Silence fell once more.
A dead, suffocating silence.
It was as if an unseen gloom had descended over the entirety of Konoha.
As the night deepened, that shadow only grew heavier.
None of Konoha's elites dared speak.
They could only listen—quietly, helplessly—to the ongoing self-exposure unfolding before them.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood frozen, shock written all over his face.
He had known his old friend had done questionable things.
At times, he had even deliberately turned a blind eye.
But—
No one had ever told him it was this much.
And worse—
That Danzō would confess it all so brazenly, standing here in front of everyone!
Compared to the collective silence, the reaction of the two Hokage advisors was far more dramatic.
"Damn you, Danzō! You were really this deranged?!"
"Execute him! Execute him at once! Someone kill Danzō—he deserves to die!"
The two of them practically jumped in place, shouting one after the other.
At first glance, they looked like paragons of righteous indignation.
Unfortunately—
The ANBU only glanced at the Third Hokage.
And did not move.
Meanwhile, Danzō continued speaking under Kai's control.
"Not just the eyes… the estates of those who died in war…"
"Danzō, you old bastard—you really deserve to die!"
Hearing this, Koharu Utatane finally snapped.
Her hands moved quickly, and a dark blur shot out.
A shuriken.
Whoosh!
At the same time, Homura Mitokado followed suit, forming seals and spitting out chakra without hesitation.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Their target—
Danzō.
The ANBU stationed nearby, for reasons unknown, reacted just a fraction too slowly.
They simply watched as the two advisors' attacks flew straight toward the defenseless Danzō.
A completely unguarded Danzō.
Even a Kage-level shinobi would be hard-pressed to survive such a strike.
In fact—
Even a super-Kage could be knocked unconscious by a single punch from a toddler if caught unprepared.
This was well-documented.
It worked!
Seeing the attacks about to land, both advisors' eyes lit up at the same time.
Pop~
But the moment the shuriken and jutsu neared Kai's three-foot domain—
The same scene repeated itself.
Like a drop of water falling into the sea.
A faint ripple.
Then—nothing.
They vanished into ash.
Kai stepped forward, blocking Danzō once more.
And at that moment, the controlled Danzō continued his confession obediently.
"The estates were laundered successfully with the help of my two old friends—Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado."
"As for village subsidies—any orphan's share was docked."
"Orphans don't know better. At worst, they complain."
"If the resentment grew too strong, I'd recruit them into Root and implant the Tongue Curse Seal."
Thud.
Thud-thud.
It was over.
The two advisors exchanged a look, their faces instantly wilting.
They knew—
Their political lives in Konoha were finished.
The moment those words left Danzō's mouth, every gaze in the plaza changed.
Cold.
Furious.
Murderous.
Any trace of respect vanished completely.
No one had imagined that the Hokage's most trusted advisors—
Would turn out to be parasites of this magnitude.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned.
A rare flush crept across his old face.
Not from embarrassment—
But from sheer, burning rage.
The three people he relied on most to manage village affairs…
Had been digging Konoha's grave with their own hands.
And all of it—
Had happened under the banner of the "Will of Fire" he was so proud of.
In this instant, the balance in his heart collapsed entirely.
Opposite them—
Kai toyed with the small silver sun in his hand, calmly surveying the shock and fury rippling through Konoha's leadership.
A slow smile curved his lips.
Good.
As expected of the so-called "Shadow Hokage."
If someone had to take the blame—
Who better than Danzō?
And in truth, from the moment Danzō began speaking, the contradiction between the Uchiha and Konoha had already begun to shift.
"Shut up! Shut up! He's lying!"
"Yes—don't believe him! He's framing us—it's him!"
Koharu shrieked hysterically.
Her neatly pinned hair came loose, falling into disarray.
She looked like a madwoman.
Spinning around, she pointed straight at Kai, her face twisted with venom.
"That's right—it's him! He's controlling Danzō!"
"Kill him! Kill him now!"
"All ANBU—attack immediately!"
"I command you as Hokage advisor!"
"And Root—what are you waiting for?! Move!"
Cornered.
Desperate.
Kai's smile deepened.
"You two blood-sucking parasites…"
"Your usefulness ends here."
"Purge the court. Execute the traitors."
"And you'll be the first."
As his words fell—
Crimson chakra erupted around him.
Thick with a demonic aura, it condensed into massive hands that slammed downward.
Whooom!
The night sky was lit up.
"No! Hiruzen—save—"
Pshhk!
Koharu's scream cut off abruptly.
The crimson chakra hands closed—
Like crushing rotted timber.
Before Sarutobi Hiruzen's dim eyes—
Before the silence of every clan head and high-ranking ninja—
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were crushed midair.
Pshhk!
Blood rained down.
Under the blood rain, Kai stood unmoving—
Like a demon god incarnate.
So overwhelming that even looking at him felt painful.
Many instinctively lowered their heads.
Exhale.
"What a shame," Kai muttered casually. "Weren't these two part of the Hokage squad back in the day?"
"Why are their traits so garbage?"
He had seen clearly—
The traits on the two advisors.
Nothing but 'Chakra Refinement', 'Shuriken Familiarity'…
Or trash like 'Abuse of Authority' and 'Insatiable Greed'.
Even worse—
He'd pulled one of the few green traits.
[Defeated Koharu Utatane. Attempting trait copy…]
[Copy successful. Congratulations, Host has obtained Fine Trait: Corrupt Official (Green): You possess exceptional talent in embezzlement and profiteering.]
[Defeated Homura Mitokado… Copy successful. Congratulations, Host has obtained Fine Trait: Fox-and-Hound Friends (Green): Birds of a feather—taken to its logical extreme.]
"Fuse them. Just fuse them."
He didn't hesitate for even a second.
Completely useless.
After that, he took a deep breath and slammed Danzō—like a dead dog—onto the ground.
Bang!
"Tonight—"
One foot pressed down on Danzō's head.
One finger pointed at that arm soaked in sin.
Under blood rain and moonlight, Kai's small figure stood tall.
His voice rang out like a bell heralding a new era.
"With traitors' blood, we honor the dead!"
"With the crime of stolen eyes, we announce to the world!"
"Konoha's cancer—I, Uchiha Kai, will carve out with my own hands tonight!"
"Setting things right—begins now!"
Whooo—!
A gale swept through the plaza.
The stench of blood before the Hokage Tower was carried away.
Only the flames burning in hundreds of crimson Sharingan remained—
Declaring that Konoha was about to change hands.
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