[Check Out My P4treon For +50 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! And get chapters before publishing them here for free on my p4treon][https://p4treon.com/roooaaa]
===
Maruboshi Kosuke and his team waited outside the Hokage Building.
To avoid alerting the enemy—or at least delaying any leaks—he had deliberately avoided selecting shinobi from the Sarutobi or Shimura clans. Instead, his squad consisted mainly of members from the Hyūga clan, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, and elite civilian-born jonin.
"Let's go."
Sasame offered no further explanation.
The group moved swiftly, heading north.
The Valley of the End lay to the north of Konoha. Following the mountain range behind the Hokage Monument would lead them to a massive waterfall. It was here that Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had once clashed, carving out the valley itself.
The path from Konoha to the Valley of the End was dense with forests and mountains—perfect for an ambush.
"Old Man Kosuke, I'll leave a shadow clone behind. Once it disperses, order everyone to attack."
With that, Sasame suddenly accelerated, vanishing from sight.
Somewhere in the forest...
Tsunade halted.
Now far enough from the village, Danzō Shimura no longer bothered with pretense and stepped forward.
"Tsunade, I've been waiting for you."
"An ambush?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"Indeed. The whole story about Hiruzen wanting to see us was a lie," Danzō replied, his face twisting into an ugly, triumphant smirk. "All to lure you out."
"You want to kill me?" Tsunade's anger simmered despite having anticipated this. "Is this what you call 'for Konoha'?"
"Of course it's for Konoha!" Danzō slammed his cane into the ground. "You and Hiruzen are both weak. Konoha needs a ruler who is utterly ruthless—one who can forge all clans and talents into a single weapon. Only then will the village prosper!"
"Bullshit." Tsunade's frown deepened. "Your idea of 'forging them into a weapon' is just turning everyone into your pawns, isn't it?"
"And what's wrong with that?" Danzō's voice turned icy. "Because of Hiruzen, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki remains useless, and the Uchiha were driven to rebellion. I was the one who should have been Hokage! I am the true successor to our teacher!"
His composure shattered, his eyes burning with jealousy and hatred.
"You don't care about Konoha—only your version of it." Tsunade shook her head in disgust. "My granduncle made the right choice. Hiruzen was always the better man for Hokage."
"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Danzō roared.
For years, he had deluded himself into believing that he had only hesitated for a second—just one second—and lost the title to Hiruzen. Tsunade's words struck like a blade, silencing him and shattering his defenses.
"DIE!" Danzō's face contorted with madness. "The Hokage's seat will be mine!"
His right arm swelled grotesquely, tearing through his sleeve as tendrils of wood erupted, forming a massive tree.
Tsunade's eyes flashed with fury.
This was her grandfather's cells—Hashirama's power—being defiled.
She lunged, kicking off the trunk and flipping overhead, her fist cocked back. Chakra surged, condensing into monstrous strength as her punch descended with a deafening sonic boom.
Danzō didn't dodge.
The tree wrapped around him, forming a protective shell.
Tsunade's fist connected—cracks spiderwebbed through the bark, but it held.
Then, branches shot out, crisscrossing like serpents to ensnare her.
Poof!
A log replaced her.
She reappeared behind Danzō, driving another punch—this one even more devastating—sending him and his wooden shield skidding back meters.
Danzō only smirked, steadying himself.
Tsunade's eyes widened as black seals erupted beneath her feet, slithering up her legs like living chains.
A trap.
Danzō had baited her into stepping onto a pre-laid sealing array.
She had underestimated him.
In terms of battle experience, Danzō had the edge. And this had been a calculated ambush.
"YOSH! The Blue Beast of Konoha arrives!"
Might Guy burst onto the scene like a green hurricane. "Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
He wasn't alone. Maruboshi Kosuke and the others emerged, surrounding Danzō.
"You planned this?" Danzō's voice was cold.
It was obvious now—Tsunade had come alone to confirm his treachery, and the others had followed.
"You've made too many mistakes, Danzō," Tsunade growled, breaking free of the seals with Kakashi's help. "That's how I knew. You're surrounded. Surrender now, and you'll be treated with dignity."
"Who says you've won?!" Danzō bellowed.
Root operatives materialized from the shadows. Though outnumbered by the Hokage Guard and Konoha Military Police, their skill was undeniable—ten elite jonin stood ready.
"Danzō is a traitor. Do you still follow him?" Tsunade demanded.
The Root agents remained silent, their faces blank.
"See, Tsunade? This is the weapon Konoha needs!" Danzō's grin was unhinged. "Kill them all!"
Chaos erupted.
But two figures had been forgotten—Tsunade hadn't accounted for Sasame, and Danzō had overlooked Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
The two advisors lurked nearby, watching the battle unfold.
As former students of the Second Hokage, they were no weaklings. Age had dulled their reflexes, but they still retained jonin-level strength.
"Koharu, should we assist Danzō?" Homura asked, eyeing the clash of chakra.
"Not yet," Koharu replied calmly. "Committing now leaves no room for retreat."
"Ah. So we side with the winner?" Homura smirked.
"Precisely." Koharu's wrinkled face curled into a smug smile. "Even if we lured Tsunade out, we can always claim Danzō coerced us. And if Danzō kills her, he'll need our support to become Hokage. We can't lose."
"Brilliant as ever." Homura chuckled.
"Bravo. Worthy of Konoha's esteemed advisors."
A slow clap made them whirl around.
Sasame stood there, smiling.
"How did you find us?!" Koharu's face darkened.
Their conversation could never be exposed—it would ruin them. And Sasame, Tsunade's student, couldn't be allowed to live.
Not that a mere teenager posed any threat.
"I underestimated you," Koharu sneered. "But you're still a fool. I may be old, but crushing a brat like you is child's play."
"Let me handle him!" Homura stepped forward, eyes burning with malice. "I've hated this little bastard from the start. If not for him meddling, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
Tsunade hadn't hidden Sasame's role in recent reforms—his suggestions had boosted his reputation, paving his path to becoming Hokage.
And that was why the two advisors knew exactly who to blame.
The air grew heavy with killing intent.
Homura's hands flew through seals.
A scroll unfurled midair, releasing a storm of kunai—like a swarm of steel bees—all aimed at Sasame.
In the original timeline, Homura had only fought once—against the Nine-Tails, summoning weapons like a discount Tenten.
Sasame simply raised his hand.
Partial Expansion Jutsu.
His palm ballooned to the size of a boulder.
With a single swing—
WHAM!
The kunai were batted away like flies. Homura, too slow to dodge, was sent flying, crashing to the ground with a groan.
"Y-You're no chūnin!" Koharu stammered, having barely dodged.
That level of power—and his body had tanked the kunai without a scratch!
She hurled a shuriken, splitting it into hundreds with the Shadow Shuriken Technique, raining steel death from above.
Sasame's giant hand swatted again.
SMACK!
Koharu was sent flying, landing beside Homura.
The two elders coughed blood, their aged bodies unable to withstand the blow.
"W-We're the Hokage's advisors!" Koharu shrieked. "Even Tsunade can't execute us! You dare—?!"
Sasame burst out laughing.
The advisors exchanged confused, terrified glances.
"Sorry, couldn't help it." He wiped a tear. "Don't worry, I won't kill you."
Relief flickered across their faces.
"'Ninja bloodbath, advisor's demise.' Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
His eyes swirled into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Y-You—! Those eyes?!" Koharu choked.
"H-How do you have the Mangekyō?!" Homura screamed. "Aren't you from the Senju line?!"
Which Senju screwed up?! Or which Uchiha strayed?!
"RUN!" Koharu shrieked.
But it was too late.
The moment the words left her mouth, her body locked up.
Both advisors stood frozen—then suddenly sprinted toward the battlefield.
"DANZŌ! WE'RE HERE TO HELP!"
They charged straight at Might Guy, who was pressuring Danzō the most.
Guy, having opened the Third Gate, was a blur of green, moving faster than sound.
"Guy, careful!" Kakashi warned. "These two are on par with the Third Hokage! Don't hold back!"
Guy nodded seriously.
Front Lotus!
His afterimages pummeled the advisors like a storm.
BOOM!
Their bodies cratered into the ground—lifeless.
Guy blinked. "This is 'Hokage-level'?"
Danzō gaped. What the hell was that?!
Tsunade noticed but didn't care. The advisors had outlived their usefulness.
Danzō, however, was stronger than expected—not only wielding Wood Release but also a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan.
Where did he get those?
Tsunade lunged again, her kick splitting the earth.
Danzō barely dodged.
He gritted his teeth. The longer this dragged on, the worse his odds. Konoha would send reinforcements.
His only hope now was the Izanagi—two minutes of invincibility, bought with the sacrifice of his Sharingan.
Enough time to kill Tsunade.
He activated the technique, his left eye going dark.
Tsunade moved to strike—but Sasame appeared, shaking his head.
Then, he formed a seal.
Sage Art: Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
A high-pressure jet of water sliced Danzō in half before he could react.
But his body reformed instantly.
"Sage Mode?!" Danzō gasped.
Tsunade's eyes widened. Now she understood Sasame's warning—had she attacked, Danzō would have used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, trading his life for hers.
Except he would have revived.
"Izanagi…" she muttered. "So you were plotting against the Uchiha."
Danzō had no time to retort.
Sasame unleashed a barrage of water-style jutsu, drowning him in relentless attacks.
Danzō died.
Then revived.
Died again.
Izanagi's invincibility meant nothing if he couldn't counterattack.
Two minutes wouldn't be enough.
With no allies left—his Root agents pinned down, the advisors dead—Danzō made his choice.
He tore open his robe.
Black seals spiraled outward.
"Dead Demon Consuming Seal! Everyone, retreat!" Tsunade yelled.
Sasame backed off, though he could have tanked it.
This was Danzō's escape plan.
"Run, 'Shadow Hokage.' Give me more fate points out there."
And so, Konoha's "Four Elders" fell—one dead, one fled, leaving only Hiruzen Sarutobi remaining.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 205 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 30 power stones I will publish the next chapter.
https://patreon.com/roooaaa
(Give me all your power stones)