Danzo Shimura is undoubtedly one of the most despised Naruto characters ever. Once a trusted ally of the Third Hokage, the leader of Root grew into an egotistical and megalomanic man who wished to become the most memorable and feared ninja in history. He used to hide his desire for power by claiming that he only wanted to help Konoha be strong, but his actions seldom helped his compatriots.

Most Naruto fans hate Danzo, and they do not lack reasons to do so, as he committed some of the worst crimes in the series. Nonetheless, even if unknowingly, without him, it is possible that the protagonist would never have made it past the battle against Pain. It is hard to it, but Danzo is the one who gave Naruto the time he needed to prepare for such a dangerous confrontation.

Danzo’s Egotism Saved Naruto’s Life

If the Hero Had Come Home Early, He Would Have Surely Died

In episode #158 of the Naruto Shippuden anime, Tsunade and her allies gather around a messenger toad in hopes that he would tell Naruto to go back to Konoha as soon as possible. By that point in the series, the hero was training with the Toad Clan to master the Sage Mode technique, which would be his best weapon against Pain. The Fifth Hokage was worried that the Hidden Leaf would not stand a chance against the strongest member of Akatsuki without Naruto by their side, so she needed him to stop his training and return.

Danzo, not wanting to facilitate Pain’s mission and expecting Pain to kill Tsunade, decides to murder the toad, preventing the message from reaching the protagonist. While the leader of Root might not have been aware of this, his selfish actions were what gave Naruto enough time to master the technique and prepare for his fight against Nagato. If Naruto had received the message, he would not have been able to properly use Sage Mode, as he discovered soon after that Kurama prevented him from merging with Fukasaku, who helped Jiraiya with the technique.

The hero also discovered that he could use his Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu to absorb Nature Energy even when fighting. Without these tools by his side, Naruto would undoubtedly have lost the battle, as Pain is without a doubt one of the strongest villains in the franchise. The time Danzo bought the protagonist was vital for him to gain the strength and skills necessary to defeat Nagato’s Six Paths and save Konoha from certain destruction. In a twisted way, Danzo Shimura was indirectly responsible for saving the Ninja World, as Naruto would have died without him.

Naruto Fought a Debilitated Pain

The Hero Did Not Have To Deal With a Full-Powered Deva Path

When Nagato attacked Konoha via his Six Paths, the villagers were told that their pain would end if they surrendered Naruto to Akatsuki. Even though the citizens never felt true appreciation for the boy, they refused to reveal his location, enraging the villain to the point where he did not care if his target died. By using one of the most destructive techniques in anime history, the Shinra Tensei, Pain effectively erased Konoha from existence in episode #162, leaving a crater in the middle of the valley.

His attack, while effective in determining that Naruto was indeed not in the village and killing many of his enemies, did leave his Deva Path incapacitated for quite some time. Yashiko’s body needed rest before utilizing his Repulsion abilities once again. Naruto was fortunate enough to arrive moments after the Deva Path became inactive, giving him enough time to defeat Pain’s five other bodies quickly. Nagato himself demonstrated the fear of having to fight the hero without one of his best techniques at hand, proving he did indeed need the Deva Path to defeat the Uzumaki.

Naruto Arriving Early Would Have Been Catastrophic

​​​​​​​Pain Would Have Extracted Kurama and Destroyed the World

Despite it rarely coming up in talks about the character, Pain’s original goal was beyond terrifying. Tired of all the pain caused by ninjas and their constant conflicts, Nagato dreamed of a world where everyone would understand the pain of loss and would decide to live in peace. To achieve his vision, he wanted to extract the power of the nine Tailed-Beasts and use them to bring chaos and devastation like never seen before by any Shinobi. He thought that only then would humans live in harmony with each other.

The most likely outcome of his fight with Naruto, before the hero mastered the Sage Mode, would have been the extraction of Kurama and the death of the protagonist. This means that, without Danzo’s interference, Nagato would have achieved his goals and there would be no one left to stop him. The death of the protagonist would have been the smallest issue the Shinobi World would have to deal with, as the Ten-Tails would have been unleashed into the world, killing everyone in his path.

Danzo Is Still Not Justified

​​​​​​​His Greed and Inaction Almost Cost Hundreds of Lives

Regardless of whether Danzo’s actions saved Naruto or not, there is no way for fans to justify the damage and destruction that his thirst for power and greed caused. The man had no way of knowing that giving the protagonist more time would help him defeat Pain down the line, he simply wanted to keep Kurama away to use him as a weapon later. The man never saw the protagonist as a human worthy of respect, only the vessel for the village’s biggest tool against their opponents.

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Moreover, during Pain’s attack, the leader of Root decided he would not help his fellow citizens defend their home. According to his words, he would first ensure Tsunade was incapable of holding the position any longer, hoping the Fifth Hokage would die in battle. He would then emerge as the hero and claim his place as the leader of the Hidden Leaf. Danzo is an intelligent and manipulative villain who knew exactly what he needed to do to achieve his goals. He might be hated, but there is no denying that he is one of Naruto’s best villains.