Yahiko and Nagato had known this was a trap laid by Uchiha Jin for Shimura Danzō.
What they didn't know… was how Jin intended to spring it.
So when Hanzo struck the moment they arrived—
They froze.
Neither of them had expected the attack to come so abruptly.
Why Jin Had No Choice
Jin hadn't acted recklessly.
Although he had manipulated Hanzo into reaching an agreement with Danzō, Danzō never fully trusted him.
From the very beginning of their meeting, Danzō had kept a layer of vigilance between them.
Hanzo simply hadn't found an opening.
Until—
The instant Yahiko and Nagato appeared.
For a fleeting moment, Danzō lost focus.
For a man like him, that lapse was rare.
And in battle—
One breath of hesitation was fatal.
Jin seized it.
Even then, Danzō reacted at the last second, twisting away and sacrificing his arm to avoid a lethal strike.
The Severed Arm
"You… why?!"
Danzō retreated into the protective ring of Root shinobi, clutching his bleeding shoulder while a medic worked frantically.
He stared at Hanzo in disbelief.
He couldn't comprehend it.
He was a Konoha elder.
A Hokage advisor.
A pillar of the village.
How dared Hanzo attack him?
Did he not fear Konoha's retaliation?
Hanzo's eyes flickered coldly.
"Danzō. This operation of yours… did not receive Hiruzen's approval, did it?"
The name hung in the air.
"You stirred conflict in the Rain front without authorization."
"Will Sarutobi Hiruzen truly come to your defense?"
"Will he drag Konoha back into war for your sake?"
Each question struck like a blade.
Danzō stiffened.
He knew the answer.
Hiruzen would not.
Not for him.
Especially not for an unsanctioned operation that defied his will.
If Danzō died here—
It would be a "regrettable incident."
Nothing more.
His face darkened.
Hanzo continued mercilessly:
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is a 'good' Hokage who considers the greater picture."
"Without your constraints, Konoha would become even more… accommodating."
"Yes, chaos benefits Rain."
"But a Konoha that prioritizes stability above all?"
"That benefits us even more."
The implication was clear.
Within Konoha's upper ranks—
Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu were conciliatory.
Only Danzō was the hardliner.
Remove him—
And Konoha would compromise even more aggressively in the name of peace.
From a geopolitical standpoint—
Eliminating Danzō made perfect sense.
Danzō understood.
His jaw tightened.
The only mystery left—
How did Hanzo understand Konoha's internal politics so well?
Was there a traitor within the village?
The Poison
"I underestimated you…" Danzō muttered darkly. "But you won't succeed so easily."
He prepared to give the attack order—
Then his expression changed.
He felt it.
"Noticed?" Hanzo said lightly. "My blade is not so easily avoided."
"Danzō-sama!" the medic cried. "The sickle was poisoned!"
The severed shoulder had already turned a sickly purple.
The toxin was unfamiliar.
Impossible to identify.
Let alone cure.
"Danzō," Hanzo declared, forming a hand sign, "today is your final day."
"Attack!" Danzō roared. "And don't let that brat escape!"
Even now—
He hadn't forgotten the Rinnegan.
Root divided instantly:
One unit shielded Danzō.One pursued Yahiko and Konan.The majority swarmed Hanzo.The Fire Ignites
"Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation!"
Hanzo clapped his hands together.
The ground erupted.
Explosive tags—previously hidden—burst upward in waves.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The valley transformed into an inferno.
Danzō had monitored Rain's movements—
But Uchiha Jin had never been within their sight.
He had planted these traps the previous day.
Flames devoured the battlefield.
Hanzo had deliberately spared the area where Yahiko stood.
"Run!"
He shouted without turning back.
The Pursuit
Yahiko snapped out of his daze and fled, carrying Konan.
Several battered Root shinobi burst through the fire and gave chase.
Yahiko didn't slow.
Nagato did.
He stopped abruptly, turning toward the pursuing enemies.
His hand lifted.
"Shinra Tensei."
A wave of invisible repulsion exploded outward.
The Root shinobi were hurled backward.
But Nagato had not yet mastered the Rinnegan.
The force was limited.
They recovered quickly.
Nagato remained behind to buy time.
Meanwhile—
Hanzo was now alone against dozens of elite Root.
The Reveal
"Bang!"
Nagato's body burst into smoke.
"Shadow clone?!"
The Root shinobi faltered.
Their primary target—
Wasn't here.
The real Nagato remained at the Akatsuki base.
Hanzo noticed and inwardly approved.
A wise choice.
Now—
Only enemies remained in the valley.
And Hanzo—
Had no reason to hold back.
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