Chapter 129: Sophistry and the Gamble
It had to be said that the sight of Hanzo's corpse carried immense weight. Koharu Utatane, who had been hovering at a state of half-belief after hearing the testimony from Sarutobi Yuki—a member of the Hokage Guard and the Sarutobi clan—was now eighty percent convinced. However, more than the truth of the conspiracy, she was concerned with Hiruzen Sarutobi's current condition.
With the Hidden Sand tearing up the treaty to invade via the Land of Rivers and the Hidden Mist's movements across the vast sea remaining a mystery, Konoha had essentially regressed to the same state of peril it faced immediately after the death of Tobirama Senju.
In such a crisis, Hiruzen Sarutobi—as the Hokage and the village's pillar—was indispensable.
Of course, she had her own selfish reasons as well.
When Hiruzen had hurriedly ascended to the position of Hokage, he had been forced to rely heavily on his old teammates. Over the years, they had leveraged that bond to firmly grasp a significant portion of the village's power. If Hiruzen truly met a premature end, the future would become murky, and Koharu feared her own influence would be the first thing to wither.
"Minato has already taken Lord Third back to the main camp in the Land of Grass to seek treatment from Tsunade," Sakumo Hatake finally spoke. He had remained silent since his rare display of fury in kicking down the doors.
"Minato has mastered the Flying Raijin Jutsu," Sakumo continued, explaining further as he saw Koharu's urgent, questioning expression. "With Tsunade at the camp, Lord Third should be out of danger."
"The Flying Raijin? Our Master's Flying Raijin?!"
Sakumo's explanation left Koharu stunned where she stood. It had been a very long time since she had even heard the name of that technique.
The rest of the meeting room fell into a similar state of shock, the air thick with disbelief. Only Danzo remained focused on Hanzo's body, his face shifting from a dark, stormy hue to a ghostly pale.
The reality of Hanzo's corpse was a crushing blow to his plans.
"Danzo, what do you have to say for yourself now?" Hatani's voice rang out like a thunderclap, interrupting the hushed whispers of those still reeling from the news of a new Flying Raijin master.
Only then did the assembled shinobi realize they had allowed themselves to be momentarily distracted from the main event.
"Hanzo was just killed by Sakumo-sama, and his body was sealed immediately," Hatani continued. "His brain might still be viable. Why don't we have the Intelligence Division attempt to probe his memories?"
"Yamanaka Yoshimitsu!"
Danzo had yet to respond, but Koharu's eyes lit up at Hatani's suggestion. She immediately looked toward the Yamanaka Jonin.
"At once."
Yoshimitsu, catching her drift, stood up immediately. He moved to reseal Hanzo's body into a scroll, intending to head straight for the Torture and Interrogation Force.
"Koharu Utatane, are you truly so foolish that you're willing to believe a word they say?"
The movement finally snapped Danzo out of his shock. Though he knew he had lost this round, he wasn't ready to give up. He doubled down on his aggression, shouting his interrogation at Koharu.
"Jonin Yoshimitsu, please wait a moment," Hatani called out, stopping the Yamanaka in his tracks. He shot a cold sneer at Danzo—the man who wouldn't shed a tear until he saw the coffin—and produced a second scroll.
"This is the body of the traitor Akimitsu, who actually carried out the assassination attempt on Lord Third. Please have the Intelligence Division investigate this one as well."
Danzo's face froze, his expression tightening.
"Danzo, until this matter is cleared up and Hiruzen returns to the village, it is best that you and all members of Root do not take a single step outside of your headquarters."
Koharu signaled Yoshimitsu to take the scrolls and leave. She then turned back to Danzo, her voice slow, deliberate, and absolute.
"This is nothing but a conspiracy between Sakumo Hatake and the Namikaze brothers to seize the Hokage's seat!" Danzo roared.
He was making his final stand. He had to.
"I suspected their treachery long ago, which is why I planted a Root spy in Sakumo's squad to monitor their every move. Clearly, they discovered the spy, secretly contacted the Hidden Sand and Rain, and orchestrated the hit on Hiruzen—only to frame me for it!"
Danzo's voice grew louder, drowning out the murmurs in the room.
"Otherwise, why is my spy nowhere to be found? They must have eliminated her to prevent their secret from leaking!"
He then turned his gaze toward Sarutobi Yuki.
"Yuki! Sakumo intentionally chose the moment when Hiruzen and Hanzo were at a stalemate to 'save' him, all to win your trust. You cannot let yourself be deceived by them!"
Clearly, Danzo had decided to use Hatani's earlier fabricated version of the story as his foundation. After all, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, no one would believe that a half-grown brat—a fresh Chunin—could have personally killed a legend like Hanzo.
However, Danzo's attempt to muddy the waters walked him right into a dead end.
"Hmph! Who is right and who is wrong will become clear the moment Lord Third recovered and returns to the village," Yuki snorted. He couldn't reveal the truth about Hatani's strength to refute Danzo, so he simply stood his ground.
"Since that is the case," Koharu added, "Sakumo Hatake and Namikaze Hatani, you will also remain at your homes until Hiruzen returns. You are not to leave under any circumstances."
Koharu kept her eyes fixed on Hatani as she spoke, searching for a reaction. Hatani merely shrugged, looking completely indifferent.
Sakumo looked slightly displeased but gave a curt nod.
Seeing their reactions, Koharu felt a weight lift from her chest. Personally, she was much more inclined to trust Sakumo. After all, she knew Danzo all too well. Ever since the day their Master had designated Hiruzen as the successor, Danzo's heart had been fundamentally twisted by envy.
Still, she had to play it safe. If Sakumo and Hatani didn't object to house arrest, it only reinforced their innocence.
"Konoha is at its most vulnerable point, Koharu! By doing this, you are endangering the entire village! I cannot accept this!"
Seeing that his final gamble had failed to move her, Danzo's face turned glacial. If Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't actually dead, then staying trapped in the Root base was equivalent to waiting for his own execution.
If Hiruzen was dead, even if he eventually "won" the argument when the news arrived, the village would likely have already chosen a new Acting Hokage in the interim. All his scheming would have been for someone else's benefit.
Neither outcome was acceptable.
"Danzo, this is not a negotiation!"
Realizing that Danzo was indeed the one most likely to turn violent, Koharu's expression grew cold. She glared at him, her voice sharp and authoritative.
"Hmph! Do you truly think you have the right to order me?!"
Danzo had been willing to play nice as long as he could use Koharu to further his goals, but now that the masks were off, he had no intention of bowing his head.
With his cold snort, the Root ninjas in the room tensed, their hands moving toward their weapons.
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