"Kakashi, you've gone too far! How dare you disobey the orders of a former Hokage and the current head of the Elder Council? Step aside at once!"
The sharp voice cut through the tense air like a blade.
Two familiar figures had arrived just in time to witness the standoff — Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, the long-serving advisors to the Hokage.
Kakashi, however, didn't even bother to look at them directly. Instead, he slowly removed his left hand from his trouser pocket, using his little finger to casually pick at his ear, as though he'd just gotten something unpleasant stuck in it.
The gesture was subtle, but in this moment, it was an act of open disrespect.
> "You…!"
Utatane Koharu's face turned red with fury at being ignored in such a brazen manner.
> "Kakashi! Are you planning a rebellion?!"
Mitokado Homura joined in, his tone stern and accusatory.
Kakashi tilted his head slightly, his lone visible eye narrowing.
> "Rebellion? Against whom? I'm acting under the direct orders of the Fourth Hokage. Who exactly dares to accuse me of treason?"
A pause. His voice grew colder.
> "Or… is it the two of you who are planning to rebel?"
The advisors stiffened. Kakashi's gaze was like a blade, sharp and without fear. Now that he held undeniable proof of their faction's wrongdoing, there was no need for politeness.
---
The Third Hokage Steps In
"Hiruzen! Look at him!"
Unable to win the argument, Utatane Koharu turned toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, seeking his intervention.
The Third Hokage merely chuckled softly.
> "Haha… both of you, calm yourselves. Kakashi is merely fulfilling his duties — and doing it well. There's no harm in that. Let us simply wait here for Minato to arrive."
He raised one hand in a casual wave, and several masked Anbu from his personal unit stepped forward, surrounding the Root base from all sides. The meaning was clear — no one was leaving until this was resolved.
Kakashi instantly understood the move. Hiruzen wanted to control the situation before the Fourth Hokage arrived. But the question remained…
Would Minato actually follow his lead?
---
The Fourth Hokage Arrives
> "No need to wait, Third Hokage-sama. I'm already here."
The familiar calm yet authoritative voice came from behind them.
Hiruzen turned, a smile just beginning to form on his lips — but it faltered the moment he saw who was with Minato.
Behind the Fourth Hokage stood a formidable group of clan heads and elite warriors: Akamichi Takefu, Akamichi Choza, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Hiichi, Aburame Shibi, Hyūga Hiashi, and Uchiha Fugaku himself.
Fugaku had even brought the entire elite Guard Division with him.
A creeping sense of foreboding settled in Hiruzen's gut.
> "Minato… what is the meaning of this?" he asked in a low voice.
---
The Accusation
Minato's eyes met his, unwavering.
> "Third Hokage-sama… today, Danzo led the Root in an attack against Uchiha Obito, attempting to seize the power of the Uchiha bloodline. This is an act of treason."
Gasps echoed among those present. Minato pressed on.
> "After rescuing Obito, Kakashi and Shisui uncovered further evidence — Danzo has been secretly abducting shinobi from various clans, brainwashing them, and turning them into his private army. I have called all the clan leaders here so that the truth will be witnessed by all. Now, let us reveal the crimes committed by the leader of Root… and the former Hokage's own assistant."
---
Shock and Outrage
> "What?!"
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's voices rose in unison. The Uchiha bloodline was a sacred taboo; its power was not to be tampered with by outsiders.
And this was no ordinary Uchiha — Obito was a hero of the Third Shinobi War, wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, and a respected figure within his clan.
For Danzo to target him was nothing short of suicide.
Hiruzen's expression darkened. Only days ago, he had scolded Danzo harshly for overstepping boundaries. He had assumed it would make the man more cautious. Instead… Danzo had doubled down, this time aiming for Mangekyō itself.
Worse still — he'd been caught red-handed.
With the matter exposed in front of every influential clan head in Konoha, even the Third Hokage's ability to shield Danzo was drastically limited.
Danzo… you fool, Hiruzen thought grimly. Perhaps this will finally make you see reason.
---
A Plea for Leniency
"Minato," Hiruzen began carefully, "what Danzo did… it was against the village's rules, yes, but in the end, no irreversible harm was done, correct? He has shed blood and made countless contributions to Konoha. Should we not weigh his merits against his faults? There's no need to brand him a traitor."
His tone was softened, persuasive — almost pleading.
---
The Akimichi Clan Speaks Out
A deep, rumbling scoff cut through the air before Minato could respond.
> "Merits and faults offsetting each other? Don't make me laugh!"
It was Akamichi Takefu, the burly, hot-tempered elder of the Akimichi Clan. His voice thundered like a drum.
> "Hiruzen, out of respect for our days as comrades under the Second Hokage, I've turned a blind eye to the filth you and your little council have pulled over the years. Even when Danzo came to our Ino-Shika-Chō alliance demanding people for his so-called 'village protection,' I didn't interfere. But kidnapping the youth of our clans? Brainwashing them into Root soldiers? That's not protection — that's theft! Danzo deserves to die for this!"
His words were a direct slap, and several other clan heads nodded grimly.
---
The Bitter Truth
Not long ago, Minato had visited Takefu personally, revealing the truth of Jing's death — murdered by Danzo himself. Alongside this, Takefu had been shown something else: the long-lost Akamichi Dingli, once known alongside Choza as the "Akamichi Twins." Dingli had vanished years ago on a "classified mission" — now revealed to have been abducted and brainwashed.
Other missing clan prodigies had met the same fate.
What had long seemed like tragic accidents or inevitable battlefield losses were now exposed as deliberate conspiracies.
Danzo hadn't just crossed a line — he'd been digging at the roots of every clan in Konoha.
---
The Turning Tide
"This…"
For the first time, Hiruzen's heart truly sank.
In Konoha, attempting to seize a clan's bloodline or kidnapping fellow shinobi carried the death penalty. If this had been anyone else, Hiruzen might have publicly condemned them, appearing impartial and selfless.
But this was Danzo — his friend, his comrade, the man who had helped him secure and maintain the Hokage's seat.
They were brothers-in-arms. Family in all but blood.
How could he sentence him to death?
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura said nothing now. They, too, understood the gravity of the situation. Danzo's crimes had pierced straight through the core values of the village.
---
Hiruzen's Final Attempt
"I… understand," Hiruzen said at last, his voice heavy. "Danzo is guilty. But… imprisoning him in the Ministry of Security's prison might be the best course. There, he can reflect on his crimes and perhaps… repent."
His voice was tinged with sorrow, as if this decision cost him dearly.
Had this been any other setting, his act might have been enough to win public sympathy.
---
Kakashi's Cold Interruption
Unfortunately for him, a sharp, cold voice cut through the air like a blade of ice.
> "No need for that, Elder Hiruzen. When Danzo attacked Obito, we executed him on the spot."
A pause. Then, with dry sarcasm:
> "Oh — and you don't need to thank me. Protecting the village is the duty of the Anbu. Killing a traitor is simply part of the job."
Kakashi's words were laced with quiet fury, but the impact was immediate.
The assembled clan leaders — many of whom had been victims of Danzo's schemes — felt an almost instinctive urge to applaud.
---
The End of Danzo
> "What?!"
The color drained from Hiruzen's face.
> "Danzo… is dead?!"
A wave of dizziness struck him, and his knees nearly gave out. An Anbu standing behind him quickly stepped forward to steady the aging Hokage.
Beside him, Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, shock written across their faces.
For years, they had acted as a united front. And now… one of their pillars had been cut down in an instant.
In that moment, it felt as though the great tree they had built their power upon had lost one of its main roots.
And somewhere, far from the Root base, the corpse of Shimura Danzo lay cooling — the end of a man whose ambition had finally consumed him.
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