Chapter 92: Waving the Tiger Banner
"Did you hear what that Uchiha brat said? Human experimentation?"
"Ever since Orochimaru defected, human experimentation has been taboo in the village. Did Lord Danzo knowingly break that rule?"
"I support human experimentation. How else do you think ninjutsu gets developed? Konoha thrives because of strength. But using fellow villagers for experiments? That's got to be fake, right?"
As those words fell—
The entire Forest of Death fell into silence. Only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the labored breathing of the assembled ninja remained.
Then, like a pot boiling over, the crowd turned their stunned eyes to Danzo Shimura.
Most ninja were naturally repulsed by the idea of human experimentation, especially bloodline clans like the Hyuga, who had long been targeted for their abilities.
They, more than anyone, feared being kidnapped and used for such research. The moment they heard "human experimentation," their eyes turned to Danzo in disgust and suspicion.
Another group of shinobi—battle-hardened extremists—actually supported the idea in theory. They cared little for relationships, prioritizing the pursuit of power and techniques.
But even they drew the line at experimenting on fellow villagers.
No one wanted to be backstabbed mid-battle by one of their own, or worse—become a test subject themselves.
For a moment,
the tension was palpable. Only Hiruzen Sarutobi's presence kept a fragile calm.
"There's no proof yet that Danzo engaged in human experimentation."
Hiruzen's expression was grim.
But under so many watchful eyes, he forced a smile and looked kindly toward Sasuke.
Being subtly pressured by Sasuke in public like this irritated him deeply.
Even between brothers, there were always differences.
Those who truly understood the Will of Fire were too few among the Uchiha.
Sasuke, like most of his clan, seemed to care nothing for the village's stability.
Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen changed the topic.
"Everyone, though there may be foreign ninja lurking in the Forest of Death, I didn't order the ANBU to notify you all. I suspect this was a scheme targeting our Hokage advisor—meant to throw Konoha into chaos. Don't be deceived."
No matter what, the brutal truth of Danzo's human experiments could not be exposed now.
With the Chunin Exams about to begin and the village full of foreign ninja, Hiruzen couldn't imagine the chaos such a scandal might unleash.
And with so many elite clan members here, there was no way to gag the story.
If the news leaked, it would be devastating to Konoha's reputation.
It could even trigger unrest.
"I knew those foreign ninja were up to no good. They were targeting Lord Danzo all along!"
"It must've been premeditated. Infiltrating Root to steal secrets—or even assassinate a Hokage advisor?"
"Maybe they were after the Uchiha boy… but didn't expect a genin to be this strong, so they exposed themselves…"
The older, more seasoned clan elites remained skeptical.
But younger ninja and common shinobi began to nod at the Hokage's firm statements, their expressions clearing up as they bought into the narrative.
Hiruzen's authority still held weight.
To the public, Danzo had always been a severe, hawkish figure—but most of his atrocities had never seen the light of day.
So the younger and less informed saw him as a loyal hardliner.
As for the clan leaders… they kept their thoughts to themselves.
No one wanted to openly oppose the Hokage.
"I have evidence!"
Sasuke moved quickly, pulling out a metal box from his inventory—palm-sized and unassuming.
The moment it hit the ground, it began to hum. A soft mechanical whir echoed as film reels turned inside.
It was one of many miscellaneous items dropped during monster hunts in the game—a surveillance device capable of recording and projecting realistic reconstructions.
Usually used for recon or investigation.
Buzz.
A soft beam of light projected from the box, casting an illusion over the area and altering the forest's appearance.
The destroyed underground lab appeared in full view before all the ninja present.
"Is this genjutsu?"
"There's no chakra signature. The walls and ceiling aren't real. It's just a visual projection."
"This must be a Reincarnation Game tool… Amazing."
Ninjas murmured in astonishment.
Danzo's expression darkened immediately.
He hadn't expected Sasuke to have such a trump card.
Even Hiruzen's forced smile faltered.
He asked with strained calm, "Sasuke, can we leave it at this?"
He had already framed the Root deaths as an enemy attack—that was leniency enough.
Five Root operatives dead. Danzo injured.
Wasn't that enough?
Sasuke, you really disappoint me.
"Lord Hokage, I don't care that Danzo threatened me. But I don't want the village's shinobi to live in fear. I want to protect Konoha!"
Sasuke forced the words out, disgust twisting in his gut.
Waving the tiger banner.
It was a tactic he had learned from civilian players in the game.
Unlike shinobi, civilians fought to survive using any means necessary. Their clever tricks often shocked and outperformed conventional thinking.
He didn't expect it to work this well.
The impact was immediate.
Even Hiruzen was stunned.
Clan leaders and common shinobi alike stared at the Uchiha crest on Sasuke's back—the iconic fan symbol.
Since when did an Uchiha talk about the Will of Fire?
While they stared, a sharp cry drew everyone's attention.
"It's… the First Hokage!"
Neji pointed, his finger trembling toward a pile of shadows in the corner near the wall.
Decomposed, broken corpses.
Mixed with rotting wood.
The smell of decay filled the air, and some of the misshapen flesh bore twisted human faces—
Familiar ones.
Every Konoha shinobi looked up at the Hokage Monument daily.
No one could forget the face of the First Hokage.
"Someone's been experimenting on the First Hokage's Wood Release?!"
"This really was human experimentation… and those notes and Root emblems…!"
All eyes turned to Danzo, who stood stunned.
Even Hiruzen was speechless, scrambling to figure out how to respond.
The clan leaders' expressions were grim.
Rumors and suspicions were one thing.
But cold, undeniable truth? That changed everything.
They had long suspected Danzo. They'd whispered about his darkness.
But now the veil was ripped off. The blood-soaked truth stood before them.
Murmurs spread like wildfire.
The atmosphere shifted.
Even the clan leaders closest to Hiruzen—the Ino-Shika-Cho trio—took two quiet steps back, watching both the Hokage and his advisor with wary eyes.
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