Chapter 82: Eliminate on the Spot
The moment Danzo read the message on the secret scroll, a chill ran down his spine.
"Who's bold enough to attack Lab No. 9?!"
Without even stopping to put on his outer robe, he rushed out of the Root base and headed straight for the Forest of Death.
Was it the monkey?
He had been meeting frequently with the Fire Daimyō lately, feeding him all of Hiruzen's secrets, trying to shake his confidence and make him reconsider his choice of Hokage.
Those little tricks definitely hadn't escaped Hiruzen Sarutobi's notice—or the eyes of the ANBU.
Could this be retaliation?
Danzo was well aware—
if the human experimentation and forbidden research in that lab were ever exposed, the consequences would be catastrophic.
He'd be stripped of his status as a senior advisor, if not imprisoned outright.
"Hiruzen, I don't believe you'd have the guts!"
Danzo leapt from rooftop to rooftop, moving rapidly. His thoughts churned with bitter laughter.
He knew his old friend too well.
Especially in recent years, Hiruzen had become a master of political balancing—shaping his image as a just and noble leader.
Most of the village's dirty work had relied on Danzo's hand. Without him, Hiruzen would've been helpless to maintain order.
If he toppled now, who could take his place?
So… was this just a warning?
Danzo was convinced this was Hiruzen's doing. He didn't believe anyone else in the village would dare challenge him—the senior advisor and commander of Root, a Kage-level force.
Forest of Death – Lab No. 9
In the dim, damp corridor, Sasuke moved forward with a cold expression. Dozens of unconscious Root researchers lay sprawled on the ground.
"This kind of filth exists in the village?"
Inside the lab, he found extensive research notes and glass tanks containing flesh samples and preserved organs.
The grotesque sights made his stomach turn.
According to the notes, these experiments aimed to develop a drug that could suppress Hashirama cells.
"They even dared desecrate the First Hokage's remains… What outrageous arrogance."
Sasuke had never interacted directly with Danzo, but he found it hard to believe that such a revered senior advisor could be responsible for these atrocities.
Realizing the danger, he calmed himself.
He wasn't a fool. Exposing this kind of dirt on a high-ranking official would never end well for him.
Before destroying the lab, he needed to collect enough evidence to protect himself.
Bang.
He kicked open a locked iron door.
Inside was a narrow room with a single lit examination table in the center, and shelves on both sides filled with jars and flasks.
"Looks like this room's been closed for a while. Did they halt research to focus on the new drug?"
He stepped forward, eyes narrowing as he spotted a bottle on the table filled with a strange solution.
Suspended inside was an irregular, pitted orb—
an abnormal eyeball, now partially decayed with mold.
Unlike a normal dark brown human eye, this one had a faint red hue at its center, with black spots scattered across its surface.
It was hideous.
But that strange color reminded Sasuke of something very familiar—
the Sharingan.
His own eyes flashed red as three tomoe spun into motion.
He flipped through the collected research notes.
As he reached the end, Sasuke's expression turned from confusion to cold rage, then pure killing intent.
Following the instructions, he went to the central shelf, where he found jars packed tightly with deformed, damaged eyeballs.
On the most secure shelf, he found a jar that looked slightly different.
Inside floated a scarlet Sharingan—
a single-tomoe eye, suspended in high-quality solution. But time had still taken its toll. Black mold veined across its surface.
According to the notes, this was a rare experimental specimen assigned to Lab No. 9 by Danzo years ago.
All of the defective clone eyes had been created from this one.
Boom.
Black flame erupted behind Sasuke, forming a burning curse sigil like armor over his body.
His killing intent exploded uncontrollably. He swept his sword across the shelf, smashing every jar. Glass and fluid rained to the ground.
"Danzo Shimura…"
Sasuke's jaw clenched tightly. The timing of this eye being sent to the lab…
It was right after Itachi had annihilated the clan.
Was this old dog involved in that night as well?
Otherwise, how did he get his hands on a Sharingan?!
His breathing grew heavy as he slashed again and again. The entire lab was engulfed in dark flame. Papers scattered like ash.
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
The Root operatives he had previously trapped in the black flame barrier now blocked the doorway, voices cold behind their masks.
"You dare trespass in Konoha's restricted zone. Lay down your weapon and come with us!"
They were visibly tense.
Even though none of them had used full force earlier, they had all witnessed Sasuke's bizarre powers.
He could not be underestimated.
Suppressing his rage, Sasuke asked, "Can any of you explain what's in this room?"
One Root ninja barked back, "Those are valuable village assets—irreplaceable experimental data. And you destroyed them! You've crossed a line. Drop your weapon, or you'll be branded a traitor!"
"Traitor?"
Sasuke pulled a folder from his pocket—a copy of the research notes—and sneered.
"Danzo Shimura built a lab in the Forest of Death and conducted human experiments on fellow villagers. I'll be handing this to the Hokage. I'm sure he'll know how to judge."
To ensure precision, the lab had kept detailed records of each subject—including jutsu used and bloodline traits.
Some possessed techniques unique to Konoha.
Others came from minor clans, with secret arts never taught outside the village.
"Kill him."
The moment they saw the copied documents, the eyes behind the Root masks burned with lethal intent.
A rain of shuriken shot forth like a storm.
"Trying to silence me?"
Sasuke roared, fury boiling, but he didn't lose control. His blade slashed through the air, trailing black flame to form a wall of fire.
The intense heat melted every shuriken that touched it.
They fell harmlessly to the floor.
Not a single one made it through.
But five Root shinobi had already spread out, slowly surrounding him in a tight formation.
"Uchiha Sasuke is suspected of colluding with enemy forces, stealing village secrets, and destroying critical facilities. Execute on sight!"
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