Hiruzen Sarutobi was starting to lose his footing.
At a few subtle eye‑signals from him, several Anbu operatives peeled away from the formation and sped off toward the place where Danzō had been taken.
When Hiruzen noticed that Kakashi was about to move as well, he stopped him at once.
"Kakashi, you stay here."
That single sentence made the ready‑to‑depart Kakashi freeze in place.
Hiruzen was deliberately keeping Kakashi from chasing after Danzō. After all, Uchiha Chizumi had just declared—in front of everyone—that Sakumo Hatake's death was connected to Danzō, and Hiruzen feared Kakashi might act out of vengeance. Even knowing Kakashi was not that kind of person, the Third Hokage felt he had to be cautious.
Because…
Hiruzen was practically traumatized by Uchiha Chizumi by now!
Every time he thought he could predict what would happen, something completely unexpected occurred instead.
…
Hiruzen's face darkened as he looked deeply at Uchiha Chizumi.
"Chizumi… I hope someone like you, who wields such a threatening power, will not turn it on your fellow villagers. I know you seek justice, but justice must be grounded in the protection of the village."
He knew Chizumi would not heed these words; they were meant for the by‑standers. This way, people would see that the Third Hokage was shielding Danzō for the village's sake, not out of personal favoritism.
As for meting out heavy punishment to Uchiha Chizumi for openly disobeying the Hokage—
Hiruzen dismissed that dangerous thought.
Danzō's miserable state was still fresh in his mind. If he truly broke with the now‑stronger Chizumi, Hiruzen could not guarantee how many would have to die tonight to subdue him.
…
"It looks as though, for now at least, the dust has settled…"
Hyūga Hiashi murmured. Only the Hyūga behind him could hear:
"The Hokage compromised with Uchiha Chizumi tonight—though only half‑way, since he still tried to shield Danzō."
"Hiashi-sama," a Hyūga jōnin asked anxiously, "could Danzō have tried to steal our clan's Byakugan, too?"
Hiashi fell silent for half a heartbeat; a shadow crossed his eyes. His displeasure was aimed solely at Danzō.
"Every branch‑family Byakugan bears the Caged‑Bird Seal. Danzō could never unravel it,"
he said expressionlessly.
The jōnin—himself a branch member—also fell silent. The Caged‑Bird Seal was a cloud over every branch of Hyūga.
…
"Uchiha Chizumi… has he awakened the highest level of our clan's Sharingan? The legendary eye that sees through the three realms—the Mangekyō Sharingan!!"
Most Uchiha Police Force members were focused on that. Compared to the Mangekyō, Danzō's fate hardly mattered—there was a living Mangekyō user right before them!
"Clan Head Fugaku… he seems to have that power too! From up high I saw his eyes—they're not ordinary three‑tomoe Sharingan!"
Two Mangekyō users emerging in one night—could the Uchiha finally turn the tables and seize real power in Konoha?
"But Fugaku-sama just stopped us from helping Chizumi," someone said coldly, shattering the fantasy. "He stood with the Hokage, not with the clan."
Many radical Uchiha fell silent. Their own clan head was siding outside—what could be sadder?
"And Uchiha Chizumi…," a calm officer added, "does that man look like someone who can be manipulated?"
…
Meanwhile, on Danzō's side
The fourth Sharingan on his arm slowly closed: he had already used Izanagi four times in a single night. Yet the hellish divine‑retribution flame clinging to the depths of his soul still would not go out.
In less than two minutes he had been burned to an infernal abyss again and again, only to rewrite reality during Izanagi's brief invincibility. The cycle tormented body and soul.
"There must be a way… there must be some way out—aaagh!!"
Only five Sharingan remained on his arm, plus the one in his eye—six minutes of Izanagi at most.
When crimson fire burst once more from his feet, despair shone in Danzō's eyes. The agony of flesh‑and‑soul immolation never dulled. His whole body erupted in flames again.
"Aaaaaaah!!"
The nearby Root shinobi were just as frantic. They had tried everything—Medical Ninjutsu, Sealing Jutsu, Water Release—yet nothing quenched that eerie fire. Even sealing it into a scroll was useless.
Izanagi triggered again. Danzō clawed bloody furrows into his wrinkled face. Despair brewed until he almost gave up:
"No! Even in hell that fire will follow and torment my soul!"
Soul… body… He bit down so hard a tooth cracked. Just as a flash of insight came, the spontaneous flame engulfed him again, the pain obliterating thought.
"AAAAAAH!!"
When his body regenerated, Danzō stared at a bewildered Root ninja—the most gifted in sealing besides Danzō himself. Years ago Danzō had even stolen forbidden techniques from the Sealing Scrolls and given them to this man to study.
"Gen! Use that jutsu!"
As the fourth Izanagi neared its end, Danzō formed the signs again and screamed:
"Use the Reaper Death Seal!"
"Danzō-sama, I haven't yet—"
"Silence!!!"
Red‑faced, he roared,
"Do it! The fire first appeared at my legs—cut off my legs' soul connection, you fool… Aaaaargh!"