Mastermind of the Akatsuki

It took a few minutes for Jiraiya and Tsunade to process the news Kakashi had brought, and they were left in deep thought.

No one had expected that, just before the election for the Fifth Hokage, so many events would unfold in the village. First, Orochimaru had attacked Tsunade, who was a candidate for Hokage, almost killing her. Then, it was revealed that another candidate, Danzo, had conspired with Orochimaru, and after the plot was exposed, he chose to commit suicide.

After sorting through all the clues, Jiraiya and Tsunade finally realized just how ruthless the village's internal politics had been over the years. The struggle for the Hokage position had pushed the Uchiha clan to the brink, and they were almost completely crushed. Not only were most of the Uchiha members killed by Itachi Uchiha, but the surviving Uchiha ninjas had been reduced to Danzo's puppets, serving as tools to attack the Third Hokage.

And Danzo, in his bid for the Hokage position, had gone so far as to attack Shisui, deliberately escalating the tensions between the Uchiha clan and the village, which eventually led the Uchiha to rebel. After eliminating the Uchiha clan, Danzo then turned his focus to the Third Hokage, forming an alliance with Orochimaru and Rasa to initiate the Konoha Collapse Plan, which resulted in the Third Hokage's death. He then insisted on participating in the Fifth Hokage election.

What was even more unsettling was that after the Konoha Collapse Plan, Danzo still maintained contact with Orochimaru. Just a few hours ago, he had been using Orochimaru as a tool to help him seize the Hokage position.

The Hokage was the leader who protected the village, and only someone who was loved and supported by everyone could take the role. If Danzo had seized the position through conspiracy and darkness, what could he truly achieve even if he became Hokage?

Jiraiya and Tsunade couldn't understand Danzo's motives; perhaps they were simply not people of his kind.

Returning from their drifting thoughts, Jiraiya looked at Kakashi and said, "Since Danzo is dead, let's go to the Root base and see it for ourselves."

Kakashi nodded, then led the way.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the Root base. Upon entering, they quickly saw many Root ninjas without their masks. Due to Danzo's death, the cursed seal on their tongues had been lifted, and they were now free to speak. They looked up at Jiraiya and Tsunade.

Jiraiya recognized a few familiar faces, which left him shocked. Then, guided by a Uchiha Root ninja, they toured the entire base and gained a basic understanding of the Root organization.

After the Uchiha massacre, the Third Hokage had ceased funding for the Root organization. On the surface, this had limited the size of the organization and the power of Danzo, who had become a powerless elder.

However, in reality, the Root had used this opportunity to break free and become an entirely independent organization within Konoha. As of now, the Root had grown to several hundred members, including most of the former security team, as well as many civilian ninjas who had been absorbed into Root. These people were now integrated into the village and operated in various positions.

After hearing the report, Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged glances, both filled with shock.

What had the Third Hokage been doing all these years? Had he not known about the Root's development? Or had he known but been powerless to stop it?

Either way, it meant that the Third Hokage had lost control over the village.

At this moment, they couldn't help but feel relieved that Danzo hadn't used the Root to target them. Even if they could unite with Konoha's higher-ranking ninjas to suppress Danzo, the village would have been torn apart by internal strife, and Konoha couldn't afford such a loss at this point.

After gradually regaining their composure, Jiraiya and Tsunade started thinking about another serious issue: how to deal with the Root organization left behind by Danzo.

Simply labeling the Root ninjas as rogue ninjas and placing them on the wanted list would not be a good solution. But if they allowed the Root to continue existing, no matter who became the Fifth Hokage, they would be uneasy. No ruler would allow a power capable of threatening them to remain.

Moreover, the most critical issue was how to deal with the Uchiha ninjas within the Root organization. Before the Uchiha massacre, the Uchiha clan had been an unstable factor in Konoha, but now, they had become the object of sympathy for many higher-ups.

The massacre of an entire clan, with all its ninjas reduced to puppets and tools, was too cruel. It was so cruel that even the Hidden Mist Village would have to admit they were ashamed in comparison. After all, only a village with the Will of Fire would see such pure darkness arise within it.

If they followed Danzo's methods, the Uchiha could easily become the next Danzo.

Konoha could no longer endure the destruction another Danzo would bring. In these perilous times, the village had to unite to restore the brilliance of the Will of Fire.

How should the Root organization be managed?

After thinking for a while, Jiraiya came up with an idea and said to Tsunade, "Tsunade, I have a suggestion on how to handle the Root organization."

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya and signaled him to continue.

Jiraiya nodded and spoke, "Tsunade, we can't disband the Root organization for now. Most of the Root ninjas are pitiful victims of Danzo's manipulation, including the Uchiha clan members."

"You make a valid point..."

As a descendant of the Senju clan, Tsunade naturally harbored some distrust towards the Uchiha clan, believing that they were unreliable and that their Sharingan could lead them to extreme actions.

But in this case, the Uchiha were undoubtedly the biggest victims, even more so than the Third Hokage.

After a pause, Jiraiya continued, "Since we can't disband the Root for now and we need someone to manage it, I believe Shisui Uchiha would be the best candidate to be the next leader of the Root organization."

"I disagree!" Tsunade instinctively shook her head in rejection.

Jiraiya sighed softly and explained, "Tsunade, I know that having an Uchiha take the position of Root leader is risky, but Shisui is different from the others. He is filled with love and the Will of Fire. Shisui once showed the secret of Kotoamatsukami, which proves his stance and that he is a ninja we can trust. We shouldn't doubt him the way we did with Danzo.

Moreover, we must give those Uchiha who were persecuted by the Hokage line a proper explanation. If the Uchiha's rightful claims are not addressed, similar incidents will happen again in the future. All the lessons of the past will be wasted."

Tsunade hesitated but still shook her head, "Have you forgotten about Kotoamatsukami?"

Jiraiya nodded and then said, "Kotoamatsukami was indeed terrifying. It was able to control Shisui for years, turning him into Danzo's loyal dog, but that technique, along with Danzo, has now disappeared from the ninja world."

Hearing this, Tsunade's expression softened as she began to seriously consider Jiraiya's suggestion.

Jiraiya sensed her changing thoughts and cited examples from the First and Second Hokage. Even during their reigns, they had given the Uchiha clan considerable benefits.

---

The next morning, the Hokage Building issued an announcement.

The announcement declared that the leader of the Root organization, Shimura Danzo, had staged a rebellion the previous night. However, the plot was suppressed by Jiraiya, Tsunade, and other high-ranking ninjas of the village, preventing a major conspiracy from erupting.

After Danzo's capture, the vacancy left by his position was filled by a high-ranking member of Root.

When the villagers of Konohagakure saw this announcement, the entire village was thrown into an uproar. A heated discussion broke out, with some questioning whether a power struggle had erupted within the village. Others were concerned about how this would affect their lives moving forward.

After all, Danzo was not just any elder; he was a disciple of the Second Hokage, had served the village for decades, and even if he had not contributed in terms of achievements, he had certainly worked tirelessly. If even someone like Danzo could betray the village, who in Konoha was beyond suspicion?

Just as the ninjas of Konoha thought the matter would escalate further, the Hokage Building remained unexpectedly calm. Two senior advisors, Tōrin Shōrin and Mito Gate En, made an appearance and personally explained Danzo's crimes. With their endorsement, and confirmation of Danzo's death, the villagers finally relaxed.

Danzo's death was now a settled matter. After the Third Hokage's passing, Danzo had no reason to continue living. Elder ninjas in the village who had heard of his reputation were satisfied as long as the village could stabilize.

However, the new leader of the Root organization raised many questions. The high-ranking Root member who succeeded Danzo was Shisui Uchiha.

The name Shisui Uchiha was not unfamiliar to the ninjas of Konoha. However, wasn't Shisui supposed to have disappeared years ago? How had he suddenly become a high-ranking official in Root, and why was he the one to succeed Danzo as its leader?

What had transpired to bring about this unexpected development? This question stirred much curiosity.

Soon, several lower-ranking ninjas, who had participated in the events of the previous night, gathered fragments of information from higher-ups and pieced together the full story.

Danzo had apparently attacked Shisui, forcing the Uchiha to take the path of rebellion. After Itachi Uchiha's attack on the Uchiha clan, Danzo had secretly collected many unconscious Uchiha, turning them into puppets for Root.

Furthermore, Danzo's shadow had been involved in the sabotage of the Chūnin Exams not long ago.

As these revelations spread throughout the village, rumors and different opinions flourished. For the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, Danzo's death didn't have much of an impact. They had successfully supported the new Hokage, and as long as Konoha didn't fall, their positions would remain unchanged.

For the Hyūga clan, Danzo's death was also not particularly impactful. After so many negative incidents, the main house had begun to treat the branch family with more respect, even considering abolishing the "cage bird" system.

For ordinary ninjas, Danzo's death had little effect. They had never personally interacted with him, and compared to the larger village matters, they cared more about whether the next mission would be difficult or if the pay would be sufficient.

Soon, the news reached the members of Team 7.

Sakura was shocked by the news of Danzo's downfall, but she didn't know much about him, so she simply remarked on the inner conflict among the village's high-ranking officials.

Naruto, seizing the opportunity for training, dragged Sasuke into a secluded area and said with a smile, "Sasuke, looks like your clan's elder has completely defeated Danzo. Now, the Uchiha clan can return to the ninja world."

Sasuke nodded but didn't seem particularly pleased.

The mastermind behind the Uchiha clan's massacre was already dead, but the ninjas who had carried out the orders were still living freely outside the village.

Naruto sensed Sasuke's thoughts and said seriously, "Sasuke, are you still planning to go to Orochimaru? You don't need to take such a big risk anymore, your family and loved ones are still alive."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and replied, "That's true, but I can never forgive what he did. I must kill him to avenge my family."

"Don't you hate the masked man who killed your father? Don't you want revenge?"

At these words, Naruto's face darkened, as if a cold shadow had descended upon him. He spoke in a low voice, like a beast about to explode, "Of course, I remember. But right now, I'm not strong enough."

Sasuke snorted coldly and replied, "Then you better hurry. The masked man is also an enemy of the night. If you don't grow stronger quickly, the masked man might be killed off before you get your chance."

Sasuke himself was in a bad mood after saying this. He and Naruto were in similar situations. They didn't fear their ability to take revenge; what they feared was that their enemies might be eliminated before they could exact it.

Naruto clicked his tongue and said, "Let's get moving. Don't get yourself killed out there. I need to find a good teacher to help me train too."

"I don't need you to remind me. I'll leave today."

Sasuke's response was cold, and with that, he disappeared into the forest.

---

At the Root base, the events following Danzo's death didn't cause much internal change or major impact.

The leader of Root was still Shisui, but he had taken Danzo's identity.

The Uchiha ninjas working in important positions within Root were well aware of this. A few remaining old-timers from Danzo's time didn't speak out, choosing not to inform Jiraiya.

After all, they knew very well that the Root organization, with its deep roots and huge influence in Konoha, was merely an affiliate of a much larger organization.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the two senior advisors might be able to shake the Root organization, but they couldn't challenge the organization behind it, the Akatsuki, which had control over nearly half of the ninja world.

Shisui opened the door to a prison cell deep within the Root base. Inside was the Third Hokage, who had been living out his days in retirement. Shisui left a scroll for him.

The Third Hokage picked it up. It was an appointment declaration.

The scroll recorded that, according to the discussions at the Hokage Building, Shisui Uchiha would be temporarily acting as the new leader of Root, succeeding Danzo.

Upon seeing Shisui's appointment as Root's new leader, the Third Hokage stood frozen in place.

Shisui's lips curled into a slight smile, a confident arc. This battle between the Hokage Building and the Uchiha Guard ended with the Uchiha successfully infiltrating the Hokage system.