Shadows On The Leaf

Danzo's POV:

A sharp pain shot through me. It was so intense that I thought my body was being torn apart. Then, suddenly, the pain stopped and all I felt was silence.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a dark room, dimly lit by candles. The air was filled with humidity and a faint smell of incense. The first thing I noticed was my body, my skin was smooth, I raised my right hand to touch my head and I was able to take a lock of my hair, thick and dark hair, I stopped when I saw my hand: no trace of the scars from the burns I gave myself when I was 14.

"This… this is not my body. What is going on?"

Then it hit me like a meteor, memories began to flood into my mind. They weren't just blurry fragments; they were clear memories, as if they had always been there. He remembered years of training, a plethora of Jutsus, his participation in three wars, his organization Root, his teacher Tobirama, his friend and rival Hiruzen, throughout these memories, he was able to understand the original owner of this body, he was characterized by his ambition, his determination, and his willingness to do whatever it took to protect the Leaf Village.

And then, I understood.

"I have been reborn in this world… as Danzo Shimura."

I had read stories of "Isekais", of people who were reincarnated in fictional worlds. But me? I didn't know how or why, but it had happened. More importantly, I was now in a world where power was everything and if there was one thing I knew about Danzo it was that most of the blame in the ninja world was on his head, he must have many enemies.

However, there was something else on my mind, along with Danzo's memories, a forbidden technique had appeared in my mind, as if it had always been there, instinctively, I knew how to use it and what its possibilities were.

The Chimera Jutsu, but Perfected.

A jutsu capable of absorbing Kekkei Genkai, unique abilities, and even the memories and knowledge of others, you could say that this jutsu was my "golden finger", a gift from my reincarnation.

As I was processing everything, a sharp knock on the door interrupted me.

"Forward"

A Root Anbu rushed in.

"Danzo-sama, the Kyubi has appeared in the middle of the village. In addition, the Third Hokage has requested that you keep an eye on the Uchiha clan because a large Sharingan can be seen in the fox's eyes."

I looked at him coldly, assessing the implications of that order. "Retreat and gather everyone in the main hall," I ordered in a cold tone typical of Danzo.

The Anbu nodded and disappeared in a blink.

I took a deep breath and walked over to a mirror in the room.

In the mirror I could see a young, rather handsome man, who had long dark hair that reached his eyes, his right eye was bandaged, white skin with an 'X' shaped scar on his chin, this man... well, me, I have to accept that this is me now, I wear a black trench coat with a hood and high sandals.

I removed the bandages from my face and noticed that there was no Sharingan, although I knew from Danzo's memories that there was a Sharingan before my reincarnation.

Apparently, another gift for my reincarnation is to return this body to its physical state between 20 and 25, although unfortunately it lost the Sharingan that it had implanted.

I know I can't show this appearance publicly yet, so I formed a hand seal and took on the appearance of my older self with a transformation jutsu.

"From today onwards, I will play this game of power in a different way. I have the memories of this world and the knowledge of my previous life. But now I also have a jutsu that even the strongest would envy. Konoha, the shinobi world… everything will be at my fingertips."

With those thoughts in my mind, I turned to the next room, where several Root Anbu waited in formation. My gaze swept over the shinobi, assessing their strengths and weaknesses based on Danzo's memories.

"Mozu, Kento, Gyomen. You three will lead the rescue teams. Our priority is the protection of civilians. Members under the age of fifteen will not go into battle. We need to preserve Root's future."

The three selected Anbu nodded silently, pointing to the other Anbu.

"Hyo and Tanuki, lead teams to the east and west sectors to reinforce the defenses. They will protect the medical support ninja. Everyone else will split into pairs, supporting the Konoha teams where needed. Today, Root will show her true worth."

Following these orders, the Anbu began to disperse. Only Tatsuma, Kinoto and Hinoe remained.

"You three come with me, we are going to settle another matter."

/////

Accompanied by my three most trusted Anbu, I made my way through the streets of Konoha. Flames lit my path, and the screams of the villagers filled the air. Halfway to the Uchiha district, I saw a group of shinobi moving quickly, their vests and the intensity of their movements leaving no doubt, they were Uchihas.

"Stop," he ordered in a firm voice, raising a hand. The Uchihas stopped, and in front of them, Fugaku Uchiha stepped forward, frowning.

"Danzo-sama," Fugaku said respectfully, but with a hint of impatience. "Why are you stopping us?"

"The Third Hokage has given me a direct order, to prevent your clan from participating in this battle." I let my words hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "However, I believe that is the wrong decision. I am not here to stop you, but to offer you something."

The Uchihas murmured amongst themselves in surprise. Fugaku raised a hand to silence them, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Explain yourself."

I took a couple of steps forward, my gaze fixed on Fugaku.

"The Military Police is a prison disguised as honor, relegating you to a role that isolates you from important decisions, makes you the target of civilian discontent, and weakens you by keeping you away from real missions. How many of your shinobi have lost their edge because they only patrol the streets?"

Fugaku didn't respond immediately, but it was clear that my words resonated among the Uchihas.

"I propose something different," he continued. "Join my Anbu, prove your worth on missions that challenge your skills, strengthen your clan, show Konoha that you are more than just guards. And most importantly, make sure your clan is close to the center of power in the village."

Fugaku frowned, crossing his arms.

"It is an interesting offer, Danzo-sama. But our priority now is to protect the village. This attack is not the time for political discussions."

I nodded, acknowledging Fugaku's logic.

"We will talk about it after the attack. But I ask you to keep this in mind Fugaku, I am not their enemy."

Fugaku looked at me carefully before nodding.

"We will join the battle. But this conversation is not over, Danzo-sama."

I gave a slight smile in response.

////

While Fugaku led the Uchihas towards the battlefield, my Anbus and I took a different route, heading towards an area where civilians were trapped by rubble.

Accompanied by my three Anbu—Tatsuma, Kinoto, and Hinoe—we moved with precision through the rubble, helping civilians trapped beneath collapsed structures. The battle against the Kyubi intensified in the distance, but I did not lose focus.

"Carefully lift that support. If the structure collapses, there will be no way to get them out alive," I ordered Tatsuma, who nodded and used his strength to stabilize the wood while Kinoto helped an injured child.

"Danzo-sama, the civilians are safe. We are sending them to the underground shelter in the southern sector," Hinoe reported while staying alert for any new threats.

I nodded, taking stock of the situation. "Perfect. Hinoe, go with Kinoto to reinforce the medical team in the east area. Tatsuma, come with me; we'll head to the north sector. There's a huge fire in that area."

//////

…

Third person POV:

Elsewhere in the village, a Root Anbu team led by Mozu was rescuing civilians from the rubble. One of them was helping a group of villagers when a Konoha medic-nin rushed in.

"Thanks for the help, but... Who are you? I don't recognize your masks and uniforms as part of the regular Anbu," he said, with a mix of confusion and distrust.

Mozu replied in a neutral tone. "We are from Danzo-sama's personal team. Our priority is to protect the village. Let us continue."

The medic blinked in surprise, but had no time to question further. The Root Anbu continued with their work, earning silent but significant recognition among the inhabitants of Konoha.

/////

Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan had arrived at the front lines. Fugaku led his people firmly, issuing quick and precise orders. A group of Uchihas synchronously performed the Fire Release: Great Fireball technique, sending gigantic fireballs towards the Kyubi.

The burning chakra illuminated the area, forcing the Kyubi to back away slightly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was watching from a safe distance while coordinating the village forces, showed a flash of surprise as he saw the Uchihas join the fight. Fugaku, with his Sharingan active, caught that fleeting expression on the Hokage's face. He didn't say anything, but a suspicion began to form in his mind.

'That's true,' Fugaku thought, 'Hiruzen didn't want us to participate. If that's true, then Danzo wasn't lying.'

Hiruzen quickly masked his surprise with an expression of relief. Raising his voice, he ordered, "Fugaku! Your efforts are welcome! Coordinate your men with the right flank teams."

Fugaku nodded, but couldn't help but feel a hint of distrust towards the Hokage. His mind kept returning to Danzo's words, who had spoken with a sincerity that now seemed more credible.

The battle continued and Fugaku watched the Kyubi's movement carefully, analyzing it. Casualties were beginning to pile up, and every minute the Kyubi remained free meant more lives lost.

In his mind, a struggle was going on.

He had the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He had awakened it years ago during the war, and knew of its power to control the Kyubi.

But the price of using it was high.

'I cannot allow the Uchiha clan to be seen as a threat. If Hiruzen and the elders see the power of the Mangekyō in action, they will use it as an excuse to monitor us even more, to suppress us.'

Fugaku closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his thoughts. 'Will they view me with the same distrust as they did Madara? Would this be the confirmation they need to fear the Uchiha?'

He clenched his fists, staring at the Kyubi with determination. 'But I can't allow any more villagers and ninjas to die. If I have to face trouble, so be it.'

Fugaku was about to activate his Mangekyō when an explosion of smoke and chakra caught everyone's attention.

"It's the Fourth Hogake!" one of the nearby ninjas shouted.

Minato Namikaze had appeared on top of a structure, riding Gamabunta, the great toad he had summoned. With impressive speed, he teleported to the side of the Kyubi, enveloping it in a series of complex seals. Within seconds, he disappeared alongside the monster, taking it far away from the battlefield.

Silence stretched out for a few moments. The battle was over, but at a high price.

/////

Danzo's POV:

From a distance, hidden in the shadows with Tatsuma, he observed the landscape of Konoha destroyed by the Kyubi's attack.

I had accomplished my goal. Root's Anbu had proven their worth, the Uchihas had acted against Hiruzen's orders, and the battle had further cemented my position as a key figure in Konoha.

"This is just the beginning"

In the distance, Fugaku and the Uchihas were returning. Fugaku walked past me and our eyes met for a moment before we nodded briefly.

I smiled as I made my way back to Root's base. "The board is in motion. And I am the one who moves the pieces… Old Danzo was a man of shadows and betrayal. But I will be more than that. This world belongs to me, and I will rebuild it in my image."

Author's note:

This story is original, completely my idea, it is not a translation.

I currently have 16 chapters written for this story, even so I won't upload all the chapters because I don't like working under pressure, I will try to upload one daily or one chapter every other day.

I appreciate your comments because they motivate me to write, I also accept suggestions, they will not necessarily be implemented but they can help me continue the story