Outside the Root base.
Root shinobi and ANBU are locked in tense standoffs, trading barbed words—though no open conflict has broken out... yet. Small-scale chaos, however, is already underway.
Villagers brandish banners, chant slogans, and pelt Root forces with rocks, rotten eggs, and vegetables. They stab wildly at Root ninja with blades, wooden sticks, umbrellas, hoes—anything sharp. They toss bricks and other heavy objects, and hurl punches and kicks as they release their fury. Fortunately, the Root shinobi are well-trained and armored; most attacks glance harmlessly off them. A few are scratched by furious housewives, some get minor head wounds—nothing too serious.
ANBU: "Turn over Danzō! You Root had the nerve to perform human experimentation, but have no courage to admit it?!"
Root: "Bullshit! Lord Danzō says he's been falsely slandered!"
Village Voices:
"Justice resides in the people's hearts!"
"Anyone with eyes can see the Third Hokage is framing Lord Danzō!"
"Isn't Sarutobi known for 'killing the ladder he climbed on' or 'burying the dog after the hunt'? He's done it countless times!"
"If you've got proof, release it publicly! Otherwise, what are your fox-borrowing-tiger-might lackeys good for?!"
ANBU: "Bullshit! Our Third Hokage is loved by all, beloved, righteous! How could he do such a thing?!"
"Danzō won't show up—he's obviously guilty!"
Root: "Heh? Guilty? Don't try to fool us—maybe villagers know Sarutobi, but do you think Root doesn't?"
"Orochimaru? Everyone knows he was the Third's student."
"ANBU, stop pretending—you're the thief crying 'Stop thief!'"
ANBU: "Say that again if you dare!"
Root: "So what if I did? You ANBU are nothing but bootlickers!"
"Konoha is rotting from the inside—because of you parasites!"
"And Tenzo, your Sixth ANBU's Wood Release guy? He's a product of those human experiments!"
ANBU: "You—"
Root: "You what? Did you think we Root wouldn't notice Tenzo using Wood Release?"
"Now you've dragged the public into your drama, and blame Root? Shame on you!"
The crowd roars.
Villagers: "Is it true? Is it false? Let the man speak!"
ANBU (panicking): "Folks, don't believe them! They're slandering the Hokage!"
A Root shinobi spits: "Slander? Who wets your mirror? Sarutobi dares to act—but won't admit it. What about Hizashi Hyūga? Spurred to his death?"
An ANBU ninja roars in anger.
The Root captain emerges from the shadows. Confidence swells—We Root are victims. You ANBU abandoned us then attacked us. Think we're powerless?
He pats a Root ninja who stood firm: "Brother, you've been wronged."
Root Ninja (wiping tears): "Not wronged—it's for Lord Danzō, for Konoha. Honor or shame doesn't matter. As long as we clear his name, I'll do whatever it takes!"
The captain sees their resolve and steels himself—Everything we do is for Konoha. Why should Root suffer? Tonight, Danzō and Orochimaru make their move. No more hiding. Now ANBU have crossed the line!
He steps forward:
Commander: "Anyone who knows Sarutobi knows his character—so let's drop pretenses. Masks are off. Don't blame Root for rejecting false brotherhood!"
An Itachi clone in Root gear nods subtly—Another ally. The game is decided.
ANBU Ninja (scoffing): "Brotherhood? Please! Root's only skill is stirring chaos and framing others."
ANBU: "You Root start fights—but what good is Sarutobi if he can't stand on the battlefield?"
Root: "In the Second and Third Shinobi Wars, it was our comrades in the field. Sarutobi stayed in the village."
Root (bluntly): "Honestly? Konoha had so much talent in those wars—a tied puppy could've fared better!"
Root: "After the Third War, with wartime victories at hand, Sarutobi had Konoha surrender and sign peace with the Hidden Stone Village."
"When the Raikage single-handedly defeated ten thousand Stone shinobi, Sarutobi pulled Konoha back instead? Did our comrades die in vain?!"
The crowd erupts again.
Grieving families weep—hatred for Sarutobi floods anew.
Villagers: "Our loved ones died for Konoha—they got nothing, and Sarutobi appeased enemies!"
Villagers: "Sarutobi's generosity benefits enemies and betrays allies!"
ANBU are silenced—they cannot refute the truth.
ANBU (gasping): "You...!"
Root: "After the Orochimaru experiments, the Fourth wanted to act—Sarutobi used that excuse to capture Orochimaru."
"He had a full ANBU task force—no fly should've escaped, and yet he let him go!"
"That was Sarutobi's mercy cover-up."
The crowd seethes.
Villagers: "One man cornered—yet he walked free?"
Villager: "I heard the Fourth planned sending Kakashi, Guy, the Konoha Police, and Hyūga! But Sarutobi sent Jiraiya instead."
Villager: "Jiraiya, Sarutobi's student and Orochimaru's comrade—obviously he turned blind eye!"
Villagers: "Exactly! Jiraiya's written lewd books; Orochimaru's still free. That's staged!"
Villagers: "Damn Sarutobi—he still runs the show from behind the throne!"
Villagers: "Fourth was a puppet—the real power was always with Sarutobi!"
ANBU panic—Root's counterattack has poisoned the well.
Root Commander (loading the coup): "And now—our intel ties the deaths of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina to Sarutobi!"
The tumult hushes. Even those throwing bricks freeze in awe.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin