"Konohagakure has rotted, but the Root will endure. New branches will break through the wasteland and deadwood, growing stronger and more lush… This is the path of the Root. Honor will ultimately belong to you all…"
Danzo stood above, addressing the dense crowd of Root members kneeling before him. Their leader had returned.
"Itachi, you don't look well. Are the concerns about the Uchiha clan weighing on you?"
Uchiha Itachi knelt below, his once-youthful demeanor now fully shed.
"If you wish… the Uchiha clan can fully support you in becoming Hokage," Itachi finally voiced the inner conflict that had been gnawing at him for days.
The Third Hokage's administration and the Uchiha clan couldn't see eye to eye anymore—they had completely split into opposing factions. Itachi and Shisui were caught between loyalty to the village and their clan, filled with unease.
Until now—until Danzo's return to power, revitalized.
Danzo's influence in Konoha was undeniable. If he wanted it, even many within the Uchiha clan would back him.
But recent Root activities made it clear—they were abandoning Konoha.
"Itachi, you're smart, but your strength is still too weak," Danzo stated.
Konoha was a mire of internal conflict—political struggles, the Land of Fire's interference, other villages, and lurking threats in the shadows. Stirring things up now would bring no benefit.
Besides, Konoha's internal strife would draw attention away from Danzo's other plans.
"Don't worry—I'll handle the issues between the village and the Uchiha. But not yet. What you need to do now is follow my lead."
Along a trade route in the Land of Rivers, Danzo and Pakura traveled in common attire, blending in with a merchant caravan. As Danzo observed the development of the Land of Rivers, his satisfaction grew. His efforts weren't a complete failure after all.
The Land of Rivers now primarily consisted of civilians and shinobi, with the daimyo holding little influence. All of Danzo's policies had taken root here.
Civilians enjoyed living conditions that were not inferior to those of the Land of Fire, with better safety measures in place.
Even security for outsiders was tight—Danzo had already sensed a ninja sparrow shadowing the caravan since they'd entered the Land of Rivers.
...
Night fell.
The caravan members gathered around campfires, slowly drifting to sleep.
From the darkness, four or five figures emerged.
"Lord Danzo…"
The leader was none other than Nono Yakushi, the overseer of the Land of Rivers operations.
Dressed in her usual nun's garb, Nono exuded intellect and gentleness, looking more like the girl next door than the second-in-command of an underground organization.
Pakura, standing beside Danzo, immediately shed her earlier excitement and became visibly tense.
Danzo himself had no plans to linger any longer—there was still much work to do.
The Land of Rivers' Root base was even larger than the one in Konoha. Nestled within a plain surrounded by three gorges, the above-ground administrative buildings concealed the vast underground network that adhered to the old Root traditions.
It looked like a shinobi village—a ninja village ruling over this nation.
Over 3,000 shinobi had been trained here, some with kekkei genkai, many originating from Kirigakure. Among them were five Uzumaki clan members from the Land of Grass—a pleasant surprise.
Looking over the data that Nono Yakushi provided, Danzo knew the village was developing well but lacked elite combat power. Without strength, prosperity was as fleeting as the evening primrose.
"What's the situation with Sunagakure and the Land of Wind?"
Danzo, now radiating vitality and youth, gazed ahead. His eyes, filled with intense purpose, made even the usually composed Nono feel a bit unsettled.
"Everything in the Land of Wind is proceeding as planned. However, aside from securing the trade route through the Land of Birds a year ago, Sunagakure has also established maritime connections with the Land of Water."
"The Kazekage has been busy. He's trying to cut me out of the picture."
Danzo's initial plans for the Kazekage didn't include expanding into the Land of Rivers.
In many ways, Sunagakure was Konoha's best imitator.
This was partly because Danzo had given the Kazekage a preliminary strategic guide. But it was also because Sunagakure was fundamentally different from the other ninja villages—since its founding, it hadn't relied entirely on the Land of Wind daimyo's funding.
Sunagakure pursued any profitable endeavor—controlling checkpoints, mining resources, expanding trade routes.
Once they realized they could grow stronger by encroaching on the Land of Wind's territory, they became unstoppable.
Danzo left for the Land of Wind alone.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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