A bitter late-spring rain suddenly poured from the darkened sky.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, carried Enma transformed into the Adamantine Staff as he slowly walked toward the riverbank.
The Naka River, one of the great rivers surrounding Konohagakure, flowed endlessly through the village. The Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan had once lived on opposite sides of its waters. It was here, many years ago, that Hiruzen Sarutobi first met Danzo Shimura.
From that day onward, they had walked the same path through countless storms and hardships, supporting one another for decades.
But today, that bond might finally come to an end.
Hiruzen never doubted Danzo's ability to escape from Root. Root had been Danzo's domain for over twenty years. If he chose to flee from there, no one in the village could easily stop him.
The real question was where he would go afterward.
There was only one place.
This riverbank.
Danzo would come here and wait for him.
And Hiruzen needed answers.
Too many things had happened recently. Ever since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had been plagued by instability and unrest.
His mood was already at its lowest point.
Holding the black staff tightly in his hand, Hiruzen radiated killing intent. No matter how one looked at it, this conversation was unlikely to remain peaceful.
As expected, Danzo sat alone by the river, silently staring at the rushing waters of the Naka River.
His appearance was miserable.
Blood covered his body. His clothes were stained so thoroughly that their original color could no longer be seen.
Hiruzen's heart trembled.
This was the first time he had ever seen Danzo in such a pitiful state.
The hand gripping the staff tightened until his knuckles turned white.
Naturally, Danzo's condition was largely an act.
He had merely been resting and recovering his chakra. Although he appeared drenched in blood, he was not seriously injured.
Izanagi allowed the user to return to the state recorded by the Sharingan before activation.
Every death he had suffered during the battle had been genuine, but each time Izanagi restored him.
His greatest issue now was chakra exhaustion. His legs felt weak, but he was nowhere near as injured as he appeared.
He wanted Hiruzen to see him like this.
Transplanting Sharingan and Hashirama's cells were grave crimes. However, Hiruzen was still the Third Hokage. If Danzo wished to remain connected to the village, he needed to move him emotionally.
Even if he officially died and continued operating from the shadows afterward, Konoha would still be Konoha.
Root remained his true source of power.
As long as Root remained under his influence, a false death meant little.
Watching his old friend approach, Danzo wiped the blood from his face and spoke weakly.
"You've come, Hiruzen."
Then he immediately played his emotional card.
"Do you still remember this river?"
"Of course I remember," Hiruzen replied. "This is where we first met."
Many years ago, two boys had stood beside this very river.
One carefree teenager had been playing by the water while another watched nearby.
Turning around with a smug grin, Hiruzen had challenged him.
"Danzo, I bet I can pee farther than you."
"Bullshit!"
Young Danzo had immediately accepted the challenge.
The result was disastrous.
His stream barely traveled any distance before splashing directly onto his own feet.
For a brief moment, Hiruzen found himself lost in those distant memories.
Then reality returned.
Without warning, he swung the Adamantine Staff down at Danzo.
Danzo casually raised a hand to defend himself, but Enma suddenly extended an arm from the staff and seized his throat.
"Are you... trying to kill me?" Danzo asked with difficulty.
"You still dare bring up our childhood?"
Hiruzen's voice rose sharply.
"Tell me. Is Uchiha Kagami's eye in your possession?"
"Uchiha Kagami saved your life countless times. How could you..."
His anger became increasingly difficult to contain.
"Speak!"
"Answer me!"
Enma's grip tightened further.
Danzo's face reddened as the pressure on his throat increased.
"You will answer me right now!"
Danzo felt consciousness beginning to fade.
If he could have spoken, he would have cursed Hiruzen on the spot.
How was he supposed to answer while being strangled?
Just as he began considering whether he needed to activate Izanagi to save himself, Hiruzen finally realized the problem.
Enma released his grip.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Danzo collapsed onto the wet ground, coughing violently.
"Explain yourself," Hiruzen said coldly. "Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that I won't kill you myself."
Danzo took a deep breath before speaking.
"When the incident involving Uchiha Kagami happened, I was the first person to arrive. The Uchiha Clan was about to reach the scene as well, so I had no choice but to take his eye."
He looked directly at Hiruzen.
"Do you not understand why?"
"At the time, Uchiha Yama was preparing to become the head of the Uchiha Clan. If Kagami's eye had fallen into his hands, who could have restrained the Uchiha afterward?"
"I did it for Konoha."
Without hesitation, Danzo shifted the blame onto the dead.
"Uchiha Kagami's death had absolutely nothing to do with me."
"What about the Sharingan?" Hiruzen demanded.
"Those eyes were collected from Uchiha shinobi who died in battle. I never murdered a fellow ninja of Konoha for them."
Danzo's expression remained solemn.
"Do you truly think I'm that kind of person?"
"Then why transplant them?" Hiruzen asked.
Danzo sighed heavily.
"Do you remember when Fugaku attacked the village?"
Hiruzen remained silent.
"I investigated him afterward and discovered that he had connections to an organization known as the Akatsuki."
He paused briefly.
"That is not the important part."
"The important part is that the leader of the Akatsuki possesses the Rinnegan."
Hiruzen stared at him for a long time.
Finally, he spoke.
"How many things are you still hiding from me?"
"I only know this much," Danzo replied quickly.
"The reason I went this far was to oppose the Akatsuki."
"The Rinnegan was possessed only by the Sage of Six Paths. Since they attacked the village, I had to prepare for the threat."
Silence fell between them once more.
Hiruzen's instincts told him Danzo was lying.
But at that moment, he no longer wished to uncover the entire truth.
Nor did he wish to continue pursuing it.
What he needed was a reason.
A reason he could use to convince himself.
And now he had one.
"Danzo."
Hiruzen's voice was calm.
"You transplanted Hashirama's cells."
"You transplanted Sharingan."
"And you took Uchiha Kagami's eye."
"By all logic and law, I should execute you."
He paused.
"But for the sake of everything we have been through together, I will not kill you."
Danzo silently listened.
"However," Hiruzen continued, "I will officially declare you a rogue ninja."
"Hiruzen, I can fake my death..."
Hiruzen raised a hand, stopping him.
"Leave."
"Join the Akatsuki."
"From this day onward, you will serve as Konoha's spy."
"You will become the village's eyes within the Akatsuki."
Danzo froze.
"As long as you complete your mission," Hiruzen continued, "I guarantee that one day you will be allowed to return, and your reputation will be restored."
After speaking, the Third Hokage turned and walked away.
Danzo sat motionless.
His expression shifted repeatedly.
Only after Hiruzen's figure completely disappeared into the rain did he finally burst into laughter.
"As expected of Hiruzen."
"As expected of the Third Hokage."
"As expected of our teacher's most outstanding disciple."
The laughter echoed across the river.
It was wild.
It was bleak.
For a man who was about to become a rogue ninja, it sounded incomparably tragic.
Above them, dark clouds filled the sky as heavy rain continued to fall.
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