It actually depends on your definition of the word.
Spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- Danzo Shimura often acted without Hokage’s permission and was responsible for many tragedies in the series.
- Despite that, he always put Konoha’s prosperity as his top priority.
- He was a traitor — in a sense that he acted against the leadership — but he did so with the village’s interests in mind, so he wasn’t an enemy of Konoha.
Danzo Shimura is often thought to be one of the most evil characters in Naruto. After all, he seized the Hokage position while Tsunade was in a coma, was one of the main orchestrators of the Uchiha Massacre, and often undermined Konoha in other ways.
And yes, he was definitely an antagonist — but he also was one of the most complex characters in the series.
Who exactly was he?
Danzo’s ideology was essentially the complete opposite to that of his old friend, Hiruzen Sarutobi (The Third Hokage) and his successors. Danzo was a militarist by nature, and he sought to unite all the villages under Konoha’s rule.
He never trusted others and wasn’t one to be trusted, either: in Danzo’s worldview, allies are temporary and disposable. In a sense, he embodied the darkness of the shinobi world, as opposed to the Third Hokage — who believed in the goodness of others and symbolized hope for many.
Danzo was a traitor, but he cared about the village
Danzo’s involvement with the Uchiha Massacre, as well as his establishment of Root within Konoha’s Anbu, leads many to believe that he was a traitor of the village. He was also responsible for Kabuto becoming who he actually is, and brainwashed his own subordinates to make them unquestionably loyal to his cause.
Root’s name is derived from its soldiers supposedly being the roots of Konoha — with the village being imagined as a tree. The tree can’t function without its roots, which are hidden underground — exactly what Danzo’s personal organization is.
Root (and Danzo himself) often disobeyed orders and acted against the Hokage’s will. In that sense, yes, Danzo was a traitor to the village.
However, it can’t be questioned that he wished the village the very best… in his own way. He acted in the interests of his village, but his ways never aligned with those of Hiruzen and his successors, whom Danzo considered too soft.
He wasn’t exactly an enemy of the village
Despite Danzo being a traitor of the village on paper — and definitely an arrogant militarist who could never understand positions other than his own — he’s a very complex character.
On the one hand, he was definitely a villainous antagonist who the characters had to bring down. On the other hand, he had honorable motivations and acted in the way he thought would have been for the best.
He was mistaken, but he never actually was an enemy of Konoha — that’s why his death was framed as a tragic one.