Danzo : This Time I Want to Be a Good Person

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

"Did you all see that? Lord Hanzō has invited us to mediate the war between the Lands of Fire, Earth, and Wind!"

Yahiko, with his bright orange hair, excitedly addressed his two closest friends.

As the founder of the Akatsuki, Yahiko's dream was world peace—a world where the shinobi no longer waged war!

To achieve this goal, he and the other Akatsuki members had been tirelessly completing various commissioned missions. Their efforts were aimed at raising funds to aid the people of the Land of Rain and to prevent the cycle of hatred from spiraling further.

Now, the fact that Hanzō the Salamander, known as the "Demi-God," personally invited them to mediate between the three great nations' wars was a tremendous recognition of their capabilities and ideals.

Konan, with a pale blue origami flower adorning her hair, smiled as she read Hanzō's handwritten letter.

As the strongest figure in the Land of Rain, Hanzō had almost single-handedly supported the nation. He was a figure idolized by all the youth of the Land of Rain.

The members of Akatsuki were no exception—at least for now.

Thus, receiving his acknowledgment was an enormous encouragement to the entire Akatsuki.

While Yahiko and Konan were excited, Nagato, though pleased, raised a question.

"Why would Lord Hanzō want us to mediate the war among the three great nations?", His brows furrowed in confusion.

Although the Akatsuki had gained some fame in the Land of Rain through their benevolent actions, who were they compared to the three great nations?

These were three of the five nations dominating the shinobi world.

Would such mighty nations truly care about a small organization like Akatsuki?

Nagato's reminder brought Konan back to a calmer state.

"The blood feuds between these three nations are not something we can resolve with a few words."

Seeing the change in his friends' expressions, Yahiko slapped their shoulders firmly.

"Regardless, we absolutely cannot miss this opportunity!"

His gaze was fixed ahead, and his tone was resolute.

"No matter what it takes, I will do everything in my power to stop this war!"

Hearing this, both Nagato and Konan's expressions grew serious.

This was the very reason Akatsuki was founded.

If they could halt the war among these three nations, the people of the Land of Rain would finally have a moment to breathe.

"I understand. Don't worry, Yahiko. We'll always stand behind you."

Nagato, most of his face hidden by the distinct red hair of the Uzumaki clan, offered a warm, reassuring smile.

"So will I," Konan added, her smile as bright as the sun.

Yahiko grinned. "Don't worry. We can definitely do this."

Just as they made their decision, an Akatsuki member arrived to report:

"Someone claiming to be from Konoha's Root division is outside, requesting to see the leader."

Yahiko scratched his head, a bit uncomfortable with the title of "leader," but this wasn't the time to argue semantics. What caught his attention was the name "Root."

"Why does that sound so familiar?"

Konan and Nagato exchanged wary glances.

Konan spoke up, "Our teacher, Jiraiya-sensei, mentioned that name to us before."

His exact words were:

"Never get involved with the people from Root. They represent the darkest depths of Konoha!"

With Konan's reminder, Yahiko quickly recalled those words.

However, their immediate goal was to stop the war involving the Land of Fire and the other two nations.

And Root was an essential department of Konoha. Now that they had come to them directly, Yahiko felt there was no reason to avoid the meeting.

"Bring them in."

Yahiko made his decision without hesitation.

Konan was about to speak but was stopped by Nagato.

"I will protect Yahiko," Nagato said in a calm yet firm tone.

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

Soon, a man cloaked in a black robe and wearing a mask approached the trio. It was Tatsuma Aburame, whose presence exuded an eerie calm.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am from Root, codenamed 'Venomous Insect.' I have come here under the orders of Lord Danzo to deliver certain truths to you," Tatsuma said concisely, wasting no time getting to the point.

"Root's leader, Danzo..."

The mention of that name made Nagato and Konan instantly wary.

In their mentor Jiraiya's stories, Danzo was described as a forbidden figure even within Konoha—a ruthless man, emblematic of evil, who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

"What 'truth' have you brought us?" Yahiko asked curiously.

"Hanzō intends to kill you."

Tatsuma's blunt words landed like a bombshell, leaving the three stunned.

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

Behind his mask, Tatsuma's expression remained unchanged. He nodded firmly and gestured toward Nagato, standing beside Yahiko.

"To be precise, Hanzō's goal is to wipe out the entire Akatsuki organization."

"That's absolutely impossible!"

Yahiko stared at the Root operative in disbelief. Just as he was about to refute this absurd claim, Nagato raised a hand to stop him.

"What evidence do you have for such a claim?" Nagato asked calmly, brushing back his long hair. His deep purple eyes emanated an intangible pressure, as though they could pierce into Tatsuma's very soul.

For a moment, Tatsuma felt a chill in his heart upon seeing those eyes. However, his years of training quickly allowed him to regain composure.

"Hanzō the Salamander is no longer the fearless 'Demi-God' who once dared to declare war on the three great nations. He is now wary of Akatsuki's growing reputation and fears that one day, you will replace him as the leader of the Hidden Rain Village. He plans to use the pretext of mediating the war between the three great nations to lure you to the village and then..."

Tatsuma paused deliberately.

"...exterminate you all in one stroke."

Tatsuma's revelation sent a chill through their hearts.

They weren't naive. They had noticed Hanzō's increasingly cautious behavior in recent years. What Tatsuma said wasn't without merit.

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

Behind his mask, Tatsuma smirked faintly. "Because Hanzō approached us in Root, asking for covert assistance."

"Then why would you come here and tell us this?"

Yahiko was still puzzled. Akatsuki had no connection to Root, after all.

Tatsuma glanced at the three of them and said, "Because Lord Danzo believes you are the future of peace in the Land of Rain. He doesn't want to see you perish prematurely."

Us?

The future of peace in the Land of Rain?

And Danzo said this?

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan exchanged bewildered glances, utterly dumbfounded.