Chapter 47: Danzo, I'm Here to Kill You!
The night deepened.But tonight — at least for one man — was destined to be a sleepless night.
Especially for a certain "shadow in the pot."
"..."
Somewhere deep beneath Konoha, Danzo Shimura sat alone in a dim chamber.His dark, narrow eyes were unreadable.But one thing was clear — he was in a foul mood.
It all began more than a week ago.
After hearing that Jiraiya had recommended Su Li as the acting Hokage, Danzo had been furious.
Originally, with the Third Hokage gone, Danzo had been confident that he would become the Fifth.Jiraiya would never compete seriously for the position.
And why would he think that?
Because everything — every step — had been part of his own plan.
The so-called "Konoha Collapse Plan" was nothing but a cover for Danzo's cooperation with Orochimaru.
From Danzo's perspective, it wasn't destruction.It was the Konoha Rescue Plan.
Otherwise, how could Orochimaru have infiltrated the village so easily?
Yes, Orochimaru had once been a high-ranking Konoha ninja,but Konoha wasn't so naïve as to leave its defenses unchanged after that betrayal.
And then, there was the question —if Orochimaru truly wanted to destroy Konoha,why would he kill the Fourth Kazekage first?
With the First and Second Hokage revived through Edo Tensei, and the Fourth Kazekage at his command,Orochimaru should have been unstoppable.
The only explanation was that Orochimaru didn't actually want to annihilate Konoha.His true goal had always been to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi — nothing more.
And what about Danzo during the invasion?
As one of Konoha's elders, and the leader of Root, commanding an entire unit of elite shinobi…he had done absolutely nothing.
He hadn't moved against Orochimaru,nor had he lifted a finger to defend Konoha.
If anyone believed there was nothing suspicious about that —they were fools.
But once Orochimaru became Konoha's most wanted traitor,Danzo saw his perfect chance.
If he could "kill" Orochimaru,he would gain the support of the entire village and ascend to the Hokage's seat uncontested.
The price of cooperation?Simply allowing Orochimaru's research to continue freely.
Treason? Perhaps.
But in Danzo's own words —
"Everything I do is for Konoha's greatness."
However, the plan had gone off track.
Danzo had only anticipated competing with Jiraiya for the Hokage position.Before he could even approach Orochimaru again,Su Li — the so-called acting Hokage — had taken power.
Technically, it was only a temporary title.But the very existence of a "proxy Hokage" enraged him.
That seat — the Hokage's seat — was already his in everything but name.No one else was supposed to touch it.
The first thing he did, naturally, was gather every scrap of information about Su Li.And then the truth about the manga surfaced.
Of course, at this point, it wasn't even classified intel — the entire village knew about it.
Those unfathomable comics, which could grant powers beyond logic, made Danzo burn with envy.He dared not act recklessly.
Instead, he hid in the shadows, plotting.
He would never relinquish the Hokage's seat.And if he could master those comics — or the man behind them —his dream of ruling the ninja world would be within reach.
His ace in the hole was the power sealed in his right eye —the ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami.
With that, he could control minds without them ever realizing it.
All he needed was a single chance —a moment to use Kotoamatsukami on Su Li and make him his puppet.
But at that moment—
Clatter.
Something crashed to the floor, echoing through the empty underground base.
The sound was sharp, quick —like a body hitting stone.
Danzo's eyes narrowed."Take Root," he said coldly to one of his subordinates. "Go see what that was."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
The Root operative vanished into the darkness.
Only three or four seconds passed.
Then —
Boom!
The same man's body came flying back, slamming into a stone pillar with sickening force.Blood sprayed from his mouth before he crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
Instant death.
"..."
Danzo's expression hardened.He rose abruptly, turning toward the source of the disturbance.
Three silhouettes emerged from the shadows, walking slowly into the dim light.
The moment he saw the one in front, Danzo recognized him.
"Su Li! What do you think you're doing here?" he growled.
That face — he had studied it for days in reports and surveillance photos.There was no mistaking it.
Su Li smiled faintly."Yo, good evening, Elder Danzo..."
His voice was calm. Too calm.
Then, without a hint of hesitation, he added—
"I'm here to take your life."