Taking Over the Roots
After a night's rest, Sarutobi Hiruzen and his party were ready to continue their journey to the Land of Iron.
However, just as they finished breakfast and were about to leave the inn, someone suddenly appeared.
It was Torune of the Aburame clan — a member of Root.
"Xu Fan…"
Aburame Torune immediately recognized Xu Fan standing beside the Third Hokage. It was he and Uchiha Itachi who had joined forces to kill Danzō Shimura.
"Torune?"
Hiruzen also recognized him at a glance. A bad premonition welled up in his heart.
If Torune had chased them all the way from Konoha, it could only mean something urgent had happened — something serious enough to involve the village.
"Hokage-sama," Torune said solemnly, "Please, we must speak in private."
Hiruzen glanced around at their surroundings. Given that Torune had come in pursuit, this was certainly no trivial matter. As a seasoned shinobi, he understood the danger of discussing classified village affairs in public.
"Let's speak in my room," Hiruzen said.
Torune nodded and followed the Hokage. However, he kept a wary eye on Xu Fan the entire time.
Hiruzen didn't miss that detail. "You come too," he said to Xu Fan. "This matter seems to involve you."
Torune froze for a second but said nothing, only furrowing his brows. When he opened his mouth to request a private audience, Hiruzen silenced him with a subtle gesture.
Xu Fan remained calm. He had already learned about the situation through his clone the night before. If his guess was right, Torune was here to report Danzō's death — and perhaps also to issue a warning about Xu Fan himself.
Of course, if his clone had truly wanted to kill Torune, it would've taken only a flick of the finger.
But he hadn't.
Because there was no special reason to eliminate him.
Yes, Root shinobi were loyal to Danzō — but before that, they were still Konoha shinobi. There was no point in killing all of them and weakening the village's strength unnecessarily.
More importantly…
Xu Fan hadn't intended to hide what happened at all. Quite the opposite.
He wanted Hiruzen to know.
He wanted the Third Hokage to learn that he and Uchiha Itachi had killed Danzō.
---
Once inside Hiruzen's room, the Hokage turned to Torune and asked, "Tell me. What happened in the village that made you chase us down in such a panic?"
Xu Fan leaned casually against the doorframe, completely unfazed.
Torune clenched his fists and dropped to one knee before Hiruzen, but his eyes never left Xu Fan. His entire posture was defensive — ready to react if Xu made a move.
"…Lord Danzō is dead."
Torune's voice was grave, but his focus remained entirely on Xu Fan.
"What?!"
Hiruzen froze. His eyes widened in shock, and a deafening buzz rang in his head. For a moment, his mind went blank.
Torune immediately drew his weapon, stepping in front of the Hokage in a protective stance — glaring at Xu Fan as if ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
But what he didn't expect was Xu Fan's complete lack of reaction — not even a twitch.
"I thought you'd attack me on the spot…" Torune muttered in disbelief.
"Because I killed Danzō?" Xu Fan raised an eyebrow, his tone casual. "This was something agreed upon with the Hokage."
"…What?!"
This time, it was Torune who was stunned. He had considered countless scenarios on the way here — but not this.
He had never imagined that Hiruzen would know about Danzō's death — let alone approve of it.
"…Hokage-sama?" Torune turned toward Hiruzen in disbelief.
"You said that once the Five Kage Summit concluded, Danzō would be handed over to me, didn't you?" Xu Fan said to Hiruzen, with a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And I did it… for the sake of the village."
Torune: "???"
Hiruzen: "???"
"Stop joking," Torune growled, glaring at Xu Fan. "You and Uchiha Itachi ambushed and killed Lord Danzō! How is that 'for the village'?!"
"You think Danzō did everything for the village," Xu Fan said. "But what if I told you it was the opposite?"
Hiruzen raised a hand. "That's enough. I want to hear the full story from the beginning."
He wasn't angry — not yet. More than anything, he needed to understand why Xu Fan had done it.
As much as it pained him, Danzō wasn't just a friend — he was also a powerful shinobi who had always claimed to act in Konoha's best interest.
But so had Xu Fan.
And now, the two had clashed.
"The truth is…" Xu Fan looked directly at Torune. "Before he died, Danzō summoned every Root shinobi. Tell me — what do you think he was planning?"
Torune was caught off guard by the question.
He hesitated. Danzō had summoned everyone for a meeting — but he and Uchiha Itachi had struck before any orders were given.
Even Torune hadn't known what the plan was.
"…I don't know," he admitted.
Xu Fan nodded slowly. "Just as I thought. It was something unspeakable."
"What was he planning?" Hiruzen asked.
"He was going to annihilate the Uchiha clan," Xu Fan said bluntly. "Uchiha Itachi told me everything. The clan was preparing for a coup — and Danzō had discovered it. While you were away, he was going to strike first."
Xu Fan continued, "Konoha was founded on peace between the Senju and Uchiha. Hashirama Senju — master of Wood Release — named the village Konoha. And Madara Uchiha, with his Fire Release, inspired the title Hokage. But Danzō was going to destroy that legacy. I stopped him. That's all there is to it."
Silence fell over the room.
Hiruzen closed his eyes.
He knew Xu Fan was telling the truth.
The Uchiha clan had long been at odds with the village's leadership. The coup rumors weren't new. And Danzō — ever the hawk — had suggested preemptive action before.
And Itachi…
Itachi had always been torn between his love for the village and loyalty to his clan.
"…Torune," Xu Fan said softly, "You should return to the village."
Torune looked conflicted — his brows furrowed, fists clenched.
"Konoha needs light and darkness," Xu Fan said. "The village can't function without both. That's why…"
He turned away.
"I will take over Root."