"Think through the consequences? No, Danzo… you should be the one thinking clearly about the consequences!" Tsunade's voice cracked like thunder across the office. The veins in her temple pulsed; her patience had reached its end.
This wasn't going to end with words. If they didn't expose Danzo today, his shadow would continue festering within Konoha.
Koharu and Homura exchanged uneasy glances. Both elders had been dragged here without warning, and the sudden escalation left them pale. They had served alongside Danzo for decades, but the sight before them—Tsunade openly cornering him with ANBU blades at the ready—left them shaken.
Danzo sat rigid, cane pressed to the floor, his single visible eye unreadable.
"Danzo," Tsunade pressed, voice low but sharp as a blade, "secretly experimenting with the First Hokage's cells. What do you have to say about that?"
A faint sneer twitched at Danzo's lips. "That was Orochimaru's doing, not mine. Blame a traitor who abandoned the village, not me."
The denial rolled off his tongue like water.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed, fury flashing across her face. "Still lying, even now? You've always been quick to hide in another's shadow. Then tell me this—what about your involvement in the Uchiha massacre? Don't play dumb."
The weight of her accusation settled over the room.
Danzo's expression did not change. "After Uchiha Itachi carried out the clan's annihilation, the remaining Sharingan became assets of the village. They were merely kept in my custody to prevent misuse."
His calm was infuriating. He spoke like a man convinced his lies were the truth.
"You're really good at twisting your excuses, Danzo," Tsunade spat. "Maybe others can be fooled by that routine of yours. But me? Do you take me for a child?"
The tension snapped when she slammed her palm onto the desk, splintering wood.
"Then answer me this: why is your right eye Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan—the one that carries Kotoamatsukami, the most dangerous genjutsu of all?"
The words fell like a hammer.
Koharu gasped audibly. Homura stiffened, hands trembling at his sides. Even Shikaku's usually calm eyes widened in alarm. He had heard the rumors—that Shisui's eye could manipulate a person's will without them ever realizing. If Danzo truly held it…
Danzo's back was damp with sweat beneath his robes. Tsunade's aim had been true from the start. If she pressed further, if she forced him to reveal what lay beneath his bandages, his secrets would unravel before them all.
But Danzo was no fool. He wouldn't just sit there and let himself be gutted.
"Tsunade," he said smoothly, redirecting, "wasn't this council called to investigate the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki? You suspect I abducted her. Then let ANBU search my Root base. They'll find nothing, because I've done nothing. That should be proof enough."
He shifted the conversation back toward the safer ground. On this one point, he was untouchable—he hadn't been the one to act.
But Tsunade's scowl deepened. "Don't try to change the subject." Her tone cut like steel. "By my authority as Hokage, I order you to remove your blindfold. Here. Now."
The room froze.
Koharu and Homura both turned their heads, refusing to meet Danzo's eye. Neither of them wanted to be dragged into this any further.
The ANBU closed in tighter, silent, ready. Every masked gaze was locked on Danzo's single, uncovered eye, waiting for the slightest movement.
Danzo's grip tightened around his cane until the wood creaked. Rage threatened to spill over—rage at being cornered so thoroughly. He had walked into a trap, a banquet set with poisoned wine.
His only choices now were to resist outright… or to admit the truth and gamble on persuasion.
The silence stretched until Danzo finally exhaled, his face unreadable.
"…I admit it," he said at last. "My right eye bears Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan. But the ability it holds—Kotoamatsukami—is far too dangerous. Left unguarded, it could have fallen into the wrong hands. By keeping it, I protected this village."
His words rang with conviction, but the reaction was immediate.
Koharu recoiled as though burned. Her hands curled against her robes, the color draining from her face. "Shisui's… eye?"
Homura edged back as well, unsettled by the thought. If Danzo had wielded such a power all this time, who was to say he hadn't already used it on them?
For the first time, Shikaku spoke. His voice was calm, but heavy with intent. "Tsunade-sama, I recommend Elder Danzo surrender Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan. Its existence in his possession poses too great a risk. None of us can be certain he hasn't already used it."
Danzo turned his head slowly, his eye glinting with venom. "Nara Shikaku… the newly appointed assistant to the Hokage. Quick to bare fangs, I see."
Shikaku bowed slightly, unflinching. "I'll take that as a compliment."
The silence that followed was suffocating, every eye fixed on Danzo, waiting to see whether the shadow of Konoha would bear its true form—or strike back.
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