The tranquil surface of the lake shattered violently, as if struck by a nuclear bomb.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A massive vortex formed where the Giant Rasenshuriken was unleashed, devouring everything in its vicinity.
It was like a black hole consuming all in its path.
The ground fractured, buildings collapsed, and deafening roars echoed through the Root Base.
Before the elite of the Root division could even scream, their lives were claimed by the overwhelming force of the Giant Rasenshuriken.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was brewing tea.
Having completed the day's work, a cup of hot tea felt like the perfect way to cool off, he thought to himself.
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion shook the building, startling Hiruzen.
A violent gale followed, coming from an unknown source and sweeping through the entire Hokage Residence.
The windows creaked under the impact, until they finally shattered into countless shards.
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened.
Though he had not fought in years since becoming Hokage, the combat instincts engraved in his bones remained unforgotten.
His hands formed seals swiftly, and he shouted:
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Thud!
The ground rose to form a solid earthen barrier, shielding him from the flying shards of glass.
After a long pause, the storm subsided. Hiruzen lowered the Earth-Style Wall and surveyed the wreckage of his office in silence.
The Hokage speculated that this destruction might have been caused by some secret Wind Release technique.
What he failed to realize was that this was merely the aftershock of a single jutsu.
"What in the world happened?"
As Hiruzen pondered, a heavily injured ANBU operative appeared before him.
The white cloak was torn to shreds, and the cracked mask bore silent testimony to the fierce battle the ANBU had endured.
With a single glance, Hiruzen recognized that this operative was not one of his direct subordinates but a member of Root.
Could this destruction have been orchestrated by Danzo?
"What happened at Danzo's base?"
Fixing his gaze on the ANBU operative, Hiruzen's tone was cold.
No matter the cause of such extensive damage, Danzo had gone too far.
The ANBU operative knelt on one knee and rasped, his voice hoarse:
"Reporting to the Third Hokage… Lord Danzo… was assassinated."
To emphasize his point, the ANBU removed his mask and extended his tongue.
The cursed seal that Danzo used to bind his Root operatives had vanished, signaling the death of its caster.
The ANBU silently thanked his proficiency in the Body Flicker Technique, which had saved him from the fate that befell his comrades buried in the rubble.
"What…?"
"Danzo is...assassinated?"
Hearing this, Hiruzen was so stunned that he knocked over his teacup.
Tea spilled across the documents on his desk, but Hiruzen paid no heed.
He and Danzo had grown up together, bonded through shared childhood experiences. After graduating as ninjas, they trained under the Second Hokage.
Their relationship was forged through life-and-death battles.
Though their conversations had dwindled since Hiruzen became Hokage, their bond had not diminished.
Now, that bond surged to the forefront, leaving Hiruzen with a heavy heart.
He opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
---
Midnight, Hokage's Office
"Koharu, Homura, I'm sorry for calling you here so late."
"Go ahead, Sarutobi. If it weren't serious, we trust you wouldn't summon us at this hour."
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, high-ranking officials of Konoha, exchanged glances.
After a moment of silence, Hiruzen exhaled a plume of smoke, his gaze settling on a photo of the Second Hokage.
"Danzo is dead," he said, his voice heavy.
"What?!"
Both of them shot up from their seats, incredulous.
Danzo, dead? How is that even be possible?
Hiruzen had anticipated their reaction and waited until they calmed down.
"The perpetrator wore a black fox mask, affiliation unknown," Hiruzen continued.
"They demonstrated masterful swordsmanship, immense chakra reserves, and devastating ninjutsu.
Over forty personnel stationed at the Root Base were nearly annihilated.
The base itself and a five-kilometer radius were utterly destroyed, leaving only a massive crater behind.
"Fortunately, no civilians in the area were harmed."
He paused, his tone becoming grave.
"Preliminary assessment suggests the masked assailant is of Kage-level strength.
To bypass the barriers set by Lady Mito without alerting the Barrier Team… this is no ordinary individual."
Sweat beaded on Koharu and Homura's foreheads.
What kind of monstrous enemy had Danzo provoked?
After a long silence, Koharu proposed, "Issue a wanted notice and a bounty through the underground networks."
Homura hesitated before adding, "The crime of assassinating a Konoha elder and destroying our village warrants an SS-rank wanted level.
The bounty title… let's call him the Masked Man.
As for the reward…"
Homura's gaze darkened.
"Eighty million ryō."
"Agreed," Hiruzen nodded. "Then—"
"Wait, Sarutobi. Do you recall what our teacher once said about Uchiha Madara… that he might not have truly died?"
Homura's voice trailed off, even he struggled to believe his theory.
"Impossible. No one can live that long," Hiruzen retorted sharply.
"But this is Uchiha Madara," Homura whispered.
The room fell into a suffocating silence.
After a deep sigh, Hiruzen's exhausted voice broke through.
"Raise the wanted level to SSS. Increase the bounty to one hundred million ryō."
==================
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