Danzo: The Old Man Was Forced! The Old Man Is Innocent! (2)
Konoha – Central Square
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood in the heart of Konoha's central square, his gaze heavy with contemplation. His once-sharp eyes, now clouded with age, observed the unfolding chaos before him.
A clash had erupted between the Konoha Military Police Force and Root. Amid the conflict, two extraordinary talents had risen above the fray—Might Guy and Uchiha Shisui.
It was difficult to reconcile the sight of the loud, eccentric young man, who spoke endlessly of youth, with the terrifying force he unleashed in battle. Sarutobi had heard the rumors of the Eight Inner Gates but had always thought of them as exaggerated. Yet, here was Might Guy, already capable of opening the Seventh Gate at such a young age.
For a moment, the Hokage regretted not paying closer attention to the boy. Decades ago, he had allowed Might Duy's son to enter the Academy as an exception. If he had taken a more active interest, he might have swayed Guy to his side instead of letting him fall under Bai Ye's influence.
In that battle, Guy had shattered a Susanoo with his bare fists. The sheer impossibility of such a feat was staggering.
Yet, if Sarutobi had lost one genius, he refused to let another slip away.
Uchiha Shisui.
A descendant of Uchiha Kagami, a man who once served under the Second Hokage. It was said that Shisui's loyalty lay not with his clan, but with the village itself.
Such a person was easy to manipulate.
Unlike Uchiha Satoshi, who was ambitious and difficult to control, Shisui was a man who could be won over with a simple phrase:
"This is for the village."
Sarutobi had seen it time and time again. A shinobi willing to die for the village was a shinobi that could be used.
---
Meanwhile, in the interrogation chamber...
Shisui, bound and bruised, lifted his head. His voice was steady as he spoke.
"I was following orders. I did what I did for the sake of the village's stability."
A long silence followed.
To this day, Shisui did not believe he had done anything wrong. A subordinate obeying their superior's command—that was the foundation of the shinobi system.
Was that not the very principle upon which Konoha was built?
Did the laws of the Konoha Military Police Force now take precedence over the fundamental rules of a shinobi's duty?
Ridiculous.
Before he could say anything further—
"Your answer is irrelevant."
Uchiha Bai Ye's voice cut through the silence.
Bai Ye was never one for unnecessary talk. He had been away on an assignment for three days, and by his own standards, today was supposed to be a day off.
But work came first.
As the Captain of the Uchiha Guard, he had no patience for drawn-out discussions.
"Itachi, you handle this."
Bai Ye gestured to Uchiha Itachi, standing at a distance.
---
Itachi hesitated.
He had expected many things, but not this.
He and Shisui were more than comrades—they were like brothers. Shisui had guided him, trained him, trusted him.
And now, he was being ordered to strike him.
Uchiha Satoshi's voice remained indifferent.
"Hit him. If you do a good job, I'll increase your pay."
Itachi's fingers curled into a fist.
Money?
It was a poor motivator, but that wasn't what mattered.
He was undercover.
A single hesitation could ruin everything. His cover, his mission, everything he had worked for.
He had no choice.
---
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the room.
Shisui's head snapped to the side, his cheek burning. His wide, disbelieving eyes locked onto Itachi.
The boy who once trailed after him like a shadow, the boy who had once looked up to him...
That boy was gone.
All that remained was a member of the Uchiha Guard, staring at him with unreadable eyes.
"Answer the Captain's questions. Speak only when spoken to."
Itachi's tone was cold, distant—yet, beneath it was a subtle warning.
Do not say anything unnecessary.
Even in this situation, he was trying to protect Shisui.
But Shisui did not understand.
"...I understand."
The light in his eyes dimmed.
---
Bai Ye stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"Are you guilty?"
Shisui opened his mouth.
A moment of silence stretched between them.
He knew the answer that Bai Ye wanted to hear.
If he resisted, he would be struck again.
If he continued to argue, the punishment would be worse.
"I am guilty."
He bowed his head.
"I should not have led Root against the Uchiha Guard."
A pause.
"…But I ask Captain Bai Ye to recognize that the other Root shinobi had no part in this. This is my responsibility alone—"
SLAP!
Another blow.
This time, Itachi was quicker.
Shisui looked at him, stunned.
"Why—?"
Itachi sighed, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Because if a criminal pleads for his comrades, the village will fall into chaos."
He leaned in, his words sharp.
"And because you're questioning Captain Bai Ye's judgment."
Shisui paled.
But he wasn't finished.
He lifted his head, his voice stronger now.
"I plead guilty, but I do not accept it!"
Bai Ye raised an eyebrow.
Interesting.
Even after all of this, Shisui still clung to his ideals.
"I admit that I obstructed the Uchiha Guard's authority. But I do not believe that Lord Danzo—our leader—would ever resort to force, let alone against the Hokage's wife!"
His voice rang out defiantly.
"If Lord Danzo is innocent, then he is not a criminal! If he is not a criminal, then the Uchiha Guard has unjustly enforced the law! That would mean I was right all along!"
Itachi exhaled slowly.
"You're impossible."
---
Bai Ye's lips curled into an amused smirk.
"Bring out Subject #2."
A moment later, Shimura Danzo was dragged forward, his body weak from his injuries.
Shisui's face lit up.
"Lord Danzo!"
This was it.
This was his chance to prove the man's innocence!
"Lord Danzo, tell them you did not force Biwako—"
SLAP!
This time, it wasn't Bai Ye.
It wasn't Itachi.
It was Danzo himself.
A deep, furious red spread across his pale face.
"You fool!" he hissed. "Do not speak of such things in public!"
The damage, however, was done.
A wave of gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Did he just admit it?!"
"Danzo-sama… really did it?"
"He didn't even deny it…"
Danzo could feel it.
The end of his ambitions.
His path to power had already been difficult, but now?
Now it was impossible.
He glared at Bai Ye, at Sarutobi, at Biwako.
One day.
One day, he would make them all pay.
But for now…
"The old man was forced!" Danzo suddenly shouted.
The entire crowd fell silent.
Then—
"You WHAT?!"
A voice erupted from the back.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was purple with rage.
His hands clenched into fists.
"I'LL KILL YOU, DANZO!"
And with that, the Hokage charged.
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