This Danzo Is Weird!

Within the borders of the Land of Rain, in a village undergoing reconstruction:

"Did you hear? Lord Hanzo has invited us to mediate the war between the Fire, Earth, and Wind nations!" Yahiko, his orange hair catching the light, exclaimed excitedly to his two closest friends.

As the founder of the Akatsuki, Yahiko's dream was world peace—a world where the shinobi would know no war.

To achieve this, he and the Akatsuki members had been tirelessly completing commissions, raising funds, and providing aid to the people of the Land of Rain, trying to prevent the cycle of hatred from spiraling further.

Now, receiving a personal invitation from Hanzo of the Salamander, the so-called "Demi-God" of the shinobi world, to mediate a war among three of the Five Great Nations was an enormous acknowledgment of their abilities and ideals.

Konan, with her pale blue paper flower pinned in her hair, smiled as she read Hanzo's handwritten letter.

As the most powerful figure in the Land of Rain, Hanzo was practically holding the entire nation together by himself. He was a hero and an idol to all young people in the Land of Rain—including the Akatsuki, at least for the time being.

Receiving recognition from someone of his stature was an incredible morale boost for the entire organization.

Compared to Yahiko and Konan's excitement, Nagato was more contemplative. While he was pleased, he raised a critical question.

"Why would Lord Hanzo want us to mediate the war among the three great nations?"

His brow furrowed with doubt.

Though the Akatsuki had gained some fame in the Land of Rain for their altruism, this was a matter involving three of the Five Great Nations—powerhouses that dominated the shinobi world.

Would they really care about a small organization like the Akatsuki?

Nagato's words caused Konan to calm down as well.

"The deep-seated hatred between the three nations isn't something we can resolve with just a few words."

Seeing his friends' hesitant expressions, Yahiko clapped them both on the shoulders.

"No matter what, we absolutely cannot pass up this opportunity!"

His eyes fixed firmly on the horizon, his tone was resolute. "No matter what it takes, I'll do everything I can to stop this war!"

Hearing this, both Nagato and Konan's expressions turned serious as well.

This was, after all, the purpose behind founding the Akatsuki.

If they could stop the war between these three nations, the people of the Land of Rain would finally have a chance to breathe.

"I understand. Don't worry, Yahiko—we'll always stand behind you," Nagato said softly, most of his face hidden beneath his Uzumaki clan's characteristic red hair, though his warm, determined smile shone through.

"So will I," Konan added with a bright, sunny smile.

Yahiko grinned widely. "Don't worry. We'll make it happen."

Just as they had made their decision, a member of the Akatsuki arrived to report.

"Someone claiming to be from Konoha's 'Root' is here to see the leader."

Yahiko scratched his head. He didn't particularly like the title "leader," but this wasn't the time to argue about it. What really caught his attention was the name Root.

"Why does that sound familiar?"

Konan and Nagato exchanged a wary glance, both seeing the unease in each other's eyes.

Konan spoke up, a note of caution in her voice. "Jiraiya-sensei mentioned that name to us before."

His exact words had been: 'Never get involved with the people of Root. They are the deepest darkness of Konoha.'

　　Hearing Konan's reminder, Yahiko quickly recalled Jiraiya-sensei's warning.

However, their immediate goal was to stop the war between the three great nations, including the Land of Fire.

Root was a critical part of Konoha's infrastructure, and now that they had taken the initiative to reach out, Yahiko saw no reason to avoid the meeting.

"Bring him in," Yahiko decided swiftly.

Konan opened her mouth to protest but was stopped by Nagato.

"I'll protect Yahiko," Nagato said, his tone calm but filled with resolve.

Konan glanced at him, then nodded. "Alright."

Soon, a man clad in a black cloak and wearing a mask arrived before the trio. His presence was as somber as his attire.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am from Root, codenamed 'Venomous Insect.' I have come on Lord Danzo's orders to deliver the truth about certain matters," he said plainly, his words cutting straight to the point.

"Danzo, the leader of Root..."

Nagato and Konan's faces immediately turned wary.

In Jiraiya-sensei's stories, Danzo was described as a forbidden figure within Konoha—ruthless and the embodiment of unrelenting darkness.

"What truth have you brought us?" Yahiko asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Hanzo wants to kill you," Ryoma declared bluntly.

The bombshell statement left the trio stunned.

After a moment, Yahiko stammered in disbelief, "What did you just say? Lord Hanzo wants to kill us?"

Beneath his mask, Ryoma's expression remained unchanged. He nodded firmly and pointed at Nagato, who stood beside Yahiko.

"To be precise, Hanzo's goal is to eliminate the entire Akatsuki."

"That's impossible!" Yahiko protested, glaring at the Root ninja.

Just as he was about to rebuke the outrageous claim, Nagato raised a hand, stopping him.

"What evidence do you have for such an accusation?" Nagato asked calmly, brushing aside his long hair. His deep purple eyes, the legendary Rinnegan, radiated an invisible pressure, as if piercing directly into Ryoma's soul.

The Root operative felt a chill for a brief moment but quickly regained his composure thanks to years of rigorous training.

"Hanzo of the Salamander is no longer the bold leader who once declared war against the three great nations. He now fears the Akatsuki's growing influence, worried that one day you might replace him as the leader of Amegakure.

"To eliminate this threat, he plans to lure you to Amegakure under the guise of mediating the three-nation war and then..." Ryoma paused for effect.

"...wipe you out in one swift move."

The weight of Ryoma's words sank into the trio's hearts like stones.

They weren't naïve. Hanzo's increasingly conservative actions in recent years had not gone unnoticed. What Ryoma said wasn't entirely implausible.

Even so, Yahiko couldn't bring himself to believe it. "How could Root possibly know about this?" he demanded.

Beneath his mask, Ryoma's lips curled into a faint smile. "Because Hanzo has asked Root to assist him in secret."

"Then why would you tell us?" Yahiko asked, still confused. After all, the Akatsuki and Root had no connections.

Ryoma stared at the three of them and replied, "Because Lord Danzo believes you are the future of peace in the Land of Rain. He doesn't want to see your potential snuffed out prematurely."

Us? The future of peace in the Land of Rain?

And Danzo said that?

The three of them exchanged bewildered glances, their faces full of disbelief.