The four other clan heads exchanged uneasy looks. By the strict rules of the Police Force, a murderer must answer with his life. But did those rules truly extend to the Hokage himself? Could the leader of the entire village be judged as any ordinary shinobi? To apply police law to a Kage… this would be unprecedented in the history of the shinobi world.
Ryosuke, calm as ever, broke the silence.
"Instead of rushing to pass judgment here, why not place the matter before all the clan heads of Konoha? Let us convene a full council. You four have already seen what was hidden in Danzō's laboratory. Gather that evidence into records. Then our Uchiha clan will host a formal council of clans to judge the Third Hokage before all."
His voice was steady, calculated. Such a move would leave no room for accusation of rebellion—it would be a trial by the village itself.
In truth, Ryosuke knew well that the Root base was filled with abominations. Even if they were Danzō's doing, the stain could easily be shifted onto the Hokage who had allowed him free rein. And Hiruzen was far from innocent—he had sanctioned much, turned a blind eye to worse. Once exposed, these truths would be enough to unravel his image as the kindly "Professor" Hokage.
Hiruzen's heart clenched at Ryosuke's words.
"You cannot do this!" he burst out, more desperate than commanding.
In Root's base lay evidence beyond denial—implements of human experimentation, surgical tools drenched in history's sins, even the dissected remains of Senju Nawaki, Tsunade's younger brother. That discovery alone had shaken even him: Danzō had dared experiment upon Hashirama's heir, the direct descendant of Konoha's founding clan. Madness.
If such horrors came to light, his name as Hokage would not just be stained—it would be destroyed.
Ryosuke studied him with thinly veiled amusement.
"Oh? You seem nervous, Lord Hokage. Tell me… what treasures could possibly lie in Danzō's little hideaway? Four clan heads, you saw it yourselves. Did you not?"
The clan heads shifted uneasily. The truth was undeniable: the Root's atrocities were monstrous, far beyond the pale of shinobi conduct. If the village learned of them, fear and outrage would ripple through every household. Trust in the shinobi system itself would collapse.
Yamanaka Inoichi finally spoke, his voice heavy.
"Yes… we did uncover things there. Things unspeakably cruel. To expose them would plunge the village into panic. The people would lose faith in the shinobi they depend upon."
Beside him, Nara Shikaku stayed silent, unwilling to voice the worst discovery of all: Nawaki's fate. That secret was too poisonous. It would not merely shame Konoha—it would brand it with eternal disgrace before the other Great Villages.
The Senju were the very pillars upon which Konoha stood. To kill the last heir of the First Hokage's bloodline under the watch of his successors? Unthinkable. Unforgivable. And yet, true.
Ryosuke's eyes glimmered.
"All the more reason not to hide it. A village that buries its sins cannot grow strong—only by facing the truth can we change. Prepare the evidence. Two days from now, we convene the council of clans. Also, make today's events public at once. If rumors spread without truth, it will only sow more instability."
Fugaku allowed himself a small smile. A clan council trial—what a perfect blow. With Root's horrors laid bare, Hiruzen's image would crumble. And in the ashes, the Uchiha would rise, not as conspirators in shadow, but as leaders standing in the light.
The four clan heads had no counterargument. The Uchiha were resolved to bring Hiruzen down, and resisting would serve no purpose.
The Third Hokage sat in silence, his face ashen. For the first time, he could see the full scope of his defeat. A lifetime of reputation, of guidance and wisdom—undone in days. His heart was heavy as stone.
Orders were swiftly carried out. Fugaku dispatched messengers to summon every clan head to the council. Notices were spread throughout the village, explaining the search, the discoveries, and—most shocking of all—the truth that the Hokage himself had slain his own ANBU, Uchiha Shisui.
The news swept through Konoha like wildfire.
"What? Did you hear? The Third Hokage killed his own ANBU, Uchiha Shisui!"
"That's impossible… Shisui, dead?!"
"It's true. I saw the Ino-Shika-Chō patrol carry his body back from the search. This isn't rumor—it happened."
Whispers and disbelief filled the streets. The "benevolent" Third Hokage, the man they revered as the village's wise guardian, was suddenly painted in blood. What punishment could possibly await the one who sat atop the entire village?
For the first time in decades, the people of Konoha looked at the Hokage's Monument with unease.