Perhaps the conversation with Danzo had become too precarious. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wary of igniting a political firestorm he couldn't control, shifted the conversation as soon as the Intelligence Department personnel entered the room.
"Andrew, please cooperate with Yamanaka Haiyi and investigate what Orochimaru has been doing all these years!" Hiruzen ordered, adopting a more cautious tone.
Though everyone in the room knew the Third Hokage was diverting attention from Danzo's involvement, they did not object. The real objective was to unearth Danzo's crimes through Orochimaru's memories, and in that regard, this approach was effective enough.
Besides, now wasn't the time to scrutinize Hiruzen's own complicity in the matter. For Andrew, Tsunade, and Jiraiya, the most important thing now was the future of the village. Despite their suspicions, the survival and stability of Konoha remained their shared bottom line.
Danzo's scandalous actions had already shaken the village's foundation. Luckily, the revelations had not yet spread beyond the higher-ups. Should other villages discover the extent of Danzo's experiments, Konoha would undoubtedly become a target for condemnation, if not outright aggression.
It wasn't that the ninja world was morally righteous—far from it. Most of the Five Great Nations secretly engaged in prohibited experiments. But as the unspoken rule went: it was acceptable only if you never got caught. If exposed, you'd suffer the backlash of international criticism and covert retaliation.
And now, the danger was far worse than mere experiments. Danzo and Orochimaru had succeeded in creating a functioning Wood Style clone through their experimentation—a terrifying fact.
Wood Style—Mokuton—was more than just a powerful jutsu; it was a nightmare to the rest of the shinobi world, a shadow cast by the legend of Hashirama Senju.
If word got out that Konoha had succeeded in reviving this power, the other villages would waste no time. Just as in the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha would find itself besieged on all sides.
Destruction of the source or theft of the technique would be their only choices. No one would allow another "God of Shinobi" to rise uncontested.
Before the interrogation began, Andrew made his position clear. "Third Hokage-sama, I'll cooperate—but I must clarify one thing. I'll only use my Mangekyō to suppress Orochimaru's will, not to manipulate his thoughts. If he says anything concerning the Uchiha, it won't be my doing."
Andrew opened the prison cell containing Orochimaru. The former Sannin sat shackled, his reptilian eyes eerily calm despite the gravity of the situation.
Everyone present understood the implications of Andrew's words. Orochimaru had joined the Akatsuki after leaving Konoha, and any inquiry into his past risked surfacing details about the Nine Tails attack. Andrew wanted to protect the Uchiha from further scapegoating.
"I understand. Let's begin." Hiruzen nodded, though his eyes betrayed a trace of anxiety.
Standing beside Andrew, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Yamanaka Haiyi couldn't help but sigh.
The very fact that Andrew had to say such a thing was telling—it meant the Uchiha no longer trusted the village.
Yes, the Intelligence Department had their own methods to verify information. But to fabricate intel in front of so many witnesses would be laughably bold. Everyone knew Andrew's genjutsu skills, while strong due to his Mangekyō Sharingan, were not on par with true masters like Shisui or Itachi.
With a nod from Hiruzen, Haiyi placed his palm on Orochimaru's forehead. With Andrew's ocular suppression and Haiyi's mind-reading jutsu, their consciousness sank into Orochimaru's mind.
"Orochimaru, did you sneak back into the village for Danzo?"
Orochimaru's face twisted with resistance, but under the weight of Andrew's Mangekyō, his will crumbled.
"Yes," he rasped.
"Why did Danzo contact you? Have you been in touch over the years?"
"Danzo's Hashirama cell transplant became increasingly unstable. A month ago, he reached out, asking me to help him suppress it... We used to work together often—especially for funding experiments. But after I joined Akatsuki, contact lessened."
Hiruzen's face darkened instantly. Danzo and Orochimaru had collaborated extensively beyond just the Wood Style experiments.
"Haiyi, ask him—was studying the Wood Style Danzo's idea or yours?" Jiraiya interjected, his voice tinged with desperation. Despite everything, a part of him still clung to the hope that Orochimaru had been manipulated.
"Danzo approached me first. Back then, after Nawaki's death, I became obsessed with life's fragility. Danzo offered a way to explore Hashirama's regenerative abilities. I accepted."
Tsunade flinched at her brother's name. She sighed heavily. Orochimaru had been Nawaki's sensei. His grief was genuine.
His descent into experimental madness was not born of malice but the sorrow of countless deaths: his parents, his comrades, and finally, his disciple. Those deaths had driven him to chase the one thing no one in their world could conquer—death itself.
Jiraiya's expression softened, though his brows furrowed with conflict. It wasn't coercion. Orochimaru had made his own choices.
"What is the Akatsuki Organization? Why did you stop contacting Danzo after joining them?" Andrew pressed further.
It seemed a casual inquiry—but it was a calculated one. If they could expose a part of Obito's agenda, the suspicion on Uchiha would weaken. Obito's movements had been too covert. They needed more eyes watching from the shadows.
"Akatsuki is a mercenary group. Its leader wields the Rinnegan—also called the Eye of the Immortal. All its members are S-class missing-nin. Among them is a masked man who rarely appears. He has Sharingan and can use space-time ninjutsu..."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Especially the Uchiha present—each breath grew heavier.
They had lived under the shadow of the Nine Tails incident for years, blamed without evidence. The village had always assumed Uchiha were the only ones with Sharingan.
Now, Orochimaru had confirmed there was someone else. A masked man with a Sharingan.
The atmosphere shifted.
Hiruzen's thoughts immediately turned to the Nine Tails attack. As Hokage, he had access to details few others did. A masked man using space-time ninjutsu and Sharingan had to be the culprit.
But what unsettled him most was Andrew's expression—he had known this would be revealed. That meant the Uchiha had already uncovered information the Hokage himself didn't fully grasp.
Hiruzen glanced at Andrew, remembering the boy's earlier comment. He had anticipated this—had even warned them.
Haiyi subtly shook his head, assuring Hiruzen that Andrew had not tampered with the intel. Everything Orochimaru said was authentic.
Tsunade said nothing, but she understood the Uchiha better than the Hokage. If a heavy, unjust burden is placed on someone for too long, of course they will try to remove it.
Jiraiya, however, found himself more confused. The Rinnegan was real—Nagato had it. But if Nagato was the leader, why would he attack Konoha?
"Lies! This is all fabricated by Uchiha Andrew! The Nine Tails incident was clearly the Uchiha's doing! This Akatsuki nonsense is just a ploy to clear their name!"
Danzo couldn't remain silent any longer and exploded in a fit of rage. But Andrew's cold gaze silenced him with a well-placed genjutsu.
"Third Hokage-sama," Andrew said firmly, "I believe the time has come to resolve the misunderstanding between the Uchiha and the village. We've carried this burden long enough. We can't—no, we won't—carry it anymore."
"I understand," Hiruzen replied, matching his gaze. "I have always believed the Uchiha in Konoha had no part in the Nine Tails attack. If we can identify this masked man, I will personally clear the Uchiha name."
Andrew didn't respond. He knew those words were a lie. If Hiruzen truly believed in their innocence, why had he never defended them before? Why the constant surveillance?
Still, this was a step forward. Orochimaru's confession had cast doubt—doubt was enough to weaken the weight of blame.
"Now that Danzo's and Orochimaru's dealings are exposed, it's time to act," Tsunade declared sharply. "I recommend a full investigation into all of Danzo's activities. If he could contact Orochimaru in secret, there's no telling what else he's done."
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "Danzo will remain detained in the Police Department for further investigation. As for Orochimaru—"
"Lock him up there too," Tsunade cut in coldly. "With the Uchiha overseeing security, he won't escape. And let's be honest—if you let him go once, you might let him go again."
There was no kindness in her voice. Her trust in Hiruzen had eroded. The lines between teacher and accomplice had become too blurred. Orochimaru knew far too much—about Danzo, about Hiruzen, and perhaps about the darkest corners of Konoha itself.
It was no longer just about justice. It was about the future of the village.
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