Chapter 97: Two Sides Conspire — The Valley of No Return

"Good," Shinsuke nodded as Tsunade exhaled with relief.

"Then we act according to the plan," she said. "Tonight, we'll secretly summon the commanders of the three clans and finalize the details. We'll distribute the antidotes and wait for Danzo and Hanzo to make their move."

With this, everything became much clearer—and more dangerous.

"By the way!" Tsunade suddenly added, a trace of worry crossing her face. "We can't ignore the ninjas from Suna and Iwa. Although there haven't been major clashes yet, the tension is growing. I wouldn't be surprised if they're preparing for their own assault. If we eliminate Danzo, the four clans, Hanzo, and the Ame-nin, they might take advantage of the chaos."

Shinsuke's expression darkened. "You're right. And not just Suna and Iwa—we need to account for Uchiha Madara as well. His involvement is unlikely... but still possible."

Everyone fell silent at the mention of Madara. His name alone was enough to freeze the air.

"The ghost of the Uchiha..." Tsunade muttered. "Let's hope he doesn't show himself. Otherwise, I'll have to call my grandmother—Mito-sama—and Lady Hikaru. But if that happens, everything will escalate, and your role in this revolution might be overshadowed, Shinsuke."

She hesitated. Even if Danzo's crimes were exposed, a violent coup could tear the village apart. And if Uzumaki Mito or Uchiha Hikaru intervened, the credit would fall to them—not to Shinsuke, who had orchestrated it all behind the curtain.

That night, using a secure summoning network, Tsunade contacted the commanders of the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki clans. Their shadow clones arrived at the meeting point, and together they finalized every detail of the strategy. Shinsuke distributed the antidotes, entrusting the leaders to quietly pass them among their clan members on the front line.

The next day, as expected, Shinsuke's team was deployed for patrol. But he could feel it—eyes everywhere. Surveillance had increased. Three separate squads of Konoha's ninja were shadowing their every move.

Meanwhile, far from the front lines, a cloaked Root agent met Hanzo in a misted forest ravine, delivering Danzo's letter by hand.

Hanzo frowned and took the scroll. As he read, a dry chuckle escaped his lips.

"Danzo... you mad rat," he muttered. "You want to wipe out the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki elites in one strike? Including Tsunade, Princess Kushina, and even Shinsuke... the son of Hikaru? If this works, Konoha will implode into civil war."

The Root ninja bowed but said nothing.

"If this man were born in Amegakure," Hanzo continued coldly, "I'd have had him executed before he grew teeth. But since he's Konoha's problem, I'll take advantage."

"So, what's your response?" the Root agent finally asked.

Hanzo gave him a sharp look. "Completely brainwashed, aren't you? Typical of Danzo's methods." Then, after a pause, he said: "Tell him I agree. But we'll need a solid plan to lure the prey into our trap."

Hanzo's heart pounded with anticipation. If this worked, he could crush Konoha's forces at the front, seize key territories in the Land of Fire, and finally prove to the world that Amegakure deserved to be the sixth Great Ninja Village.

He imagined alliances with Iwa, Suna, Kumo, even Kirigakure. Together, they could dismantle Konoha's dominance forever.

As the Root agent vanished into the trees, Hanzo's eyes narrowed. "I will burn this world of peace and delusion," he muttered.

Back at the Konoha camp, Danzo's lips curled as he received the news. "Perfect. Now the key piece is in place."

Half a Month Later...

A red flare screamed into the sky—distress signal. Dozens of patrol units, including Shinsuke's, had sent up alerts.

Tsunade and the commanders of the three clans acted fast. They reported the emergency to Danzo and requested reinforcements to extract the trapped patrols.

Danzo feigned urgency. "Of course. Send your clans in first. I'll deploy Root and our support teams after you. Most of our troops must remain to protect the camp—just in case Hanzo, Suna, or Iwa pull something."

Tsunade bowed slightly. "Understood."

But behind her polite smile, she was already five steps ahead. Her Observation Haki had long detected the movements around the patrol teams. Everything was unfolding just as Shinsuke predicted.

The joint force of the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki quickly mobilized, with Tsunade at the helm, charging toward the valley in the central Rain Country.

There, hidden in the shadow of an escarpment, Hanzo stood with his elite Ame-nin.

From a ledge overlooking the valley, Hanzo watched the Konoha shinobi enter.

"Now," he whispered.

He summoned his giant salamander, and the beast released a thick cloud of toxic miasma into the valley. The poisonous fog, blown by the wind, rolled down like a death blanket, engulfing the valley entrance.

From a kilometer behind, Danzo followed with Root and his allied ninja from the four loyal clans.

"Now!" he commanded, his eyes gleaming.

"Earth Style: Ten Thousand Ri Wall!" echoed a hundred voices.

With an earth-shaking rumble, a massive wall shot up behind the valley, cutting off the only escape route. Thirty meters high and reinforced by chakra, it sealed the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki in with the toxic gas.

Inside the Trap

Panic erupted.

Cries echoed from shinobi unaware of the plan—those who had not yet pledged loyalty to Shinsuke. Chaos threatened to break formation.

"Calm yourselves!"

A voice rang directly into their minds—Shinsuke's voice—through a Mind Transmission Technique.

"Take the antidote I gave you. Now. Do not hesitate. Hanzo's poison will be ineffective against you."

In a single motion, he downed his pill, then slammed his palm onto the ground.

BOOM!

A web of sealing jutsu symbols burst from the valley floor, radiating outward. The ground glowed, runes spiraling in a perfect network.

In seconds, a massive chakra barrier engulfed the entire valley and the surrounding hilltops—more than three kilometers wide. The toxic fog, Danzo's forces, Hanzo's army—all were trapped.

"What?!" Hanzo gasped.

Danzo's smug grin twisted into horror.

"A sealing barrier?! How?!" he screamed, rushing forward to disrupt it. "Attack the barrier! Break it now, before the gas kills us all!"

Root and the four clans scrambled, launching fire, wind, and lightning jutsu at the dome's edge. But the barrier held firm.

Inside the valley, Shinsuke's eyes gleamed with focus.

"Now," he whispered. "Let the trap devour the spiders who spun it."

To be continued...