In the dim depths of ROOT's headquarters, Danzo stared at his subordinates' reports, his headache mounting. He hadn't expected that his secret communications with Orochimaru would be discovered by the Third Hokage.
Kakashi had killed a ROOT informant, and he'd retrieved two three-tomoe Sharingan. He also seized Orochimaru's scroll and handed it straight to Sarutobi!
The speed of the revelation left Danzo stunned. Hadn't Tō and Kabuto just delivered the intel? No wonder he hadn't reacted yet!
"So… the Third-sama may come looking for me at any moment!" Danzo clenched the scroll so tight its seals creaked, his voice cold and wary.
Beside him, Gita looked alarmed—if the Third convened the council, backlash could sweep Danzo away. But Kabuto and Tō exchanged quiet smirks. Tō had unwittingly leaked info to Kakashi, who'd acted with uncharacteristic swiftness. Then Kabuto had fed Danzo's informant's location to Tō, creating a clever feedback loop.
Danzo sneered but regained composure. "Both of you—return to the village at once. And you don't share this with anyone."
Tō and Kabuto bowed and vanished in a flash.
Alone, Danzo muttered with a chilling smile, "They think I can't find them in the shadows? It's just… I don't have the time to chase them right now."
Meanwhile, atop a seemingly ordinary residential building near the village, Kabuto and Tō surveyed the houses below in silence.
Tō's thoughts drifted back to the lessons of his previous life: What defines a ninja? What defines a village? To him, as an Uzumaki, the clan had long been erased from history. Revenge held no meaning. To him, the meaning of a village was peace and belonging—but the essence of being a ninja…
Tō turned to Kabuto, face pale in the moonlight: "What are we? You've spent so long searching for purpose. At times I wonder it too."
Kabuto replied quietly, even when he laughed, there was strain in his voice: "You once said—if you lose yourself, set a goal, find an ideal. But do you have one?"
Tō blinked. Kabuto continued: "My dream is simple. To be a ninja who can support my family. To keep my mother safe, find a wife, have kids, and care for my parents. Is that… stupid?"
Kabuto's shock was clear. He assumed Tō hungered for power, for notoriety. But here was his ally, dreaming of a simple, stable life.
Tō's realization came abruptly: "But sometimes people want greatness too, so others fear them. Strong enough to intimidate even someone like Orochimaru. Someone like you. But—can I achieve that?"
Kabuto chuckled and nodded. Tō managed a genuine smile in return. For now, preserving what matters was enough.
Early the next morning, commotion erupted in the Hokage's office. Even the guards flinched.
"The proof! Danzo—do you presume I'm accusing you falsely? What evidence do you have linking you to Orochimaru? A scroll and two Sharingan eyes?"
Danzo replied coolly, glaring sharply toward Sarutobi: "What proof do you have? A scroll and eyes alone? Maybe next time, I'll plant forged evidence to frame you."
The Third Hokage shook his head, pointing to the large container holding the eyes: "Only the Medical Corps had access to this container. You've frequently visited them. And only someone in intel could procure two Sharingan so swiftly. Don't think the Anbu are compromised—we uncovered this easily."
Danzo's sneer returned. He tossed another scroll to the Third and his advisors, voice mocking: "Read it."
Sarutobi unrolled it, narrowed his eyes, and met Danzo's gaze: "Is this all true?"
Danzo nodded. "You all know who I am—childhood friends, Hiruzen-sensei included. But the Uchiha have been a problem since the Second Hokage's era. I can still contain them—for now. The dispatch of Tō as a double agent was an Uchiha plan, not mine. Of course, I merely sent him. All he brought back was intel."
He scoffed: "You're too idealistic, Hiruzen. Don't think we must be naive. This could spark a Uchiha coup—or worse."
Sarutobi frowned in thought. His advisors gulped and read the scroll. Their reaction was fierce: "Uchiha betrayal—collusion with Orochimaru—are they planning a coup?"
The Third sighed before turning to Uchiha's head, Fugaku, at HQ. There, Tō sat calmly across from the clan leader.
"I don't believe this can topple Danzo, sir. He's equally the Third's student—and if he fabricates evidence, it might backfire on the Uchiha. Then the blame shifts onto you."
Fugaku bristled. "Explain ourselves? We owe him nothing! If you betray us, take that up with me. As for Naruto… that's not your doing. He came by himself. And Anbu were around my home without my command."
Tō rose: "No need to discuss this further. Continue as usual," he said, walking out firmly.
Sometimes, clarity is hidden in silence, and explanations breed their traps. If the Uchiha remain so arrogant…
Tō's mind hardened: I need a better backup plan. Because if this clan—or Danzo—falls, I can't rely on them anymore.
You said:
Please use an accurate and factual tone in the story.
ChatGPT said:
Chapter 38: The Major Incident
By 可不可以 (Translated)
In the dim depths of ROOT's underground headquarters, Danzō frowned at the reports laid before him. The shocking truth had arrived: the Third Hokage had discovered his secret dealings with Orochimaru.
Kakashi had slain a ROOT informant and recovered three three-tomoe Sharingan. Even more alarming, he seized Orochimaru's secret scroll and delivered it directly to Sarutobi!
It was a lightning-fast exposure that left Danzō reeling. If not for Tō and Kabuto bringing him the initial intelligence, he might still be in the dark.
"That means the Third Hokage will come for me soon," Danzō gripped the scroll until its bindings groaned.
Gita, at Danzō's side, was visibly anxious—if Sarutobi convened the council, Danzō's fate could be sealed. Meanwhile, Kabuto and Tō exchanged knowing glances. Their unintended leaks—Tō's revelation to Kakashi and Kabuto's tip-off about the informant—had created a clever chain reaction.
With a cold expression, Danzō said, "The two of you return to the village. Remember—don't tell anyone about this."
Tō and Kabuto inclined their heads and vanished silently.
Once alone, Danzō chuckled softly to himself: They think hiding will save them. The darkness is mine—right now, I just have bigger matters at hand.
Meanwhile, atop a quiet four-story residence near Leaf Village, Kabuto and Tō surveyed the houses below in silence.
Tō's thoughts drifted back to the lessons of a past life. What defines a shinobi? What defines a village? As an Uzumaki, he understood that his clan had been wiped from history. Seeking vengeance felt hollow.
A village, he realized, is where belonging and peace begin. But what defines a shinobi?
He turned to Kabuto, voice soft with uncertainty, "Kabuto, what are we? You've searched for your identity for so long… sometimes I wonder the same."
Kabuto paused, his usual calm tinted with something deeper. "You once said: when you lose yourself, set a goal—an ideal. But do I have one?"
Tō blinked. Kabuto continued quietly, "My dream… is simple. To be a shinobi who can support my family. To keep my mother safe… to build a life with a partner… to care for my parents. Is that dream... foolish?"
Kabuto's surprise was obvious. He'd assumed Tō's ambition was power, greatness—but here was an ally whose deepest hope was stability and family.
Tō absorbed the weight of that. Finally, he said, "Yes—sometimes we crave legacy or strength. To make even someone like Orochimaru fear us. Like... you. But even if that's impossible, isn't caring for what truly matters enough?"
Kabuto only nodded, touched. And Tō offered him a genuine smile. For now, preserving what they cherished felt right, even amidst their uncertain, dangerous paths.
Early the next morning, a furious roar thundered through the Hokage's office. Guards shrank back, unnerved.
"Danzō! Do you think I'm blindly accusing you? What proof links you to Orochimaru? A scroll and two Sharingan?"
Danzō's reply was icy. "What proof do you have? Maybe next time I'll plant forged evidence… frame you instead."
Sarutobi shook his head, pointing to a sealed jar on the table. "Those Sharingan—only the Medical Corps access jars like that. You've been visiting them. And possessing two eyes so quickly? Only intel operatives manage that. Don't think the Anbu are fully compromised. We can still discover these things."
Danzō sneered but quickly tossed another scroll onto Sarutobi's desk. "Read it."
Sarutobi unrolled it. He examined it, merciless pause… then asked his advisors, "Is this genuine?"
Danzō replied, cool as ever: "Childhood ties aside, we grew up together, yes. But the Uchiha have been a fracture in the village since the Second Hokage's time. I can restrain them—for now. But user Tō… that infiltration? That was the Uchiha's plan, not mine. I simply used it. And all he returned was intel."
He sneered: "You're too optimistic, Hiruzen. Situations have consequences."
Sarutobi paused, thoughtful. His advisors, shocked, read the scroll and gasped, "Uchiha collaborating with Orochimaru—planning a coup?"
Sarutobi sighed, then cut to Uchiha clan leader Fugaku, where Tō sat calmly.
"I doubt this alone topples Danzō," Tō said, measured. "He was your student. And if he forges more evidence, it could boomerang back onto the Uchiha. Eventually, people will trace it back to you."
Fugaku stiffened. "So you suggest we explain ourselves? We owe no one explanations. If you think I'm siding with Sarutobi—I'm not. As for Naruto… he came to me. The Anbu's presence was not my design."
Tō remained silent. "No more—pressing this could fracture further. We should stay focused."
Sometimes, when words multiply, clarity is lost. And if Uchiha pride leads to arrogance…
Tō thought quietly: I need a contingency. Should my clan—or Danzō—fall, I must be ready on my own.