Naruto: Did i Just Get Reincarnated as Gojo?

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Namikaze Minato led the way in classic ninja sprinting fashion, weaving through the massive trees of Konoha's forest. Beside him was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Trailing behind were the high-ranking officials of Konoha, with Gojo Kaigetsu as their representative.

Pakura, wearing a mask, had also joined this operation, acting as Gojo Kaigetsu's left-hand guardian. Sensing that something was amiss, she left Yugito Nii in the village to bolster defenses.

Uchiha Fugaku stayed behind to oversee the Konoha Police Force, managing the village's defensive affairs to avoid falling into a trap.

[Shimura Danzo is dead]!

The news hit the political center of Konoha like a bolt from the blue.

Danzo, along with his elite Root ninjas, had been found dead near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water by Konoha's border patrol.

Their deaths were... extremely gruesome.

The heads of eleven people were impaled on wooden stakes along the border, displayed high for all to see.

No doubt about it—this was a blatant provocation against Konoha!

Minato and Hiruzen's faces were darker than a moonless night.

Sure, Danzo had messed up, but until he returned to the village for official judgment, he was still a respected elder of Konoha.

To have a Konoha elder and his subordinates killed so brutally within the Land of Fire... the implications were worse than when the mysterious masked man had attempted to assassinate Gojo Kaigetsu.

If not handled properly, this could escalate into a major crisis.

The scene had been cordoned off by Konoha's border patrol as soon as they discovered it. Upon receiving the news, the Konoha higher-ups wasted no time rushing to the crime scene.

Among them, Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction was the most intense.

He appeared at the ninja headquarters wearing his combat gear, clutching his iconic Monkey King Enma staff. The fury in his eyes was unmistakable—he was livid.

After half a day of traveling, the group quickly arrived at the scene.

Even though they were mentally prepared, the horrifying sight still made them gasp.

A massive circular crater etched with sealing scripts that read: [Beware of Kirigakure]

Further beyond the crater lay dead parasitic insects, splatters of blood, and at the edge of their vision—the terrifying display of eleven severed heads.

The expressions on the Root ninjas' faces varied: anger, fear, relief. The myriad faces of Konoha's shinobi were presented in this brutal manner along the border.

Hiruzen saw it—his old friend's head impaled on a stake in the center, the "X" scar on his chin glaringly prominent. Danzo's face bore an expression of final relief.

Hiruzen's grip on his staff trembled; he silently walked ahead.

Minato pressed his lips together, feeling uneasy. He approached the edge of the crater, crouched down, and rubbed the engraved scripts with his fingers.

He turned to Gojo Kaigetsu behind him and asked, "Kaigetsu-kun, what's your take on this?"

"My take, huh..." Gojo Kaigetsu pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "It's not Kirigakure. They don't have the capability."

Even without considering the Prosperity Points notification, just looking at the traces left at the scene, he could guess who was behind this.

His eyes seemed to pierce through time and space, seeing through the fog.

To annihilate Danzo and his elite Root members so swiftly and silently, without even giving them a chance to send a distress signal—does Kirigakure have that kind of strength?

In the current ninja world, perhaps only the Akatsuki could pull this off.

The crater before them was the best evidence.

If Killer B had transformed into the Eight-Tails right then and there, he might have been able to take out the eleven Root members, but it would have required a Tailed Beast Bomb, causing far more environmental damage than this neat crater.

Similarly, Onoki could have used Particle Style for a surprise attack, but Iwagakure has only one Onoki; there's no way they could have cleanly wiped out eleven Root members.

This was an organized, premeditated team attack against Konoha's Root.

Who could the Akatsuki have used? Kakuzu? Sasori?

"Just as I thought," Minato stood up. "It's impossible for Kirigakure to eliminate Elder Danzo without a trace."

Yagura is still in Konoha Hospital printing money, and Kirigakure's high-end combat power is basically in shambles. Even if they picked their top eleven ninjas for a showdown, they might not match up to the Root's eleven.

Plus, given Danzo's personality—he had been lurking in Kirigakure for so long and was naturally paranoid—there's no way he wouldn't have had contingencies against them.

"So, this is a poorly executed frame-up," Minato concluded. "The enemy wants to disrupt our current alliance with Kirigakure."

"They've also erased the battle traces at the scene, leaving no useful clues... Kaigetsu-kun, do you have any ideas?"

Minato gave up on pondering and opted to outsource the thinking to his external brain.

Gojo Kaigetsu understood everything, but was he willing to share?

The answer is... not really.

Gojo Kaigetsu pressed his lips together, staring silently at the battle traces as if deep in thought.

He skipped over the "who did it" question and went straight to "why did they do it now."

Why would the Akatsuki target Root right after Konoha concluded a special military operation?

This doesn't align with the timeline... Oh, but timelines have been messed up ever since his arrival.

But why target Root? And to know their return route and timing so precisely? Only someone like Black Zetsu could have obtained such information without alerting Root.

'Black Zetsu...'

Nagato is probably still holed up in Amegakure, unlikely to order the few remaining Akatsuki members to attack Konoha; accumulating strength is his sole focus right now.

It's highly possible that Black Zetsu led this operation... But unless it aligned with the Akatsuki's interests, Kakuzu and Sasori wouldn't have participated.

Kakuzu cares about money. Sasori cares about human puppets. The lower halves of the Root members' bodies are missing...

Gojo Kaigetsu deduced: Someone commissioned the Akatsuki to issue a bounty on Konoha's Root!

In the current ninja world, who has the motive and the means to do this? Probably only—[Kumogakure]!

'So it's Kumogakure. Rule out A, as he wouldn't resort to such underhanded tactics. Samui hasn't reported anything... So, is it that Grand Elder whose grandson was killed by Fugaku?'

"Ah..."

Gojo Kaigetsu exhaled deeply. Now, things were getting complicated.

Although Nagato currently possesses unmatched power, he's still hiding in Amegakure, fearing a united attack from the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Konoha is publicly the number one village, but even it can't withstand the drain of a prolonged conflict with Kumogakure. They might win, but Iwagakure still harbors intentions of destroying Konoha, and both Sunagakure and Kirigakure are always eyeing them.

If Konoha shows determination to annihilate Kumogakure, it might actually prompt the other villages to unite against them.

Shinobi aren't stupid; they understand the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."

A weakened, struggling Kumogakure is far more beneficial than a destroyed one. As long as they're still breathing, Kumogakure will keep Konoha occupied—a fact everyone understands.

Therefore, under Gojo Kaigetsu's manipulation, Konoha is also biding its time, focusing on development. At most, they'd conduct special military operations to flex their muscles; declaring full-scale war on another major village is not advisable at this stage.

As for when Konoha should officially launch a war against a major village, Gojo Kaigetsu always follows a unique and wise judgment logic:

[Firstly:]

Konoha's military strength must be sufficient to control the entire war's progression! They decide when to start, when to end! Whatever goals are set before the war must be achieved before it concludes!

Uncontrollable variables, like the enemy receiving allied support and causing the war to spiral out of control, are absolutely unacceptable for Konoha!

[Secondly:]

Has the enemy dispatched ninja forces to invade Konoha's territory and committed actual acts of war crimes? Both the deployment of ninja forces and the commission of war crimes are essential elements. Konoha must firmly establish itself as acting in self-defense.

The ninja world is vast, with countless small villages outside the Five Great Shinobi Villages. An unjust war would easily cause panic among these smaller villages. To avoid getting bogged down in endless conflicts and to swiftly consolidate gains after the war, the righteousness of self-defense is essential!

[Thirdly:]

What benefits can Konoha gain from the target? Sunagakure has rich mineral resources and puppet techniques; Kumogakure has secret physical enhancement drugs, secret techniques, and perfect Jinchuriki training methods; Kirigakure has a unique geographical location...

Among these three points, Konoha currently only lacks the first one; the other two are always met.

Root is part of Konoha, and they were killed within the Land of Fire, satisfying the conditions for self-defense. The benefits of attacking Kumogakure are listed under the third point... They just lack the military strength.

"If it were you, Minato, you'd probably guess who did it, right?"

"Huh? I can't guess..." Minato replied honestly. "I've reviewed the intel on strong shinobi from the four major villages, but I can't deduce who could have killed Elder Danzo from that angle."

"Then skip that and consider the motive."

"Consider the motive..."

Minato squinted his eyes, falling silent.

Clearly, he and Gojo Kaigetsu were thinking along the same lines.

Konoha can bully the weak, attacking villages like Kusagakure without issue.

But if they seriously declare that they'll punish those behind Elder Danzo's death... that might be biting off more than they can chew.

The mission the era has given to Namikaze Minato is to connect the past and the future, accumulating more strength for Konoha before the Fourth Shinobi War arrives.

The two walked side by side, watching the busy Anbu collecting the bodies in the distance. It seemed that Konoha would have to swallow this bitter pill.

Minato sighed deeply, "So, how should we officially conclude this matter?"

Danzo's identity was sensitive.

Internally, they'd already decided on his crimes, but they hadn't announced anything publicly. One reason was to prevent unrest and discontent among the smaller clans.

Another was to avoid undermining the credibility of the Fourth Hokage's administration. If even former Hokage advisors and Konoha elders could commit serious crimes, who could guarantee that the current generation wouldn't? What if they also start conducting human experiments?

Oh, you're saying the current one is Advisor Gojo? Well, never mind, scratch that second concern.

Ultimately, what the public might hear could be entirely different.

Internally, Danzo might be guilty of "conducting forbidden human experiments"; externally, it might be "engaging in ninja corruption." Internally, "attempting to seize the Hokage position, destabilizing Konoha"; externally, "disloyal to the Will of Fire"...

One story for the inside, another for the outside—Minato understood this distinction.

But that's all for the future; right now, Elder Danzo died in office!

For most Konoha citizens, Danzo was a mysterious but still dedicated elder.

This matter requires an explanation!

Should Danzo die as a hero of Konoha or as a corrupt ninja disloyal to the Will of Fire?

Gojo Kaigetsu looked at the scripts on the ground.

If these were Danzo's final messages to Konoha, left with his life during his Reverse Four Symbols Sealing... the original content before being altered was probably [Beware of Amegakure].

He did, in a way, give his last drop of blood for Konoha.

"Let's give him a proper burial. Forget his crimes; seal them away in the archives," Gojo Kaigetsu said. "Engrave his name on the Memorial Stone. As for the official cause of death... sudden heart attack? Accidental drowning? Any dignified-sounding reason will do."

"Yes, that's all we can do."

"However... while we can't wage war externally, internally..."

Gojo Kaigetsu and Minato didn't have any fondness for Danzo. No matter how much he claimed to act for Konoha, they couldn't accept his extreme "Konoha in my heart" ideology.

Therefore, they could handle this matter with the utmost calm. But... could the village's higher-ups and elders be united in this? That was uncertain.

As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at the border where the eleven heads were displayed.

Due to Konoha's recent special military operations, patrols along the village and the Land of Fire's borders had been significantly increased. The eleven heads were discovered promptly, with few passersby noticing.

Currently, members of the sealing squad were carefully removing the heads from the stakes, sealing them in scrolls to bring back to the village for a proper burial.

No matter what dark deeds they had committed as Root members, they fought for Konoha until their last breath...

Hiruzen instinctively pulled out his pipe, clenching it between his teeth. His face was so dark it could drip water as he watched the sealing squad remove Danzo's head from the stake.

"Wait!" Gojo Kaigetsu's voice came from behind.

A flash of anger crossed Hiruzen's eyes. What now? Are you not even going to allow us to bring back Danzo's remains?

That... would be too overbearing of the Fourth Hokage.

The most regrettable episode!

In Hiruzen's stereotyped thinking, Gojo Kaigetsu's authority came from the extension of the Fourth Hokage.

"Advisor Gojo, what is it?" Hiruzen asked without turning around.

"There's something wrong with that head."

"Hmm? What did you say?"

Without another word, Gojo Kaigetsu pulled out a kunai and hurled it at Danzo's head.

Hiruzen didn't stop him. The moment the kunai pierced the forehead's skin, his heart felt as if it were clenched tightly, making it hard to breathe.

They watched as Danzo's impaled head quickly lost color, rotting away into a mass of writhing black tendrils.

Everyone present was shocked—what on earth was that?

Gojo Kaigetsu's voice rang out: "Elder Danzo likely used the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing to take his enemy down with him. The sealing technique consumes everything, including his own body; there's no reason a head would remain."

A wake-up call! Hiruzen's body trembled violently; he was beyond furious.

The head he'd just mourned over was merely an enemy's twisted creation?

Bastards! Bastards! Bastards!

An enraged Hiruzen swung his staff, smashing the writhing black mass into pulp.

"Who did this? Who?! Was it Kirigakure? No matter who it is, I will make them pay in blood!" Hiruzen roared lowly.

His emotions seemed to infect many of the Konoha higher-ups present, making the atmosphere heavy.

Indeed, no matter what, Elder Danzo was one of their own. Even after death, his body was used to create a fake head to disgust them—the enemy had no bottom line.

A ninja might die, but they shouldn't die in such an undignified manner.

Having been retired for a long time, Hiruzen was no longer as sensitive to ninja world intel as he once was and was unaware of Kirigakure's current state.

He had been meek for the village during his tenure, but now, he was uncharacteristically assertive.

'In that case... I can't tell you the truth.'

Gojo Kaigetsu spoke up, "Third Hokage, please calm down. I fear this wasn't done by Kirigakure. According to our intel, Kirigakure doesn't have the capability to silently kill eleven Root members."

"Hmm?"

Hiruzen instinctively lowered his staff, realizing, "Not Kirigakure... So the enemy altered the information Elder Danzo left with his life?"

"It appears so."

"Judging by the scene, the enemy had at least two or more Kage-level shinobi using special techniques."

"There are too few traces of the Five Basic Natures being used."

Kage-level shinobi who use ninjutsu as their main combat method—there aren't many options in the ninja world.

Hiruzen squinted at the black mass on the ground, lost in thought, muttering:

"In the ninja world, Kage-level shinobi don't just appear out of nowhere. Any strong shinobi must have been forged through blood and fire."

"The ones who attacked Danzo can't be nobodies."

Gojo Kaigetsu reminded him, "Third Hokage, perhaps we shouldn't limit our view to a single village."

"This might have been a bounty posted in the underground ninja world, carried out by bounty hunters."

"Maybe an organization of top rogue ninjas from various villages accepted the contract."

Gojo Kaigetsu pointed to the severed heads of the Root members. "Beheading like this is something only twisted ninjas would do; normal ninjas avoid such taboos. But if it's for the underground exchange, they might need the heads as proof, even creating a fake head of Elder Danzo."

Ah, that makes sense!

Hiruzen realized.

If that's the case... everything fits! No village would be foolish enough to provoke Konoha at this juncture. But bounty hunters... they'd do anything for money.

"Who posted the bounty, and which village's rogue ninjas dared to accept such a mission?"

Gojo Kaigetsu shook his head, maintaining professional boundaries, "That... would require a lengthy investigation. Perhaps we'll find useful clues from the traces left at the scene."

"But I hope you can remain calm and restrained, Third Hokage. If they're rogue ninjas... regardless of their original village, they have severed ties."

"A rogue ninja is a rogue ninja; they have nothing to do with their former village."

"There are too many active rogue ninjas in the underground world, some of them highly skilled. Pinpointing the exact culprits would require cooperation from all villages... which is very difficult."

Hiruzen felt dejected; he understood these principles. His treacherous student Orochimaru nearly became a rogue ninja himself.

But... he was unwilling!

His old friend died so unjustly, without dignity, not even leaving a body behind. And he, still alive, didn't even know who to avenge him against.

This is the ninja world—a cruel world where even a village elder can die just like that.

In times of great strife, no one can stay out of it!

Hiruzen resembled a frustrated old man, pulling out his pipe and taking deep drags, his eyes clouded with gloom.

He wanted to avenge Danzo!

Soon, the heads and scripts at the scene were cleaned up by the sealing squad. The group, enveloped in a heavy atmosphere, set off back to the village.

Everyone knew that this assassination was just the beginning. The real issue was how to handle the aftermath once they returned to the Hokage's office.

When Gojo was attacked and "missing," they launched a special military operation against Kusagakure and Yugakure. Now that Elder Danzo was dead, they couldn't just do nothing.

Of course, even if they did nothing, to show loyalty to the current regime, no one would say anything. But... there would still be some discontent.

...

...

Such disunity would make the road ahead difficult.

A day's journey back and forth.

Late at night.

The villagers of Konoha were surprised once again to see the Hokage's office lit up late into the night.

In the conference room, the retired Third Hokage sat in the observer's seat. Even without speaking, his attitude was clear—he needed an explanation... to seek justice for his deceased friend Danzo.

If the Fourth Hokage and Gojo Kaigetsu did nothing, he would be disappointed and silently fade into history.

If there was an explanation... perhaps this old body could still shine one last time for Konoha and his old friend.

"Regarding the assassination of our village elder by hidden enemies in the underground ninja world... I do not intend to let this go."

Gojo Kaigetsu, his face serious, set the tone right from the start:

"Because this involves bounty hunters in the underground ninja world, tracking them down will require cooperation from the intelligence departments of major villages. This will be a prolonged and arduous task!"

"I have decided to establish a specialized department to investigate this matter!"

Gojo Kaigetsu revealed his purpose.

Nara Shikaku voiced his doubts, "Setting up a new department to investigate is one thing, but an underground rogue ninja organization? Elder Danzo's last message warned us to [Beware of Kirigakure]."

Perhaps Nara Shikaku had his own agenda.

If they really needed to reassess Konoha's relationship with Kirigakure... he could stay in Konoha and enjoy a comfortable life. Being assigned to a foreign post was troublesome.

"It's not Kirigakure," Gojo Kaigetsu stated firmly. "They don't have the capability—that's the truth!"

"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen are either dead or defected. Their strongest combatant, is still in our Konoha Hospital receiving treatment. There's no way they could silently eliminate eleven Root elites within our Land of Fire."

"Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that ninjas from other villages did this. Until we've thoroughly investigated, we'll define [Elder Danzo's assassination] as the work of the underground ninja world."

Well... a rational choice.

Nara Shikaku was also afraid that Advisor Gojo might impulsively decide to wage war against a major village.

Attacking small villages could be considered training, comfortably gaining experience. But going up against a major village—Konoha couldn't handle that right now.

Nara Shikaku raised his hand to ask, "What kind of department are we talking about? What are its responsibilities? Will it draw personnel from existing departments, or will we recruit anew within the village?"

"The name of the new department is—"

"[Avengers·Alliance]!"

"???"

Hiss! Ha!

The clan representatives murmured among themselves. The name of a department often reflects a lot of information.

The Anbu's full name is the Assassination Tactical Special Unit, Konoha's special forces responsible for intelligence, surveillance, and assassination missions.

Root's full name is simply Root, rooted deep within Konoha, doing things unseen, requiring absolute loyalty from its leader.

So, Avengers?

The implication is clear—a department established for revenge, to avenge Elder Danzo and retaliate against those who infringe upon Konoha's interests!

So, the authority of the new [Avengers] department would likely be to carry out infiltration and assassination missions, using the same methods to repay blood with blood.

For a moment, people's minds were abuzz with different thoughts.

Clan representatives with strong ninjas began to ponder whether it was worth assigning their top talents to the Avengers.

Like infiltrating the Anbu, getting someone inside the Avengers would allow them to adjust their clan's foreign policies promptly based on the village's first actions.

For an extreme example, if someone from the Anbu reported that the Nara clan was about to be targeted, smaller clans could start distancing themselves or invest in medical industries to minimize losses.

Similarly, placing their clan members in the Avengers would grant them first-hand information. If the revenge target was a small village where they had assets, they could withdraw early to minimize losses.

Gojo Kaigetsu observed their reactions but had no intention of allowing clan interference this time.

He had long planned to establish a direct subordinate unit; this was the perfect opportunity to propose the [Avengers Alliance] he had been contemplating.

"Everyone—"

"Our targets are rogue ninjas active in the underground world, and we can't handle them with conventional methods."

"I've designated the department as an [Alliance] to differentiate it from standard village organizations."

Hmm?

Even Minato, who had become somewhat immune to Gojo Kaigetsu's shocking policies after being friends for so long, was taken aback.

He tentatively interjected, "Advisor Gojo, are you suggesting... we unite with other villages?"

"That's roughly the idea."

Gojo Kaigetsu extended his hand into the air, opening it wide before clenching it tightly. "Just like the Anbu, we'll take the lead in establishing this department. After explaining the stakes to the other four major villages, they will quickly follow suit and establish their own Avengers departments."

"Once each village has its Avengers, we have the Avengers Alliance."

Nara Shikaku sought clarification, "What is the purpose of the Avengers?"

"Because we're hunting highly skilled rogue ninjas in the underground world who commit assassinations across the ninja world. Sending regular ninjas after them would be sending them to their deaths, increasing casualties."

"Dispatching village ninja squads long-term to hunt these targets is also unrealistic."

"Therefore, we need ninjas with strong solo combat capabilities to join the Avengers. By creating the 'strongest in history' ninja department and assembling Konoha's internal super ninjas, we can protect our interests and avenge ourselves against rogue ninjas who infringe upon them!"

"The underground ninja world has its own rules."

"The sole purpose of establishing the Avengers Alliance is to avenge ourselves against rogue ninjas from the underground world, using any means necessary—tooth for a tooth, blood for blood!"

Gojo Kaigetsu's words were powerful, demonstrating his determination for revenge.

"Assassin politics are taboo in any village," he continued. "As ninjas, we can die honorably on the front lines of war, but we absolutely cannot accept being calculated to death by rogue ninjas in the underground world using ambushes and assassinations."

"I believe all villages share the same resolve in striking down rogue ninjas."

"No one wants to hear every now and then that prominent figures from their village have become targets for bounty hunters."

"Every village has rogue ninjas; generally, the village's Anbu handles them. For regular ninjas, the Anbu is effective, but these are rogue ninjas—they're not ordinary. The success rate of capturing them is low. Konoha faces the same issue."

"Of course... if they're not even committed to capturing their own rogue ninjas and just want to watch us do all the work... then, in name, we become the 'police of the ninja world.'"

"In future dealings with villages, we will hold the moral high ground."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen nodded silently.

Konoha's rogue ninjas... the most recent being Orochimaru, would require several elite Jonin, or even himself, to capture.

And before that... even sending the young Sannin couldn't catch some; it shows how difficult it is to apprehend rogue ninjas.

Minato and Nara Shikaku also nodded in agreement.

Indeed, the starting point of the Avengers is impeccable. Even if presented to the other four major villages, it would likely be unanimously approved.

But the key issue is—

From what Gojo Kaigetsu implied, Konoha's Avengers wouldn't be drawing from existing ninja departments. So where would they recruit "super ninjas" capable of avenging themselves against rogue ninjas wielding two kunai?

Minato voiced his doubt:

"Where can we recruit 'super ninjas' powerful enough to suppress rogue ninjas from various villages?"

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