Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent for a long moment.
He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at his old friend across the room. Danzo. He had known him for decades—fought beside him, trusted him with the village's secrets. But even now, he could clearly see it—the flicker of fear, the tightening of Danzo's pupils.
Others might have missed it.
But not him.
That look—was panic.
Could it be… what Kakashi said was true?
Hiruzen's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, almost theatrical voice.
"Ah, so that's why Kakashi dares to slander his superiors! He must have been taught to be disobedient!" Utatane Koharu snapped, eyes glaring daggers at Minato.
"Danzo!" she turned, filled with conviction. "Now that it has come to this, why don't you just show them the truth?"
"Let them see what you've sacrificed—how much blood you've shed and the injuries you've suffered for Konoha!"
"I want them to feel ashamed! So ashamed they'll have to kneel down and apologize!"
Koharu's voice trembled with emotion as she locked her gaze on Minato. Her stance was clear.
She would protect Danzo's legacy.
Even if no one else would.
But Danzo could only stare at her in disbelief.
If this weren't in public, he might have pointed at her and yelled at her right there and then.
You fool!
Can't you see I'm trying to think of a way out of this?! Stop making things worse!
How could someone so blind be on his side?
This was a disaster.
He took a breath and suppressed the urge to lash out.
Calm down. Don't panic. Think.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, still calm, spoke. "Danzo, since even Minato has his doubts, why not show them? Let them see how baseless their accusations are."
Danzo clenched his fists.
Those scars. That eye. He didn't want to relive it. He never did.
"Enough," Danzo said with a cold voice. "Those scars are eternal reminders. Every time I reveal them, I remember Uchiha Kagami dying in my arms."
"I don't want to feel that pain again."
"As for your suspicions—Root has always borne the burden of Konoha's darkness. Misunderstandings are nothing new."
"But so what?"
"I have a clear conscience. Why should I explain myself to the next generation?"
Danzo slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
He turned as if to leave.
"Danzo." Hiruzen's voice was cold and firm. "Remove the bandages. That's an order."
Danzo stopped.
There was no escaping now. Hiruzen had made up his mind. His tone was final.
If Danzo really had transplanted a Sharingan into himself—especially from a fallen Uchiha—it was a crime that could shake the very foundation of the village. Even a rumor could spark rebellion from the Uchiha clan.
It had to be confirmed—now—so the damage could be contained.
Danzo's eyes narrowed.
"Hiruzen, you…"
But it was over.
He could no longer hide it.
With slow hands, he reached up and unraveled the bandages covering the right side of his face.
As the layers came off, everyone in the room held their breath.
Then they saw it—Danzo's right eye.
A crimson Sharingan. The three tomoe spinning slowly in its socket.
The room fell into silence.
"Look," Danzo said coldly. "Open your eyes and see! This is what the older generation has given for Konoha!"
Utatane Koharu puffed out her chest, glaring at Minato and Kakashi with a proud expression.
To someone watching, they might have thought it was her who bore that painful scar. Her attitude said as much.
But just as she was about to go on another tirade, Mitokado Homura, seated beside her, tugged urgently at her sleeve.
Koharu swatted his hand away. "What are you doing? Can't you see I'm educating the younger generation?!"
She had waited too long for this moment. She wasn't about to be interrupted.
But Homura leaned in, voice low and filled with tension. "Look at Danzo's right eye. Carefully."
Koharu, puzzled, looked.
And froze.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"Danzo… you… How do you have that eye?"
The Sharingan spun slowly, its three tomoe glaring back at her.
Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a deep sigh, shaking his head.
So it was true.
"Danzo, how did you get the Sharingan?" Koharu asked, her voice trembling.
Danzo's expression was unreadable.
"Hmph. What's there to explain?" he said at last.
"Back then, Kagami and I were fighting side by side against an enemy ambush. He was critically injured. Before he died, he entrusted me with his only remaining eye—and the future of the Uchiha clan."
"I've protected Uchiha out of loyalty ever since."
He looked directly at Hiruzen.
"You know the Uchiha wouldn't allow outsiders to possess their dōjutsu. I didn't want the transplant either. But this was Kagami's last wish. His trust."
"I took this burden because I had to."
"I've said it before—the Root's greatness and the burdens we carry aren't things the younger generation could ever understand."
He raised his chin, his voice becoming louder, more passionate. There was even a glimmer in his eyes—as if what he was saying was sacred truth.
By the time he finished, he looked like a martyr.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Slow, deliberate applause rang out.
Danzo turned his head sharply toward the sound.
Kakashi stood there, clapping.
"Well said," he said, smirking under his mask. "As expected of you, Lord Danzo. Turning lies into truth and black into white so effortlessly. You're a true inspiration."
"It seems I was too full of myself. Compared to you, I've still got a long way to go."
Danzo's eyes narrowed.
This was my script. How dare you steal my narrative?
Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat.
"Enough, Kakashi. I understand why you're angry—because of what happened with Obito. But you don't know the full story. You didn't see what kind of man Kagami was."
"Kagami was an heir of the Will of Fire. He placed the village above his clan."
"I believe he could entrust the eye to Danzo. And I believe Danzo's intentions were sincere."
"But…"
Hiruzen turned back to Danzo, voice grave.
"You should've told us. Concealing such an important matter nearly led to a conflict between the Uchiha and the village."
"You were wrong to hide it."
Danzo grunted in frustration but didn't speak.
He knew Hiruzen was helping him—defusing a crisis before it could explode.
"Because of your... circumstances, I'll treat this as a special case."
"You're to resign from your position as Head of the Root, effective immediately."
"You'll remain confined to your residence for a month and submit an 8,000-word letter of guarantee. An Anbu will come to collect it."
"During this time, you are not allowed to leave, nor give any orders to Root."
Hiruzen's voice was final.
Danzo clenched his fists but didn't object.
Minato stepped forward. "Hokage-sama, there's something else I must report."
"During a mission, Kakashi found a surviving member of the Uzumaki clan. She was pregnant. Considering our alliance with the Uzumaki, I brought her back to stay near Kushina."
At that, a red-haired woman stepped into view—Uzumaki Kana.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flickered with interest but quickly turned indifferent.
"Oh, the Uzumaki? That's a minor matter. As long as she passes the inspection, I have no objections."
"But avoid contacting Kushina for now. Her status is... sensitive."
Hiruzen waved his hand.
He was eager to end this meeting.
Not because he wasn't curious—but because now, he had more pressing matters to discuss with Danzo.
Kagami entrusted the Uchiha's future to Danzo?
He might as well have given it to the head of the Hyuga clan.
What a joke.
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