Konohagakure, Root Division.
"Hmph, you still haven't found that bastard Orochimaru?"
"He's got the research notes on Hashirama's cells. With only what we have, progress is far too slow."
"Step up the search. I want his location found."
Danzō Shimura scowled down at the report in his hand, his face twisted with dissatisfaction.
The Root operatives standing before him nodded nervously, not daring to speak.
"Hmph... and that damn Kazuyama Gekkō. This time, Amegakure will be his grave."
"The Hokage seat should have been mine from the start."
"What Yellow Flash? Just a bunch of young punks thinking they can compete with me."
Just as Danzō was venting his frustration, the chair beneath him suddenly shook.
Crack!
Thud!
The once-sturdy chair collapsed into pieces. Danzō's eyes widened in surprise, but being a seasoned shinobi, he quickly tried to stabilize himself and slammed both feet down to regain his balance.
Snap!
"Damn it!"
His foot landed directly on a jagged piece of the broken chair leg.
A sharp splinter pierced clean through the sole of his shoe and stabbed into his foot. Bizarrely, the shoe offered no protection at all, as if it wasn't even there.
Pain shot through him, and for a moment, Danzō stood frozen.
The elite Root members in front of him all stared in stunned silence.
They couldn't believe their eyes—was this disheveled man really their leader? The so-called shadow of the ninja world, Danzō Shimura?
"Who the hell brought this chair in here?!"
"This thing's garbage!"
"Kill whoever's in charge of office furniture!"
Everyone immediately lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
Danzō managed to compose himself and hobbled toward the research wing.
With every step he took, he left a bloody footprint on the floor. In the dim corridor lighting, Root members who saw it couldn't help but wince.
...
Inside the lab, researchers in long white coats were hard at work. When they saw Danzō approach, they rushed forward to greet him.
And then—another mishap.
A researcher carrying a reagent bottle—doing who-knows-what—approached with it in hand.
Just as he neared Danzō, his foot slipped. The bottle flew from his hand and shattered on the ground... right in Danzō's path.
Unfortunately, Danzō was still mid-stride—and stepped directly into the broken glass.
"@#%! @#%! %@￥%!!!"
Pain exploded from his foot, and Danzō nearly lost his mind.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Lord Danzō!"
"I didn't mean to! I don't even know which idiot spilled water on the floor—I slipped!"
"I'm really sorry, Lord Danzō!"
The researcher was petrified. He knew exactly who he was dealing with.
Danzō. The man who killed without blinking.
He was going to die. No doubt about it.
"You idiot! You goddamn idiot!"
"I told you to focus on research! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Hm? What... what is this?"
Suddenly, Danzō's expression changed. He felt a burning sensation underfoot. White smoke hissed up from the floor.
Then the pain became unbearable.
"Lord Danzō, that's hydrofluoric acid. It's corrosive."
"You'd better rinse your foot immediately, or there may be permanent damage."
One of the researchers, wearing glasses, crouched down and calmly explained the situation.
Without a second thought, Danzō spun around, drew the blade from his back, and slashed straight at the researcher.
"Crack!"
The moment the sword swung down, Danzō used too much force. The hilt remained in his hand, but the blade snapped off mid-swing—and fell, stabbing straight into his own arm.
Danzō: ...
Root Division members: ...
Researchers: ...
"Lord D-Danzō!"
"Medical-nin, hurry!"
Panic erupted in the room. Danzō had accidentally stabbed himself, and the sword was still embedded in his arm.
[Ding! Curse technique "Draw a Circle and Curse You" is continuing to take effect.]
[Target: Shimura Danzō. Current status: Both feet injured, right arm injured. Curse nearly complete—just a bit more damage needed.]
Kazuyama Gekkō grinned so wide it nearly split his face.
Stupid Danzō, you're finally getting what you deserve!
Both feet injured, now an arm too... He couldn't wait to see what came next.
...
Back in the Root base, Danzō had been rushed to the medical bay.
Medical-nin were treating the wounds on his feet and arm—though it would've gone smoother if their superior weren't scowling like he wanted to murder them all.
"Kill that bastard from the lab... no, wait..."
"Spare him—for now. But keep him under watch. If he doesn't deliver a new report within a week, execute him."
"He's not allowed to sleep. Only eat, drink, and go to the bathroom!"
"Make him work! If he doesn't drop dead from it, keep pushing him!"
In his fury, Danzō flung his arm... and smacked it into the wooden bedframe.
With a loud clack, the poorly secured board snapped upward and slammed into the face of the medical-nin treating him.
The startled medic fell backward and knocked over the medical kit.
Clatter!
Every scalpel in the kit spilled—and stabbed right into Danzō's legs.
Shhk!
A perfect row of scalpels jutted from his thighs.
"You bastards! Do you all want to die!?"
"I'll kill every last one of you! Are you all planning a rebellion?!"
Danzō completely snapped. This was the worst day of his life.
The Root members nearby didn't even dare breathe, fearing they'd be next.
The fallen medical-nin scrambled back up and began treating Danzō again as chaos filled the room once more.
...
"Lord Danzō, the men dispatched to the Daimyō's Manor have already departed."
"What do you want us to...?"
Another Root member stepped in, only to freeze at the sight of his superior lying there, covered in wounds and surgical tools, fury radiating from every pore.
Danzō forced himself to calm down, biting down on his rage.
"Hmph. Keep watch. I want to know who the Daimyō chooses."
"Yes, Lord Danzō. We'll keep a close eye."
Finally, the day's disasters came to an end. Danzō lay back in his chair, his entire aura dark and heavy—like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
...
Meanwhile, Kazuyama Gekkō received the mental notification and ended the curse. He then teleported out of Amegakure with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
With the village on full lockdown, he wasn't about to press his luck.
Nor did he linger outside. After a few quick teleports, he arrived in the Land of Birds.
Peacefully soaking in a hot spring resort once more, he relaxed completely.
He'd messed with Hanzō of the Salamander, humiliated Danzō... just thinking about it made him grin.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake