
If Yoru interfered now—
He might attract the attention of something far beyond his current ability to handle.
And that—
Was not a risk worth taking.
He turned away.
Into the Shadows
Without hesitation, Yoru formed hand seals.
Earth Release.
His body sank into the ground.
Like a phantom, he moved through the earth beneath Konoha, heading toward the southeastern edge of the village.
His destination—
Root.
The hidden foundation beneath the village.
Shimura Danzo's domain.
For days, Yoru had used his clones to wander the village, gathering information, observing movements, and narrowing down Danzo's location.
Now—
He was certain.
Root's base lay ahead.
The underground facility was heavily protected by barriers.
Ordinary sensory methods were useless.
Even the most skilled scouts would find it impossible to infiltrate undetected.
But—
That didn't matter to Yoru.
Because he had no intention of sneaking in.
A Direct Approach
Yoru emerged from the ground above the hidden entrance.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and descended into the underground passage.
The air grew colder.
Heavier.
The deeper he went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.
At the end of the corridor—
A massive steel door stood in his path.
Without a word, Yoru drew his blade.
A few casual slashes.
Clang—
Crack—
The door split apart instantly.
Cleanly.
Effortlessly.
Like tofu.
The shattered pieces crashed to the ground, sending dust and debris into the air.
Without waiting—
Yoru stepped inside.
He could already sense them.
Waiting.
Unexpected Numbers
"…Only three?"
Yoru frowned slightly.
Inside the vast underground base, he detected only three chakra signatures.
That didn't match his expectations.
This place—
Was essentially a fortress.
A hidden stronghold filled with secrets.
Given Danzo's paranoid nature, there should have been dozens—if not hundreds—of guards.
Yet—
Only three.
What Yoru didn't know—
Was that after the exposure of human experimentation, Hiruzen Sarutobi had stripped Danzo of most of his forces.
Root had already been weakened.
Now—
Only a handful remained.
Among them—
Fu Yamanaka.
Kinoe.
And Danzo himself.
The Ambush
The underground hall was dimly lit.
Cold stone walls.
Flickering yellow lights.
An eerie silence.
The moment Yoru stepped inside—
Killing intent exploded.
A shadow moved.
Fast.
Deadly.
Yoru reacted instantly, raising his sword.
Clang!
The attack was blocked effortlessly.
For someone with his sensory abilities—
Ambushes were meaningless.
"I've got him!"
Fu Yamanaka appeared in front of him.
His hands formed a seal.
Thumbs touching.
Index and middle fingers crossed.
The signature seal of the Yamanaka clan.
"Ninjutsu: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
In that instant—
Yoru froze.
Completely still.
Like a statue.
Footsteps echoed.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Danzo.
His sharp, hawk-like eyes locked onto Yoru.
"Well done," he said coldly.
"Kinoe. Fu."
His gaze was filled with disdain.
"Just a talented brat… thinking he can challenge me."
"Hiruzen truly misjudged you."
"In my eyes—you are nothing but an ambitious opportunist."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Seal him."
"With his spiritual energy… he may prove useful as an experimental subject."
The Reversal
But then—
Something felt off.
Danzo frowned.
Why…
Was there no reaction?
At that moment—
Everything changed.
Fu Yamanaka suddenly trembled.
Then—
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
His eyes snapped open.
Filled with shock.
Fear.
Impossible…
Yoru smiled.
The "frozen" body—
Moved.
Effortlessly.
"You should have known better," Yoru said softly.
Then—
He flicked his hand.
"Sage Art: Thousand Silk Void Split."
Invisible threads—
Composed of spiritual energy and natural energy—
Burst forth.
Sharp.
Silent.
Deadly.
Screech—
Before anyone could react—
The threads sliced through them.
Clean.
Precise.
Fu Yamanaka.
Kinoe.
Danzo.
All cut in half.
Their bodies fell—
Lifeless.
The threads continued forward—
Cutting through the stone wall behind them as if it were paper.
Absolute Superiority
Yoru lowered his hand slowly.
The result—
Was expected.
The Mind Transfer Jutsu was fundamentally a technique based on spiritual energy.
Against weaker opponents—
It was devastating.
But against someone with overwhelming spiritual power—
It was useless.
Worse—
It backfired.
Yoru, especially after integrating White Zetsu cells, possessed monstrous spiritual strength.
To him—
Fu's technique was nothing.
Something's Wrong
But then—
Yoru frowned.
"…Hmm?"
Something felt off.
Danzo's chakra—
Was still present.
Elsewhere.
Realization struck.
"Izanagi…"
Yoru muttered.
A forbidden technique.
One that turned illusion into reality.
And reality into illusion.
Danzo had activated it—
Immediately.
Even before engaging fully.
"How cautious…"
Yoru sighed lightly.
He had planned to end everything in a single strike.
To eliminate Danzo before he could use his most dangerous abilities—
Especially that genjutsu.
Kotoamatsukami.
But Danzo…
Was more careful than expected.
A Difficult Opponent
Yoru clicked his tongue.
"If I remember correctly…"
"Ten Sharingan on his arm."
"And Shisui's Mangekyō in his eye."
That meant—
At least ten uses of Izanagi.
Ten lives.
To kill him once—
Was nothing.
To kill him ten times—
That was the real challenge.
Danzo might be old.
But with those enhancements—
He was no weakling.
At minimum—
Kage-level.
Even someone like Jiraiya wouldn't defeat him easily.
Yoru exhaled slowly.
"…This just got interesting."
His eyes sharpened.
The hunt—
Had only just begun.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)