The Titan Curse: A Shinobi’s Reign

Chapter 10: Danzo's Countermove

The night air was thick with tension.

In the dim candlelight of his underground chamber, Danzo studied the reports before him. Pages filled with surveillance notes, recent movements, and behavioral shifts—every detail carefully analyzed.

Tsunade had changed.

She was asking questions she shouldn't be asking.

She had always been a stubborn woman, but this was different. Something—or someone—had pushed her toward doubt.

Danzo's one visible eye narrowed.

"Who is influencing her?"

A tap on the wooden door broke his thoughts.

A masked Root agent stepped inside and bowed.

"We've been monitoring Tsunade-sama as ordered," the agent reported, his voice devoid of emotion. "Her routines remain unchanged, but she appears… distant. Distracted. She spends long hours alone in her office, reviewing old records."

Danzo's fingers tightened against his cane.

"She's digging into the past."

"Has she spoken to anyone suspicious?"

"Not directly," the agent replied. "However, she had an unusual confrontation several days ago outside the village border. We are still gathering details on the individual she fought."

Danzo exhaled slowly. "And Naruto Uzumaki?"

"He has noticed her behavior. He is concerned, but he does not appear to suspect anything yet."

Danzo remained silent for a moment.

Tsunade was too powerful to confront directly—not yet. But if she kept pulling at the threads of Konoha's secrets, she would eventually uncover something that even she wouldn't be able to ignore.

"If she turns against Konoha… she will be a liability."

Danzo closed his eyes briefly before making his decision.

"Send two teams," he ordered. "One will continue observing her. The other… will locate the individual she fought."

The Root agent nodded and vanished.

Danzo sat back, his mind sharp as ever.

If Tsunade was truly wavering, he needed to either break her resolve—or eliminate her before she became a threat.

And if someone was manipulating her from the shadows…

"Then I will tear them from the darkness and crush them myself."

---

Tsunade's Doubt Grows

Tsunade sat in her office, her fingers pressing against her temples.

The conversation with Danzo and the elders still burned in her mind.

She had always known they were ruthless. But she had never realized just how deep their corruption ran.

"Enough to make it worthwhile," Danzo had said.

She hated those words.

Her grandfather's legacy, her clan's blood—used like tools for their own gain.

She took a sip from her sake bottle, but it did little to settle the anger in her chest.

A quiet knock came from the door.

Shizune stepped in hesitantly. "Tsunade-sama… there's someone here to see you."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Shizune hesitated. "He… says he's a former ANBU. He insists it's urgent."

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.

A former ANBU?

Something felt off.

"...Let him in."

A moment later, a cloaked figure stepped inside.

His face was partially covered, but Tsunade could see the Root tattoo on his shoulder—the mark of Danzo's personal operatives.

Her breath hitched.

A former Root member.

The man kneeled before her. "Hokage-sama… I bring information that may confirm your suspicions."

Tsunade's fingers twitched slightly.

"Is this a trap?"

She leaned forward, her voice calm but sharp. "Go on."

The man hesitated, then removed his mask.

His face was lined with scars, his eyes hollow from years of obedience.

"My name is Hiro," he said. "I was one of Danzo's operatives… until I saw what he was truly capable of."

Tsunade's pulse quickened.

"And what exactly did you see?"

Hiro exhaled. "I saw the experiments with my own eyes. The stolen corpses, the forbidden jutsu used to implant Hashirama's cells into shinobi—all in secret, all under Danzo's orders."

Tsunade's hands tightened into fists.

"How many people were used?"

Hiro's eyes darkened. "Hundreds."

Tsunade felt sick.

Her grandfather's body had been used like a resource, his cells stolen and implanted into shinobi who had never earned that power.

"So why are you coming to me now?" she asked.

Hiro lowered his head. "Because I know Danzo is watching you. He's afraid you're getting too close to the truth. If you keep pushing, he will eliminate you."

Tsunade's breath was steady, but her fury was boiling over.

"So what do you expect me to do?"

Hiro looked up, his expression filled with quiet desperation.

"Leave the village," he whispered. "Before it's too late."

Silence.

Tsunade stared at him.

Leave Konoha?

Abandon everything?

She wanted to laugh—but she couldn't. Because for the first time… she wasn't sure if she wanted to stay.

---

Kurozan Watches from the Shadows

Far beyond the village walls, hidden deep within the night, golden eyes gleamed.

Kurozan stood at the edge of a cliff, gazing toward Konoha from a distance.

Tsunade was close.

She was beginning to see the truth.

But she was still clinging to the last fragments of loyalty she had left.

"She won't leave Konoha yet," he thought. "Not until something forces her to."

A shadow flickered behind him.

One of his Titan-enhanced warriors kneeled before him.

"Lord Kurozan… our spies confirm that Danzo is making his move."

Kurozan smiled slightly.

"Good."

Everything was falling into place.

Tsunade would not need to be convinced.

Danzo himself would force her to betray Konoha.

And when that moment came…

She would stand by his side.

---

Next Chapter : "The Trap is Set"