"Lord Danzo, we are the Ninth Reconnaissance Squad of the ANBU. We've returned to report after completing our mission. On our way back, we were ambushed by a large group of Iwa-nin — eighteen chūnin and two jōnin. After a desperate life-or-death struggle, we barely managed to escape."
Under Danzo's oppressive aura, Moonlight Jihuo spoke stiffly, forcing the words out. He deliberately skipped over the details of the battle.
This was the weight of authority — something only those in power could exude.
What surprised Leo was that Moonlight Jihuo hadn't mentioned his involvement at all.
He knew full well that the ANBU reported directly to the Hokage. Although Danzo was the head of Root, he still held partial authority within the ANBU.
With the Third Hokage currently away, Danzo was the highest-ranking leader in charge of the ANBU. Yet Moonlight Jihuo chose to conceal the truth — clearly, he was doing it to protect Leo.
It was only fair, considering Leo had saved his life. If not for Leo pulling him away in time, Moonlight Jihuo would've died in that Iwa-nin ambush.
But would such a clumsy excuse really fool the sly and cunning Danzo?
Danzo frowned, clearly lost in thought, then barked sharply,
"Nonsense! How could you possibly escape an ambush by twenty Iwa-nin? Tell the truth — have you betrayed the village?"
At his command, six Root operatives appeared out of nowhere, instantly surrounding them.
The tension in the tent spiked — cold and suffocating.
Aburame Shimura and Yamanaka Inoshin trembled slightly.
Nothing was more painful than being suspected by your own comrades.
"Captain… just tell him the truth," Leo said, unwilling to let Moonlight Jihuo take the blame.
Danzo's gaze shifted to Leo. That eerie Rakshasa mask looked strangely familiar… as though he'd seen it somewhere before.
Seeing Danzo's reaction, Moonlight Jihuo sighed softly. "Actually, we didn't just escape… we also eliminated all twenty Iwa-nin."
With that, he pulled out a handful of metal tags from his ninja pouch — identification plates belonging to the fallen Iwa-nin, collected after the battle.
Danzo's eEXPression flickered with surprise.
Those tags were unique — one for each shinobi, symbolizing a life taken. To see so many at once… even through the entire Second Great Ninja War, Danzo had never witnessed such a sight.
At present, the war was in a stalemate. The three great villages and the Land of Rain had reached a tacit understanding — fighting only for resources and territory, avoiding large-scale battles. Most skirmishes were assassinations or small engagements.
Yet all these Iwa-nin…
"…were killed by one person," Moonlight Jihuo said. "A full-fledged ANBU operative — codename Rakshasa."
"What!?"
"When did Konoha gain such a powerful ninja?"
"Who is this Rakshasa? Why have we never heard of him?"
Danzo demanded, his eyes narrowing. He had no idea of Leo's true identity.
Nor did the six Root members around him, all equally stunned.
One against twenty — including two jōnin!?
They couldn't help but wonder who this person really was.
Only a handful knew Rakshasa's true identity — the Ninth Squad, the Third Hokage, Hatake Sakumo, and a few high-ranking ANBU operatives.
"It was me," Leo said calmly, removing the Rakshasa mask. At this point, there was no need to hide. He wanted to see what tricks Danzo would play next.
Under the mask, his face was handsome, strikingly young — clearly not yet fully grown. His thin lips and cold eEXPression gave him a ruthless air, while his sharp eyes radiated decisiveness beyond his years.
"You—!"
Danzo's eyes widened. That face… it looked so familiar!
But for a moment, he couldn't place it.
Leo hadn't graduated long ago, but his relentless training had pushed his body far beyond the normal human limit. Strengthened further by the powers of Haki and a Devil Fruit, his physical development was far greater than others his age.
Given how much his appearance had changed, it wasn't surprising Danzo didn't recognize him right away. He met too many people on a daily basis, after all.
"I'm Leo, graduate of the Konoha Academy," Leo said evenly, his tone calm yet firm.
Moonlight Jihuo couldn't help but admire him. Facing Danzo, he himself could barely breathe under the pressure, yet Leo remained composed, fearless.
"Leo…"
A spark of memory flashed through Danzo's mind. "That's right — you're that prodigy! The academy's combat tournament champion… the one with monstrous strength, unmatched among your peers!"
Once, he'd even wanted to recruit Leo into Root, but Hiruzen Sarutobi had refused.
He never imagined that this same boy would change so drastically in such a short time.
Still — Danzo simply couldn't believe that Leo had single-handedly slaughtered twenty Iwa-nin, two of them jōnin. Even prodigies had their limits.
And yet… looking at Leo now, Danzo realized he couldn't read the boy at all.
He radiated a confidence — a presence — that even Minato Namikaze never showed before Danzo.
"Did you truly kill those twenty Iwa-nin?" Danzo asked again, voice now calm.
"Yes," Leo replied. Just one word, but resolute as iron.
Danzo frowned. He disliked how Leo met his gaze as an equal. That aura… he'd only ever felt it from Hatake Sakumo — the bearing of a true powerhouse.
If it was true, then Leo's power needed to be reassessed.
And someone this young with such strength… must be hiding a secret. A secret Danzo had to control.
After a moment's thought, his eEXPression smoothed over. He stood up and said evenly, "The four of you — come with me."
Moonlight Jihuo exhaled, relieved, and was about to agree when Leo suddenly said,
"Lord Danzo — before we go, you should tell us where exactly you're taking us. Otherwise, we won't follow."
Moonlight Jihuo and the others froze. They weren't stupid — they caught the deeper meaning behind Leo's words and immediately grew tense.
Everyone in Konoha knew Danzo's reputation. He was no benevolent superior — and Root's methods were darker, crueler, and far less moral than those of the ANBU.
Cold sweat broke out on all three of them. If Leo hadn't spoken up, they might've followed Danzo straight to their deaths — never even knowing how they'd been betrayed.
Danzo's face darkened. His eyes sharpened. "Say that again?"
Leo stepped forward, meeting his gaze head-on. His killing intent flared, his aura eEXPloding like a storm.
(To be continued…)
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