Here's @riojiyo131, your trusted writer.
You can now get early access to Chapter 96 of Re: Naruto Uzumaki on my Patreon. You can also read up to Chapter 32 of Naruto: Satoru Senju.
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"Homura, do you know why Danzō has summoned us to one of his ROOT bases?"
Koharu Utatane, former member of Team Tobirama, asked Homura Mitokado.
Both had once been disciples of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Together with Hiruzen Sarutobi, they formed the legendary Team Tobirama.
Currently, that team no longer existed, and the two were part of the Konoha Council.
Their purpose? To assist the Hokage in governing the village and ensure that all decisions were made for the benefit of Konoha and its inhabitants.
Unfortunately for them, the final word always belonged to the Hokage.
Advisors like them were there to offer opinions and perspectives that guaranteed fair, well-analyzed, and balanced decisions, taking into account various possibilities and respecting diverse points of view.
Over time, both had realized that Hiruzen Sarutobi, despite the affection they held for him as an old friend, was unfit to lead Konoha.
He had been a soft Hokage, afraid of provoking war, and willing to be stepped on if it meant guaranteeing a fragile peace.
But his greatest sin was Orochimaru.
Despite having solid evidence of the human experiments conducted by his former student, he failed to act in time. In fact, he himself admitted that he couldn't kill him when he had the chance, due to the affection he still held for him.
As a result, Orochimaru escaped from the village, becoming a Rogue Ninja.
That was how Koharu and Homura began allying themselves with Danzō whenever the Council had to make important decisions.
Both were convinced that the best thing for Konoha was for Hiruzen to step down.
And to them, the only one capable of saving the village from its imminent ruin was Danzō.
That's why, when a ROOT ANBU appeared before them requesting their immediate presence, they were not surprised.
Something important had happened.
"I have no idea, Koharu..." murmured Homura, thoughtful. The ANBU who contacted them gave no explanation.
However, the deeper they ventured into the forest, following the ANBU's instructions, the more evident it became that something strange had occurred.
With every step, the signs of battle became more obvious.
Finally, upon reaching ROOT's secret base, they were paralyzed.
It was completely destroyed.
Corpses everywhere, pools of blood, shattered trees... The entire forest seemed to have been ravaged by an unstoppable force.
For a moment, the scene reminded them of the day the Kyūbi attacked Konoha.
But this destruction... was even greater.
"What the hell happened here...?" murmured Koharu, her voice trembling.
"This must be what Hell looks like..." murmured Homura at the same time.
Both continued walking cautiously, the crunch of their steps over broken branches contrasting with the silence that enveloped the scene.
Then, they saw what they feared most: Danzō's corpse lay before them, lifeless and stripped of all dignity.
"I-impossible..." whispered Homura, stepping back. His cane slipped from his fingers with a dull thud.
Koharu was in no better shape. "W-we must leave this place... this must be a trap..."
Just then, the same ROOT ANBU who had guided them there under Danzō's orders appeared in front of them.
"You...!" exclaimed Homura, his body tensing.
"Are you the one responsible for all this?" asked Koharu, frowning.
Suddenly, the ROOT ANBU exploded into a puff of smoke, revealing that it had always been a Shadow Clone.
Both elders were stunned.
At that moment, a white-haired boy appeared, walking calmly from behind, passing between them, and crouched in front of Danzō's corpse.
He picked up a stick from the ground and began poking the body in different spots, almost as if mocking its state.
"You know? Something inside me hoped Danzō wouldn't die so easily..."
Homura and Koharu immediately recognized the boy: Satoru Senju, the Prince of the Senju Clan.
But neither of them moved. Not because they didn't see him as a threat, but because they were absorbed by the wings protruding from his back.
"I hoped he still had an ace up his sleeve. That's why I waited... and waited. But he never came back..."
Satoru remained silent for a moment, still crouched, poking the corpse. Then, he continued speaking calmly:
"Then I remembered you two... and came to a conclusion."
Satoru noticed they weren't paying attention to him. Their gazes were still fixed on his wings. With a sigh, he retracted them, hiding them.
He still wasn't used to them. They were new, uncomfortable. That's why he had kept them spread out all this time while waiting for them.
It was hard to get used to a new limb.
Satoru threw the stick in his hand to the side and, without standing up, turned to face them.
"What would Konoha do without you, pair of senile mummies? Probably... move on."
It was only then, upon hearing those words, that Homura and Koharu reacted.
Homura stepped forward and pushed Koharu behind him.
"You must go, Koharu. I'll buy you time to call for reinforcements..."
"Don't be ridiculous, Homura! He's just a child! What could he possibly do against us?!"
Homura turned sharply toward her. "Don't you get it?! This child caused all this destruction!"
Koharu's eyes widened in surprise.
And in that instant, her head was cleanly severed from her body before Homura's eyes.
Homura let out a brief, dry breath. Disbelief written across his face.
"She really belonged to the Konoha Council...?" Satoru remarked with confusion, tilting his head. "She didn't seem wise enough to advise anyone."
Satoru was about to laugh at the thought of a Counselor losing their head.
The joke practically told itself...
Homura reacted instantly, leaping backward. Satoru was too close for him to let his guard down.
At that distance, Homura thought he wouldn't be able to dodge his attacks, like what happened with Koharu.
Homura's heart was beating too fast.
His heart pounded so loudly that Satoru could hear it… or maybe it was just his enhanced senses.
When Homura put some distance between them, two swords of light appeared above Satoru, floating in the air.
"Don't make me waste more time," the boy murmured, raising a hand.
The swords aimed at Homura and, with a simple downward motion of the hand, flew toward their target.
One of them pierced him directly in the stomach, pinning him to a tree. The old man spat blood, feeling a searing pain inside, as if something was burning him from within.
Then, the second sword struck his forehead, ending his life.
And as a final blow, though unnecessary, his body was engulfed in flames as the swords dissolved into motes of light, carried away by the wind.
The only thing left, pinned to the tree, was a black, charred corpse.
"The village will be in chaos for a while after this."
Satoru sighed heavily.
"But when the trash is taken out, the air can finally become breathable again… though sometimes, the stench takes a while to fade."