Chapter 250 – The Standoff
Uchiha Kei's words, though couched in restraint, left little room for doubt.
Yes—they were grasshoppers bound to the same rope.
The moment they raised their blades against Orochimaru, there was no turning back. Like soldiers on the battlefield, Kei would draw the brunt of the fire, but none of them could claim innocence.
When the avalanche falls, no single snowflake is blameless.
The saying had never felt truer. What they had set into motion was an avalanche—one that could bury all of Konoha in upheaval. Whether they won or lost, none of them would walk away untouched.
Kei had once heard a phrase: "War is politics with bloodshed; politics is war without bloodshed."
Here, in the shinobi world, he found the distinction meaningless. Political failure didn't just mean disgrace. It meant execution, the eradication of an entire clan under the banner of "treachery."
Seeing the resolve in Imai Kenta and Hyūga Ayaka steadied him. At least they understood the stakes. Their original plan had been simple—wait for the Fourth to bring back evidence, then declare their side. Instead, Orochimaru himself had handed them the evidence. And Minato… Minato was delayed.
According to Kenta's sensing, the Third had locked the entire Police Force outside. Whoever took possession of the evidence, and where, would decide the night's outcome.
Not long after they settled their resolve, figures appeared at the edge of the charred clearing.
The land around Orochimaru's laboratory was oddly bare. The trees had long been cut down, leaving no fuel for the spreading blaze. Firebreak or foresight—it didn't matter. It was the safest place left standing.
The Third Hokage arrived first, flanked by his cohort. Hiruzen's gaze lingered on the charred remains of two giant serpents, then on Kei, Ayaka, and Kenta—unscathed, standing amid the wreckage. His frown deepened.
There was no sign of Orochimaru. No trace of the suffocating, despairing chakra that had rolled through the forest earlier. Only three young shinobi from the Police Force.
"Orochimaru. What happened here?" Hiruzen's voice was cold, sharp. "And do you three even realize what this place is?"
The weight in his tone set every shinobi present on edge, eyes turning on Kei. Hiruzen's anger wasn't directed at them—yet. But Orochimaru's disappearance was a wound too obvious to ignore. Had the sannin truly been bested… by a boy?
If so, this was an opportunity—a narrative to twist, if Danzō played his part.
"Third Hokage-sama," Kei said, stepping forward, bowing slightly. "Orochimaru has left. As for this place—I know very well what it is. I came with the Fourth Hokage's search warrant."
"Left?" Hiruzen echoed, his brow twitching. He let the word hang before brushing it aside. His gaze hardened. "Even with the Fourth's warrant, this is no excuse to act without restraint. I'm sure everyone here would like to know exactly what this facility is."
His eyes swept the gathered shinobi—clan heads among them—before finally resting on Danzō.
Danzō understood the cue. He stepped forward, half a pace behind Hiruzen, the perfect shadow.
"This is one of Konoha's classified laboratories," he declared. "A base for forbidden jutsu research—techniques recovered from enemy villages, studied in secrecy. These children," he spat the word, "have ruined it."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Accusations whispered. Suspicion fell on Kei and his team.
But the clan heads stayed silent, wary. Something about this smelled wrong—and the Fourth Hokage's absence was troubling.
"Forbidden jutsu, yes," Danzō continued smoothly. "Studied so that we might defend against them. But now—"
"Finished, Danzō-sama?"
The interruption came from Uchiha Fugaku, his voice calm but pointed. "The Police Force exists to protect the village, to investigate crimes within. If there were nothing to hide, why would Captain Kei have reason to come here?"
Hyūga Hiashi exhaled through his nose, his voice low. "Perhaps we should hear what Captain Kei has to say."
For a moment, the tension swayed. Ayaka stood nearby—one of his clan's branch family. Hiashi had sanctioned her entry into the Police Force. He could not stand silent now.
Danzō's lips curled in disdain. "Hear him? He destroyed a vital facility and struck at Orochimaru himself. What more defense could there be?"
His words were backed by movement: Root operatives slipping from the shadows, surrounding the trio.
The game was clear. Minato's absence left a vacuum. With his seals barring access, Danzō still held the keys. Control of the narrative was his—unless someone broke it.
"I think we should hear him out," Jiraiya's voice cut in suddenly. His arms were folded, his gaze sharp. "He had the Hokage's warrant. Which means Minato already sanctioned this. And I want to know where Orochimaru went."
That single intervention shifted the air.
Danzō's face darkened. He had intended to close the case swiftly, make this a scandal for the Police Force, nothing more. But Jiraiya's words cracked the foundation, forcing questions back into the open.
Hiruzen's eyes flicked closed. Silent. Waiting. Letting Danzō take the fall if need be.
Danzō sneered. "There is nothing to explain. They will answer before the proper tribunal. This is no place for debate."
Kei raised his chin, his voice steady, his eyes gleaming crimson. "Everyone here is a Konoha shinobi. What truth cannot be spoken aloud? Unless, Danzō-sama, you fear the truth itself?"
He let the Sharingan flare. Ayaka and Kenta shifted into defensive stances beside him.
"This investigation will wait," Kei said flatly, "until the Fourth Hokage arrives."
Danzō's expression curdled into venom. "Defiance? Against your superiors? Do you even remember your place, Uchiha?"
"Place?" Kei's blade shimmered, chakra flaring along the edge. "I answer only to the Hokage. And the Hokage entrusted this mission to me."
The watching clan leaders stiffened. This was no longer a squabble—it was a fissure laid bare. Danzō, standing for Hiruzen's shadow, versus Kei, shield of the Fourth.
Their silence was heavy with calculation. None of them wanted to be here. None could pretend to be neutral any longer.
"Enough," Danzō snapped. "Without the Fourth present, authority falls to us. We will take control here."
"No," Jiraiya said sharply. "This boy follows Minato's orders. Until Minato himself speaks, you have no right to override."
Disappointment crept into his voice as he glanced at his teacher. This is what the Hokage's title means now?
Hiruzen said nothing. His silence was consent.
Danzō stepped forward, voice iron. "Stand down, Uchiha. Or be branded traitor."
The forest stilled—then a new voice broke through.
"…I think I'll handle this myself."
Every head turned.
Hiruzen's face twitched. Then he smirked bitterly. Danzō's mouth thinned into a line.
Relief, however, lit Jiraiya's features. He knew the voice well.
The Fourth Hokage had arrived.
"Forgive me," Minato said, stepping into the clearing, his expression grave. "I was delayed… dealing with certain complications."
His eyes flicked, just for an instant, toward Danzō.
Complications that still burned in his mind—seals he could not unravel, locks that had defied even Kushina's potential aid. The old guard had prepared well.
They had underestimated their enemies. Tonight's plan was slipping through their fingers.
Now Minato could only see how much could still be salvaged.
Minato glanced around the gathered shinobi, hesitation flickering across his face. At last, he gave a slight nod.
"Captain Kei… go ahead."
Kei stepped forward, placing himself deliberately in front of the burned-out entrance to Orochimaru's laboratory. His stance alone made clear: no one would pass without going through him.
"It's like this," Kei began, his tone calm, measured. "Through our investigation, the Police Force uncovered that Lord Orochimaru has been conducting research with certain collaborators. Research… that goes far beyond what anyone here might imagine."
"Hmph. Empty words."
Danzō's eyes were sharp with contempt, his voice icy and cutting.
"Then please, Captain Kei, enlighten us. What exactly has Orochimaru been studying? But be warned—" he paused deliberately, his gaze narrowing, "—reckless accusations without evidence are crimes of their own. Every word you speak here tonight will be remembered."
Kei inclined his head slightly. "I appreciate Danzō-sama's reminder." His voice remained steady, almost serene.
"As the Police Force, we are well aware of the weight of proof. And yes—I will provide evidence."
His eyes swept across the crowd. Then he dropped the revelation.
"According to our findings, Orochimaru has been conducting experiments with none other than the First Hokage's cells. And the missing villagers? They were used as test subjects."
The words fell like thunder.
For a heartbeat, silence gripped the charred forest clearing. Then, like a dam breaking, the clearing erupted in uproar.
The First Hokage's cells?!
Test subjects?!
Every shinobi present understood what those words meant. Even those less sharp grasped the horror. Hashirama's cells… human experiments… it was unthinkable, sacrilegious.
The bloodline clans remained quieter than the rest, but fury simmered in their eyes. The message was clear enough: if today Orochimaru dared to tamper with the First Hokage's bloodline, what was to stop tomorrow's experiments from turning on them?
Hiruzen's chest rose and fell with a heavy sigh. So Kei chose to expose it here, in front of everyone. It was troublesome, yes. Dangerous, even. But what mattered most—where was the proof?
Without proof, the boy's words were just fuel for unrest. And Orochimaru… Orochimaru was still a Leaf shinobi. His absence gnawed at Hiruzen, but as Danzō had said—rumors meant nothing without evidence.
Danzō's face was stone, cold and unmoved. He gave a disdainful shake of his head.
"Slandering Konoha's leadership… truly worthy of an Uchiha. Evidence, boy. Produce it. I've never once heard of such a thing, and without proof, your words are nothing."
"Evidence…" Kei repeated quietly. He nodded once. "As I said, I will show it to you."
But then his eyes sharpened, his voice cutting through the noise like steel.
"Before that—let's talk about Orochimaru."