The jar sat on the council table like a silent accusation, its glass surface catching the dim light of the chamber and refracting it into tiny prisms that danced across the cracked wood.
Hiruzen studied it for a long moment, his gaze tracing the familiar contours of the glass, the particular shade of the preservation fluid, the way the sample within seemed to pulse with a faint, almost imperceptible life.
"Yes," he said finally, his voice carrying the weight of reluctant confirmation. "I remember this jar. I remember giving it to you, Renjiro."
The words fell into the silence like stones into still water, sending ripples of shock through the assembled elders. Homura's expression shifted, his carefully maintained composure cracking to reveal genuine surprise. Koharu's hands, which had been clasped tightly before her, loosened slightly as she processed the implications of Hiruzen's admission. Even Danzō, who had maintained an almost supernatural level of control throughout the confrontation, seemed to pause; his visible eye narrowing, his grip on his cane tightening almost imperceptibly.
Hiruzen continued, "This jar contains cells harvested from Lord First. They were given to Renjiro after the Last War, as a reward for his service to the village."
He paused, his gaze shifting toward Renjiro with an expression that was difficult to read; something between apology and calculation, between regret and necessity. "At the time, Renjiro's eyes had been rendered effectively blind during the conflict. I considered his wartime contributions extraordinary, and I believed the cells might offer a potential means of repairing the damage."
The political implications of that revelation were staggering. Hashirama cells were not merely a medical resource; they were a strategic asset of incalculable value, a cornerstone of Konoha's power, a secret that had been guarded jealously for generations. For Hiruzen to have given them to a single shinobi, without consulting the council, was a decision that bordered on the reckless. It spoke of a personal trust, a faith in Renjiro that transcended the normal boundaries of military hierarchy.
Homura and Koharu exchanged glances, their expressions carrying a mixture of surprise and something that looked almost like betrayal. They had been kept in the dark as well, had been excluded from a decision that affected the very balance of power within the village. Their trust in Hiruzen, already strained by years of political maneuvering, had just been dealt another blow.
Danzō's expression remained controlled, but Renjiro could see the subtle shifts; the way his breathing had become slightly more shallow, the way his fingers had tightened around the handle of his cane. The elder had not anticipated this development. He had constructed his accusation on the assumption that the Hashirama cells in Renjiro's possession were evidence of theft or collusion, not a legitimate gift from the Hokage himself.
He's recalculating, Renjiro realized, his EMS picking up the minute changes in Danzō's physiology. He's trying to find a way to salvage this.
Renjiro stepped forward, "I used only a portion of the cells to repair my eyes," he lied. "The remaining sample was preserved and stored. It has remained untouched for years, exactly as Hiruzen-sama gave it to me."
He turned toward Danzō, his expression cool, his voice carrying a subtle edge of challenge. "You claim that Root discovered traces of Lord First's cells at the location where I fought Orochimaru. But can you establish that the material your operative found was the same material in this jar? Can you prove that it was supplied by me to Orochimaru? Can you even demonstrate that it originated from my possession at all?"
He paused, allowing the questions to hang in the air. "Merely finding traces of Lord First's cells near a battlefield proves almost nothing. The cells could have come from any number of sources; from Orochimaru's own experiments, from other samples that have been stolen or lost over the years, from any of the countless research facilities that have studied them. Without a clear chain of custody, without definitive proof of origin, your accusation rests on nothing but circumstantial evidence."
Danzō's response was unexpected. Rather than becoming defensive, rather than retreating in the face of Renjiro's logic, the elder smiled.
"I hadn't expected you to make things easier for me, Commander," Danzō said. "But I must thank you for your assistance."
Renjiro's eyes narrowed. He's not rattled. He's pleased. Why?
"You see, the existence of the cells in your possession actually strengthens the possibility of collusion. Consider the facts; you possessed Lord First's cells, a resource of immense value for biological research. Orochimaru specialises in forbidden biological experimentation and has dedicated his life to understanding the secrets of the human body. The two of you were confirmed to have encountered one another, to have fought, to have spent time in proximity."
He paused, "You had both the resource and the opportunity to make a deal. You had the cells that Orochimaru desired, and he had the expertise that you required. The circumstances align perfectly with an exchange."
Renjiro felt a cold chill run down his spine. Danzō was turning his own argument against him, using the legitimacy of his possession as evidence of potential wrongdoing. The logic was twisted, but it was also effective; in the absence of definitive proof, circumstantial evidence could be just as damning.
"What exactly would I have needed Orochimaru for?" Renjiro asked. He deliberately forced Danzō to articulate the accusation, to lay out the specifics of the alleged exchange rather than hiding behind vague insinuations.
Before Danzō could respond, Koharu spoke.
"You exchanged the Lord First's cells with Orochimaru in exchange for something far more valuable," she said, "the evolution of your Mangekyō Sharingan into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
Renjiro felt his blood run cold, his mind racing through the implications. The EMS; his most closely guarded secret, the source of much of his power. How could they have connected the dots?
Hiruzen's reaction was immediate and visceral. The old man's eyes widened, his expression shifting from recognition to genuine shock.
"The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?" he repeated, his voice carrying a note of disbelief. "I thought… I believed you possessed the ordinary Mangekyō. When did this happen? How?"
His gaze fixed on Renjiro with an intensity that bordered on desperate, searching for answers, for explanations that would make sense of what he was hearing. The implications were staggering; if Renjiro had somehow evolved his Mangekyō into the Eternal form, that meant he had acquired another Sharingan, had transplanted it into himself, had undergone a transformation that few Uchiha in history had ever achieved. Like Madara did.
Did he use the cells for something beyond repairing his eyes? Hiruzen's thoughts were almost visible on his face, the questions flickering behind his ancient eyes. Had the cells been involved in the evolution somehow? Had Orochimaru been experimenting on him?
Minato's expression had shifted as well, his blue eyes narrowing as he processed the accusation. Internally, he was acknowledging something that Renjiro didn't know he knew; Minato was already aware that Renjiro possessed the EMS. Kushina had told him, had revealed the secret in confidence, had explained that Renjiro had undergone some kind of transformation that had elevated his eyes to a new level of power.
But Minato had never learned exactly how Renjiro had achieved the transformation. The details had remained vague, obscured by Renjiro's reluctance to discuss the subject. And now, with Koharu's accusation hanging in the air, with the connection between Lord First's cells and Orochimaru's expertise being drawn so explicitly, Minato was beginning to wonder; had Renjiro secretly used Orochimaru's knowledge to accomplish the evolution?
The thought created an uncomfortable contradiction, a tension that was visible in the way Minato's jaw tightened, in the way his hands clenched at his sides. He trusted Renjiro deeply, had fought alongside him, had trusted him with his family, with his village, with his life. Yet Renjiro had clearly withheld something significant, had kept secrets that Minato was only now beginning to uncover.
=====
Bless me with your powerful Power Stones.
Your Reviews and Comments about my work are welcome
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/SideCharacter
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon
Latest Chapter on Patreon: Chapter 972-Think of this as me working from home