Mitokado Homura slammed the table. "But there's a problem now! You said—"
"...!" Koharu Utatane cut him off with incoherent, angry muttering. "Wabi wabi..."
""
The three of them were locked in a heated argument. Danzo Shimura held his own against the other two, his words leaving Koharu and Homura stammering in frustration. Unfortunately, his eye was beginning to ache from the glaring match; having only one eye put him at a distinct disadvantage against their four.
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent. Only after the others had exhausted themselves and their throats were parched did he set the final tone for the matter. "Once the representatives of the various clans return, I will convene a meeting with all clan heads and Jonin. During that meeting, I will announce the dissolution of Root and the suspension of all of Danzo's duties. You two should prepare yourselves over the next few days."
"Hiruzen, you..." Danzo looked at him with utter disbelief. But seeing the look in Hiruzen's eyes, he realized his old comrade was truly determined to strike at him this time. He said no more, casting a cold glance around the office before turning to leave.
At the office door, Danzo stopped and looked back, puffing out his chest in righteous indignation. "They are nothing more than a few insignificant Genin and Chunin, yet you actually intend to move against Root! Go ahead, tear it all apart! Keep tearing things apart until Jiraiya has no leverage left in the negotiations, until the Land of Hot Water front falls into chaos, and until the Great Konoha is destroyed! If that happens, I will simply be there to go down with the rest of you!"
With that, he slammed the door and stormed out.
His parting words were so sanctimonious and filled with perceived integrity that Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura couldn't help but momentarily doubt themselves. Had they truly gone too far this time?
The next day, after a night of forced marching, Makiya finally arrived back in Konoha. As everyone headed home to their families, Makiya made his usual stop at Grandma Mako's place, receiving a large bag of snacks in return.
Shisui, after receiving the secret letter, had thought about it for a long time before choosing to stay at the Mist frontline to keep the enemy in check. He believed that Makiya could handle the relationship between the village and the clan.
Fugaku Uchiha had returned to the village shortly before Makiya. Because of Shisui, he had left the young Itachi Uchiha at the front to gain experience under Shisui's tutelage, leading only a portion of the clansmen back with him.
In the shrine at the center of the Uchiha district, a massive crowd of clansmen had gathered. Under the direction of the elders, they took their seats according to their strength. Makiya naturally sat at the very front, alongside the Great Elder and the Clan Head.
There wasn't much to say about the meeting itself. When the Second Elder brought out several of the victims, the atmosphere exploded instantly. One by one, the clansmen involuntarily activated their Three-Tomoe Sharingans, howling for blood and demanding to storm the Hokage Building to get justice for their kin.
There was also a giant fish tank present, where the clansman who had been merged with octopus genes now lived. He constantly waved his tentacles, crying out his grievances to those around him. The combination of his miserable voice and his horrifying appearance caused two Uchiha to evolve their eyes from Two-Tomoe to Three-Tomoe on the spot.
It was unclear where the Uchiha had picked up this habit, but they disliked using lights during meetings. Instead, they relied on a few candles lit in the corners. The vast shrine hall was shrouded in darkness; as Makiya sat at the highest point and looked out, dozens of crimson eyes flickered in the shadows like a den of wolves.
It must be said that Makiya lacked a bit of self-awareness. Out of everyone present, his Sharingan was the brightest, shining like two high-powered light bulbs in the dark.
Amidst the wave of public fury, Fugaku chose to follow the will of the people. After all, the Great Elder was watching him like a hawk. If he showed even a hint of weakness, the old man would undoubtedly propose his removal and nominate Makiya as the new Clan Head. Based on Fugaku's recent intelligence, the Great Elder definitely harbored such intentions.
Every clan was holding its own meeting. Above the Aburame clan, a cloud of insects blotted out the sky; the Inuzuka household was filled with constant wolf howls; the Akimichi clan saw several small giants looming; the Nara clan was enveloped in deep shadows...
The Hyuga were simply watching the show.
As time passed, civilian ninjas gathered at the Hokage Building, joined gradually by ninjas from the various clans, creating a massive presence.
The noise of the crowd died down instantly when Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared on the roof of the building. Everyone looked up expectantly, hoping the Hokage would provide a satisfactory answer.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire also burns... The fire will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout... We must..." The aged voice carried the familiar rhetoric to the crowd below.
However, the people were no longer moved by these words. As a commotion began to spread through the crowd, Hiruzen realized the situation was turning sour. He immediately skipped the middle ten pages of his speech and jumped straight to the last page.
"At nine o'clock tomorrow morning, I will convene the clan heads and Jonin in the third-floor conference room of the Hokage Building to discuss the persecution of our comrades by Orochimaru and certain members of Root. The village will surely provide everyone with a satisfactory answer."
The people still trusted the Hokage. The crowd dispersed, quietly waiting for the outcome of the next day's meeting.
That night, Makiya received his appointment notice. In consideration of his repeated combat achievements and his service in the Land of Hot Water field hospital where he saved numerous wounded, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi specially approved his promotion to Jonin.
Previously, Makiya had only been a Chunin. A ninja's strength isn't determined by the vest they wear, and everyone in the camp respected him regardless, so he hadn't cared much about the rank itself.
Since tomorrow's meeting was for clan heads and Jonin, Makiya technically wouldn't have been eligible to attend before this. The rank of Jonin wasn't just a recognition of skill, but a political status, carrying actual power and standing within the village.
Makiya had just been wondering if he should fly into the meeting room on a sword tomorrow or sit on the Hokage Rock in his Skeleton Gundam to eavesdrop, but then Hiruzen suddenly sent over the appointment.
Hiruzen had also broken into a cold sweat when he realized he had nearly forgotten Makiya's status. He knew Makiya's temper well; Makiya would undoubtedly involve himself in such a critical moment. Fortunately, he had remembered in time, or the scene tomorrow would have been disastrous.
He had spent the night writing the commission, personally overseeing the paperwork through various departments, and dispatching his trusted Anbu to deliver it to Makiya before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
After finishing everything, Hiruzen stood on the balcony with his pipe, gazing at the starry sky.
Danzo surely understood the subtext of his words. The outcome now depended on Danzo's choice. If Danzo was willing to show up in person at tomorrow's meeting and accept the arrangements to dissolve Root and surrender his power, Hiruzen could guarantee him a peaceful retirement.
If...
Hiruzen closed his eyes. In truth, now that things had reached this stage, the ending was already written. Danzo would never easily give up the power in his hands. He had secret bases all over the ninja world and would certainly choose to resist to the end.
The next day, people began walking toward the Hokage Building in groups.
Root HQ.
Danzo was directing his subordinates to pack. However, there were simply too many confidential documents, ninjutsu scrolls, and experimental data. Despite working through the entire night, they couldn't move everything in time.
"Enough. Burn the rest, Kinoe," Danzo said in a low voice.
"Yes!" the boy codenamed Kinoe replied immediately. He then looked up, his large eyes behind his mask fixated on Danzo. "Lord Danzo, why are we fleeing Konoha? Aren't the people in the village our comrades?"
Thud!
Danzo's cane slammed against the ground, making Kinoe shrink back. "Remember, we are not fleeing. We are strategically relocating our base. The clans of the Hidden Leaf have begun to rebel. Only we—only we represent the true orthodoxy of the Leaf! One day, I will return."
Orochimaru's whereabouts were unknown, and without that snake to draw the heat, a simple wanted poster couldn't quench the anger of the clans. Danzo knew he had become the primary target. If he didn't run now, there would be no other chance.
The lives of every Root member were tied to Danzo, and Wood Style was the true legacy. The orthodoxy of the Leaf was in his hands; wherever he was, there was the Hidden Leaf.
In a clearing in the mountains behind Konoha, a depression in the ground revealed a massive deep well below. Ninjas swarmed up and down the stairs spanning the shaft, carrying large numbers of sealing scrolls as they evacuated the base.
Danzo emerged onto the surface. The piercing sunlight was a bit much for him to handle for a moment. Looking back at the underground base where he had spent decades and the familiar woods around it, Danzo bit his lip hard, his gaze filled with the look of a hungry wolf.
"Konoha, I will definitely be back!"
With that, Danzo led his ninjas and quickly departed. Fire broke out at the bottom of the base, as the records they couldn't take were consumed by flames. The hastily placed explosive tags began to burn, and the entire base was about to become a ruin.
A pair of hands reached out from the darkness. Under their control, the roaring flames became as docile as kittens. The fire moved away from the scrolls and burned in the air, then suddenly lunged at the explosive tags that had yet to detonate.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of muffled thuds echoed through the forest. Danzo, who was in the middle of his escape, paused for a moment. He knew the base where he had lived for many years was now a thing of the past, and the scenes from his memory could never be recreated.
As long as there is life, there is hope. Danzo immediately resumed his journey toward the nearest secret base.
In the sky, white clouds drifted. A speck of red light streaked through the clouds as mist brushed past Makiya's hair and his robes snapped in the wind, making him seem at one with the great winds of heaven and earth.
"I see you, Danzo!"
The large conference room of the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen looked at the "Danzo" attending the meeting and felt a massive weight lift from his heart. As long as his old friend was willing to accept the arrangements, he could ensure Danzo's safety.
Hiruzen admitted he had misjudged him. He had originally thought Danzo wouldn't give up his power and Root's military force, but he hadn't expected him to actually show up.
The meeting proceeded through its agenda as everyone waited expectantly. Hiruzen began by bowing in apology. A deep, 120-degree bow from the Hokage left many in the room feeling overwhelmed by the gesture.
This was the Strongest Hokage, a figure standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world, yet he was willing to lower himself so much. The crowd's anger dissipated significantly, as they saw the Hokage's sincerity.
After a sincere apology, Hiruzen reflected on his failure as a teacher for not guiding his student properly, leading to a disgrace like Orochimaru. He expressed deep self-reproach and issued a bounty for Orochimaru totaling five hundred million Ryo.
The clan heads and Jonin nodded repeatedly, turning their gaze toward Danzo, waiting for the Hokage to announce the punishment for this high-ranking official.
Hiruzen looked at Danzo and saw him sitting upright, staring straight ahead without any intention of pleading or making excuses. He felt a surge of relief, thinking that his old partner had finally learned to be considerate, knowing how difficult this was for him as Hokage.
Suddenly, an unexpected shout interrupted Hiruzen's thoughts.
"Makiya, what are you doing?" Fugaku whispered urgently. But in such a solemn setting, filled with powerful Jonin, his voice was remarkably clear.
Everyone's attention shifted toward the Uchiha clan's seats, where they saw the Uchiha genius famed for his Fire Style standing up and walking slowly toward the stage.
"Makiya, do you have something to say?" Hiruzen asked, his expression displeased.
"Of course." Makiya smiled at the crowd, then glanced at Danzo Shimura with a cold sneer. "Is the Hokage taking us all for fools, letting a puppet put on a show here?"
"What did you say?" Hiruzen's brow furrowed, confused by Makiya's words.
Makiya didn't answer. He tapped the ground with his toe, and golden lightning began to spread across the floor.
"Hado #11: Bound Lightning!"
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