Konoha, Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk. In front of him, an Anbu operative knelt on one knee.
His face was expressionless, brows tightly furrowed, his tone severe.
"How are things with the Hyuga?"
"Reporting, Hokage-sama—no progress at all."
Anbu's tone was flat. He briefly summarized the investigation, then hesitated before continuing:
"Neither the Anbu guarding Konoha, nor the Uchiha Police Force, nor any other division detected anything unusual.
The sealing unit also reported in—no damage to the barriers, and not a trace of chakra fluctuation.
Based on our assessment, this must have been an inside job!
Otherwise, with Konoha's defenses, not even another great village could have pulled this off without being noticed.
Especially the Hyuga compound—their defenses are even stricter. At least fifty Byakugan are on watch 24/7. Without help from within, no ordinary shinobi could have avoided detection, much less precisely assassinated nine members of the Hyuga main family.
Even if a kage-level shinobi attacked, they might have killed them—but they could never have done it silently and unseen."
When he finished, the Anbu bowed low.
His duty was to report the findings—what to do about them was for the Hokage to decide.
…
Hiruzen sat in silence for a long while.
At last, he waved the Anbu away. Only when the man had gone did Hiruzen let out a helpless sigh.
"Danzo… was it you?
In all of Konoha, I can't think of anyone but you who could have done this.
But why?
Our main target is the Uchiha—why provoke the Hyuga as well?
Aren't you worried the other clans might sense it and rise up together?"
He muttered to himself.
Yes—
Anbu's conclusions had thoroughly led him astray.
But it was hard to blame him.
When something underhanded happened in Konoha, nine times out of ten, it was Danzo's doing.
Bang!
The office door slammed open.
Danzo stormed in, his face dark, eyes murderous. He spoke first.
"Hiruzen, I know what you're thinking.
I've seen Anbu's report too—and yes, on the surface it does look like my handiwork.
I understand your suspicions.
But I'm telling you, it wasn't me.
I'm innocent—I didn't target the Hyuga!
Whoever the bastard was, they'd better pray I don't find them. Because if I do, I'll show them the meaning of true cruelty!"
Danzo roared with fury.
He wasn't stupid.
When he first saw the report, his face had immediately turned black, and he'd smashed his desk in rage.
Unbelievable.
He was sitting at home, and the blame just fell out of the sky onto him.
If he had done it, fine. But the problem was—he really hadn't!
The Byakugan were valuable, yes. But he had no use for them.
If the battlefield needed them, he could just requisition Hyuga directly—why slaughter them? Was he bored?
The only thing Danzo truly desired was the Sharingan.
That was what could enhance his strength.
To him, the Byakugan were easily replaceable. They were useful on the battlefield, but in real combat they were lackluster, and held no future potential.
The Sharingan, however, had clear paths of evolution—
From one tomoe, to three, to Mangekyo, and even Eternal Mangekyo.
By comparison, what was the Byakugan worth?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
He was Danzo Shimura—his whole life, he'd been the one to frame others. And now he was being framed?
This black pot—he would not carry it.
That was why he had come rushing here—to explain to Hiruzen in person.
But unfortunately, no matter how much he said, Hiruzen didn't listen.
"Enough, Danzo.
I never said I'd punish you. The Hyuga don't have the guts to make a fuss—they're not as bold as the Uchiha.
If you did it, then so be it. As long as there's no proof, the Hyuga can only swallow the bitter fruit.
But I'll remind you—our top priority is the Uchiha.
Until they're dealt with, I don't want you stirring up trouble with other clans!"
Hiruzen's expression was grave.
Yes—
A handful of dead Hyuga nobles, useless trash.
Aside from their elders, no one truly cared.
So as far as Hiruzen was concerned, it was only a warning to Danzo.
But—
Hiruzen's words only darkened Danzo's face further.
Damn it.
It really wasn't him!
But there was nothing he could do.
His reputation in Konoha was too foul. Whenever something bad happened, the first name that came to mind was his.
Hah!
He thought ahead—to his ambitions of becoming Hokage.
No. He had to change.
His image couldn't be allowed to stay this tainted.
Taking a deep breath, he stopped arguing. His tone was icy.
"In any case, it wasn't me. I've no reason to lie to you. Believe me or not—that's your choice."
With that, he turned and left.
Hiruzen sat in silence. Could it really not have been Danzo?
But—so what?
It wasn't a big deal. He wouldn't waste resources investigating Danzo over something so small.
The Hyuga simply weren't worth it.
And with the war raging, his duties were already overwhelming.
So he decided—he wouldn't involve himself further.
"If you say it wasn't you, then it wasn't."
Lighting his pipe, he asked calmly:
"That Mangekyo Uchiha—what's he been doing in the village lately?"
Yes—
Compared to the Hyuga, the Uchiha were far more concerning.
Especially Uchiha Kai—the one who had awakened Mangekyo!
Danzo narrowed his eyes.
"Drinking tea. Walking his crows. Sunbathing.
Never leaves home except to occasionally help out at Ichiraku Ramen.
Looks idle, but… something feels off.
So, Hiruzen—
Trust me. Hand this matter to me.
I'll take care of Uchiha Kai."
At this, Hiruzen's mouth twitched.
He didn't believe it.
That was a Mangekyo wielder. Nobody knew what powers his eyes held.
And—he could summon Susanoo.
Even if Danzo managed to kill him—how would they explain it to the Uchiha?
They'd finally produced a Mangekyo, only for the village to assassinate him?
The clan would explode.
And with the war demanding so many shinobi, if Konoha's rear caught fire—
Hiss.
Unthinkable.
Without a second's hesitation, Hiruzen shook his head.
"Forget it, Danzo.
Uchiha Kai is too important. I won't hand him over to you."
"Hiruzen—you'll regret this."
"Danzo—I am Hokage!"
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