Chapter 14: Chapter 14:- Truth
[Back at the hokage's office]
Inoichi Yamanaka had used his mind reading jutsu to extract information about Danzo's past crimes. Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, leaned against her desk, her face a mask of concentration. Beside her stood Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake, both equally solemn. Kenshin, the one who had captured Danzo, watched intently, his sharp eyes never leaving Danzo's motionless form. Akane had been sent home because she was too exhausted from using her mangekyo sharingan several times.
Inoichi took a deep breath, his voice steady but tinged with the weight of the revelations he was about to share. "I've found the information we need," he began, his eyes meeting Tsunade's."Danzo's crimes are numerous and deeply rooted in Konoha's history."
"Start from the beginning," Tsunade ordered, her voice firm. Inoichi nodded, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking. "Danzo's earliest documented crime dates back to the Second Shinobi War. He orchestrated the assassination of several high-ranking Konoha officials who opposed his methods, using Root operatives to carry out the killings. These officials were considered obstacles to his vision of a stronger, more militaristic village."Tsunade's eyes narrowed, but she remained silent, allowing Inoichi to continue.
"Next, there's the infamous incident involving the Uchiha clan," Inoichi said, his voice growing graver. "Danzo manipulated events from behind the scenes, exacerbating tensions between the Uchiha and the village. He stole Shisui Uchiha's eye, a powerful Mangekyo Sharingan, and used it to further his own agenda. His actions directly contributed to the eventual massacre of the Uchiha clan, orchestrated by Itachi under Danzo's influence."
Kakashi's hands clenched into fists at his sides and Guy placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, his usually cheerful demeanor replaced by a rare solemnity. "But it doesn't end there," Inoichi pressed on. "Danzo was heavily involved in illegal experiments conducted by Orochimaru. He provided human subjects for these experiments in exchange for forbidden jutsus and knowledge. Many innocent lives were lost or irreparably damaged due to these experiments, all to sate Danzo's thirst for power."
Kenshin's eyes flashed with anger. "I told you he was dirty, but even I didn't know it was this much!" he muttered, his voice low but filled with fury.
Inoichi glanced at him before continuing. "One of Danzo's most egregious crimes was the attempted coup against the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Danzo sought to usurp the leadership of the village by force, believing that Hiruzen's policies were too lenient. He orchestrated several assassination attempts, all of which failed, but caused significant turmoil within the village."
Tsunade's grip on the edge of her desk tightened. "That explains a lot," she said through gritted teeth. "The constant strife, the unease... it all points back to him."
Inoichi's voice grew even more somber as he recounted the final and perhaps most chilling crime. "Danzo's actions during the Third Shinobi War were particularly heinous. He ordered the execution of entire villages believed to harbor enemy spies. Men, women, and children were slaughtered to ensure no information leaked out. These were not isolated incidents but a systematic campaign of terror, all carried out under his direct orders." A heavy silence fell over the room as Inoichi finished. The weight of Danzo's crimes hung in the air like a dark cloud.
"Is there more?" Tsunade asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Inoichi shook his head slowly. "There are countless smaller crimes and transgressions, but these are the major ones. Danzo's actions have left deep scars on this village and its people." Tsunade took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "We need to make this information public. The village deserves to know the truth about Danzo and the extent of his treachery."
"About that... Itachi doesn't want the public to know. He wants to maintain the reputation of the Uchiha clan and not let it be tarnished by the revelation of their attempted coup." Kenshin interrupted.
"And how, may I ask, did you obtain that information?" Inoichi inquired, skeptical about why Itachi wouldn't want to be proven innocent especially since his own brother was out for revenge against him.
"I met Itachi during one of my missions. My Jonin teammate went rogue and I, alongside a chunin from my team, attempted to take him out. The chunin was killed. And just when I was about to lose, Itachi happened to show up. He killed the traitor but, Itachi didn't kill me. He saved me. And later, he told me this. And he told me the truth behind the Uchiha massacre. And all those allegations I made earlier? That was from Itachi as well. And they all turned out to be true."
"But..... we can't just keep Danzo's crimes a secret! The people need to know! Even if Itachi wishes to keep it a secret." Guy finally spoke out, but the rest of them remained silent in thought.
"Guy-san, I didn't say we need to keep all of it a secret. Just the truth behind the Uchiha massacre. Itachi sacrificed so much for this village, let's just respect his wish." Kenshin implored, knowing that if this wasn't kept secret, the timeline would change too much and it'd be hard for him to predict future events.
The room fell silent, and after a long pause, Tsunade finally spoke. "Very well, we will keep the truth of the Uchiha massacre a secret. But the rest will be revealed. Danzo will be punished. That's all, take this trash out of my sight!" Tsunade ordered, getting up and walking out of her office. She needed some fresh air after all that had happened in the past two days. She needed rest.
The silence in the room was heavy, and Inoichi took Danzo away to imprison him for the night as tomorrow, he would be given due punishment.
One by one, Guy and Kenshin left as well. Guy was still unconvinced on keeping a part of the truth hidden but he decided to trust Tsunade's decision.
"It looks like I've gained their trust. Danzo attacking so soon was the best thing to happen all day. And with my left eye, I just might be able to convince Nagato to let me and mom become citizens of the leaf and leave the rain for good. But for now, I want to spend the night with my dear Akane nee-san." He said to himself as he giggled and walked towards Akane's apartment.
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