Chapter 93: Chapter 93
Hyuga Kazushi glanced at the shouting Danzo Shimura, his eyes flickering as he bowed to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Hokage-sama, the injuries of Hyuga Setsu were indeed caused by Wood Release. You should be most aware of this."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened at these words as he grabbed Hyuga Setsu's arm.
The legendary God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, had long disappeared, and very few living had seen Wood Release. He was one of them.
Upon careful observation, his expression grew grim. Though not as strong, the marks were indeed from Wood Release.
"Hokage-sama, apart from Lord Hashirama, only those involved in the experiments might possess the cells."
As the Hyuga clan leader, Hyuga Kazushi was aware of this secret.
His words broke Hiruzen Sarutobi's resolve.
In today's Konoha, very few could obtain Hashirama's cells. Danzo Shimura was one of them.
Months ago, when the mysterious Wood Release user appeared, Danzo Shimura had admitted to his experiments. Although he claimed to have stopped, who could know the truth?
As Root's power grew, Hiruzen Sarutobi lost control over some matters. Yet, he let Danzo continue, believing he could manage him.
Now, it seemed Danzo was relentless. If forty Hyuga members were captured, the mysterious Wood Release user might be under Danzo's command. They likely captured the branch clan's ninjas together.
Moreover, the Hyuga clan's sudden decision to remove the Caged Bird Seal suggested that Danzo obtained forty pairs of Byakugan.
The more Hiruzen Sarutobi thought, the more reasonable it seemed. The once-integrated Senju clan couldn't produce a sudden Wood Release user. Danzo Shimura's experiments likely succeeded.
Looking at Hyuga Kazushi, he noted the Hyuga clan, a founding family of Konoha, didn't need to kneel before him. Their animosity towards Danzo was evident, but their exact grievances remained unclear, except Danzo's exploitation of branch clan members.
Another point puzzled him: the fake branch clan corpses.
Both Hyuga Kazushi and Danzo Shimura, being elite Jonin, didn't notice this?
"Hokage-sama," Hyuga Setsu bowed, "Please send ANBU to the heavy prison. The truth will be clear."
"Alright."
Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized this couldn't be resolved privately. The crowd's gaze felt like pins and needles.
"Qing, lead a team and follow him."
"Yes," replied the frog-masked female ninja.
"Danzo, do you have anything to explain?"
After they left, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to the now composed Danzo Shimura.
"I didn't do these things."
Danzo Shimura clenched his fists, confident he had destroyed the evidence. However, Hyuga Kazushi seemed prepared, possibly to frame him.
His faith in Aburame Ryoma's abilities reassured him. The all-pervasive insects should have erased any trace.
Ten minutes passed. No one left. Danzo Shimura began to sweat under the scrutinizing stares, feeling like he was on trial.
Suddenly, chakra fluctuations appeared. Forty Hyuga ninjas materialized, each holding a baby.
Danzo Shimura felt a chill. These were infants captured on Orochimaru's orders.
Orochimaru! Realization dawned on him. Orochimaru's earlier agreement was a setup.
Hyuga Setsu's arm showed signs of rejecting experimental cells, a clear hint of Orochimaru's involvement.
But no one would believe him, not even Hiruzen Sarutobi. Given his past deeds, mentioning Orochimaru's name would seem like a desperate deflection. Orochimaru, a hero of the Second Shinobi War, would not be easily accused.
"What's with these babies?" Hiruzen Sarutobi, expecting the Hyuga ninjas, was shocked by the infants' presence. He feared the worst.
Before Hyuga Setsu could respond, a woman from the crowd screamed, "Aoi! That's my missing baby from last night!"
The thirty-something woman rushed to an infant, holding her with tearful joy.
"Hokage-sama, these children were taken by Danzo for human experiments," Hyuga Setsu bowed, delivering the final blow. His loud declaration spurred the woman, who angrily confronted Danzo Shimura, "You demon!"
Her courage incited the crowd. Insults erupted, damning Danzo Shimura and his ancestors.
Trembling with rage, Danzo Shimura's chakra surged. But Hiruzen Sarutobi's more formidable aura crushed him to the ground.
"Ah!"
Danzo Shimura screamed as Hiruzen Sarutobi's unrelenting chakra broke his bones, his face bloodied.
"From today, all Root activities are suspended. Danzo Shimura is relieved of his advisory duties," Hiruzen Sarutobi declared coldly.
"Hiruzen, you!"
"This is my utmost leniency."
Danzo Shimura fell silent. He understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's intent: don't force a harsher response. Given his actions, execution was justified.
---
Haruki raised an eyebrow. True friends, indeed.
Despite everything, Hiruzen Sarutobi spared Danzo Shimura's life.
In the original story, Root disbanded after the Fourth Shinobi War, but its remnants remained active. Root could still serve as Konoha's hidden force.
Nonetheless, this incident dealt a fatal blow to Danzo and Root, making any future resurgence unlikely.
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