Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Hokage's Dilemma
"Damn it, Danzo!"
The Third Hokage, observing his crystal ball with a pipe in hand, abruptly stood up, his face clouded with frustration. He felt a tightness in his chest, unable to fully release his exasperation.
'I knew this stubborn old fool would stir up trouble again, especially with someone he can't even understand!' he thought bitterly.
But now wasn't the time for complaints. He donned his Hokage robe and turned to the Anbu beside him. "Go notify Tsunade and Jiraiya. Tell them to head to the scene immediately!"
Without another word, the Third Hokage rushed out of the Hokage Building.
When he arrived at the scene, he saw Shin standing with a cold expression. Around him lay the unconscious forms of several ninjas, only the root member who had attacked him missing his head. The rest bore severe injuries but were still alive.
As for Uchiha Shisui, he was lying on the ground with blood seeping from his eyes. His Mangekyō Sharingan had been removed by Shin.
Seeing that Shin hadn't killed the others, the Third Hokage felt a measure of relief; this at least meant there was still room for negotiation.
Internally, Shin was quite satisfied. Though Shisui had attacked him, he had gained a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan and Shisui's Kotoamatsukami in the process. Far from anger, he felt he had benefitted from this situation.
A quick check of the injured ninja had revealed the curse tongue eradication seal on their tongues, clarifying the situation instantly. It seemed typical of Danzo—Konoha's scapegoat and conspirator extraordinaire. If there was a secret scheme afoot, there was a good chance Danzo was behind it.
Danzo routinely employed high-risk tactics, leading to both successes and failures. When he won, he claimed all the credit; when he lost, he shifted the blame to Konoha.
Shin, keeping a serious expression despite his satisfaction, turned to the Third Hokage. Standing alertly beside him was Hizashi, though still technically a traitor. The village hadn't expelled him yet.
"Third Hokage, would you care to explain? Why did this Uchiha from Anbu suddenly attack me?" Shin asked, his tone icy.
The Third Hokage's face twisted with frustration. "I assure you, this is just an unfortunate incident… It might be related to the Uchiha clan's—"
"Let's not blame the Uchiha clan here," Shin interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I've seen the curse tongue eradication seal on these ninjas."
The Hokage felt a surge of panic. 'How could he recognize the curse tongue eradication seal?' he wondered. However, the immediate issue was not the extent of Shin's knowledge but how to handle this situation—or rather, how to shift the blame.
As he tried to compose a response, Shin continued, "Danzo orchestrated this, didn't he? When I wiped out his Root organization, he still held a grudge, even after you said it was all settled. So, does that truce mean nothing?"
At that moment, Jiraiya and Tsunade arrived, surveying the situation with frowns.
Shin noticed that Tsunade didn't show any symptoms of her former blood phobia, a clear sign that she'd finally overcome that psychological shadow.
"What on earth is going on here, old man?" Tsunade demanded, her voice laced with anger as she looked at the Third Hokage.
Sarutobi sighed. "Well… it appears there's been a minor misunderstanding."
"This doesn't seem like a minor misunderstanding," Jiraiya said sternly, his face serious.
"It's simple," Shin cut in. "An Uchiha from Anbu tried to use a Mangekyō-level genjutsu to control me."
At this, Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged glances. An ordinary Mangekyō attempting to control the Rinnegan? It seemed absurd—was he really so reckless as to try that?
The Third Hokage frowned. "This must be their personal decision…"
"Danzo's 'personal decision'?" Shin interrupted again. "Would Root operatives act without Danzo's authorization? Seems unlikely."
The Third Hokage fell silent while Jiraiya spoke up. "Well, why don't we bring Danzo here and get some answers?"
The Hokage knew that bringing Danzo into this could have fatal consequences. He knew Shin did not take matters like this lightly.
Still, the Hokage had no choice. He ordered an Anbu to summon Danzo, and the operative quickly disappeared.
Just as Shin was beginning to grow bored, Danzo finally approached, his expression dark.
Shin glanced up at him, sneering. "You must think I'm an idiot."
Before he finished speaking, he disappeared, moving so swiftly that even the Hokage and others could barely follow his movement. A scream pierced the air, and when they looked, Shin was already holding Danzo's severed head in his hand.
"You!" The Third Hokage was shocked and furious, a mixture of sorrow and anger flickering in his eyes. Before he could react further, Shin tossed the head aside.
"He didn't even want to come here himself," Shin said coldly. "It seems it was indeed the doing of that 'Darkness of the Shinobi World.'"
"What?" the Hokage asked, momentarily stunned. Tsunade, ever skilled in medical ninjutsu, knelt down and inspected the head. "It's a fake," she said. "Someone used medical ninjutsu to make it look like Danzo."
The Third Hokage sighed, feeling a wave of resentment against Danzo. Gathering his composure, he turned to Shin. "Rest assured, we'll see to this! From today, Danzo is stripped of all authority and will be imprisoned in Konoha's maximum-security prison!"
Shin smirked. "Is that so? Will that even make a difference? I doubt you'll be able to track him down at this point."
The Hokage's face reddened with embarrassment. For a Hokage to be unable to locate his own ninja was a humiliation.
Tsunade, rolling her eyes, cut through the tension. "So, what do you want to do about it, kid?" she asked Shin, though her words sounded more like a prompt to give the Hokage a way out.
"This kind of unauthorized attack on an allied force's leader is practically an act of war," Shin said calmly. "And to evade justice afterward—well, I think we can safely classify Shimura Danzo as a rogue ninja."
Shin turned to the Hokage, his gaze unwavering.
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