Hearing that he could still catch his breath, Danzo's desperation lessened.
He was always suspicious and feared that Sarutobi Ryo would simply kill him.
But he waited, and Sarutobi Ryo didn't attack.
He started to believe it was true.
With the power Sarutobi Ryo had shown, killing him was easy.
And so...
They were stuck in a standoff.
Danzo heard footsteps approaching.
Soon, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Hatake Sakumo arrived with Anbu members.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were also there.
Namikaze Minato appeared with someone else.
Senju Tobirama, disguised as an Anbu member, hid in the crowd.
Finally, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura came.
Seeing Danzo defeated and Sarutobi Ryo standing tall, and the signs of a battle below, everyone understood.
Sarutobi Ryo had actually defeated Danzo!
Sarutobi Ryo, having turned off the Eight Gates Formation, didn't need to keep it going.
Now that everyone was here, the matter could be handled properly.
"Sarutobi Ryo, what are you doing?!" Utatane Koharu spoke first, sounding both worried and angry, perfectly in character.
"Elder Koharu..."
Sarutobi Ryo turned to face everyone.
Looking at their different expressions, Sarutobi Ryo began to tell them about Danzo's crimes.
When Sarutobi Ryo said that Danzo had plotted against his own people, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged shocked glances.
They hadn't expected Danzo to actually target the Uchiha.
Controlling them with policies was one thing, but killing them was too risky.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also wanted to get rid of the Uchiha.
But taking direct action would give others a reason to strike back.
The best way was to be like the Second Hokage: use an Uchiha to control the Uchiha.
Uchiha Obito was the perfect candidate.
But...
Danzo was too impatient and created a mess.
Now his crimes were clear.
"Danzo..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at his old friend sadly. How could he have fallen so far?
He knew Danzo carried the darkness of the Second Hokage.
But even so, he shouldn't have turned against his comrades in the Village.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen was still in charge, he would have been forgiving like he was with Orochimaru.
But things were different now.
Hatake Sakumo was the Hokage.
So, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't make the decisions.
Sarutobi Ryo finished telling his story.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura knew Danzo was finished.
Plotting against comrades was a serious crime.
Even with Danzo's years of service and contributions, he might avoid death.
But a life sentence was unavoidable.
They were thinking exactly what Sarutobi Ryo wanted to happen.
On the surface, arrest Danzo first.
After a pointless trial, sentence him to life in prison.
Then, secretly, get the information from Danzo's mind.
Finally, kill Danzo for good.
Sarutobi Ryo, with his plan ready, ordered the arrest.
The Anbu members stepped forward and arrested Danzo.
The surrounding Root Ninja were confused, unsure of what to do.
As low-level members, they wouldn't be punished.
They were just following Danzo's orders and serving Konoha.
The real question was, who would take over Root after Danzo?
"Young Master Ryo, he even defeated Lord Danzo..."
Namikaze Minato seemed calm, but he was extremely shocked.
Sarutobi Ryo's progress was too fast.
He was unharmed, while Danzo was completely defeated. It was truly...
"Who is the leader?"
Sarutobi Ryo looked at the dozens of Root Ninja.
The Root Ninja had different ranks and strengths.
Their positions depended on their power.
The others looked at each other. Soon, a brown-haired boy was chosen.
He looked younger than Kakashi and was still growing, so he wasn't very tall.
Among the strong Root Ninja, he stood out.
Tenzō, huh...
Sarutobi Ryo looked at him and nodded.
"Alright, from today on, you will temporarily lead the Root members and wait for a new leader..."
Sarutobi Ryo gave Tenzō a position.
Tenzō, wearing a mask, nodded and stared at the others as they left.
They walked down the road.
The group was large and impressive.
Everyone was thinking about different things.
Danzo would be taken back and dealt with by the higher-ups.
Next would be Danzo's trial.
And the Root Ninja...
Sarutobi Ryo didn't ask to search the Root hideout.
After all, if Danzo confessed, they could get all the information. That's what everyone thought.
Namikaze Minato and Senju Tobirama exchanged glances.
They had worried Sarutobi Ryo would order a search and find clues.
But now it seemed...
He didn't care about the secrets hidden in Root's hideout.
"Tsunade, Sarutobi Ryo is amazing..."
Jiraiya whispered to Tsunade.
He thought his student Minato and Sarutobi Ryo were evenly matched.
But it seemed that wasn't true.
Defeating and capturing Danzo without getting hurt, even he probably couldn't do that.
Had Sarutobi Ryo's strength surpassed them, the Sannin?
Was that possible?
"Heh heh... Seeing is believing... the facts are clear."
Orochimaru, who had seen everything, nodded, agreeing with Jiraiya.
If they were competing for the Fifth Hokage, Sarutobi Ryo probably had a better chance.
But it didn't matter.
Even if he couldn't compete with Sarutobi Ryo, once he found the way to become immortal...
In a few decades, when Sarutobi Ryo grew old...
Orochimaru was good at comforting himself.
That was his plan all along.
Konoha wouldn't always be full of talented people.
His turn to be Hokage would eventually come.
"Tsk tsk..."
Jiraiya kept clicking his tongue in amazement.
Tsunade, on the other hand, was frustrated.
Not long ago, Sarutobi Ryo's lightning had struck her.
So, she was unhappy.
Now, Sarutobi Ryo had defeated Danzo. Uh...
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[T/N:
Latest Chapter translated on Patreon - Chapter 300 (Vol 2 Ch 242) (+93 Chapters Ahead!)
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-> Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise
-> One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!
-> Young Master, Please Become Hokage!
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]