"Third Hokage, Class 7 includes a ninja from the Uchiha clan."
Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he addressed Hiruzen Sarutobi directly.
The last time a similar situation unfolded, the Uchiha clan had been present during the conflict, but the cause had been different. This time, the issue lay far deeper. The involvement of an Uchiha in Team 7 could not be brushed aside.
The Third Hokage's expression shifted subtly as he recalled—indeed, there was an Uchiha in Team 7. He had orchestrated it himself, pairing Kakashi with those who shared a past with him to bring the former ANBU out of the darkness of his trauma.
"Hui, I wasn't aware of Danzo's actions. Please, stop this. I believe this might be a misunderstanding."
Given the tense situation, the only option now was to deescalate. A full-out confrontation was out of the question. Calming Hui and conducting a thorough investigation afterward was the most prudent course.
Danzo wouldn't make such a critical error and leave behind an obvious trail… would he?
If Danzo had left behind evidence this blatant, it would be disastrous. The last incident still echoed with regret.
Hiruzen clenched his pipe, thinking grimly: if there truly was evidence, even he couldn't protect Danzo.
But letting go of an old friend? That was another matter entirely.
"There's no misunderstanding. Do you think a shadow-level ninja like me can't tell what's happening? It's not just Team 7. Danzo's been scheming extensively—he's laid traps to target both Minato and me."
Hui's eyes burned with fury. He wasn't going to allow the Third Hokage to divert responsibility this time.
Sarutobi hesitated. He wasn't doubting Hui's power, but his attention remained locked on what Hui said: Danzo targeting both Hui and Minato.
He repeated the words in his mind, disbelief gradually replaced by suspicion. And then—a spark of anger.
"Danzo… what the hell have you been doing?!"
His thoughts drifted to the White Fang—Sakumo Hatake. That had been one of the greatest regrets of his life.
He hadn't actively plotted against White Fang, but he had stood by while the village criticized him. The suicide came as a shock—and the guilt weighed on Hiruzen for years.
He had no intention to destroy Sakumo's life, only to prevent him from becoming Hokage.
Sakumo had been the former ANBU commander, someone Hiruzen had personally trained. It had left a deep wound—one he never wished to open again.
Now, facing another betrayal within the village—this time involving Hui and Minato, both candidates for the future Hokage—he couldn't bear the thought of history repeating itself.
"Razan, everything I do is for the good of Konoha," Danzo stated, neither admitting nor denying the allegations.
That response sealed it for Hiruzen.
He turned to Hui. "Even so, we still need to investigate. There's no definitive proof. Danzo is a Konoha elder. ROOT is an official subdivision of the ANBU. Hui, you launched a raid, you attacked ROOT and nearly killed Danzo. Stop now."
Hiruzen's shoulders sagged. The weight of his office, his age, and the burdens of past choices seemed to press down all at once. But Hui wasn't buying it.
He could see through the act.
What was this? Danzo, the suspected instigator, was treated as a protector of the village. Yet Hui, a loyal defender, was told to stop?
The double standards were nauseating.
If this wasn't acting, what was it?
"Absolutely not. Either Danzo dies today… or I do."
Hui's tone was cold. He would not let ROOT retain the power it had amassed—especially now that he knew Danzo had developed means to utilize the First Hokage's cells. That technology, in the wrong hands, was catastrophic.
The power of Hashirama Senju—a peak Kage-level shinobi—was not to be trifled with. If Danzo harnessed that strength, it would spell disaster.
Danzo himself was not a threat. But Danzo armed with the power of the God of Shinobi was a crisis waiting to explode. Hui knew better than to let ambition pair with strength unchecked.
"Hui!" Hiruzen's voice was sharp now, coated with irritation.
But Hui remained unfazed. This time, it wasn't just about Danzo. The Third Hokage was on his list too.
"What are you doing, Hui?!"
The Third Hokage's voice cracked as Hui suddenly began weaving hand seals.
"Suiton: Suishōha!" (Water Release: Water Colliding Wave)
Water surged around Hui, swirling into a massive vortex that spiraled toward Hiruzen.
Caught off guard by the speed of the attack, the Third Hokage could only raise a hasty defense.
"Doton: Doryūheki!" (Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall)
A solid wall of earth rose up in front of him, and he reinforced his body using Earth Spear Technique.
Even so, the wall crumbled against the violent spiral of water. Though the attack's strength had diminished, it still packed enough force to knock Hiruzen back a considerable distance.
"Suiton: Suidanha!" (Water Release: Water Severing Wave)
From Hui's lips burst a sharp, high-pressure water beam that shot straight for Danzo, who stood on his summoned nightmare tapir.
"Fūton: Shinkūgyoku!" (Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere)
Danzo responded with a barrage of vacuum bullets. But against the refined, deadly water beam—a technique inherited and evolved from the Second Hokage's signature—Danzo's wind bullets crumbled.
Unable to counter, Danzo used the Body Flicker Technique to avoid being sliced.
The battle had turned unmistakably lethal. Hui's intent was clear—he was here to eliminate Danzo, and nothing would change that.
The Third Hokage acted swiftly, performing a more precise set of hand seals.
"Doton: Doryūheki!"
This time, the Earth Wall was constructed with full chakra control and proper formation. It managed to halt the cutting stream of water—but only just barely.
The wall quivered, sliced down until a fragile skin of earth remained.
"Impossible," Sarutobi whispered.
Elemental advantages weren't enough anymore.
Despite the natural edge Earth Release had over Water Release, Hui's water jutsu was overwhelming. And that was after clashing with Danzo's wind bullets.
Sarutobi's hands trembled slightly. At his level, ninjutsu wasn't about the technique—it was about chakra control, element affinity, and battle instinct.
He was the Professor of Ninjutsu, famed for mastering all five elements. If even he struggled to defend, Hui's strength had truly reached staggering levels.
If Hui knew the extent of Hiruzen's astonishment, he would have scoffed.
Of course, I'm not normal. I have the Water Spiritual Root. My body might not be complete, but I've trained in Wood Release. My affinity for both Earth and Water Release—thanks to the Bloodline Fusion—is at the apex. No one in this era has a stronger elemental synergy than I do.
Not even Tobirama Senju.
"Doton: Senjō no Hari Ame!" (Earth Release: Rain of Thousand Needles)
Hui's next move turned the battlefield into a storm of stone senbon—thousands of sharp projectiles hurtling toward the Hokage.
Fugaku had already retreated. An elite jōnin had no place in this clash of titans.
"This speed—!"
Even though the senbon lacked the density of a true rainstorm, their numbers were overwhelming. And to form such a large-scale ninjutsu in a single breath—Hui's chakra circulation was beyond natural.
The Third Hokage realized the truth—Hui's control and speed in Earth Release far outpaced any standard.
For all his age and experience, Sarutobi was now on the defensive. And Hui… Hui wasn't done yet.
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