Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

  Namikaze Minato led the way in cssija sprinting fashion, weaving through the massive trees of Konoha's forest. Beside him was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

  Trailing behihe high-ranking officials of Konoha, with Gojo Kaigetsu as their representative.

  Pakura, wearing a mask, had also joihis operation, ag as Gojo Kaigetsu's left-hand guardian. Sensing that something was amiss, she left Yugito Nii in the vilge to bolster defenses.

  Uchiha Fugaku stayed behind to oversee the Konoha Police Force, managing the vilge's defensive affairs to avoid falling into a trap.

  [Shimura Danzo is dead]!

  The news hit the political ter of Konoha like a bolt from the blue.

  Danzo, along with his elite Root ninjas, had been found dead he border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water by Konoha's border patrol.

  Their deaths were... extremely gruesome.

  The heads of eleven people were impaled on wooden stakes along the border, dispyed high for all to see.

  No doubt about it—this was a btant provocation against Konoha!

  Minato and Hiruzen's faces were darker than a moonless night.

  Sure, Danzo had messed up, but until he returo the vilge for official judgment, he was still a respected elder of Konoha.

  To have a Konoha elder and his subordinates killed so brutally within the Land of Fire... the implications were worse thahe mysterious masked man had attempted to assassinate Gojo Kaigetsu.

  If not handled properly, this could escate into a major crisis.

  The se had been cordoned off by Konoha's border patrol as soon as they discovered it. Upon receiving the news, the Konoha higher-ups wasted no time rushing to the crime se.

  Among them, Hiruzen Sarutobi's rea was the most intense.

  He appeared at the ninja headquarters wearing his bat gear, clutg his iikey King Enma staff. The fury in his eyes was unmistakable—he was livid.

  After half a day of traveling, the group quickly arrived at the se.

  Even though they were mentally prepared, the horrifying sight still made them gasp.

  A massive circur crater etched with sealing scripts that read: [Beware of Kirigakure]

  Further beyond the crater y dead parasitisects, sptters of blood, and at the edge of their visioerrifying dispy of eleven severed heads.

  The expressions on the Root ninjas' faces varied: anger, fear, relief. The myriad faces of Konoha's shinobi were presented in this brutal manner along the border.

  Hiruzen saw it—his old friend's head impaled on a stake in the ter, the "X" scar on his gringly promi. Danzo's face bore an expression of final relief.

  Hiruzen's grip on his staff trembled; he silently walked ahead.

  Minato pressed his lips together, feeling uneasy. He approached the edge of the crater, crouched down, and rubbed the engraved scripts with his fingers.

  He turo Gojo Kaigetsu behind him and asked, "Kaigetsu-kun, what's your take on this?"

  "My take, huh..." Gojo Kaigetsu pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "It's not Kirigakure. They don't have the capability."

  Even without sidering the Prosperity Points notification, just looking at the traces left at the se, he could guess who was behind this.

  His eyes seemed to pierce through time and space, seeing through the fog.

  To annihite Danzo and his elite Root members so swiftly and silently, without even giving them a ce to send a distress signal—does Kirigakure have that kind of strength?

  In the current ninja world, perhaps only the Akatsuki could pull this off.

  The crater before them was the best evidence.

  If Killer B had transformed into the Eight-Tails right then and there, he might have been able to take out the eleven Root members, but it would have required a Tailed Beast Bomb, causing far more enviroal damage than this crater.

  Simirly, Onoki could have used Particle Style for a surprise attack, but Iwagakure has only one Onoki; there's no way they could have ly wiped out eleven Root members.

  This was an anized, premeditated team attack against Konoha's Root.

  Who could the Akatsuki have used? Kakuzu? Sasori?

  "Just as I thought," Minato stood up. "It's impossible for Kirigakure to eliminate Elder Danzo without a trace."

  Yagura is still in Konoha Hospital printing money, and Kirigakure's high-end bat power is basically in shambles. Even if they picked their top eleven ninjas for a showdown, they might not match up to the Root's eleven.

  Plus, given Danzo's personality—he had been lurking in Kirigakure for so long and was naturally paranoid—there's no way he wouldn't have had tingencies against them.

  "So, this is a poorly executed frame-up," Minato cluded. "The enemy wants to disrupt our current alliah Kirigakure."

  "They've also erased the battle traces at the se, leaving no useful clues... Kaigetsu-kun, do you have any ideas?"

  Minato gave up on p and opted to outsource the thinking to his external brain.

  Gojo Kaigetsu uood everything, but was he willing to share?

  The answer is... not really.

  Gojo Kaigetsu pressed his lips together, staring silently at the battle traces as if deep in thought.

  He skipped over the "who did it" question a straight to "why did they do it now."

  Why would the Akatsuki target Rht after Konoha cluded a special military operation?

  This doesn't align with the timeline... Oh, but timelines have been messed up ever since his arrival.

  But why target Root? And to know their return route and timing so precisely? Only someone like Bck Zetsu could have obtained suformation without alerting Root.

  'Bck Zetsu...'

  Nagato is probably still holed up in Amegakure, uo order the few remaining Akatsuki members to attack Konoha; accumuting strength is his sole focus right now.

  It's highly possible that Bck Zetsu led this operation... But unless it aligned with the Akatsuki's is, Kakuzu and Sasori wouldn't have participated.

  Kakuzu cares about money. Sasori cares about human puppets. The lower halves of the Root members' bodies are missing...

  Gojo Kaigetsu deduced: Someone issiohe Akatsuki to issue a bounty on Konoha's Root!

  In the current ninja world, who has the motive and the means to do this? Probably only—[Kumogakure]!

  'So it's Kumogakure. Rule out A, as he wouldn't resort to suderhaactics. Samui hasn't reported anything... So, is it that Grand Elder whose grandson was killed by Fugaku?'

  "Ah..."

  Gojo Kaigetsu exhaled deeply. Now, things were getting plicated.

  Although Nagato currently possesses unmatched power, he's still hiding in Amegakure, fearing a utack from the Five Great Shinobi Vilges.

  Konoha is publicly the number one vilge, but even it 't withstand the drain of a prolonged flict with Kumogakure. They might win, but Iwagakure still harbors iions of destroying Konoha, and both Sunagakure and Kirigakure are always eyeing them.

  If Konoha shows determination to annihite Kumogakure, it might actually prompt the other vilges to unite against them.

  Shinobi aren't stupid; they uand the principle of "if the lips are gohe teeth will be cold."

  A weakened, struggling Kumogakure is far more beneficial than a destroyed one. As long as they're still breathing, Kumogakure will keep Konoha occupied—a fact everyone uands.

  Therefore, under Gojo Kaigetsu's manipution, Konoha is also biding its time, fog on development. At most, they'd duct special military operations to flex their muscles; deg full-scale war on another major vilge is not advisable at this stage.

  As for when Konoha should officially unch a war against a major vilge, Gojo Kaigetsu always follows a unique and wise judgment logic:

  [Firstly:]

  Konoha's military strength must be suffit to trol the entire war's progression! They decide when to start, when to end! Whatever goals are set before the war must be achieved before it cludes!

  Untrolble variables, like the enemy receiving allied support and causing the war to spiral out of trol, are absolutely uable for Konoha!

  [Sedly:]

  Has the enemy dispatched ninja forces to invade Konoha's territory and itted actual acts of war crimes? Both the deployment of ninja forces and the ission of war crimes are essential elements. Konoha must firmly establish itself as ag in self-defense.

  The ninja world is vast, with tless small vilges outside the Five Great Shinobi Vilges. An unjust war would easily cause panic among these smaller vilges. To avoid getting bogged down in endless flicts and to swiftly solidate gains after the war, the righteousness of self-defense is essential!

  [Thirdly:]

  What bes Konoha gain from the target? Sunagakure has rich mineral resources and puppet teiques; Kumogakure has secret physical enha drugs, secret teiques, and perfect Jinchuriki trainihods; Kirigakure has a unique geographical location...

  Among these three points, Konoha currently only cks the first ohe other two are always met.

  Root is part of Konoha, and they were killed within the Land of Fire, satisfying the ditions for self-defehe bes of attag Kumogakure are listed uhe third point... They just ck the military strength.

  "If it were you, Minato, you'd probably guess who did it, right?"

  "Huh? I 't guess..." Minato replied holy. "I've reviewed the intel on strong shinobi from the four major vilges, but I 't deduce who could have killed Elder Danzo from that angle."

  "Then skip that and sider the motive."

  "sider the motive..."

  Minato squinted his eyes, falling silent.

  Clearly, he and Gojo Kaigetsu were thinking along the same lines.

  Konoha bully the weak, attag vilges like Kusagakure without issue.

  But if they seriously decre that they'll punish those behind Elder Danzo's death... that might be biting off more than they chew.

  The mission the era has given to Namikaze Minato is to ect the past and the future, accumuting more strength for Konoha before the Fourth Shinobi War arrives.

  The two walked side by side, watg the busy Anbu colleg the bodies in the dista seemed that Konoha would have to swallow this bitter pill.

  Minato sighed deeply, "So, how should we officially clude this matter?"

  Danzo's identity was sensitive.

  Internally, they'd already decided on his crimes, but they hadn't announced anything publicly. One reason was to prevent u and distent among the smaller s.

  Another was to avoid undermining the credibility of the Fourth Hokage's administration. If even former Hokage advisors and Konoha elders could it serious crimes, who could guarahat the current geion wouldn't? What if they also start dug human experiments?

  Oh, you're saying the current one is Advisojo? Well, never mind, scratch that sed .

  Ultimately, what the public might hear could be entirely different.

  Internally, Danzo might be guilty of "dug forbidden human experiments"; externally, it might be "engaging in ninja corruption." Internally, "attempting to seize the Hokage positioabilizing Konoha"; externally, "disloyal to the Will of Fire"...

  Oory for the inside, another for the outside—Minato uood this distin.

  But that's all for the future; right now, Elder Danzo died in office!

  For most Konoha citizens, Danzo was a mysterious but still dedicated elder.

  This matter requires an expnation!

  Should Danzo die as a hero of Konoha or as a corrupt ninja disloyal to the Will of Fire?

  Gojo Kaigetsu looked at the scripts on the ground.

  If these were Danzo's final messages to Konoha, left with his life during his Reverse Four Symbols Sealing... the inal tent before being altered robably [Beware of Amegakure].

  He did, in a way, give his st drop of blood for Konoha.

  "Let's give him a proper burial. Fet his crimes; seal them away in the archives," Gojo Kaigetsu said. "Engrave his name on the Memorial Stone. As for the official cause of death... sudde attack? Actal drowning? Any dignified-sounding reason will do."

  "Yes, that's all we do."

  "However... while we 't wage war externally, internally..."

  Gojo Kaigetsu and Minato didn't have any fondness for Danzo. No matter how much he cimed to act for Konoha, they couldn't accept his extreme "Konoha in my heart" ideology.

  Therefore, they could hahis matter with the utmost calm. But... could the vilge's higher-ups and elders be united in this? That was uain.

  As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at the border where the eleven heads were dispyed.

  Due to Konoha's ret special military operations, patrols along the vilge and the Land of Fire's borders had been signifitly increased. The eleven heads were discovered promptly, with few passersby notig.

  Currently, members of the sealing squad were carefully removing the heads from the stakes, sealing them in scrolls t back to the vilge for a proper burial.

  No matter what dark deeds they had itted as Root members, they fought for Konoha until their st breath...

  Hiruzen instinctively pulled out his pipe, g it between his teeth. His face was so dark it could drip water as he watched the sealing squad remove Danzo's head from the stake.

  "Wait!" Gojo Kaigetsu's voice came from behind.

  A fsh of anger crossed Hiruzen's eyes. What now? Are you not even going to allow us t back Danzo's remains?

  That... would be too overbearing of the Fourth Hokage.

  The mrettable episode!

  In Hiruzen's stereotyped thinking, Gojo Kaigetsu's authority came from the extension of the Fourth Hokage.

  "Advisojo, what is it?" Hiruzen asked without turning around.

  "There's something wrong with that head."

  "Hmm? What did you say?"

  Without another wojo Kaigetsu pulled out a kunai and hurled it at Danzo's head.

  Hiruzen didn't stop him. The moment the kunai pierced the forehead's skin, his heart felt as if it were ched tightly, making it hard to breathe.

  They watched as Danzo's impaled head quickly lost color, rotting away into a mass of writhing bck tendrils.

  Everyone present was shocked—what oh was that?

  Gojo Kaigetsu's voice rang out: "Elder Danzo likely used the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing to take his enemy down with him. The sealing teique es everything, including his own body; there's no reason a head would remain."

  A wake-up call! Hiruzen's body trembled violently; he was beyond furious.

  The head he'd just mourned over was merely an enemy's twisted creation?

  Bastards! Bastards! Bastards!

  An enraged Hiruzen swung his staff, smashing the writhing bck mass into pulp.

  "Who did this? Who?! Was it Kirigakure? No matter who it is, I will make them pay in blood!" Hiruzen roared lowly.

  His emotions seemed to i many of the Konoha higher-ups present, making the atmosphere heavy.

  Indeed, no matter what, Elder Danzo was one of their own. Even after death, his body was used to create a fake head to disgust them—the enemy had no bottom line.

  A ninja might die, but they shouldn't die in su undignified manner.

  Having beeired for a long time, Hiruzen was no longer as sensitive to ninja world intel as he once was and was unaware of Kirigakure's current state.

  He had been meek for the vilge during his tenure, but now, he was uncharacteristically assertive.

  'In that case... I 't tell you the truth.'

  Gojo Kaigetsu spoke up, "Third Hokage, please calm down. I fear this wasn't done by Kirigakure. Acc to our intel, Kirigakure doesn't have the capability to silently kill eleven Root members."

  "Hmm?"

  Hiruzen instinctively lowered his staff, realizing, "Not Kirigakure... So the enemy altered the information Elder Danzo left with his life?"

  "It appears so."

  "Judging by the se, the enemy had at least two or more Kage-level shinobi using special teiques."

  "There are too few traces of the Five Basiatures being used."

  Kage-level shinobi who use ninjutsu as their main bat method—there aren't many options in the ninja world.

  Hiruzen squi the bck mass on the ground, lost in thought, muttering:

  "In the ninja world, Kage-level shinobi don't just appear out of nowhere. Any strong shinobi must have been fed through blood and fire."

  "The ones who attacked Danzo 't be nobodies."

  Gojo Kaigetsu reminded him, "Third Hokage, perhaps we shouldn't limit our view to a single vilge."

  "This might have been a bounty posted in the underground ninja world, carried out by bounty hunters."

  "Maybe an anization of tue ninjas from various vilges accepted the tract."

  Gojo Kaigetsu poio the severed heads of the Root members. "Beheading like this is something only twisted ninjas would do; normal ninjas avoid such taboos. But if it's for the underground exge, they might he heads as proof, eveing a fake head of Elder Danzo."

  Ah, that makes sense!

  Hiruzen realized.

  If that's the case... everything fits! No vilge would be foolish enough to provoke Konoha at this juncture. But bounty hunters... they'd do anything for money.

  "Who posted the bounty, and which vilge's rogue ninjas dared to accept such a mission?"

  Gojo Kaigetsu shook his head, maintaining professional boundaries, "That... would require a lengthy iigation. Perhaps we'll find useful clues from the traces left at the se."

  "But I hope you remain calm araihird Hokage. If they're rogue ninjas... regardless of their inal vilge, they have severed ties."

  "A rogue ninja is a rogue ninja; they have nothing to do with their former vilge."

  "There are too many active rogue ninjas in the underground world, some of them highly skilled. Pinpointing the exact culprits would require cooperation from all vilges... which is very difficult."

  Hiruze dejected; he uood these principles. His treacherous student Orochimaru nearly became a rogue ninja himself.

  But... he was unwilling!

  His old friend died so unjustly, without dignity, not even leaving a body behind. Aill alive, didn't even know who to avenge him against.

  This is the ninja world—a cruel world where even a vilge elder die just like that.

  In times of great strife, no one stay out of it!

  Hiruzen resembled a frustrated old man, pulling out his pipe and taking deep drags, his eyes clouded with gloom.

  He wao avenge Danzo!

  Soon, the heads and scripts at the se were ed up by the sealing squad. The group, enveloped in a heavy atmosphere, set off back to the vilge.

  Everyone khat this assassination was just the beginning. The real issue was how to hahe aftermath ohey returo the Hokage's office.

  When Gojo was attacked and "missing," they unched a special military operation against Kusagakure and Yugakure. Now that Elder Danzo was dead, they couldn't just do nothing.

  Of course, even if they did nothing, to show loyalty to the current regime, no one would say anything. But... there would still be some distent.

  ...

  ...

  Such disunity would make the road ahead difficult.

  A day's journey bad forth.

  Late at night.

  The vilgers of Konoha were surprised once again to see the Hokage's office lit up te into the night.

  In the feren, the retired Third Hokage sat in the observer's seat. Even without speaking, his attitude was clear—he needed an expnation... to seek justice for his deceased friend Danzo.

  If the Fourth Hokage and Gojo Kaigetsu did nothing, he would be disappointed and silently fade into history.

  If there was an expnation... perhaps this old body could still shine o time for Konoha and his old friend.

  "Regarding the assassination of our vilge elder by hidden enemies in the underground ninja world... I do not io let this go."

  Gojo Kaigetsu, his face serious, set the tht from the start:

  "Because this involves bounty hunters in the underground ninja world, trag them down will require cooperation from the intelligence departments of major vilges. This will be a prolonged and arduous task!"

  "I have decided to establish a specialized department to iigate this matter!"

  Gojo Kaigetsu revealed his purpose.

  Nara Shikaku voiced his doubts, "Setting up a new department to iigate is ohing, but an underground rogue ninja anization? Elder Danzo's st message warned us to [Beware of Kirigakure]."

  Perhaps Nara Shikaku had his own agenda.

  If they really o reassess Konoha's retionship with Kirigakure... he could stay in Konoha and enjoy a fortable life. Being assigo a fn post was troublesome.

  "It's not Kirigakure," Gojo Kaigetsu stated firmly. "They don't have the capability—that's the truth!"

  "The Seven Ninja Swordsmeher dead or defected. Their stro batant, is still in our Konoha Hospital receiving treatment. There's no way they could silently eliminate eleven Root elites within our Land of Fire."

  "Of course, we 't rule out the possibility that ninjas from other vilges did this. Until we've thhly iigated, we'll define [Elder Danzo's assassination] as the work of the underground ninja world."

  Well... a rational choice.

  Nara Shikaku was also afraid that Advisojo might impulsively decide to wage war against a major vilge.

  Attag small vilges could be sidered training, fortably gaining experience. But going up against a major vilge—Konoha couldn't hahat right now.

  Nara Shikaku raised his hand to ask, "What kind of department are we talking about? What are its responsibilities? Will it draw personnel from existiments, or will we recruit anew within the vilge?"

  "The name of the new department is—"

  "[Avengers·Alliance]!"

  "???"

  Hiss! Ha!

  The representatives murmured among themselves. The name of a department often reflects a lot of information.

  The Anbu's full name is the Assassination Tactical Special Unit, Konoha's special forces responsible for intelligence, surveilnce, and assassination missions.

  Root's full name is simply Root, rooted deep within Konoha, doing things unseen, requiring absolute loyalty from its leader.

  So, Avengers?

  The implication is clear—a departmeablished for reveo avenge Elder Danzo aaliate against those who infringe upon Konoha's is!

  So, the authority of the new [Avengers] department would likely be to carry out infiltration and assassination missions, using the same methods to repay blood with blood.

  For a moment, people's minds were abuzz with different thoughts.

  representatives with strong ninjas began to ponder whether it was worth assigning their top talents to the Avengers.

  Like infiltrating the Anbu, getting someone ihe Avengers would allow them to adjust their 's fn policies promptly based on the vilge's first as.

  For areme example, if someone from the Anbu reported that the Nara was about to be targeted, smaller s could start distang themselves or i in medical industries to minimize losses.

  Simirly, pg their members in the Avengers would grant them first-hand information. If the revearget was a small vilge where they had assets, they could withdraw early to minimize losses.

  Gojo Kaigetsu observed their reas but had no iion of allowing terferehis time.

  He had long po establish a direct subordinate unit; this was the perfect opportunity to propose the [Avengers Allianbsp;he had been pting.

  "Everyone—"

  "Our targets are rogue ninjas active in the underground world, and we 't hahem with ventional methods."

  "I've desighe department as an [Allianbsp;to differentiate it from standard vilge anizations."

  Hmm?

  Even Minato, who had bee somewhat immuo Gojo Kaigetsu's shog policies after being friends for so long, was taken aback.

  He tentatively interjected, "Advisojo, are you suggesting... we uh other vilges?"

  "That's roughly the idea."

  Gojo Kaigetsu extended his hand into the air, opening it wide before g it tightly. "Just like the Anbu, we'll take the lead iablishing this department. After expining the stakes to the other four major vilges, they will quickly follow suit aablish their own Avengers departments."

  "Once each vilge has its Avengers, we have the Avengers Alliance."

  Nara Shikaku sought crification, "What is the purpose of the Avengers?"

  "Because we're hunting highly skilled rogue ninjas in the underground world who it assassinations across the ninja world. Sending regur ninjas after them would be sending them to their deaths, increasing casualties."

  "Dispatg vilge ninja squads loo hunt these targets is also unrealistic."

  "Therefore, we need ninjas with strong solo bat capabilities to join the Avengers. By creating the 'stro in history' ninja department and assembling Konoha's internal super ninjas, rotect our is and avenge ourselves against rogue ninjas who infringe upon them!"

  "The underground ninja world has its own rules."

  "The sole purpose of establishing the Avengers Alliance is to avenge ourselves against rogue ninjas from the underground world, using any means necessary—tooth for a tooth, blood for blood!"

  Gojo Kaigetsu's words were powerful, demonstrating his determination for revenge.

  "Assassin politics are taboo in any vilge," he tinued. "As ninjas, we die honorably on the front lines of war, but we absolutely ot accept being calcuted to death by rogue ninjas in the underground world using ambushes and assassinations."

  "I believe all vilges share the same resolve in striking due ninjas."

  "No one wants to hear every now and then that promi figures from their vilge have bee targets for bounty hunters."

  "Every vilge has rogue ninjas; generally, the vilge's Anbu hahem. Fur ninjas, the Anbu is effective, but these are rogue ninjas—they're not ordinary. The success rate of capturing them is low. Konoha faces the same issue."

  "Of course... if they're not even itted to capturing their ue ninjas and just want to watch us do all the work... then, in name, we bee the 'police of the ninja world.'"

  "In future dealings with vilges, we will hold the moral high ground."

  Upon hearing this, Hiruzen nodded silently.

  Konoha's rogue ninjas... the most ret being Orochimaru, would require several elite Jonin, or even himself, to capture.

  And before that... even sending the young Sannin couldn't cate; it shows how difficult it is to apprehend rogue ninjas.

  Minato and Nara Shikaku also nodded in agreement.

  Ihe starting point of the Avengers is impeccable. Even if preseo the other four major vilges, it would likely be unanimously approved.

  But the key issue is—

  From what Gojo Kaigetsu implied, Konoha's Avengers wouldn't be drawing from existing ninja departments. So where would they recruit "super ninjas" capable of avenging themselves against rogue ninjas wielding two kunai?

  Minato voiced his doubt:

  "Where we recruit 'super ninjas' powerful enough to suppress rogue ninjas from various vilges?"

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