Although Danzō did not fully grasp the deeper meaning behind Hayashi's words, it did not stop him from finding them oddly fitting.
They matched his state of mind perfectly.
He had devoted everything to Konoha, yet many shinobi neither understood nor appreciated him, some even slandering him behind his back. Heh. It did not matter.
He did not need anyone's understanding.
Understanding was unnecessary, because he was inherently alone.
Once, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been the only person Danzō believed he could relate to. But over time, he came to a different conclusion. Humans could never truly understand one another. Only power endured.
Let him endure loneliness. Let him carry the pain alone. In the same way, Konoha itself should remain in his hands.
That was the conviction that had carried him to this point.
"Never mind why Kagami's son said those words. Still… it is not unpleasant," Danzō murmured to himself.
He decided to record that sentence within Root's inner records, as a reminder to all operatives.
Do not concern yourself with the opinions of others. Root exists for Konoha, and ultimately for Danzō himself.
In a rare good mood, Danzō returned to the Root facility.
Yi was already waiting at the entrance of the laboratory.
Danzō raised his hand slightly. The surrounding hidden Root shinobi immediately withdrew, leaving only the two of them inside the sterile, quiet room.
The air felt heavy and empty. Neither of them spoke at first.
Yi knelt on the ground in complete silence, head lowered.
Danzō simply stared at him.
Pressure filled the room, not from any jutsu, but from the weight of a life that had long since been placed under another's control. A suffocating sense of helplessness, born from having no control over one's own fate.
After a moment, Yi began to tremble slightly.
Danzō finally spoke.
"Is everything prepared?"
"Yes, my lord," Yi replied immediately, lowering his posture even further.
"Any problems?"
"No. Human trials have already been completed. The Wood Release stability is confirmed. There will be no unexpected issues."
Danzō nodded slowly, then continued.
"How is Shin?"
"He is in good condition," Yi said. "He is ready to sacrifice himself for you, my lord."
Sacrifice.
A fitting word.
Danzō was clearly satisfied with it.
Shin was a child he had once taken in by chance within Root. Over time, he discovered the boy's unique compatibility and had been cultivating him ever since.
All for this moment.
Yes, Danzō had already made his decision.
He would transplant both the Sharingan and Wood Release.
First into Shin's body, then the entire modified arm would be transferred into Danzō himself.
A method that eliminated all risk.
At least in theory.
Originally, he had not planned to proceed so soon, but after the Akatsuki incident, a sense of urgency had grown within him.
Although Amegakure had participated in the Chūnin Exams, his instincts told him something had gone wrong with Hanzō.
He even suspected the attack on Konoha might be connected to Akatsuki.
Because of that, the transplant could not wait.
There was another reason as well.
The Third Hokage had already made up his mind to step down.
Danzō believed there was still room to salvage the situation. If not, then at the very least, he had to ensure Hayashi would never become the Fourth Hokage.
Orochimaru, despite being a fellow researcher, was not informed of the operation.
Danzō had only allowed him and Yi to collaborate on Wood Release research.
As for the upcoming procedure, Orochimaru could not be involved. Information leakage was too great a risk.
What Danzō did not know was that everything he believed to be hidden had already been quietly exposed to Orochimaru through Yi.
A curse seal bound Yi's tongue, preventing direct disclosure, but subtle hints and indirect communication were more than enough for a mind like Orochimaru's to understand.
Still, Danzō remained completely unaware.
He was confident in his control over Yi.
Danzō crouched down and removed Yi's mask.
Beneath it was a face covered in scars. If not for those marks, it would have been a distinctly handsome face. Now, however, it only looked worn and distorted.
"Hiruko," Danzō said calmly. "I saved you back then. Without me, you would have died in the Second Shinobi World War. Now it is time to repay that debt. Be careful with Shin's body."
Hearing that name again made Yi's body twitch slightly.
Hiruko.
A name that now felt distant, almost unfamiliar.
On the battlefield all those years ago, he had nearly died in Amegakure territory. It was Root shinobi who had pulled him back from the brink.
Danzō had saved him. That much was true.
But who had pushed him into that situation in the first place?
Was it Iwagakure?
Perhaps indirectly.
But the true root of it all had been Danzō.
Back then, Hiruko had been nothing more than an unremarkable figure. Meanwhile, people of his generation like Orochimaru had already risen to command-level positions in Amegakure.
And he had remained only a special jōnin, struggling in obscurity.
Not because he lacked intelligence, but because he lacked recognition.
And in the ninja world, that alone was often enough to determine everything.
A capable researcher like him had inevitably attracted attention. Not as a talent to be nurtured, but as a tool to be controlled.
At some point, he had been marked by Danzō, drawn into Root, and stripped of his identity.
Hiruko had become Yi.
Whether as Hiruko or Yi, he had never truly had a choice.
As a Konoha shinobi, he had not committed any crime. If there was any fault, it was simply that he had remained too weak for too long.
In this world, the weak were always used, always manipulated, always discarded.
That was reality.
But Hiruko wanted to choose again.
He wanted freedom. He wanted strength.
And strength, he had already found a path toward.
Over the years within Root, he had gathered multiple kekkei genkai. His Chimera Technique now allowed him to fuse the abilities of other shinobi at will.
The research had accelerated significantly after Orochimaru became involved. Their exchange of knowledge had pushed both sides forward.
Orochimaru's Wood Release research advanced because of Hiruko.
Hiruko's Chimera Technique progressed because of Orochimaru.
A dangerous synergy.
And it only made Hiruko's desire for freedom stronger.
He now possessed knowledge, techniques, and power that should have belonged to no single man, yet he was still bound under Danzō's control.
That contradiction was unbearable.
So Danzō had to die.
Hiruko quietly put his mask back on and turned toward the surgical preparations.
Danzō would soon complete his transformation.