Chapter 70: A Complete Breakdown
"Shisui," Hiruzen said, taking a deep breath, "this matter..."
Fugaku cut him off, his eyes fixed on Danzō's right arm. "Hiruzen, besides the Sharingan, he has also transplanted the First Hokage's Wood Release."
"Wood Release?"
"His right arm... it's a Wood Release arm."
Hiruzen's face darkened. "Danzō, take off your shirt."
"Hiruzen, you..."
"I said, take it off!"
A terrifying aura erupted from Hiruzen, and Danzō, seeing his expression, reluctantly complied, revealing a grotesque, wooden arm.
After Hashirama's death, the village had tried to replicate his power, but the experiments had all ended in failure. Hiruzen had eventually forbidden all research on his cells.
"You must believe me, Hiruzen," Danzō said, trying to remain calm. "I had nothing to do with Itachi's death. The Sharingan I transplanted... it wasn't his."
But Hiruzen's face was a mask of cold fury. The evidence was irrefutable. His denials were meaningless.
Do I really have to kill him? he thought, his mind racing. He thought of their years together, of the Second Hokage's warning about the Uchiha, of how Danzō had always been the one to carry out his master's will, to suppress them. When I go to the Pure Land, and my master asks me why I killed him... what will I say? That I killed the one who inherited his will to appease the clan he hated most?
And would it even work? The Uchiha's hatred ran deep. The death of one man would not be enough. But to keep him... he could still be a useful tool against them. To kill him would be to cut off his own arm.
"Danzō's crime of killing Uchiha Itachi is unforgivable," he said after a long, silent moment. "But in consideration of his age and his past contributions to the village, he will be dealt with leniently. He is to be stripped of all his duties, and Root is to be disbanded. Fugaku, Shisui, are you satisfied with this?"
He looked at them, hoping they would accept.
Fugaku just laughed, a mad, hysterical laugh. "Are you taking the Uchiha for fools, Hiruzen?"
"Lord Hokage," Shisui said, his voice filled with a deep disappointment, "I have always believed you to be a just and selfless leader. But this... You speak of the Will of Fire. Is it not the Will of Fire to punish a man who would kill his own comrade?"
Hiruzen was ashamed. He could not meet his gaze.
"Shisui," Fugaku said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "do not have any more illusions about him. He is no longer the man he once was. He is just a disgraceful politician. Let's go."
As they left, a dark look crossed Hiruzen's face. The relationship between the Hokage's faction and the Uchiha was now completely broken.
Danzō, however, was secretly pleased. The village was finally going to deal with the Uchiha. And though he had been made the scapegoat, the outcome was a welcome one. He thought of the mysterious, one-eyed Uchiha who had given him the Izanagi. It had to be him. But his motives didn't matter. As long as the Uchiha were destroyed, any price was worth paying.
"Sarutobi's protection of the killer, Shimura Danzō, is an insult to the honor of our clan!"
"We must launch a coup! Konoha was founded by the Uchiha and the Senju. Now that the Senju are gone, it belongs to us!"
Shisui sat on the steps, a weary look on his face as he listened to Fugaku's impassioned speech. A coup was suicide. The Hokage's faction was too strong.
"Shisui," Fugaku said, coming over to him, "I am determined to fight them to the death."
"The coup will fail," he replied, his voice filled with a quiet despair. "The clan will be massacred."
"I know," Fugaku said, his face a grim mask. "But we have no other choice. Itachi's death has shown me their true face. It is better to go down fighting than to be slowly devoured."
"If they will not give us a way to live," Shisui said, his voice turning hard, "then we will give them a lesson in blood."
At the Memorial Stone, Obito placed a bouquet of flowers in front of his own name.
Zetsu emerged from the ground. "Big news in Konoha, Madara."
"Let's talk somewhere else," Obito said. "We'll disturb Rin."
They reappeared on the Hokage Rock.
"Uchiha Itachi is dead," White Zetsu said cheerfully. "The killer was Shimura Danzō. The Uchiha and the Hokage's faction are now at each other's throats."
"Itachi, huh," Obito mused. He had noticed the boy's talent years ago and had even killed his teammates to help him awaken his Mangekyō. But a pawn was just a pawn.
"It seems that fool Danzō is not entirely useless," Black Zetsu rasped.
"That's because I gave him Izanagi," Obito sneered.
"A brilliant move, Madara," Black Zetsu said, a rare note of praise in his voice. "You've driven the tiger to devour the wolf."
"Hiruzen is a sentimental old fool, but he is not weak," Obito replied with a cold laugh. "Even if the Uchiha are not completely wiped out, they will be crippled. There will be no one left to stand in the way of the Eye of the Moon Plan. We just have to sit back and watch the show."
Knock, knock, knock!
The urgent sound woke Neji from a deep sleep.
"Genin Hyūga Neji," an ANBU said from outside his door, "Lord Hokage has informed me that the Chunin Exams are over. You are to leave Konoha as soon as possible."
Just as I thought. Things are already starting to get messy.
Neji yawned. For the joint exams to be canceled so abruptly... the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha must have reached a breaking point.
Wait. A thought suddenly struck him, and his mouth twitched. If the exams are over now... how am I supposed to make my money? Damn it! I should have waited. I've just lost out on hundreds of millions!