"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
After dropping that line like a stone, Shimura Danzo turned and left without a hint of hesitation.
This left Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two in stunned silence.
Watching Danzo's departing back, Hiruzen sighed and asked his companions, "Homura, Koharu... what's gotten into Danzo? Why did he suddenly say I'll regret it? Does he think making Tsunade the Hokage is a bad idea? Or... does he believe it's a mistake for her to be with Kei-kun?"
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a glance. Then Homura replied cautiously, "Hiruzen, perhaps Danzo is too deeply obsessed with the Uchiha. He always assumes the worst and even manages to convince himself those worst-case scenarios are inevitable."
Hearing this, Hiruzen recalled Danzo's recent actions and speeches. He couldn't help but sigh and nod. "Danzo has been lost in the darkness for too long." After a pause, he added, "Let's just divert all of Danzo's attention to external matters. It just so happens we got a communique from the Kazekage yesterday—one of their geniuses, Sasori, has defected. They're asking us to monitor his movements."
"Then Danzo can take charge of investigating that rogue ninja from Sunagakure."
Koharu and Homura both nodded in agreement.
Danzo's current mindset was far too extreme—he no longer suited the peaceful, thriving atmosphere within the village. His talents were better used outside the village.
Technically, the three had just betrayed Danzo in spirit—but none of them thought of it that way. To them, everything, from the village to Uchiha Kei's recent actions, proved that the village was on the right path.
Whether for the benefit of the clan or the civilian shinobi, the village was growing stronger. And when the cake keeps getting bigger, anyone who tries to mess with the baker just naturally gets pushed out.
And Danzo, unfortunately, had made himself that person.
Unaware that his three longtime comrades had essentially written him off, Shimura Danzo returned to the Foundation headquarters with a stormy face. Then, in a rare fit of rage, he flipped his desk.
This explosive outburst startled the Root ninja nearby. None of them had ever seen Lord Danzo lose control like this.
Especially the oppressive, violent aura that radiated from him—it was something entirely foreign to the usually cold and calculated man. If Uchiha Kei were present, he'd definitely quip that Danzo looked possessed by some dictator spirit. All that was missing was yelling "I hail from Hebei!" to reenact a meme-worthy scene.
In the end, Danzo sent everyone out and remained alone in his office, seething.
He was furious at Hiruzen for yielding so much to the Uchiha. Furious that Homura and Koharu had sided with Hiruzen. The betrayal cut deep.
He was furious at Tsunade—for recovering from her hemophobia so quickly and ruining all of his plans, turning his schemes into nothing more than clownish performances.
But what infuriated him the most was that Hiruzen would actually hand the Hokage title to a mere woman like Tsunade. That Orochimaru, a worthy contender, had willingly stepped aside.
The Hokage seat—something Shimura Danzo had long coveted!
Now it was being casually discarded by Orochimaru and handed to someone who was never even supposed to be in the running. To Danzo, this was the ultimate insult to his years of persistence and ambition.
Of course, no one else saw it that way. This was all in Danzo's head.
Now he just felt like a pathetic clown—everyone seemed to be mocking his ignorance.
Damn it, this was unbearable. He wanted to explode with rage—that was Danzo's mental state.
Anger. Resentment. Pain. Hysteria. Fury.
These emotions gnawed at him like maggots on bone, threatening to strip away even his fundamental self-control.
But he was still Shimura Danzo. His self-control remained formidable. Even when word came down from the Third to focus on international matters and investigate Sasori, Danzo merely twitched slightly before composing himself.
Then he summoned subordinates to ask if anything noteworthy had happened today. Soon, he learned of a newly released genjutsu-based game.
Danzo's old face twitched again. Rage flared.
Another genjutsu game. That damn thing again!
Everything had been fine before genjutsu games came along. They ruined everything—his comrades, his allies, even the village had been "corrupted."
These cursed games... and the damnable Uchiha clan behind them! Unforgivable!
His fists clenched. He wanted to flip his desk again. He wanted to erase the Uchiha clan. He wanted to destroy genjutsu games entirely.
But all he could do was slump into his chair, powerless. Because he knew—there was nothing he could do.
Yet, a cold, ruthless glint returned to his lone eye. He murmured:
"The Uchiha brats may have the upper hand now, and the entire village may be deceived... but they won't maintain this forever. When their pride gets the better of them and they bring about their own downfall—that's when I'll strike."
Muttering this, Shimura Danzo grew more resolute. He believed his view was right. Everyone else would regret it. The Uchiha would eventually show their arrogant, foolish nature again—and once more become the object of fear and loathing.
So, in preparation for that day, Danzo made a decision:
He was going to play the genjutsu games.
Yes, the old man finally embraced the mindset of "know your enemy to defeat them." Since he couldn't stop the rise of genjutsu games, he would experience them for himself. Even if he didn't like them—even if he feared they were rigged by the Uchiha—he had to understand them.
If he found any evidence of Uchiha tampering, that would be perfect ammunition to attack them.
So, the games had to be played—played thoroughly!
Danzo ordered all existing genjutsu games to be brought to him. He also learned about the newest one: "Escape."
Though he hadn't played the others, he had gathered intel through Root agents. After some thought, he activated the sealing scroll for "Escape" and entered its genjutsu world.
And then... Danzo was stunned.
The game detected his physical condition—disabled, aged, mobility-impaired—and automatically activated "Safety Protocols."
Suddenly, the body that had been broken since the Second Great Ninja War was whole again. All discomfort vanished. The long-lost sensation of health returned.
Danzo instinctively raised his hands, examined his body, touched his face and eye.
"Is this... me healthy? My younger self? Genjutsu games can even do *this*?!"
His body trembled. He could barely breathe.
The joy, the exhilaration—it burst straight from his soul.
Only those who've lost their health know how precious it truly is. Danzo, disabled for decades, knew the value of being whole again.
One of the reasons he had pursued Hashirama's cells so obsessively was to gain the First Hokage's vitality—to restore his health.
In canon, that's exactly what he did—merging Hashirama's cells with the Sharingan to achieve a twisted, unstable form of health.
Even that distorted vitality was a hundred times better than being crippled.
Yet here, inside a game, Danzo felt truly healthy again. It intoxicated him. A primal yearning surged from every cell, overwhelming him.
The shock nearly blanked his mind. He hurriedly exited the game, breathing heavily.
Just moments ago, he had entertained the thought, "Maybe genjutsu games really *are* good. Maybe... they should stay."
Unforgivable.
He had betrayed himself.
Because all intel confirmed that genjutsu games were exclusive to the Uchiha. Supporting the games meant supporting their prosperity.
That was unacceptable. He had to destroy them—along with the Uchiha.
And yet... he had nearly fallen after one session.
"Terrifying. The Uchiha clan truly are born evil—devious and shameless. They even rigged these games with such traps... letting the disabled and elderly feel young and whole again."
"To those people, this is a fatal temptation. Even *I* could hardly resist!"
"No... if this continues, I *will* fall. I need a countermeasure."
Muttering, Danzo devised a solution: a self-applied seal. If he ever succumbed completely to the game, the seal would trigger and erase his memories of the experience.
That way, he wouldn't fall into the trap.
He immediately set it up—Root had plenty of such techniques. It was a simple matter.
Once the safety protocol was in place, Danzo re-entered "Escape."
Unlike Obito or other cowardly players, Danzo moved swiftly and boldly, determined to see just how far the game could go. He quickly reached the hospital level—only to experience the horror of losing his chakra.
No matter. Danzo believed that as the darkness of the shinobi world, he could overcome this challenge—even without chakra!
Yes, he believed that regaining youth made him so strong that even Hiruzen would be a match for him!
So when he encountered the deranged monster for the first time, he charged in fearlessly—wielding a fruit knife.
And promptly discovered his attacks did nothing. The monster grabbed him.
His bold charge triggered a hidden game mechanic—punishment for overconfident players.
Danzo experienced an utterly realistic death-by-mutilation.
The game's realism was maxed out—perhaps Danzo wanted to feel that healthy sensation again, or perhaps he still looked down on the game. Either way, the realism slider was set to "maximum."
The result? His brutal death was also vividly, viscerally realistic. The kind of agony normally reserved for Uchiha unlocking their Mangekyō.
Shimura Danzo's blood-curdling screams echoed long and loud.
And thanks to that, Uchiha Kei gained a huge dose of emotional value—and a burst of Gold Points!
Yes, even Danzo dropped Gold Points.
He may no longer be Kage-tier, but he *was* once. And since he regained youth in-game, the system counted him as a qualified contributor.
He'd dropped Gold Points... for the Uchiha he hated most.