The Adventurous Gamer Ninja - Daichi Hekima [Vol. 02]

Chapter 376 - Danzo Shimura: A Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf

Just as Danzo was catching his breath, he felt the ground beneath him shift. For a brief moment, he was sure the tremors were lingering aftershocks from the powerful explosions he had set off against Orochimaru.

'Something is off.'

Suddenly his vision began to blur at the edges, and the boulder he took refuge behind seemed to shift like a mirage. His mind felt dull and heavy, and in that instant, he realized the truth: he was already ensnared in a Genjutsu.

He gritted his teeth, eye darting around the moonlit expanse. He was searching for Orochimaru's form among the jagged rocks as his body burned with pain.

'Che! The price for underestimating his adaptability. I knew he'd be difficult to kill but I didn't think he'd walk away from that blast so quickly.'

For a moment, the shadows dissolved and formed into the images of a memory of long ago. The present danger faded, and Danzo's eye closed and his vision became filled with an older scene.

A private room deep underground. It was years ago, in a hidden Root facility.

Years Ago - Root Headquarters.

The stone walls flickered under torchlight. On one side of a small wooden table sat Danzo—his posture severe, his right arm hidden beneath the folds of his robes.

Around him were three figures in dark clothing, wearing featureless masks and kneeling in silence. The tension in the dimly-lit chamber was thick, but no one dared to speak until Danzo allowed it.

Soon, Danzo slowly stood, leaning on his staff just enough to show a subtle weakness in his leg. It was a reminder of wounds from the past war. His single visible eye was cold and calculating as he looked at the loyal shinobi before him.

For a moment, he paused, as though weighing the gravity of what he was about to decree. Then, in a voice that showed no emotion, he spoke. "Root has a mission."

He walked to a large map pinned to the wall, the edges curling from time and poor lighting. Tucked behind various scrolls and pinned notes, the map showed the territories of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Danzo reached out and tapped a small region on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth.

There was also a picture of a man dressed in luxurious clothing.

"Akoba Tomugun. A very wealthy merchant, a citizen and a former shinobi of this village. He was Special Jonin and retired after the Third Ninja War. After that he used his intellect and connections to build a wealthy legitimate business enterprise. On the surface, he is a very loyal citizen and a capable man. But what we didn't know until a week ago was that he survived the third war by betraying his two teammates to the enemy. But no one knew about it until two months ago. Someone in the Hidden Stone village found out that secret and is blackmailing him with this information. Right now Akoba is on his way to meet with ninjas of a hostile nation in secret."

Danzo didn't raise his voice, but every syllable carried weight. He looked at his agents and spoke. "I have reliable information that he could be coerced into providing resources to our enemies."

The three Root ninjas never said a word. Their masks hid any reaction, but Danzo knew they felt the gravity of his words. "He is traveling with his family to avoid suspicion. He will leave his family in the Capital and travel across the border. Power, blackmail, information threatening his survival, money... All these could be used by the Hidden Stone agents to coerce Akoba."

One of the masked shinobi dared to speak. "What are our orders, Lord Danzo?"

The Root Commander's gaze swept over the trio. They were devoted to him—his tools to protect the Leaf Village from threats beyond mere politics.