Chapter 526: Another Rebellion
When Ishiro was called back to the conference room by Ikura again, he was still muttering, "If anyone says I'm the one causing chaos in the shinobi world from now on, I'll fight them."
Kawakita coughed softly, a little embarrassed.
Megumi was the most direct, saying, "Ishiro-sensei, this chaos is actually inseparable from you."
It turned out that after the Land of Wind was carved up again, Konoha had sent many ninja into the Land of Wind to maintain order.
To prevent others from seizing the benefits, Danzō dispatched numerous Root ninja. This significantly reduced Root's manpower.
However, not long after, all the experiments for Danzō's First Hokage cell transplant were completed.
He began the final preparations before the transplant surgery.
These preparations quickly came to the attention of the major clan heads. Every single detail had been anticipated by Shikaku Nara.
Thus, a conspiracy targeting Danzō began.
Shikaku Nara made two-pronged preparations: on one hand, he sent people to infiltrate Danzō's massive medical ninja team, preparing to act secretly; on the other, he contacted the clan heads to prepare for a frontal assault.
Before the experiment began, Danzō recalled a large number of Root members. However, because many personnel were stationed in the Land of Wind, the number was much lower than Shikaku Nara had expected.
Danzō's lack of manpower further strengthened Shikaku Nara and the others' determination to act.
On the day of the experiment, Danzō personally arranged Root's defenses before starting the transplant.
It wasn't that Danzō sensed Shikaku and the others were about to rebel; it was just his own cautious personality.
Danzō lay on the operating table. Before transplanting the First Hokage's cells, he first transplanted Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan.
The Mangekyou Sharingan had appeared calm in the nutrient solution, but the moment it entered Danzō's eye socket, it immediately became scorching hot.
Danzō's chakra began to drain at an astonishing rate. The bit of Wood Release from the White Zetsu clone transplanted onto his right side was nowhere near enough to handle it.
Fortunately, a sealing ninja immediately stepped forward and applied a seal to Danzō's right eye.
Although the seal couldn't completely suppress the Mangekyou Sharingan, the pressure on Danzō lessened significantly.
But in just that short period, Danzō was already drenched in sweat.
Next came the main event. The Sharingan transplant ninja and the sealing ninja stepped back, and the First Hokage cell transplant ninja stepped forward.
Several medical-nin, ignoring Danzō's reeking sweat, began to inject the First Hokage's cells, bit by bit, into the White Zetsu clone body transplanted onto Danzō's left side.
As the First Hokage's cells were injected, the pressure from Danzō's right eye began to gradually decrease.
But this was also the most difficult time for Danzō. The First's cells hadn't yet fully compensated for his body's consumption; instead, they brought new pressure.
Meanwhile, the Sharingan's drain continued. Danzō was suffering from both ends.
After another while, the power of the First's cells within Danzō grew stronger, and his chakra began to run rampant.
At this moment, the sealing ninja immediately stepped forward and released the seal on Danzō's right eye.
This time, the sealing ninja did not leave the operating table's side, ready to seal Danzō's right half at any moment.
The release of the Mangekyou Sharingan seemed to form a delicate balance with the First Hokage's cells.
For a short time, Danzō actually gained a moment's respite.
Now, the effect of Danzō studying Wood Release finally showed. He began to control the immense life force contained within the First's cells.
The energy from the First's cells began, according to Danzō's will, to suppress the Mangekyou Sharingan while simultaneously nourishing his own body.
Danzō couldn't help but let out a groan. The biggest hurdle was finally over.
The situation, just as Danzō had anticipated, began to develop in a favorable direction.
Next, as long as the amount of injected First Cells was controlled, even if Danzō couldn't reach the level of the First Hokage, the goal of transplanting the cells would at least be achieved.
Just then, a medical-nin assisting on Danzō's left side saw the chief surgeon on the right side holding the syringe filled with First Hokage cells.
He very naturally reached out and took the syringe from his hand.
The surgeon froze for a second but didn't refuse. Seeing the situation, it seemed the cells in the syringe wouldn't be needed for a while, so it made sense for the assistant medical-nin to hold onto them.
He just found it strange that the other ninja took the initiative to grab the syringe. Usually, he, the chief surgeon, would hand it over when needed.
In the instant the chief surgeon was puzzled, the ninja who had just taken the syringe suddenly plunged it into Danzō's body and rapidly injected the First Hokage cells inside.
The lab's security was tight. The moment this medical-nin made his move, a guard rushed over and subdued him. At the same time, he pulled out the syringe.
But in just those few breaths, a large amount of the First's cells had already entered Danzō's body.
Keep in mind, during the previous experiments, the cells were injected bit by bit. The chief surgeon had been extremely careful, precisely controlling the amount injected into Danzō.
Never before had so many cells been injected at once.
Not only was the amount far greater than before... all previous injections had been into the transplanted White Zetsu body on Danzō's right side. But this time, it was injected into Danzō's own body on the left side.
Before the ninja in the lab could take emergency measures, Danzō's body began to reject the cells.
Danzō's reaction this time was far more severe than any previous one. A beast-like roar erupted from his mouth—whether from pain or rage, it was impossible to tell.
The spot on Danzō's body where the cells had just been injected immediately turned white. Clearly, the First's cells had begun to consume his body.
Furthermore, with the entry of these cells, the balance Danzō had just achieved within his body was instantly destroyed.
A massive amount of Yang Release power began to rampage through Danzō's body.
Wherever it passed, countless cells were destroyed, only to be repaired in an instant. This cycle brought Danzō immense pain.
Even the Mangekyou Sharingan's Yin Release power and Danzō's own chakra were at risk of going out of control.
At this point, relying on himself alone, Danzō would surely die. Fortunately, he had loyal subordinates.
"Quick! Put away all the First Hokage's cells! Sealing ninja, apply seals to the area on the Lord's left side where the cells were injected! Transplant Sharingan onto the Lord Hokage's right arm!" The chief medical-nin reacted fastest, immediately directing everyone in emergency procedures.
And as he spoke, his scalpel flashed, cutting away the large piece of Danzō's flesh that had already turned white.
Then, aside from the subdued medical-nin, the other ninja immediately worked together, beginning to transplant Sharingan onto Danzō's left arm. One ninja even gouged out Danzō's left eye and began transplanting a Sharingan there too.
Fortunately, while the First's cells were destructive, their restorative power was also strong. Danzō's subordinates reacted quickly, temporarily pulling him back from the brink of death. Even the piece of flesh cut away by the chief surgeon quickly grew back.
Danzō knew he was in danger. Ignoring everything else, he focused all his effort on controlling the astonishing Yang Release power within him, following the descriptions in the Wood Release scrolls.
I can't die yet! Konoha needs me! I haven't proven that Sensei's choice of Hiruzen Sarutobi was wrong!
At the precipice of life and death, Danzō's burst of sheer willpower earned him a sliver of hope. Miraculously, the rampage of Yang Release lessened slightly.
And no one noticed that the subdued assistant medical-nin, as he was being dragged away, suddenly went silent.
And just seconds after this medical-nin's death, in the compounds of Konoha's various clans, the clan heads all received the message.
Then, wave after wave of elite shinobi from the major clans burst out from all directions, heading straight for the Root underground headquarters.
Simultaneously, many people spread rumors throughout Konoha, claiming Iwagakure intelligence ninja were causing destruction within the village, telling everyone to hurry home.
The civilians of Konoha, suspecting nothing, rushed back to their homes. They only wondered why they weren't told to go to the shelters this time.
Could it be that not many Iwa-nin came? But why are so many village ninja heading out? And they all look like clan ninja... Just how many Iwa-nin are there, to warrant mobilizing so many clan shinobi at once?
After a flurry of activity, the streets of Konoha quickly fell quiet again. But at the location of the Root headquarters, fierce fighting erupted instantly.
Now, the defensive ninja Danzō had positioned finally came into play. The clan ninja summoned by Shikaku Nara and the others did not immediately breach the defenses at Root's entrance.
Not until the Akimichi clan ninja arrived. Several giants used the Expansion Jutsu to forcibly break through Root's defensive line, finally storming into the underground base.
When the large Akimichi warriors led the charge into Root, Danzō had only just had a batch of Sharingan transplanted onto him.
The sealing ninja hadn't even finished applying the seals to suppress the First's cells when Root ninja began falling back from the outer defenses.
"Lord Danzō! The village clans have rebelled! So far, we've seen the Akimichi, Hyuga, Aburame, Nara, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, and many smaller clans!"
Danzō had naturally heard the commotion too. But his body couldn't move yet, his chakra consumption was immense, and he was currently at the weakest point in his life.
The Sharingan in Danzō's eye sockets practically spat fire. He had always believed that Konoha under his control was his personal domain. He had always thought the major clan ninja had been suppressed. He never expected this.
Danzō said gravely, "Leave none alive. Kill all these traitors to the village."
"Yes, sir!" The Root ninja charged back toward the encroaching battle.
There was no need for him to relay the order now. Throughout the base, every Root ninja was already moving. Even the guards protecting Danzō split off, the majority joining the fight.
Danzō was completely unprepared this time. Root ninja had no way to fight back against the surprise attack from the major clans. Furthermore, Root itself currently contained many ninja from those same major clans. Many of them hadn't been in Root for long and hadn't been completely brainwashed by Danzō. Most of these ninja were already adults when they joined Root, with their own ninja ways. Danzō hadn't planned on brainwashing them anyway. Danzō merely controlled their lives and deaths through the Tongue-Cursing Seal.
Faced with an attack led by their own clan heads, they were utterly unprepared. Fight? Don't fight? For a moment, many Root ninja froze in place. And their hesitation immediately doomed their comrades. Without their support, the casualty rate among the other Root ninja accelerated dramatically.
Thus, Root, which Danzō had painstakingly built, crumbled almost instantly under the assault led by Shikaku Nara and the others.
Watching his elite Root members fall one by one before him, Danzō's heart bled.
Was it easy for me to build such a large Root organization? Over the years, Root had nearly been wiped out several times! Which time was rebuilding Root ever easy?
But the sacrifice of the Root ninja was not without value. They had, at least, bought Danzō the most critical resource: time.
After this buffer period, Danzō finally recovered somewhat.
Danzō sat up on the operating table. Ignoring his clothes, his hands began flying through seals. Immediately, a massive number of trees erupted from the ground, shooting like arrows toward the clan ninja.
The taijutsu users charging at the front—mostly Hyuga, Inuzuka, Akimichi, and some smaller clans specializing in swordsmanship like the Gekkō—bore the brunt. They were hit directly by Danzō's sudden Wood Release attack. This group of ninja was almost completely wiped out, riddled like honeycombs by the wood.
And Danzō's attack didn't stop there. The rampaging trees rapidly spread back toward the direction the clan ninja came from, catching the support ninja in the rear as well. Although they weren't wiped out like the vanguard, their losses were still heavy. Most importantly, the bodies and trees blocked the passage, creating a nearly impassable barrier between Danzō and Shikaku Nara's forces.
Seeing this, Shikaku Nara quickly shouted, "Chōza!"
Chōza Akimichi, without a word, immediately used the Expansion Jutsu, grew to his largest size, and began smashing wildly at the blocked passage. He didn't care if there were still survivors among the bodies; he just forcibly cleared the path.
Just then, Hiashi Hyuga said with an ugly expression, "Shikaku! Bad news! Danzō is escaping!"
In Hiashi's Byakugan, Danzō, along with his few remaining ninja, was rapidly fleeing through a secret passage.
Hearing this, Shikaku immediately said, "Lord Hiashi, take some men and intercept him! I'll lead the charge inside!"
Hiashi nodded and, without another word, gathered several smaller clans and ran off in a specific direction. He had locked onto Danzō's position. As long as he didn't look away, Danzō couldn't escape his surveillance. Furthermore, Hiashi on the surface could run in a straight line, while Danzō underground had to follow the tunnel's path. Thus, the distance between them rapidly closed.
The battle in the Root base, though brutal, was very quick. Not much time passed between the start of the fight and the clan ninja gaining complete control of Root. This was also part of Shikaku's calculations. The major clans had mobilized almost entirely. Compared to them, the number of Root ninja was much smaller. And these clan ninja all possessed secret techniques, often giving them the upper hand in fights against opponents of the same rank. Added to the element of surprise, Root's rapid collapse was expected.
Immediately after, the battlefield shifted. The exit of Danzō's secret tunnel was outside Konoha. With Shikaku pursuing and Hiashi intercepting, everyone soon converged outside the village.
But this time, they didn't immediately fight, because a new group had appeared on the scene.
This group also wore Konoha uniforms and forehead protectors. Their leader was a white-haired man whom no one in Konoha didn't recognize: the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Following Hiruzen were members of his Sarutobi clan, as well as some non-clan ninja whom he had hastily summoned.
Hiruzen had been stunned by the sudden outbreak of fighting. He hadn't expected Konoha, which was fine one moment, to descend into chaos the next. It took him a while to learn from his clan members that the source of the chaos was... their own people. Led by the Hyuga and Nara, almost all the clans in the village, large and small, had rebelled.
Hiruzen was shocked and furious. He had anticipated that these clans held much resentment toward Danzō and would surely make a move if Danzō made a mistake. But Hiruzen had never imagined they would suddenly launch an open rebellion without any warning. Now that fighting had broken out, his usual tactic of smoothing things over was clearly useless.
So, he immediately gathered his clansmen and loyal subordinates and rushed toward Root headquarters. But after just a few steps, Hiruzen changed direction. He led his men to the exit of Danzō's secret tunnel. The tunnel Danzō thought was top secret had long been known to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen understood Danzō. He believed Danzō wouldn't choose to fight to the death. The moment he had a chance, he would leave Root behind to cover his retreat and escape himself. And events unfolded just as Hiruzen predicted. Danzō quickly abandoned his subordinates who were still fighting, having a small group of confidants take him through the secret tunnel.
Therefore, Danzō, as well as Hiashi Hyuga and the others who came to intercept him, were stopped by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
All three sides tacitly held back, waiting until Shikaku Nara arrived with the main force of the clan ninja before beginning to talk.
Everything that had happened today was within Shikaku Nara's plan. The only thing he hadn't anticipated was that Danzō, in that condition, could still unleash Wood Release. And Wood Release on that scale, wiping out the clans' vanguard in one blow. Although it seemed Danzō only had the strength for that one attack, it bought him the chance to escape. It also gave Hiruzen the chance to intervene.
Shikaku Nara glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Enma beside him, then looked at the weakened Danzō, and sighed inwardly.
The losses this time were huge. I don't know how I'll explain this to Hiashi, Chōza, and Tsume afterward. Their clansmen charged the furthest ahead and suffered the most casualties from Danzō's attack. And despite paying such a heavy price, I couldn't even kill Danzō.
Because with Hiruzen Sarutobi here, whether Danzō lived or died was no longer his decision. Leaving aside Hiruzen's seniority, his strength alone was enough to make Shikaku Nara and the others hesitate. Danzō, burdened by various disadvantages, couldn't exert his full Kage-level power. Even so, he had inflicted massive casualties. What about Hiruzen Sarutobi at full strength?
Shikaku Nara bowed to Hiruzen. "Lord Third, Danzō, for his own selfish reasons, has betrayed the village's interests. The evidence is conclusive."
"We, representing the village, must apprehend him. We ask for Lord Third's cooperation." As he spoke, Shikaku took out a thick stack of evidence from his pouch.
Hiruzen sighed. He only needed one glance at the pile to know it was all true. Did he not know his old friend's character better than Shikaku Nara? But, looking at Danzō, who was barely clinging to life because the experiment had been interrupted, Hiruzen's heart couldn't help but soften.
Danzō's chakra was rampaging throughout his body. That Wood Release attack just now had taken almost everything he had. But it was also thanks to that Wood Release that Danzō had managed to vent a large amount of the Yang Release power within him. This had prevented him from dying instantly. Even so, Danzō currently lacked even the strength to speak. He could only use his eyes to signal his old friend: Hurry up and quell this rebellion for me, your Hokage!
Hiruzen looked at Danzō, then at Shikaku Nara and the silent crowd of clan ninja beside him. He then said, "I can decide on Danzō's behalf. He will step down from the position of Hokage. I ask you all, considering he became the official Hokage through a Jōnin vote, to spare his life."
Shikaku Nara thought for a moment. "Danzō must release the Tongue-Cursing Seal from all Root ninja."
Hearing this, Danzō forced out two words through gritted teeth: "Dream on."
Hiruzen sighed. "Shikaku, where forgiveness is possible, show mercy. Danzō has already received his due punishment."
Shikaku considered, then said, "Danzō must release the Tongue-Cursing Seal from Kakashi, and from all clan ninja currently under it."
"Lord Third, this is our bottom line. We are also members of Konoha. If Danzō hadn't pushed us too far, we would never have reached this point."
"We ask Lord Third to persuade Danzō, and return freedom to our family members."
Hiruzen looked at the massive crowd gathered around Shikaku and the others, and was inwardly shocked.
I originally thought that under my suppression, these clans had dwindled. I didn't expect they had just moved underground.
Hiruzen looked at Danzō, saw he was still furious, and stepped forward, moving away from the crowd to speak with him privately. Hiruzen knew Danzō well. No one knew what he said, but in the end, Danzō chose to compromise. But what Danzō was truly thinking inside, no one could know.
Danzō didn't concede completely. He managed to secure the enclave he had just obtained from the Land of Wind. He refused to leave Konoha in disgrace like Tsunade. He would return. How could he do that without a stable base of operations? Besides, Danzō had another thought: he had, after all, technically succeeded in transplanting the First Hokage's cells this time. He needed time to recover from his injuries and adapt to his new power.
"All of you just wait! One day, I will make you all kneel at my feet!" Danzō swore viciously in his heart.
"A pity... I couldn't secure the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki or Sasuke Uchiha."
(End of Chapter)
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