"Did Danzo and Orochimaru die?"
The question raised by Kisame caused Konan's expression to become slightly conflicted. "They should not be dead yet."
Book Artist: "Should?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Well, before I left, I saw a flash of golden light. According to Aizen, the person who emitted that light was the one who saved them. That individual is very powerful—likely much stronger than I am now."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Stronger than you are now?"
This was a shocking revelation. Konan had been significantly strengthened by the power of a Shinigami and carried Hyorinmaru, capable of Shikai. Even the Six Paths of Pain would likely struggle against her current self.
Curly-Haired Boy: "Hey, hey, is there really such a person left in the ninja world? Could it be Uchiha Madara?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "I don't know. Aizen didn't tell me."
Shark Face: "To rescue people directly from Lord Aizen's hands... that person must be truly terrifying."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "No, I think the truly scary one is Aizen. He seemed to have anticipated that this person would come to save Danzo and Orochimaru, yet he let them go anyway."
Curly-Haired Boy: "So, the appearance of this mysterious person was also part of Aizen's plan?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Almost certainly."
Book Artist: "Who is it? I'm so curious!"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "A mysterious figure more powerful than Konan who seems to know Aizen's true identity. If we think about it, it could only be Uchiha Madara, right?"
Book Artist: "That's not right. Isn't that guy already dead?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Have you forgotten? Aizen can turn the dead into Arrancars!"
Book Artist: "Ah... point taken."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "But what is his intention? Aizen rarely does anything without absolute certainty. If he had transformed Uchiha Madara into an Arrancar, the man would surely be under his control. Why allow him to 'rescue' Danzo and Orochimaru? There was no need for such a theater."
Curly-Haired Boy: "With Aizen's sinister personality, he's more than capable of such a thing! Maybe he thinks Danzo and Orochimaru still have some 'use' left in them!"
Uchiha Madara? That is a truly outrageous guess.
Aizen sighed softly and refrained from joining the discussion. The group members' speculations were consistently wide of the mark, and their imaginations seemed to bypass the basic laws of logic.
Aizen turned his gaze back to the monitor, which now displayed the interior of the Root Base. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shisui stood in the central hall, scanning their surroundings with grim expressions.
Corpses.
The entire hall was carpeted with bodies. Most wore the standard Root uniform, and the blood pooling beneath them had already dried into a dark, visceral red.
"Did Danzo do this?" Shisui took a sharp breath. "He actually went this far."
The faces of the deceased were calm and composed, showing no trace of resentment or agony. It was as if they had walked willingly toward their end. It was clear: the only person who could command such a serene mass suicide was their leader, Danzo.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing, his face shadowed and terrible. He had desperately wanted to believe his old friend was incapable of such depravity, but the evidence was undeniable. The expressions of the dead did not lie.
"Hokage-sama, we found two more bodies in the basement laboratory."
Several Anbu members operating directly under the Hokage approached, carrying two stretchers. Their voices trembled as they spoke. "After confirmation and comparison... these appear to be the two advisors, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu."
"What?!"
The news made even Sarutobi Hiruzen stiffen. When he had decided to conduct this surprise inspection of the Root, he had sent messengers to the advisors' homes to inform them. The reply he received was that both had been invited away by Danzo's men that morning and had not yet returned.
At the time, Hiruzen had sensed something was wrong. But he hadn't expected Danzo to be so ruthless. They were all close comrades, partners who had navigated life and death together. How could he find the heart to do this?
Stricken with grief, Hiruzen turned toward the stretchers. He wanted to look upon his friends one last time, but the sight that met him shattered his composure. "How... how could this happen?"
The remains bore the familiar features of his old acquaintances, yet they were fundamentally altered. Their foreheads, chins, and cheeks were encrusted with white, bone-like plating. Their bodies were swollen and twisted into deformed parodies of humanity, and long, whip-like tails extended from their lower backs.
Monsters. Anyone looking at them would see only monsters.
One of the Anbu took a shaky breath. "According to the manuscripts we recovered from the lab, this appears to be a mutation caused by something called 'Hollowification.'"
Hollowification?
Shisui's pupils constricted. He seemed to have made a sudden, dark connection.
"An experiment?"
Unaware of the boy's reaction, Hiruzen's eyes turned bloodshot. He didn't understand the mechanics of a "Hollow," but he knew exactly what Danzo had done. Using his old friends as disposable experimental fodder was beyond the Hokage's tolerance. "Danzo... you truly deserve to die!"
Killing intent—an irrepressible, cold fury—surged within Sarutobi Hiruzen. He felt that Danzo was no longer worthy of being called human.
"Hokage-sama, please calm down," Shisui said, regaining his composure just in time to offer counsel. "The most urgent task is deciding how to deal with the joint offensive from the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Sand!"
Damn it, Danzo, you bastard!
Hiruzen clenched his fists so tightly that veins bulged across his forehead and the backs of his hands. According to the intelligence left by Aizen, Kirigakure's surprise attack on Konoha had been a setup—a mere prelude.
The true killing blow was the joint invasion by the Cloud and Sand. Once Konoha was exhausted from the defense, Danzo intended to seize the opportunity to unseal the Nine-Tails and deal a fatal blow to the village from within. It was a plan so perfectly interconnected that every detail served the trap.
Originally, Hiruzen hadn't fully believed it. He had thought that while Danzo's methods had strayed, the man was still loyal to the village in his own twisted way. But now, the cold, heavy reality slapped him in the face.
It was heart-wrenching. The pain was absolute.