"Arrest all the missing and unaccounted-for Anbu ninjas!"
Anyone who dares to go back and report the news at this time is undoubtedly a spy.
Sarutobi Hiruzen deliberately leaked news about sealing off the Root division, precisely to take care of the spies implanted by Root.
"The rest of you, follow me to the Root headquarters."
"Yes!"
Uchiha Itachi and Tenzo, serving as the vanguard, walked at the very front.
A large group of people majestically rushed toward Root.
"Break down the door for me!"
Seeing the sealed gates of Root, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a direct order.
If it were in the past, he would have turned back after seeing this, but not today.
He absolutely could not allow Danzo to possess something like "Kotoamatsukami".
"Yes."
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
Uchiha Itachi blasted open the tightly locked Root gate with a massive fireball.
The other Anbu turned their heads in surprise.
Being able to use a basic Fire Style jutsu with such power was very rare.
"Tenzo, sense Danzo's location."
"Yes."
Using Wood Style sensing, Tenzo quickly pointed out Danzo's position to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Danzo-sama… Danzo is in the office."
As a former Root member, Tenzo still couldn't drop the honorific when addressing Danzo.
"Hiruzen! What have I done to offend you for you to dare barge into my Root like this?"
Danzo walked out of the office with a face full of innocence.
"You controlled Asuma and secretly kept Uchiha Shisui's eye. Danzo, your crimes are unforgivable!"
"Nonsense! Hiruzen, this is definitely someone instigating you with malicious intent!"
While denying it, Danzo stared intently at Uchiha Itachi, whose face was wrapped in bandages.
'So, it is Itachi who revealed he had Shisui's Sharingan.'
'The damn ungrateful brat.'
"My heart has always been for Konoha. How could I harm fellow Konoha comrades? As for Shisui's Sharingan, back then it was Uchiha Itachi who killed Shisui. His eyes should rightfully be with Itachi. What does it have to do with me?"
Back then, although Uchiha Shisui had committed suicide, only Uchiha Itachi knew about it.
So everyone assumed Itachi killed Shisui to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Uchiha Itachi isn't even in the village now, how do you confront him for proof?"
Thankfully, Danzo didn't foolishly reveal in public that Uchiha Itachi was in fact Itā.
Sarutobi Hiruzen calmed his fury a bit.
"Then how can you punish me based on such baseless rumors?"
Even if the heavens came down, Danzo would never hand over the Sharingan in his hand.
Though the Byakugan might detect something, Kotoamatsukami was just too useful.
It could control someone without them even realizing it.
"Even if Uchiha Itachi isn't here, that doesn't mean no one can testify to your crimes of hiding the eye and attacking fellow Konoha ninjas."
"Who?"
"Shisui himself."
"Are you joking? Uchiha Shisui has long been dead, how could he possibly…"
"I brought a fresh corpse and remnants from Shisui's grave, enough to summon him through Edo Tensei."
Sarutobi Hiruzen no longer planned to use conventional methods to deal with Danzo. He wanted to cut the knot swiftly.
"Danzo, will you admit your crimes and hand over Shisui's eye obediently, or will you make it so everyone knows you ambushed Shisui and secretly kept his eyes?"
Half threatening, half giving Danzo a chance to save face, Sarutobi Hiruzen pressed on step by step.
"You…"
'Is this still the Sarutobi Hiruzen I know?'
Danzo never imagined his old friend would go so far as to use forbidden techniques just to take him down.
In the past, the indecisive Sarutobi Hiruzen would never have done such a thing.
'Sure enough, it's that "treasure" that gave him this newfound boldness!'
'Damn it…'
Danzo ground his teeth in rage at the thought.
Teacher Tobirama's favoritism, Sarutobi Hiruzen's luck, every time, the one who got hurt was always him, the diligent and self-sacrificing Danzo.
"Hurry and hand over Shisui's eye. Also, from today on, Root is sealed. No more actions. Do these… and in light of your past contributions, I won't pursue your transgressions further."
"Hiruzen, do you really intend to force me like this?"
With the situation fully turned against him, Danzo could only try the emotional route.
"Danzo, if you don't follow orders, are you planning to defect?"
But Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart was now as cold as iron, completely crushing Danzo's last sliver of hope.
"I… I understand."
Gritting his teeth.
Looking at the assembled Anbu, Danzo slowly began to remove the bandages from his face.
Revealing a half-burned face and a scarlet, blood-colored eye.
Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan had actually been in his socket the whole time.
Seeing that eye, Uchiha Itachi felt an even deeper loathing toward Danzo.
"Is this the eye?"
Only after Danzo personally removed the eye and handed it to him did Sarutobi Hiruzen turn to Uchiha Itachi for confirmation.
"It is."
As Shisui's friend, Uchiha Itachi could not mistake that eye.
"Danzo, from now on, just quietly live in retirement. Though, if things get dire… you might still have a chance to be reinstated."
If war breaks out again, someone like Danzo could still be useful.
"Hmph!"
Seeing that Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't trust him, and even fed him a fantasy of a comeback, Danzo only gave a cold snort.
'Heaven is unjust! If I was Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen would never dare treat him this way!'
'Teacher Tobirama, can you see this?'
'That Sarutobi Hiruzen is determined to monopolize your treasure!'
———
"I'm the referee?"
Uchiha Kage was still thinking about how he could inconspicuously pick up fragments of defeated ninjas from the preliminary round, when he heard Sarutobi Hiruzen's appointment.
Truly, effortless gains.
Though, Sarutobi Hiruzen's recent behavior had been strange, he needed to find a way to understand it.
Having been sent out of the village on missions, Uchiha Kage had a hard time grasping Konoha's current state.
Got it. Tonight, he'd enter his dreams again, maybe he could extract something out of him using the identity of Senjua Tobirama.
"Oh? Your name is Uchiha Kage?"
Looking similar was one thing, but he even had the same name?
Orochimaru became even more interested in Uchiha Kage.
"Yes," Uchiha Kage politely nodded at Orochimaru, who was disguised as the Kazekage.
'This guy Orochimaru, who knows where he hid the corpses of Hashirama and Tobirama.'
'To get those bodies through him, it will probably take a more powerful genjutsu, or…'
'Let's wait until I summon them via Edo Tensei, then snatch them away.'
"Nice name. Reminds me of an old friend," Orochimaru examined the Uchiha boy before him, but didn't find any signs of Living Corpse Reincarnation.
This definitely wasn't the Uchiha Kage he knew.
'But isn't the coincidence a bit much…'
"Same here. I felt the Kazekage-dono was very familiar at first glance," Uchiha Kage also remembered that little snake from years ago.
Young Orochimaru had actually been quite cute.
"Hey, Mr. Referee, hurry and announce the start. We've been waiting forever!"
No matter how much he admired Uchiha Kage, Naruto still had some small grievances about their former classmate being the referee of the Chūnin Exam today.
They'd graduated together, yet the difference was just too big.
"Naruto, no one would think you're mute if you shut up!"
Before Naruto could finish complaining, Sakura and Ino both scolded him.
Ino also suddenly realized, 'Since Kage is the referee, should she still forfeit my match later?'
'No, I can't. Even if Kage favours me, I can't cause trouble for him.'
"Exactly. Can't a girl admire a hottie a little longer?"
Temari and Tenten were also grumbling at Naruto.
Since Gaara was fine, Temari stopped worrying.
But the sudden appearance of the mysterious masked man made the Sand ninjas raise their guard again.
In the near future, the Sand's plan to ambush Konoha might not go so smoothly.
"First match: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akadō Yoroi."
Uchiha Kage vanished from his spot like a gust of wind, reappearing in the center of the exam arena.
"Everyone except the two fighters, please head to the stands."
First round, strongest Genin vs. an unknown fodder…
Sarutobi Hiruzen's tournament setup to show off Konoha's strength was just too obvious.
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