Chapter 35: Danzo's Ambition
Konoha Village, deep beneath the earth. The sprawling, sinister complex known as the 'Root'.
Since discovering the peculiar 'Corvus Toxin' on the afflicted shinobi—a venom that passively siphoned the host's life energy and transferred it to its master—Danzo had taken a keen, proprietary interest. He'd ordered his Root operatives to discreetly abduct one of the infected genin, Takagawa. The boy's parents were ordinary civilians with no influence. The risk of Sarutobi's ire was manageable; as long as he feigned ignorance, the Hokage wouldn't escalate over a single, low-ranking ninja.
If he couldn't control the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he would seize other tools.
Now, after dedicated study, Root's research into the toxin had entered a new phase. Their goal wasn't an antidote, but exploitation. Could this strange energy-transferring poison be harnessed? Could it be used to extend a lifespan, to delay the relentless march of age?
The idea was intoxicating. Danzo's greatest obstacle to claiming the Hokage's seat was his own advancing years. The village would always choose a younger, stronger leader. If he could rejuvenate his body by even a decade… the path to the Fifth Hokage would be clear. With the Yellow Flash and Orochimaru gone, Tsunade a traumatized recluse, Jiraiya a wandering sage, and the younger generation like Kakashi still unproven, the field was open. He'd even proposed himself after Minato's death, only to be thwarted by Sarutobi's stubborn hold on power.
The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki remained out of reach. But this… this 'Corvus Toxin' and the mysterious events surrounding it… they felt like an opportunity fate had dropped into his lap.
"Report, Lord Danzo!" A Root agent knelt before him, urgency in his posture.
Danzo's single visible eye focused. "Speak."
"Lord Danzo, the team tracking the 'Bloody Youth' has located him ahead of the Hokage's Anbu! He is currently fleeing toward the Land of Grass. Our intelligence confirms he only moves at night. During daylight hours, he vanishes, his trail erased by some unknown method. Our daytime searches have been fruitless."
Danzo's mind whirred. First the crow toxin, now a mysterious, nocturnally-active youth with suspected bloodline abilities, found by his men before Sarutobi's.
Is heaven finally favoring me?
The reports described a red-haired boy who fought with summoned crimson thorns—reminiscent of Wood Release. He displayed rapid healing from minor wounds. Combined with the red hair… A surviving descendant of the Uzumaki clan? Their legendary vitality would explain the healing. And the thorn-summoning… a mutated form of their potent sealing arts, perhaps mimicking Wood Release?
His eye hardened. A surviving Uzumaki, potentially with a Wood Release-like power. He must be secured before Sarutobi learns of him. If he cannot be turned to my purpose… he must be eliminated.
"Fleeing to the Land of Grass?" Danzo's voice was a cold rasp. "'A' has returned from his mission, correct? Dispatch him. If the target possesses an escape art, let 'A' negotiate with a comparable power. Ensure he understands the… benefits of cooperation."
"Yes, Lord Danzo! It will be arranged!" The agent vanished.
Danzo allowed himself a thin, cruel smile. First a Mokuton user, then perhaps this Uzumaki boy. With both under my command… what can Sarutobi counter with? A crying infant Jinchuriki?
'A'—Yamato—would reach the target in time. The Root operatives sent to track were elite, many of jonin rank, specializing in pursuit. The target was just a boy, a teenager. Even with a bloodline, he couldn't withstand a coordinated Root suppression. This investment would pay immense dividends.
Satisfied with the strategic move, Danzo decided to check the toxin research progress. Without Orochimaru, progress was agonizingly slow. But he'd been wise to glean knowledge from the snake sannin, forming his own, loyal research team. For the prize of extended life, he could be patient.
Leaning on his cane, he navigated the labyrinthine Root passages to the research wing.
"Report the status," he commanded the lead researcher, bypassing the technical documents.
"Lord Danzo, direct utilization of the original toxin remains beyond us. However, we have successfully synthesized an imitation serum. It replicates the life-energy siphoning effect."
"Efficacy compared to the original?"
"The imitation achieves… approximately 40% of the original's efficiency." The researcher hesitated. "With Lord Orochimaru's expertise, we theorize it could reach 80%."
Forty percent? Danzo's temper flared, but he suppressed it. These were the limits of his current resources. The unspoken implication hung in the air: to truly master this power, he needed Orochimaru's genius. But the snake was now a rogue, his whereabouts unknown. Future cooperation would be… complicated.
"Continue your work," Danzo finally said, his voice flat. "The matter of Orochimaru… I will consider it."
He turned, the tap of his cane echoing in the sterile hallway. Two plots unfolded. One in the forests bordering the Land of Grass, where a red-haired boy was being hunted by his most unique asset. The other here, in the depths, where a synthetic venom promised stolen vitality. Both were gambles. Both were essential for the future he envisioned—a future where Shimura Danzo finally sat upon the Hokage's seat, his body renewed, his power absolute. The roots were stirring, reaching for the light they were never meant to see.
(End of Chapter)
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