The moment the rumors began to spread, the ANBU were the first to take notice. But when they went to make arrests, all they found were gossipers repeating what they'd heard — none of them were the true source.
Soon, though, they had no time to chase rumor-mongers. Someone had discovered real bodies. Even worse, those bodies bore unmistakable surgical marks.
The whispers were no longer whispers — they'd become undeniable truth.
Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the scene immediately.
The moment he saw the corpses, clad in Konoha flak jackets, even he — the Hokage — could no longer shield or cover up what had happened.
To him, the setup was far too deliberate, too clean.
But this was what one would call an open conspiracy.
Even if it was a frame-up, as the leader of Konoha, he had no choice but to investigate.
And who was Orochimaru, really?
As his former master, Hiruzen knew better than anyone.
In truth, it was he who had first guided Orochimaru down the path of scientific research.
After all, no one could pursue science alone.
Funding, equipment, assistants — all of it required enormous support.
When Orochimaru was still just a jōnin, how could he possibly have afforded any of that?
The answer was obvious to anyone who'd been there from the beginning.
Shimura Danzō, Hiruzen's old comrade of decades, understood this better than anyone.
This was an open scheme — a trap that even Hiruzen knew was a trap, yet couldn't avoid stepping into.
No matter how bitter the taste in his mouth, he had no choice but to move against Orochimaru.
"Immediately detain all of Orochimaru's subordinates," Hiruzen ordered, voice heavy.
"If they resist, execute them on the spot. Once they're secured… we'll move on Orochimaru himself."
"Understood!"
The ANBU dispersed at once.
Hiruzen lingered for a moment, staring down at the corpses in the pit. His expression softened into sorrow.
"Send them to the Medical Corps first. Once the truth is clear, give them a proper burial... sigh… they were all heroes of Konoha. None of them deserved this."
And so, under the Third Hokage's command, the arrests of Orochimaru's subordinates began — Tahara Rokuro included.
At that moment, Rokuro was still training in the Forest of Death.
The area was secluded, yes, but not truly hidden.
With the Hyūga and Inuzuka clans among the ANBU, it didn't take long for them to locate him.
Four ANBU approached from four directions, surrounding Rokuro in an instant.
The moment he saw their masks, he understood — Orochimaru's secret had been exposed.
"ANBU?" Rokuro said calmly. "What business do you have with me?"
"Uchiha Rokuro, you are to come with us to the Interrogation Division for questioning."
"Oh? For what reason? At least give me something to work with — I'm not exactly the type to come quietly without an explanation."
Knowing Rokuro's reputation — the boy who dared talk back to the Hokage himself, and whose power far exceeded his years — the ANBU chose their words carefully.
They gave him the brief version of the situation.
When Rokuro heard, his eyes widened in apparent shock.
"The rumors were true? Impossible... Lord Orochimaru actually performed experiments on Konoha shinobi? That's… monstrous!"
One of the four ANBU stepped forward and removed his mask. As expected, it was Kakashi.
"Rokuro, the investigation isn't over yet. There's still a chance this is all a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? Maybe so. I haven't been with Orochimaru-sensei long — just half a year. I don't know much about his private work. Fine, I'll come quietly."
He sighed, looking as though he'd just discovered betrayal from a mentor he admired.
At the Interrogation Department, Rokuro was greeted by a much younger Morino Ibiki — his face still unscarred.
After a few rounds of questioning, Rokuro calmly described the missions he had completed with Mitarashi Anko and other subordinates.
When it came to human experimentation, however, he played dumb — denying everything.
The interrogator's patience began to wear thin.
Bang!
"Uchiha Rokuro! You think your lies can fool us? Let me tell you — we've already captured several of Orochimaru's men, and some have confessed! If you know what's good for you, tell us everything!"
Rokuro blinked, feigning confusion.
"Confessed? What does that have to do with me? Did they specifically say I participated?"
"Yes! Someone accused you of being Orochimaru's accomplice — they claim you personally captured Konoha shinobi for his experiments!"
Rokuro's expression hardened.
"Careful with your words," he said quietly. "That's called leading the witness, you know. Under Konoha law, that kind of interrogation isn't even allowed. If I wanted to, I could have you thrown in prison for it."
The interrogator slammed his hands on the table and grabbed Rokuro by the collar.
"Are you threatening me, brat!?"
"No," Rokuro replied coldly. "I'm just stating facts. Right now, it looks more like you're the one threatening me. I've already told you everything I know about Orochimaru. Anything else — I didn't do it. Anyone trying to frame me will pay the price a hundredfold."
As he spoke, Rokuro's eyes turned crimson — the twin tomoe of his Sharingan spinning into focus.
The air in the room chilled.
The interrogator's instincts screamed at him — he let go at once and stepped back.
Just then, shouting erupted outside.
The next second, the door was kicked open with a crash.
"Who are you people?!"
Two interrogators turned toward the doorway — only to see a squad of shinobi in green flak jackets, each bearing the Uchiha clan crest.
At their center was an elderly man with gray hair and sharp eyes — Uchiha Setsuna, the clan's Great Elder.
"Uchiha! Are you trying to rebel?! How dare you storm the Interrogation Division!"
The department's own shinobi rushed to confront them, forming a tense standoff in the corridor.
Moments later, the ANBU arrived as well.
Kakashi, the highest-ranking among them, stepped forward to face Setsuna.
"Elder Setsuna," Kakashi said calmly, "what are you doing here?"
Setsuna slowly lifted his heavy eyelids and studied the white-haired jōnin.
"Ah… so you're the White Fang's son. Tell me — is that Sharingan you're using still serving you well?"
At the mention of the Sharingan, Kakashi's composure wavered slightly.
The eye he bore had been a gift from Uchiha Obito — but Obito was, after all, of the Uchiha clan.
Strictly speaking, the Sharingan was Uchiha property.
Everyone knew — the Sharingan was the source of the clan's strength.
An Uchiha without it was a shadow of his potential self.
Take Obito, for instance: before awakening his eye, he'd been the lowest-ranked in his class. Afterward, he surpassed most of his peers — perhaps not quite Kakashi, but close.
Because of this, the Uchiha had an unspoken rule: any fallen clansman's eyes must be retrieved, never left to outsiders.
By keeping Obito's eye, Kakashi had been given a rare allowance — and an invisible debt.
"Elder Setsuna," Kakashi said, regaining his composure, "Uchiha Rokuro is a student of Orochimaru. The Hokage himself ordered his questioning. You're interfering with a direct command."
END OF CHAPTER
35 CHAPTERS AHEAD!!
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