Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe

"Danzo, how dare you!" Tsunade glared furiously at Danzo and Konoha's two advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, as she looked at Naruto, who was bound tightly. She had been in the middle of discussing strategies to attack Amegakure with the other four Kage when she learned that Danzo had acted against Naruto. If someone hadn't secretly informed her, she might have only discovered what happened after Naruto had disappeared. The Anbu she had assigned to watch Naruto hadn't even had time to send word before being eliminated.

Tsunade was seething with rage—both because of what had been done to Naruto and because Danzo and the two advisors had blatantly disregarded her authority as Hokage.

The upcoming war against Amegakure was crucial for the Five Great Nations and the Five Great Shinobi Villages. The power of the Jinchūriki was indispensable. Iwagakure and Kumogakure had already recalled their Jinchūriki, and Kirigakure had captured its wandering Six-Tails Jinchūriki. However, in Konoha, there was a serious conflict between Tsunade and Danzo, along with the two advisors, regarding Naruto as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. With support from Jiraiya, Kakashi, and several of Konoha's prominent clans, Tsunade had managed to suppress Danzo for a while, believing the matter was settled.

Who would have thought that Danzo, taking advantage of the absence of Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Nara Shikaku, would move so quickly? While Tsunade's key allies were engaged in planning the war with the other villages, Danzo had taken action.

Without the support of Jiraiya and the others, Tsunade found herself at a disadvantage against Danzo and the advisors.

"Tsunade, you've been too indecisive. You know what this war means. Konoha must mobilize all its strength," Koharu said with a self-righteous expression, as if everything she did was for the sake of Konoha and Tsunade herself.

For Koharu, both Konoha's survival and her own power were at stake, and she wouldn't allow Konoha to fall.

Koharu and Homura had long played a balancing act. When Tsunade was strong, they supported Danzo; when Danzo was strong, they supported Tsunade. Their political maneuvering was masterful, reminiscent of their former colleague, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But the situation in the ninja world had changed dramatically. The immense power of Akatsuki had forced the two advisors to align with Danzo's approach.

"I've already made arrangements for this war. I am the Hokage of Konoha. Are you trying to stage a coup?" Tsunade's voice was cold as she spoke, and the Anbu behind her gripped their weapons, ready for battle.

On Danzo's side, the Root members also tightened their hold on their weapons.

"This time, we overstepped our bounds. After the war, we'll accept any punishment. Rest assured, we understand the importance of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki to Konoha even better than you. We won't put his life in danger," Koharu said, her words sincere enough, but only on the surface. The truth was that Naruto's death could be tolerated—just not yet. He needed to leave behind an heir from the Uzumaki clan first.

"Old fox," Tsunade thought bitterly as she glanced at Naruto, still struggling against his bonds, unable to speak due to the seals placed on him. She then shifted her gaze back to Danzo and the advisors, her expression hard to read.

Koharu's talk of accepting punishment was laughable. A "self-imposed punishment" would likely amount to nothing more than a few days in confinement—hardly a consequence.

But Tsunade wasn't willing to give up on Naruto. She had already lost her brother years ago; she wouldn't let anything happen to Naruto now.

Boom.

As Tsunade's fists collided, a surge of chakra erupted from her, filling the room with tension. Her sudden display of power prompted the Anbu and other shinobi behind her to ready themselves for combat.

"Tsunade, you've lost your mind!" Danzo, Koharu, and Homura's faces changed. They had counted on Tsunade's tendency to prioritize the greater good of Konoha. It was a tactic that had worked many times before—using Konoha's safety as a pretext to pressure her. But this time, their calculations had been off.

"Release Naruto now, or we fight," Tsunade said without hesitation, her chakra flaring even stronger.

"Tsunade, do you understand what you're doing? You'll destroy Konoha!" Koharu shouted in desperation.

Tsunade's unyielding stance left Koharu, Homura, and Danzo in a difficult position. They had never expected her to make such a drastic choice. Now, they were stuck—they couldn't back down easily, but fighting Tsunade would brand them as traitors. As Hokage, Tsunade would have the support of the village's clans to crush them if it came to that.

"Three."

Tsunade began counting down, ignoring Koharu's protests.

"Two."

Just as Tsunade was about to say "one," Koharu opened her mouth to stop her, and Danzo prepared to uncover his bandaged right eye. But before anyone could act, their faces changed. Danzo's subordinates leaped to the sides, but it was too late.

The two Root members guarding Naruto fell to the ground, their necks slit. Koharu, leaping into the air, suddenly found herself face-to-face with a red-haired figure who promptly tore off her right arm.

"Kushina Uzumaki."

"The Fourth Hokage."

The sudden appearance of the two figures—Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze—stunned everyone. Koharu was so shocked that she barely registered the pain of losing her arm.

"Lady Tsunade, Lord Danzo, Advisors... long time no see," Minato said calmly as Kushina freed Naruto from his bindings.

Naruto, after being unsealed, stared at his parents for a long moment, his lips trembling but unable to form any words.

Kushina cast a cold glance at Danzo and the advisors before picking Naruto up and walking away, leaving Minato behind to face the others.

"Edo Tensei," Danzo muttered, quickly noticing the state of Minato and Kushina's bodies.

"Lady Tsunade, thank you for protecting Naruto."

"Minato, don't misunderstand. This was all for Konoha," Koharu and Homura interjected quickly, trying to save face. They knew they had crossed a line by targeting Naruto, and now they could only hope Minato would be understanding.

"I understand, but I'm still Naruto's father," Minato said evenly. Koharu and Homura let out a sigh of relief, but in the next instant, Homura screamed in pain as Minato severed his right arm with a kunai.

"Kushina acted, so as his father, I can't fall behind. Consider yourselves lucky I'm not killing you out of respect for Konoha," Minato said, casting a brief glance at Danzo before vanishing.

"Look at the mess you've made," Tsunade muttered. Though she was relieved that Naruto had been saved, the presence of the Edo Tensei Fourth Hokage and Kushina was not a good sign for Konoha, even if they seemed to retain their free will.

"Wasn't Orochimaru supposed to have betrayed Akatsuki?" Back in her office, Tsunade sent Shizune away, needing time to think and plan.

"Lady Tsunade, it's been a long time. I apologize for everything," Minato suddenly appeared in her office.

"It's my fault. I never imagined they'd be so bold. Being Hokage is harder than I thought. You must have had a tough time back then," Tsunade sighed.

Minato smiled bitterly. "You've had it much easier than I did. At least you have the support of the clans and your status as one of the Sannin. I was just an ordinary shinobi, and Jiraiya didn't involve himself in politics. I couldn't burden him, especially since the Third Hokage was his teacher."

"There are some things you need to know." Minato then began explaining what he knew about Akatsuki and the current situation.

"My grandfather, the Second Hokage, and even Uchiha Madara…?" Tsunade had braced herself for bad news when she saw Minato revived, but she hadn't anticipated that things had gotten so bad. Even her grandfather, the First Hokage, had been defeated.

And worse still, there was a chance that the first enemies Konoha would face in the upcoming attack on Amegakure would be their former Hokage. If that happened, the morale of Konoha's shinobi would plummet.

"Are you telling me we should surrender, Minato? What would you do in my place?"

"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade. I don't know." Minato's response was honest. Even if he were in her position, he wouldn't have a clear solution.

"That's the situation. Kushina will keep Naruto away from this war for now," Minato said before disappearing from the office.

Reuniting with Naruto after so many years was an emotional moment for both parents

 and child. It also provided an opportunity to keep Naruto safe from the chaos of the impending war.

"The Five Great Shinobi Villages seem to have made up their minds," Daniel thought as he stood in the steel tower of Amegakure, gazing at a map of the shinobi world displayed as a hologram. He was preparing for the next phase of his plan.

Amegakure's position, nestled between the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Fire, made it a strategic target. Daniel had chosen to strike first at Sunagakure because it was the weakest and poorest of the villages, rife with internal strife—perfect for an early conquest.

It was much like how Qin Shi Huang unified the Warring States, starting with the weakest, Korea.

"Everyone's here. The situation Akatsuki faces is grim. Based on our intelligence, the Five Great Shinobi Villages have joined forces and are preparing to strike. The attack will likely happen during the festival."

As all the Akatsuki members gathered, Daniel began briefing them on the current state of affairs.

"Sasori, are you ready?"

"Everything is prepared."

"Good."

Daniel had anticipated this eventual conflict with the Five Great Villages and had made ample preparations. This was a defensive war, fought on their home turf, with every advantage on Akatsuki's side.

"Deidara, how are your preparations?" Daniel turned to Deidara next. In warfare, both Deidara and Sasori's abilities could greatly enhance their side's power. Deidara's explosive art could wipe out an entire village if he sacrificed himself in a massive explosion.

"Sasori and I are fully prepared. This time, I'll show you the true meaning of art!"

"Excellent. After this war, the Five Great Shinobi Villages will no longer be able to stop the rise of the Akatsuki nation." Daniel glanced at Itachi, a faint hint of excitement in his voice.

"Konoha is lucky to have so many connections within Akatsuki, but Kumogakure is in for a tough time."

By analyzing the villages' positions, Daniel could easily predict their likely approach to Amegakure and set up ambushes. Konan, in particular, was prepared to unleash her ultimate technique, the 600 billion explosive tags originally meant for Uchiha Obito.

Judging by their positioning, Kumogakure would be the first to fall into her trap.

Boom, boom, boom.

As Daniel entered the large underground facility where Amegakure's new ninja army was training, he heard the sound of explosions.

Looking to the right, he saw a dozen mechanical puppets resembling mechs, firing in a practice range.

These were the puppet mechs Daniel had commissioned Sasori to create, controlled by the users' chakra from inside. While too bulky and slow to take on agile ninjas, they were perfect for war.

"Let's show these shinobi what real war looks like."

The underground base had been created using an expansion charm, and not even all the Akatsuki members knew of its existence. Daniel's main goal was to keep it hidden from Itachi.

The puppet technique of Sunagakure, if backed by state resources, could become a terrifying force in war. But since the shinobi world's combat gear was self-funded, Sunagakure's poverty was understandable. Puppets were far more expensive than simple kunai or shuriken.

"Now I understand how hard it is to be the mastermind behind a grand celebration. Never again," Daniel sighed as he watched the crowd gather before the steel tower in Amegakure, listening to Nagato's speech.

To ensure the Five Great Shinobi Villages' attack didn't disrupt the festival, Daniel had pulled out all the stops. This celebration had to go off without a hitch—it was a matter of Akatsuki's reputation.

"Has it begun?" Daniel noticed large chakra surges at several points across Amegakure. He quickly formed hand signs, and in an instant, everyone in the square was transported to a mirrored dimension.

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