thefictionvixens Chapter 250 Revealing Danzo!
Chapter 250 Revealing Danzo!
Chapter 251 Revealing Danzo!
The voice of Menma, suspended in mid-air and transmitted through the white three-eyed fox mask, struck the hearts of every Konoha ninja.
The air seemed to freeze, with only the crackling of distant flames and the faint groans of the wounded remaining.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose name was directly mentioned, instantly turned extremely ugly.
His knuckles turned white from gripping the Vajra Staff so tightly, but his years as Hokage allowed him to quickly suppress the turmoil in his heart, and a solemn and dignified expression appeared on his face.
"Absurd! Shameless slander!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice boomed, filled with offended anger. He took a step forward, his sharp gaze fixed on the Shura in the air.
"The tragedy of the Uchiha clan was an internal rebellion caused by inflated ambition! The root of all this is you, 'Shura'! And that Uchiha woman beside you! It was you! You used sweet words to bewitch the Uchiha and incite their unwarranted ambitions! This must be a vicious contingency plan left behind by the long-dead Uchiha Madara! He's been dead for so many years, but his vengeful spirit and his schemes continue to wreak havoc on Konoha!"
He accurately shifted all the blame onto the deceased Uchiha Madara and the "outsider" before him, attempting to rebuild Konoha's morale.
"That's right!" Shimura Danzo immediately echoed coldly, slamming his cane heavily on the ground. "The Star Village harbors wolfish ambitions, which Konoha has long coveted! This is all their conspiracy!"
The clan leaders and elite Jonin of the various ninja clans present, including Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Hyuga Hiashi, although harboring doubts about the Uchiha's fate and even having some complaints about the higher-ups, instinctively sided with the village in the face of the mysterious and powerful external enemy, Shura, and the Uchiha and Hyuga branch families who had indeed "rebelled."
The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, especially when that "enemy" is so unfathomable.
However, their silence and inclination did not last long.
"Bewitchment? Coercion?!" A blood-soaked Uchiha survivor with a deep knife wound on his arm roared in grief and anger, pointing at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo.
"It's you! It's Konoha that has cornered us step by step! It's you who have never trusted us! You've driven us from the center of the village to the edge, treating us like thieves!"
"Now they're even going to exterminate our entire clan! They're letting that beast Itachi Uchiha slaughter your own parents and relatives! Is this something Shura forced you to do?!"
"That's right! If it weren't for the timely arrival of the Star Ninja, we would have died in the police department long ago, at the hands of that masked monster!" Another Jonin who survived the bloody battle in the police department shouted excitedly. His words resonated strongly with the other surviving Uchiha, and roars and accusations rose and fell.
Just then, Uchiha Shisui, standing within the crystal on the forehead of the towering, verdant Susanoo, spoke clearly, his voice filled with suppressed pain and deep despair:
"Sandaime-sama—"
Shisui's gaze pierced through Susanoo and landed on Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Once, the person I admired most was you. I believed you could bring peace and understanding to the Uchiha and the village—but now, please look at me and tell me—Danzo Shimura ambushed me, stole my eyes, and tried to silence me—you really knew absolutely nothing about it?"
This problem is more damaging than any accusation.
It directly challenges Hiruzen Sarutobi's conscience and credibility.
Hiruzen Sarutobi swayed slightly, his face flashing with extremely complex emotions: heartache, helplessness, and a hint of barely perceptible guilt.
He remained silent for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh: "Shisui—I am deeply saddened by what happened to you."
"When you disappeared, I did send out a large number of secret agents to search for you, but I—I really don't know who did it."
His words sounded sincere, but he cleverly avoided the core issue: whether he had doubts or knew the truth afterward.
"Hmph!" Shimura Danzo interrupted Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly, a cold light flashing in his single eye. He took a step forward, his voice shrill.
"Hiruzen, what's the point of hiding it now! It was I who discovered that Uchiha Shisui was secretly colluding with the Land of Stars, intending to harm the village, that led me to order the capture of this traitor! It's just a pity that he managed to escape and was even rescued by Shura, and then turned around and slandered me!" He turned the tables, throwing the dirty water back at him, and then immediately turned his head to the other side.
"And the Hyuga! Shura's designs on the Hyuga clan are no secret! He attacked the Hyuga main family twice, gouged out his Byakugan, and now he's even instigating a rebellion by the Hyuga branch family! This is all Shura's conspiracy! They are Konoha's greatest enemy!"
Danzo attempted to muddy the waters by using the rebellion of the Hyuga branch family and the "collusion" of the Uchiha clan, thus diverting everyone's attention back to external threats.
The clan leaders present frowned. Although they did not entirely believe Danzo's words, the intervention of a powerful external enemy and the defection of two major internal clans left them with little choice.
They must stand on the side of the village; this is fundamental to the existence of Konoha.
However, Danzo overlooked one point, or rather, he underestimated the evidence and determination that Shisui possessed.
"Danzo!" Shisui's voice suddenly rose, laced with icy mockery: "You say you're capturing a traitor? Then, do you dare to take off the blindfold from your eye right now, in front of everyone! And untie the bandage wrapped around your arm!"
"Let everyone see for themselves what shameful thing is hidden down there!!"
These words were like a thunderclap!
All eyes instantly focused on Shimura Danzo!
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was standing next to him, suddenly turned his head, his eyes filled with surprise and scrutiny!
Danzo's body stiffened instantly, and a barely perceptible hint of panic flashed in his single exposed eye.
He instinctively covered his bandaged right eye and right arm, and shouted in a fierce but weak voice, "Uchiha Shisui! Don't spout nonsense here and disrupt morale!"
"Nonsense?" Shisui sneered, his voice echoing throughout the area: "When you ambushed me back then, you used the forbidden Sharingan technique—Izanagi! That three-tomoe Sharingan that allowed you to successfully use Izanagi to ambush me was stolen from the Uchiha clan by you!"
"I swear on my honor, Uchiha Shisui, and on these eyes! Beneath the bandages on your right eye and right arm, Shimura Danzo, you have definitely transplanted more than one Sharingan from our Uchiha clan! You might even have transplanted my eye into your body!"
"As a high-ranking member of Konoha, you stole the Uchiha's bloodline limit and conducted forbidden experiments that desecrated the dead! Hokage, didn't you Konoha's higher-ups know anything about this?!"
These words contained a wealth of information and were direct and specific, instantly causing a huge uproar!
Stealing the Bloodline Limit?
Desecration of a corpse?
Taboo experiment?
These words struck the nerves of the ninjas from various clans like heavy hammers!
"Danzo! What on earth is going on?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was filled with shock and anger. He stared intently at Danzo, feeling for the first time that he was out of control of the situation.
Although he knew about Danzo and Orochimaru's collaboration, he thought everything was settled after Orochimaru escaped.
If what Shisui said is true, then Danzo's behavior is simply unbelievable!
Just as Danzo was stammering, creating an extremely awkward and tense atmosphere, Kisame Hoshigaki's tall figure silently appeared beside Hikari Uchiha, handed her a heavy scroll, and whispered a few words of report.
Uchiha Hikaru took the scroll, and the scarlet Mangekyou Sharingan lightly swept across the Konoha leaders opposite him before slowly unfolding it.
Her cold voice rang out, like reading a verdict:
"Perhaps words are not enough. Then, please listen to this - experimental records seized from the deepest part of Konoha's root base."
She began to read aloud the contents of the scroll clearly, each line shocking:
"...On [Date], Subject XXX, implanted with the three-tomoe Sharingan, sourced from a fallen Uchiha soldier, experienced a strong rejection reaction and died three hours later."
"...An attempt was made to fuse the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, with the Sharingan; the experimental subject exploded and died—"
"—After Orochimaru's defection, the experiment stalled, and the new researchers were unable to understand the core data—"
"Feasibility Report on Sharingan Transplantation and Izanagi Application"
Each cold, hard record, like the sharpest knife, cut open the festering sore beneath Konoha's glamorous exterior!
Steal the Sharingan from the Uchiha clan!
Desecrating the cells and tissues of the First Hokage!
They conducted inhumane human experiments!
All of this actually happened at the "Root" that protects Konoha!
After reading a few key records, Uchiha Hikaru flicked his wrist, throwing the heavy scroll at Hiruzen Sarutobi as if it were a kunai!
Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively caught the scroll, his hands trembling slightly.
He eagerly opened it, his eyes rapidly scanning the familiar root format and the appalling content. The more he looked, the paler his face became, and the more his fingers trembled.
Finally, he slammed the reel shut, closed his eyes, his face filled with pain and a chilling sense of utter betrayal.
He knew that Danzo was finished. Once these things were exposed in public, facing the wrath of the other ninja clans, even he couldn't protect Danzo!
Konoha's reputation will suffer an unprecedented blow!
Although the clan leaders and Jonin around them could not see the specific contents of the scroll, the Third Hokage's drastically changed expression and the fragments read by Uchiha Hikaru were enough for them to deduce the general truth.
The look in his eyes as he looked at Danzo was instantly filled with shock, disgust, and deep wariness. Menma, who was suspended in the air, spoke again at this moment.
He walked slowly through the air, as if surveying his own territory, his voice coming through the mask with a knowing indifference and mockery:
"Do you see that? These are the high-ranking members of Konoha whom you are loyal to. Perhaps Madara Uchiha foresaw all of this back then, foresaw that the establishment of Konoha would eventually lead to suspicion, exclusion, and even complete purging and plunder of the Uchiha - that's why he wanted to take the Uchiha away. Unfortunately, the clan members at that time chose to believe in Konoha and betrayed their clan leader."
His gaze swept over the Uchiha survivors below, whose faces were filled with confusion, anger, and sorrow.
"But what has the Uchiha clan gained over the years? Suspicion, surveillance, isolation—even their clan territory was moved from the core area of the village to the outermost edge. People who don't know the situation might think that Konoha Village was built solely by your Sarutobi clan."
"Shura! Stop inciting unrest here!" Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed the shock in his heart and shouted sternly, "I am deeply saddened by the fate of the Uchiha clan, but that is absolutely no reason for you to incite rebellion and divide the village!"
"Incitement? Division?" Menma's voice carried a hint of contempt: "Compared to how you gradually pushed the Uchiha clan, the founders of Konoha, to the brink of extermination, and even incited Itachi Uchiha to slaughter his own relatives—what are my actions compared to that?"
His gaze slowly swept over the heads of various clans, including Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Inuzuka Tsuru, his voice carrying a certain demonic power:
"I still remember, the distant Land of Water, the Hidden Mist Village—they first used a pretext to attack the Yuki clan, almost wiping them out under the pretext of treason, and then pressed on step by step, until the Kaguya clan could no longer tolerate it and launched a rebellion, and then justifiably exterminated the Kaguya clan—"
"So, which ninja clan will be the next one that the Konoha leadership sees as a thorn in their side and wants to eliminate?"
These words were like a cold, poisonous thorn, instantly piercing the hearts of all the ninja clan leaders present!
Especially those ninja clans that are not direct descendants of the Hokage and have only a general relationship with the Sarutobi clan.
They couldn't help but feel a chill; even the Uchiha clan, the founders of Konoha, were being treated this way—
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it will grow wildly.
Menma seemed to think the time was right. He waved his hand gently, his tone returning to its previous indifference: "Enough, there's no point in saying more. Arguing won't get us anywhere. Now, let those who want to leave make their own choice."
Killing Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi and then unleashing a powerful attack on Konoha would be too lenient on them.
Killing someone is too easy; he wants to destroy their spirit!
He wanted to crush Konoha's corrupted Will of Fire into the mud!
As Mianma finished speaking.
Hyuga Hizashi suddenly took a step forward, ripped off the Konoha headband that had long since lost its function, and slammed it to the ground!
His gaze swept over the ashen-faced Hiashi Hyuga and Hiruzen Sarutobi, his voice firm and resonant:
"The Hyuga clan has long been corrupt from within! The so-called main and branch families are nothing but locks around our necks! And Konoha is the biggest accomplice in maintaining these locks! A village like this is better off gone! I, Hyuga Hizashi, on behalf of all branch family members who pursue freedom, hereby declare our withdrawal from Konoha!"
"From this day forward, I swear to follow Lord Shura to the death, and to find our true home!"
Immediately afterwards, Uchiha Shisui, within his Susanoo, loudly proclaimed, his voice echoing far and wide: "The corruption within Konoha's leadership is so profound, it's chilling! I, Uchiha Shisui, withdraw from Konoha!"
Then, he looked down at Uchiha Fugaku, who had been silently observing, and urged, "Clan Head Fugaku! Konoha can no longer tolerate the Uchiha! Look at your comrades around you, look at the clansmen who have died! It's time to make the final decision! For the future of the Uchiha!"
Fugaku Uchiha stood in the center of the ravaged clan territory, looking at the expectant, angry, and survival-driven eyes of the surviving clansmen around him, and then at the mysterious and powerful Shura and Hikaru Uchiha on the high wall.
He had originally resolved to die, preparing to exchange his own and his clan's blood for Sasuke's future, but the intervention of Hoshinobi and the exposure of Danzo's crimes gave him a glimpse of a different possibility in the darkness.
A completely different path that might preserve the Uchiha bloodline and power.
He took a deep breath, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted, or as if all his resolve had been gathered; his voice, heavy yet crystal clear, resounded across the battlefield:
"As the head of the Uchiha clan, I hereby declare: 'The Uchiha clan, from this day forward...'"
"Leave Konoha!!!"
A few resounding words, like the final death knell, brought a cracked end to this bloody night and to the decades-long feud between the Uchiha and Konoha.