(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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On the outskirts of Konoha, there was a seemingly ordinary dwelling.
The notorious Root organization was located in this inconspicuous spot.
Originally, Root had been very close to the center of Konoha.
Hiruzen operated in the light, while Danzo worked in the shadows.
But after the Uchiha massacre, the Third Hokage placed all the blame on Danzo and officially disbanded the Root organization.
The "Professor" title was well-earned; he could deflect any accusation thrown at him.
It wasn't until the spotlight faded that Danzo re-established Root with the Third Hokage's tacit approval, opting for a more remote location.
In truth, Colt had no prejudice against the concept of establishing Root.
He felt that Root's existence was indeed necessary.
There was never only a bright side to the world; creatures of shadow also existed.
Compared to the ANBU he had seen before; the Root was more like a true ninja organization.
They walked among the shadows, completing one covert mission after another.
But it was a pity that the person in charge of them was Danzo.
Not only did he target foreign enemies, but also his own people.
What was meant to be a righteous organization had rotted from its very core.
Danzo also had an amazing trait: in his view, no matter what he did, it was for Konoha's benefit.
Only when he became the Hokage could Konoha truly shine.
His self-delusion was thorough.
What's even more incredible was that everything he did actually weakened Konoha's strength or made enemies for the village.
Colt observed that the family of three in the residence he appeared near was disguised as Root ninjas.
For his own safety, Danzo was still very cautious. Otherwise, he wouldn't live in such a hidden place.
But it didn't matter. None of the people here would escape today.
Forming hand seals, Colt created four Shadow Clones and positioned them at the four corners.
He then strode confidently to the front of the house.
When they saw Colt, the expressions of these Root ninjas changed.
Before they could say anything, however, the original Colt took the initiative.
"[Thunderclap and Flash]!"
Arcs of lightning pierced the throats of several people at an astonishing speed.
At the same time, the four Shadow Clones in ambush formed their seals and shouted in unison.
"[Four Red Yang Formation]!"
In the four directions—east, west, north, and south—a red transparent flame barrier simultaneously was erected.
Long before entering, Colt had evacuated all the civilians nearby with Genjutsu.
He had to thank Danzo; if he hadn't moved Root to such a remote location, it would have been much harder to handle.
Opening a secret door, Colt headed in directly.
The Root base was located dozens of meters below, with countless levels and ninjas.
But along the way, he didn't encounter a single one.
It wasn't until he reached the lowest floor that he saw his main target, Danzo, already waiting for him.
Nearly a hundred Root ninjas were by his side.
Torune Aburame, known as Danzo's right-hand man, and Fuu Yamanaka were also present.
At this moment, Fuu looked at Colt with a solemn expression. Only he knew the true horror of the person before them.
"Kamiyo Colt, you really came," Danzo said, his aged face showing no surprise at all.
Ever since Fuu Yamanaka had returned, he had guessed that Colt wouldn't let it go, and he had made preparations early on.
"Oh?" Seeing Danzo so calm, Colt became intrigued and casually sat on a chair.
"How did you know I was here?"
With his strength, Colt had concealed his aura.
It should have been impossible for the Root ninjas to detect him.
Well, the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan might have... but as the Hyuga's son-in-law, Colt knew that no one in the entire Hyuga family served in Root.
Danzo raised the corners of his mouth proudly and slowly unwrapped the bandages on his arm.
"Those three had curse marks I placed on their bodies. As soon as they died, I knew someone had broken into Root."
"In all of Konoha, besides you, who else would be so bold?"
To deal with Colt's revenge, he had recently recalled all Root operatives who had been out on missions.
Colt suddenly realized that Danzo had used the lives of a few people as an alarm system.
"Then I'll see you later," Colt smiled.
He then got up from the chair and ran upstairs in an instant.
"After him!" Danzo commanded.
The group rushed forward without hesitation.
In Danzo's mind, Colt had failed in his assassination attempt and was trying to escape.
Danzo also followed at the rear. He would never let this archenemy leave today.
The best outcome would be to capture him, but if that failed, he must be killed!
Only by removing Colt could he influence Tsunade and become the Hokage!
But when everyone reached the surface, they were dumbfounded...
A massive red barrier stood in the sky around them, blocking off the entire area.
Looking at Danzo's uncertain face, Colt spoke calmly.
"Danzo, the stage has been set for you. How would you like to die?"
"Four Red Yang Formation..." Facing this barrier said to require four Kage-level shinobis to cast, even Danzo felt a little worried.
But he quickly calmed himself.
"As expected of a Senju descendant. Your chakra is truly enviable."
His tone turned cold and stern, "However, you've just set up a cage for yourself instead of us."
"Attack!"
This was the endgame. Today, only one of them would leave alive!
After his command, several ninjas formed hand seals simultaneously.
"[Wind Style: Vacuum Wave]!"
One after another, sharp blades of wind formed silently.
Immediately after, several others stepped forward.
"[Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu]!"
Massive fireballs were spat out in rapid succession.
As Root operatives, their combat skills were indeed very high. The combined attack of the group looked extremely formidable.
Colt's eyes transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan, and he slammed his palm on the ground.
"[Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall]!"
Several earthen walls rose in quick succession, bearing the brunt of the enemy attack.
In just a few breaths, two earthen walls were breached, and many Jutsus still remained.
"Quite capable, I must say." Colt genuinely felt it was a pity that such strong elites were under Danzo's command.
Though it was just an Earth-style wall he had casually created, not everyone could destroy it so easily.
Silver feathers flew out, and Fuu Yamanaka's face changed drastically when he saw this.
"Sir, be careful! Kamiyo Colt can manipulate these ninja tools at will. He can change their size, making them very difficult to counter!"
From his perspective, he hadn't noticed the Flying Thunder God technique on the feathers the last time. He just thought Colt's speed was too fast.
With his warning, Danzo also paid close attention, which made his subordinates raise their guard even further.
Facing the overwhelming barrage of flying feathers, everyone cooperated to resist, and there were no casualties.
Just as a smile appeared on Danzo's face after this, Colt made his next move.
"[Lightning Release: Thunderstorm Dance]!"