Right after Danzō roared those words, his voice suddenly cut off.
His lone pupil shrank sharply.
For a moment, he seemed to forget even the pain of his crippled limbs.
Only disbelief remained, along with the fury of realizing he had been played.
"Genjutsu!? Damn it! You bastard, how dare you use Genjutsu to influence my mind!"
He had been placed under Genjutsu.
He had spoken what was truly in his heart.
And he had said it in front of everyone.
As a Hokage Advisor, one of Konoha's highest-ranking officials, he had publicly threatened to kill someone's entire family in front of Konoha shinobi.
His current situation was already delicate enough, especially with the First Hokage cell transplant experiments exposed.
He had not even figured out how to deal with that yet.
And now, in front of so many witnesses, he had said something that could only be described as treasonous.
In that brief moment, Danzō could already see where this would lead.
At best, he would be stripped of his position as Hokage Advisor, removed as the leader of Root, and thrown into prison.
At worst, he would be executed as an example.
A chill settled in Danzō's heart.
All of this had started after Kinoe was exposed.
And it was all because of this damned Uzumaki brat, who had dared to commit such an outrageous act against him, a Hokage Advisor.
"Why does Advisor Danzō love blaming others so much?"
Seiryū's tone was filled with indignation and innocence.
"First you said I attacked a Hokage Advisor for no reason. Now you're saying I used Genjutsu to influence you."
"What? Does being an Advisor mean you can use your position to bully ordinary people like us?"
Seiryū looked genuinely wronged.
"This is terrifying. I'm still just a child, and you're putting such a huge accusation on me."
"That's going way too far."
As he spoke, the innocent-looking Seiryū fired another bolt of Hakurai.
The white lightning pierced straight through Danzō's right leg.
Blood splattered as the attack passed cleanly through.
"Ahhh!"
Another shrill scream tore from Danzō's mouth.
After screaming so much, his voice had already begun to turn hoarse.
Despair, killing intent, anger, and countless other emotions surged through him.
His expression became even more ferocious.
This damned brat.
He actually dared to torture him like this.
And Danzō could not resist at all.
He was like a fish laid out on a chopping block, helpless to do anything as the other party carved him up however he pleased.
"Heehee. So an Advisor's screams are no different from an ordinary person's."
Listening to Danzō's screams, a smile identical to Kurenai's appeared on Seiryū's face.
It was innocent.
Curious.
As if crippling Danzō were nothing more than a simple experiment.
"I thought the screams of someone in power would sound different from ours."
"..."
Everyone present looked solemn and stunned.
A chill even ran down several people's spines.
The boy was only in his early teens. He had a handsome, delicate appearance, and his expression looked innocent and naive.
Yet his methods were ruthless.
Without hesitation, he crippled Danzō's limbs and pierced through his thigh.
The contrast was overwhelming.
If they had not seen it with their own eyes, some of them might have wondered whether they had fallen under a Genjutsu.
"What exactly happened here?"
Hiruzen could not match Minato's speed with the Flying Thunder God Technique and only arrived now.
He immediately scanned the scene.
When his gaze landed on Seiryū's side, his brows furrowed at once.
Then he said in a deep voice, "Put him down first, Seiryū. What do you think you're doing?"
Danzō and Seiryū, the disciple of Jiraiya and Tsunade, had come into conflict.
How had these two ended up fighting?
After Hiruzen's warning, Danzō should not have dared harbor any crooked thoughts toward Seiryū.
What surprised him even more was Danzō's current state.
In such a short amount of time, Danzō had been seriously injured, sealed, and strung up like this.
Clearly, Seiryū had done it.
Just how much had this child grown?
Although Hiruzen had many doubts, the most important thing right now was making Seiryū put Danzō down.
This was far too improper.
After all, Danzō was still a Hokage Advisor of Konoha.
"Hokage-sama, I know you must have many doubts and misunderstandings right now, but forgive me. I can't obey that order."
Seiryū shook his head.
His expression was extremely serious.
"Before my lawyer arrives, I won't listen to anything or do anything."
"Also, Advisor Danzō is guilty of heinous crimes and holds deep malice toward me. I'm worried that if I let him go, he'll desperately try to kill me. I'm scared."
He knew what Hiruzen was thinking.
The old man wanted to turn a major incident into a minor one, then quietly make the minor one disappear.
That was how politicians usually handled things.
They could argue later, but Seiryū could not release Danzō.
If he let Danzō go now, the man would likely be protected.
Killing him later would not be so easy.
"..."
Hearing Seiryū's words, countless people present fell silent.
Was this what scared looked like?
When he crippled Danzō, he had not hesitated at all.
If he was going to act, he should at least make it look convincing.
"He is seriously injured now. He can no longer threaten you."
Hiruzen had not expected Seiryū to defy his order, and his brows furrowed even deeper.
However, he also knew about the "illness" that gave Tsunade such a headache.
When Seiryū became extremely agitated, he was capable of anything.
So Hiruzen kept his voice calm, as if trying to soothe him.
"I will investigate everything clearly. If Danzō is at fault, then even as a Hokage Advisor, he will face the punishment he deserves."
At that moment, Hiruzen had already made some judgments in his heart.
For Seiryū to deal such a heavy blow against Danzō, Danzō must have done something to provoke him and push him into this state.
Hiruzen knew exactly what kind of person Danzō was.
He might have done something to Seiryū in secret, completely enraging the boy.
This matter was troublesome.
"Hokage-sama, don't be fooled just because he looks badly injured and helpless."
Seiryū continued shaking his head, his tone grave.
"If I undo the seal, the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique engraved in his body might activate and drag me down with him in a suicide attack. I can't take that risk."
Danzō was absolutely capable of using a mutual destruction method like that.
In the original story, to protect Uchiha Shisui's right eye, he had tried to use the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique to take Uchiha Sasuke down with him.
Danzō had to die.
But he could not die like that.
Otherwise, others might think Seiryū had forced Danzō to his death, damaging his reputation in the Village.
Reputation was very important.
Later, when he became the Hokage's assistant, he could use his good reputation to make money.
A good reputation could be used to make money again and again.
How did that saying go?
There would always be great scholars to argue on his behalf.
"..."
After hearing this, Hiruzen's headache grew worse.
Once this child became agitated and made up his mind, no one's words were useful.
Not even his.
Even if Tsunade were here, she might not be able to make Seiryū release Danzō.
The title of Hokage was useless in front of this child.
Hiruzen knew from Tsunade that Seiryū was the kind of ruthless person who would attack immediately after hearing the name Madara.
He paused.
Hiruzen was about to say something else when someone spoke first.
"Hokage-sama!"
Fugaku flashed in front of Hiruzen.
He glanced at Seiryū and Danzō, then turned to Hiruzen and spoke in a deep voice.
"There is something I need to ask."
Hiruzen frowned slightly.
"Clan Leader Fugaku, what is it?"
Why was the Uchiha Clan joining in at a time like this?
He already had more than enough of a headache.
"I would like to clarify something."
Fugaku bowed respectfully.
Then he looked toward Seiryū and Danzō, took a deep breath, and asked in a heavy voice, "Just now, I believe I heard the word Izanagi. Can you explain what exactly happened?"
Izanagi.
That was a forbidden jutsu of the Uchiha Clan.
A forbidden technique that required sacrificing one Sharingan.
Why was it being mentioned by outsiders?
And why had it been used by an outsider?
This matter had to be clarified.
"..."
Danzō, who had only just recovered slightly from the pain of having his thigh pierced, immediately changed expression.
His face turned pale.
Whether it was from blood loss or because he had realized something, no one could tell.
If the matter of him transplanting a Sharingan was exposed, there would be no path left for him to live.
There it is.
Hearing Fugaku's question, a subtle smile appeared at the corner of Seiryū's mouth.
Then he pretended to be surprised and dropped the bomb.
"Eh? Clan Leader Fugaku already knows Advisor Danzō's right eye is a transplanted Sharingan from your Uchiha Clan?"
Earlier, Seiryū had deliberately mentioned the Sharingan and Izanagi.
He had done it so Fugaku would hear.
Transplanting the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.
Mastering the Uchiha Clan's forbidden jutsu, Izanagi.
This was theft of the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai and forbidden technique.
How could the Uchiha Clan tolerate that?
Forget a Hokage Advisor.
Even if it were the Hokage, the Uchiha Clan would never let this go.
Coveting the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan and forbidden jutsu.
Secretly conducting inhumane First Hokage cell transplant experiments.
Using his position as Hokage Advisor to place a bounty on a Village shinobi through the black market and demanding that he be captured alive.
With these three major crimes, even a Hokage would become a rat in the street, despised by everyone.
As for Danzō?
How could he possibly survive?
Even with Seiryū's sharp mind, he could not think of a way out for him.
"He transplanted my Uchiha Clan's Sharingan?"
Hearing this, Fugaku erupted.
Under the force of his emotions, his three-tomoe Sharingan activated.
He stared fixedly at Seiryū and Danzō's right eye, his voice heavy.
"I need to confirm that with my own eyes."
"Easily done. Easily done. I'm the most helpful person there is."
Seiryū revealed a cheerful smile.
Purple Chakra transformed into an arm.
It tore away the bandage covering Danzō's right eye.
"Hey, what's there to be shy about? Advisor Danzō is just too bashful."
Seeing Danzō keep his right eye tightly shut, Seiryū laughed happily.
He controlled the Chakra arm and pried open Danzō's right eye.
A grayish-white, lusterless eye was revealed.
"Bastard!"
Seeing that grayish-white eye in Danzō's socket, Fugaku clenched his fists.
The anger and killing intent on his face were plain for everyone to see.
Although it was now grayish-white and no longer showed the appearance of a Sharingan, the Uchiha Clan was very familiar with Izanagi.
A Sharingan that lost its light after using Izanagi became exactly like this.
Everything pointed to one fact.
Danzō had indeed transplanted the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.
This had crossed the Uchiha Clan's bottom line.
"..."
Hiruzen's face had completely darkened.
Damn Danzō.
To think he had actually done something so treasonous.
What was he trying to do?
The Uchiha Clan was already at odds with the Hokage faction.
And now, Danzō, as a Hokage Advisor, had done something like this.
The matter had become even bigger.
And even harder to handle.
"Advisor Danzō transplanted the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan?"
"Something like that..."
Seeing Fugaku's fury and Danzō's grayish-white, lightless right eye, the expressions of the others also became serious.
Everyone understood what this act meant.
Kekkei Genkai and secret techniques were the deepest foundations of a clan.
They were tied to a clan's survival.
Now, someone had coveted another clan's Kekkei Genkai, successfully transplanted it, and even used it.
This was far too serious.
No clan wanted its Kekkei Genkai or secret techniques leaking outside.
If that happened, the clan would gradually decline until it eventually disappeared.
"Hehehe... hahaha!"
At that moment, Danzō suddenly let out a crazed laugh.
It was ferocious, irritable, and carried a strange trace of relief.
It was over.
Everything was over.
Danzō knew very well what the consequences would be now that this matter had been exposed.
He also understood the personality and methods of his old friend Hiruzen.
To appease the Uchiha Clan's anger, Hiruzen would not care about their old friendship.
Danzō had no way to survive.
And there was no excuse he could use to evade responsibility.
If Uchiha Kagami's body had not been taken away by the Uchiha Clan after his death, perhaps Danzō could have claimed that the eye was a gift from Kagami.
But now, he could not come up with any reasonable excuse that Fugaku would believe.
Still, even if he had to die, he would drag this damned Uzumaki brat down with him.
At the very least, he would cause trouble for him.
Danzō's lone eye moved, fixing firmly on Seiryū.
His voice turned cold.
"I am curious. Why are you so familiar with the Uchiha Clan's forbidden jutsu? This is not something you should have access to."
"Did the Uchiha Clan offend you? Are you researching the Sharingan to find its weaknesses so you can take revenge on them later?"
Seiryū simply shrugged and sneered.
"Why do I know? Read more books. The Senju estate has manuscripts left behind by the Second Hokage."
"I learned about the forbidden jutsu Izanagi from some of the Second Hokage's writings."
"Also, I had a grudge against Setsuna, not the Uchiha Clan. Don't mix the two together."
"And that matter is already over. The grudge has been settled."
"I'm not a despicable person like you, coveting the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, constantly plotting against them, secretly conducting inhumane Wood Style Kekkei Genkai transplant experiments, and placing bounties on Village shinobi through the black market while demanding they be captured alive."
Seiryū laid out Danzō's crimes one by one, then curled his lips.
"Why would I waste my time retaliating against them?"
"I'm different from a despicable person like you, someone who only knows how to hide in the shadows and cause trouble."
"When I have a grudge and find the right chance, I usually settle it myself."
The golden chains lifted Danzō in front of him.
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Seiryū's mouth.
"Just like now. When I found out you placed a bounty on me through the black market and demanded that I be captured alive, I came to find you immediately."
"It's nothing serious. I'm just settling a grudge."
"So please, Advisor Danzō."
"Die."
(To be continued.)