Winning this battle didn't seem particularly difficult to Uchiha Yato.
After all, he had already laid plenty of groundwork, and it was beginning to bear fruit.
Take the simplest example.
Previously, Shimura Danzo had been caught on camera by paparazzi.
This was the classic case of "one photo to start the story, the rest is pure fabrication."
Just a single image of Danzo entering Root headquarters was enough for them to spin all sorts of rumors.
Naturally, Danzo wouldn't tolerate anyone tarnishing his reputation, so he specifically sought help from the Military Police Force, Root, and the Hokage to deal with the matter.
Yet, in the end, the issue was left unresolved.
The reason? The two people behind it were the same victims from the Aburame Ryoma incident—Tsuru Sarutobi and Hokuto Hyuga.
Hokuto Hyuga was already embedded in the paparazzi team—all he had to do was take the photo.
As for obstructing the subsequent investigation, that was Tsuru Sarutobi's doing.
Under pressure from both sides, the Yamanaka clan wasn't allowed to use memory extraction techniques.
This meant the incident could only continue to fester without the perpetrators being identified.
Uchiha Yato intended to harness the power of public opinion once more to pressure Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He went straight to the Hidden Leaf Newspaper and announced to the staff:
"I just came from the Military Police Force."
"A large number of infant corpses and dismembered limbs have been discovered."
"This should be major news. I hope the entire newspaper can mobilize to serve the Hidden Leaf."
That's right—Uchiha Yato was going to expose the origins of Root's ninja.
Root ninja came from only two sources: civilians and shinobi clans.
For civilian recruits, Danzo would spot promising talents and "invite" them, brand them with the Tongue Severing Seal, then train and brainwash them into obedient Root operatives.
For shinobi clan members, it was simpler—submit a request to the Hokage, get approval, then go to the clans to collect recruits, apply the Tongue Severing Seal, and proceed with training and brainwashing.
Uchiha Yato had already investigated these infant corpses.
Most of them were orphans from the Hidden Leaf Orphanage—some had died in experiments.It was likely Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo's doing, but Orochimaru had already been somewhat rehabilitated by Uchiha Yato.
Basically, there shouldn't be any major issues with Orochimaru's side. Once the evidence is shifted onto Shimura Danzo again, Orochimaru will be completely cleared.
Another part of this stems from the deaths caused by Root's recruitment of ninja.
Shimura Danzo undoubtedly exploited these orphans—those without parents or relatives—to condition them through training, turning them into disposable pawns.
And what about those who failed the training?
The children in the mass graves were the clearest proof.
...
Inside the Hokage Building.
This news also reached Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He had always been aware of some of Danzo's actions, but he never intervened because they served to consolidate his own position and the Hidden Leaf's development.
The children who died were all orphans of civilian ninja—not from shinobi clans.
And certainly not children from the Shimura or Sarutobi clans, so he naturally turned a blind eye.
But this matter couldn't be exposed. Once it came to light, it would deal a severe blow to the Hokage's authority.
So he immediately dispatched Anbu to the Hidden Leaf's newspaper office to prevent this information from being made public.
Uchiha Yato wouldn't leave such a foolish opening. He had already coordinated with civilian ninja to investigate and report on this matter.
Shinobi clans tended to be somewhat indifferent to such things.
But civilian ninja had nothing to lose—they had to fight for the best possible safeguards for their own potential orphans.
If these civilian ninja learned the truth behind this incident, they would undoubtedly resist to the end, as it directly concerned the fate of their children should they fall in battle.
Not everyone could be the Dragon King, returning to find their wife and child living under a bridge, only to overthrow the entire Hidden Leaf in a dramatic reversal.
They were civilian ninja—barely a step above rogue ninja in the shinobi hierarchy.
The establishment of the Leaf Court had been intended to protect their interests, which was why it had always been actively defended by these civilian ninja.
Uchiha Yato acted swiftly, leading the Military Police Force and a paparazzi team formed by civilian ninja straight to the scene of the incident.
Only when these ninja arrived did the full horror of the scene become apparent.
Some of the more sensitive kunoichi took one look and immediately vomited.
There was no helping it—the scene was too brutal and bloody.
A member of the Uchiha Military Police stepped forward and delivered their findings.
"Lord Yato, these children were all killed by sharp weapons after undergoing extensive training."
"We found numerous wounds on their bodies—slash marks and traces of poisoning."
The reporting ninja paused briefly, unable to continue for a moment.
Then he went on, "Among the younger ones, the smallest appears to be around two years old."
"The oldest no more than eleven."
This data and testimony fell upon the ears of everyone present.
It was impossible not to be moved.
At that moment, one ninja raised a question.
"We're not in wartime—how could such young children meet such a cruel fate?"
"Is this a failure of the Uchiha Military Police Force? Did you fail to protect the Hidden Leaf, allowing someone to slaughter its children?"The ninja could be said to be asking questions from a very objective standpoint.
Uchiha Yato was very satisfied with this ninja's remarks.
Without favoring the Uchiha outright, they directly identified the responsibilities the Uchiha should bear. This was what a thoughtful ninja ought to do.
Uchiha Yato asked for this ninja's name.
It was "Steel Plate Sun Piercer."
"Throw him out!"
The Uchiha ninja who had earlier interrupted others was immediately shouted out by Uchiha Yato.
It couldn't be helped—one couldn't blame the Uchiha ninja for laughing in such a situation. The name was just too...
The ninja explained, "My name is Tsunabana Hikawa."
Enough. The name was already unbearable to look at, but this person was indeed usable.
Uchiha Yato explained, "Protecting the Hidden Leaf is indeed the duty of the Military Police Force."
"But I must correct a mistake in your wording. Please do not refer to the Hidden Leaf's Military Police Force as the Uchiha Military Police Force."
"The Military Police Force doesn't consist solely of Uchiha ninja; there are also civilian ninjas. This was already publicly announced before."
"Please discard such outdated notions."
Because this matter was still relatively important, Uchiha Yato had not called upon the civilian ninjas of the Military Police Force to participate.
If Shimura Danzo were given even the slightest opportunity to turn the tables, it would truly be a case of "throwing good money after bad."
Uchiha Yato continued, "We cannot confirm whether the recent cruel killings were committed by outsiders."
"That's why we hope the Hidden Leaf Newspaper can help spread awareness and alert the entire village to be vigilant."
Yes, this was the killing move Uchiha Yato intended to use.
Using public sentiment to pressure Sarutobi Hiruzen into abandoning Shimura Danzo.
There would be no more attempts to defend Shimura Danzo in the Leaf Court like before. This time, Uchiha Yato had severed all possible escape routes for Shimura Danzo.
Either Shimura Danzo would be executed as the mastermind behind the scenes.
Or Shimura Danzo would defect from the Hidden Leaf and become a rogue ninja.
Uchiha Yato was truly looking forward to seeing what choice Shimura Danzo would make in the end.
----------------
I'm gonna release a naruto x gintama fic tomorrow, it was hillarious as fuck!
Hey there's 50 chapter ahead here : patreon. com/Pain1231
Dont forget to remove the space okay!