Kazuki glanced at Hiruzen. If it hadn't been for Hiruzen stepping in, Kazuki would've cleaned up Mito Homura himself.
Everyone had been terrified by Homura's half–tailed beast transformation. Now they were pointing at him—some kids even started throwing rocks.
"Ahh! You worthless trash—let me go!"
Danzo's heart went cold when he saw how completely out of control Homura had become.
Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh.
Kazuki's actions were so clean and aboveboard that Danzo and Homura had no room to twist the story.
"Kazuki," Hiruzen said, "take them back to ANBU for interrogation."
With so many people watching, Hiruzen couldn't afford to care about old friendships anymore.
If even a hint of favoritism showed, his position as Hokage would be in danger.
He understood the truth clearly: the same water that carries the boat can also capsize it.
Kazuki said, "Third Hokage-sama, apologies, but we arrested too many people this time. ANBU can't even fit them all. Let's interrogate them right here in the square—open and public. Fair and transparent, and it gives everyone in Konoha an answer."
Danzo's eyes widened.
He might be Konoha's "Root," but he still cared about saving face.
Interrogated in the square, in broad daylight, in front of everyone?
No.
Homura, trapped inside the Adamantine Staff cage, had just barely returned to normal. His half–tailed beast form faded, and his mind cleared—
—and then rage hit again like a match to oil. Blue, vicious Two-Tails chakra flared over his body.
The next instant, Homura's eyes bulged—and the seal on his stomach snapped.
Bang!
A thunderous explosion made the entire crowd recoil.
Matatabi, the Two-Tails, burst out of Homura's belly seal and shattered the Adamantine Staff cage in one hit!
"Protect the villagers!" Hiruzen barked.
He instantly used Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, pushing people back and forming a barrier ring around the Two-Tails.
Danzo retreated fast, staring at Homura—now almost completely feral—with an ugly expression.
"Stay down," Kazuki said coldly.
He formed hand seals.
A massive wooden dragon surged upward and slammed into Matatabi, binding the Two-Tails in place.
The Two-Tails was ferocious—normally.
But against Kazuki, it couldn't last even three seconds.
Seconds.
"Rrraaaah!"
Matatabi roared twice, then was suppressed by the Wood Dragon Technique until it went still.
Kazuki looked at Hiruzen. "Third Hokage-sama, he's too unstable. Taking him into a confined space is a disaster waiting to happen—he'll bring the whole building down. We do this here. In the square."
Hiruzen opened his mouth to speak—
—but before he could, ANBU members began arriving in waves, escorting prisoners from the three factions one after another.
"So many?"
"They're all second- and third-generation members of those three factions!"
"That's them!"
Hiruzen's eyelid twitched.
At that moment, Uzumaki Mito arrived as well.
Behind her came Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the Hyūga clan, the head of the Akimichi clan, the head of the Yamanaka clan, and the head of the Nara clan—leaders of the elder clans that had joined Konoha during its founding.
"Hokage-sama," they stated one after another, "we request a public interrogation. Give the people of Konoha an explanation."
"As clans that helped found Konoha, we're ashamed this happened."
"We also demand answers from Elder Danzo, Elder Homura, and the three clan heads."
The clan heads made their positions clear, one after another.
Hiruzen knew that at this point, there was no way to speak for Danzo anymore.
"Danzo," Hiruzen said, eyes narrowed, "something this big happened in the village. Did you know about it?"
Danzo's mouth curled into a cold smile. He clasped his hands behind his back and spoke indifferently.
"What happened? I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know anything. You arrested me—what, is there no law in Konoha now?"
"Elder Danzo," Kazuki said with a pleasant smile, "no need to rush."
"Everyone—we're here today for a fair, open interrogation."
"Regarding the Shimura clan, the Mito clan, and the Koharu faction—promotion fraud through stolen missions and stolen merit—today's inquiry begins."
Kazuki's voice turned flat. "Bring the prisoners up in order."
"Yes, Kazuki-sama!"
ANBU immediately escorted members of the Shimura, Mito, and Koharu factions forward.
The crowd buzzed.
"After all these years… they're finally being dragged into the light!"
"Look—Shimura Shinnosuke, the head of the Shimura clan! Even he got grabbed. Hokage-sama is serious this time!"
Someone beside them muttered, "Bull. If the Hokage wanted to move against them, he would've done it years ago. He wouldn't have let them run wild this long. This is Kazuki-sama—new official, three fires, and he went straight for the three factions."
"Yeah, I heard Kazuki-sama has beef with them."
"Whatever—those people ruined my life."
Hiruzen heard it all. Even if he didn't want to.
And he couldn't deny it—this incident was giving Kazuki enormous prestige.
ANBU marched forward and began reading charges aloud.
"Shimura Shinnosuke—head of the Shimura clan, former principal of the Ninja Academy—suspected of major violations. All privileges revoked. Sent to prison!"
"Koharu Shinzō—major violations, impersonated three S-rank missions, ten A-rank missions, thirty-eight B-rank missions. Jōnin rank revoked, dismissed from the Interrogation Division, sent to prison!"
"Mito Ryōta—major violations, impersonated three S-rank missions, ten A-rank missions, thirty-eight B-rank missions. Jōnin rank revoked, dismissed from the Interrogation Division, sent to prison!"
...
Hundreds from the three factions were dragged out. The count kept climbing.
Even Koharu Shinzō—legs destroyed, wheeled in on a chair—was still arrested.
Homura had just come to, but when he saw the scene, his chest seized. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed unconscious.
Danzo's eyelid jumped too. He glared at Kazuki like he wanted to burn a hole through him.
Over a hundred arrests—nearly all high-ranking members of the three factions, plus the most promising of their younger generation.
Tried like this, their reputation wouldn't just be damaged.
It would be erased.
"Poisonous," Danzo hissed. "Kazuki—you're trying to bring down our factions!"
Since Kazuki wanted to smash them, Danzo decided he'd smash the table too.
"If you're going to do this, then fine—let's talk about it."
"Kazuki—are only our three factions guilty? Are you targeting us?"
Kazuki raised a hand, calm. "Elder Danzo, don't worry."
"There's more."
With that, ANBU escorted a handful of people from the Uchiha, Hyūga, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Nara, and other clans.
Fewer than ten total.
Then Kazuki continued reading through the long list—hundreds of offenders from the three factions.
Fugaku's face tightened. "So there really is a parasite in the Uchiha."
The Hyūga head's expression was severe. "The Hyūga apologize to Konoha."
Yamanaka's head said coldly, "For a black sheep, our clan will not shield them."
"Akimichi…"
"Nara…"
"Inuzuka…"
Compared to the three factions, the other clans looked almost spotless.
One or two black sheep each.
The three factions?
Over two hundred.
Danzo understood immediately.
Kazuki was using this to isolate them—tightening the net with other clans standing as moral witnesses.
And with the Senju and Uzumaki backing Kazuki, it looked righteous from every angle.
This wasn't brute force.
This was a political execution.
Kazuki laid out charge after charge, evidence after evidence, until the three factions' reputation in Konoha evaporated.
Danzo stared at Kazuki, expression blank, giving nothing away.
Not a crack.
Not a visible weakness.
"Danzo," Hiruzen asked again, eyes narrowed, "did you know about it?"
"Elder Danzo," voices rose, "give us an explanation!"
"Yes—Elder Danzo!"
Danzo put on an outraged face. "I know nothing about this. As a village elder, I've been separated from clan affairs for years. I had no idea the clan did this."
"But Hokage-sama," Danzo added, suddenly turning the blade, "it's been twenty years. All these incidents—are you telling me no one ever reported anything to you?"
"As Hokage, you didn't know? Then this is entirely your responsibility."
Hiruzen's eyes flashed. "You—!"
But he forced himself to breathe and keep his voice steady.
"Yes. As Hokage, something this big happened under my nose—I cannot escape blame. The Administration Department blinded me."
"But what about your Shimura faction, the Mito faction, and the Koharu faction—over two hundred people?"
Danzo's voice turned calm again. "I'm not the clan head. I gave up that position for Konoha. I devoted myself to the work no one else would do—the dirty work—becoming Root, all for Konoha."
"I know nothing about the clan's dealings."
"I don't even have a son."
"So what responsibility are you trying to pin on me?"
Danzo was trying to wash his hands clean.
He thought, Those fraud operations weren't signed with my name. Even if I knew, even if I helped behind the scenes—on paper, I can deny it.
If I survive this, I still have a chance…
The crowd hesitated.
Danzo's words sounded… plausible.
Then Danzo pushed harder.
"Hokage-sama, this entire interrogation is unreasonable."
"And I have questions too—how did this rot spread for twenty years without you noticing? How exactly have you been Hokage?"
"I think Konoha has rotted from the top!"
"And Orochimaru's crimes over the years—how many bloody incidents? Wasn't he protected because he's your student? Those experiments—how many Konoha villagers died? They were our people!"
Kazuki blinked.
This interrogation was turning into a public duel between Danzo and Hiruzen.
Danzo wasn't trying to hit Kazuki.
He couldn't find a weakness in Kazuki to exploit.
Kazuki had appeared out of nowhere, exploded onto the stage, killed the Third Mizukage, wiped out the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, dominated the Kirigakure negotiations, and now cracked open twenty years of corruption.
On paper, it was nothing but merit stacked on merit.
And personally?
Danzo couldn't find a flaw.
So he went for Hiruzen.
Because Hiruzen wouldn't protect them.
Kazuki didn't expect it to go this way.
Was he about to become the biggest winner by accident?
The situation was spiraling.
So Kazuki stepped forward.
"Shimura Danzo," he said coldly, "the evidence of your collaboration with enemy forces and betrayal of Konoha is right here."
"And you still want to deny it?!"
Collaborating with enemy villages?
Betraying Konoha?
The entire crowd snapped to attention.
Danzo's face changed instantly.
He opened his mouth—
—but Kazuki didn't let him.
Wood Release snapped out and bound Danzo in place like a vise.
"Mmph—!"
Danzo's eyes widened in horror.
Kazuki said calmly, "Danzo. Let me finish."
Then Kazuki laid out the photos one by one—evidence of Danzo's secret contact with Kumogakure.
These had been taken by Orochimaru after staking out leads Kazuki provided.
Anyone with eyes could see the proof was real.
It wasn't vague.
It wasn't "maybe."
It was damning.
The crowd's faces changed.
"Enemy collaboration…"
"Traitor…?"
Danzo struggled harder, fury and fear mixing in his eyes.
Kazuki stared at the bandages wrapped around Danzo's head.
Danzo's whole body went rigid.
A bad feeling crawled up his spine.
"And there's more," Kazuki said, voice rising.
"The death of Uchiha Kagami—a loyal Konoha elder—was also connected to you!"
"You betrayed the village."
"You betrayed your comrades."
"And you stole your comrade's eye!"
Kazuki tore away the bandage from Danzo's right eye.
A Sharingan stared out from underneath.
The secret Danzo had hidden for years—
—was revealed in front of the entire village.
The square went dead silent.
The crowd was shocked.