Second World – Konoha Village, Hokage's Office
"Tobirama-sensei…"
Danzō #2, soon to step down as the Fourth Hokage, sat at his desk looking dejected.
In the end, he couldn't bear the pressure of a life sentence in prison. After repeated hints from his other self, he gritted his teeth and exposed the misdeeds Iwagakure had committed in the Third World. From his standpoint, dragging Ōnoki down with him was the logical move—if he was to go down, no way was he going alone.
Still, no matter how badly they'd violated Alliance rules, no one was simply going to be executed en masse. The usual punishment would be fines, imprisonment, or forced labor at most. And afterward, how could he continue to exist if he became the enemy of the entire ninja world? Surviving in hiding might be possible, but rising to power again? No chance.
Moreover, becoming Hokage had been way too easy—no sense of achievement at all. Hiruzen Sarutobi left a mess and ran off, so there wasn't any thrill in "defeating" him.
"Do you realize what you did wrong?" Tobirama #2 asked, his face stern.
"I…" Danzō #2 started to explain but couldn't get the words out.
Should he say he was just unlucky? That if he'd been more careful, he wouldn't have been caught? Deep down, he suspected the "Tobirama" on the Executive Committee had set him up.
Tobirama #2's grim expression didn't relent. "Do you understand why the Alliance's rules exist?"
After a brief hesitation, Danzō #2 answered, "To maintain order and resolve conflicts."
"But, Sensei… What about all the pain from lost comrades, family, friends? What about our regrets?"
Of course, he knew that if everyone followed Alliance rules, the world would be so much better. But after so many years of war, how could he simply let go and follow the rules like nothing happened? And if someone else didn't follow the rules, wasn't it logical to strike first?
And aside from all that hatred, there was greed as well. Ninja had long been used to taking what they wanted by force. No point saying that out loud, though.
In Tobirama #2's mind, fleeting memories surfaced: his own childhood, talking about the future with his brothers. Even if he or that "Tobirama" on the Executive Committee wanted, they could have brought back their loved ones via Reincarnation—Link would probably grant them that. But they'd decided not to abuse that technique. If they themselves couldn't set an example, how would anyone else accept it?
When Tobirama was a child, he'd known they must suppress their emotions and build rules for everyone to uphold—this prevented needless fighting. Hence Konoha. Clans that had once warred against each other gathered to let old grudges fade away, nearly all becoming "one family" called Konoha.
Similarly, that was the logic behind the Alliance. The future didn't matter—begin now, ensure hatred ends with this generation. Deal firmly with anyone who refused to abide by the rules, for any reason.
The faint emotion in Tobirama #2's eyes vanished. Face expressionless, he said, "The Enforcement Squad has already gone to pick people up. Besides you, those other Four Kage are now all in Alliance prison."
Danzō #2 froze. So, taking advantage of the evidence he'd provided about Ōnoki, the Alliance had expanded it to sort out chaos in the Third World in one go, likely laying the blame at his feet.
"Why me?" He fell silent for a moment, then asked in a complicated tone.
Surely, the Alliance had planned this long in advance, waiting for their opportunity. Looking back, his entire downfall felt too coincidental—perhaps it was all orchestrated by the "Tobirama" on the Executive Committee. If they'd told him in advance, maybe he would have agreed to sacrifice himself. But the way things went left him bitter.
"You want me to list everything you've done?" Tobirama #2 replied coldly.
Ever since the Alliance was formed, his "good student" hadn't stopped causing trouble—jumping around, stirring up chaos. Stone Temple was only one example. By leveraging intel from Main World Konoha, Danzō #2 had learned a lot of "future" info from the Hokage Chronicles and endlessly schemed and conspired.
He'd even made secret contact with Main World Orochimaru exiled to another dimension, attempted to steal Alliance technology and data, and sent Root members to infiltrate Main World Konoha…
They'd all been on the Executive Committee's radar for a while. The only reason they knew so much in advance was because Main World Danzō had done it all before, recorded in the Chronicles. Of course they'd keep an eye on him. And once they focused, he caused way too many problems. Not even Konoha could protect him from that.
Danzō #2 heard the meaning behind Tobirama #2's words and hesitated. Then he cracked a laugh without saying more. In his eyes, it was simple: "winners" had all the power. If he could start over, he'd do it all again, only more carefully and more ruthlessly.
Since playing the "feelings" card was useless, he decided not to confess anything else. If the Alliance wanted to smear him, so be it. If that meant life in prison or execution, so be it. But at least they wouldn't easily sort out all the unrest in the Third World either.
"If you're willing to cooperate," Tobirama #2 offered, "we can have Link use his technique to reincarnate you in another world, letting you begin anew."
That was his final proposal. He didn't want to resort to illusions or the Sharingan on his own disciple. This was the best compromise he could secure. Eventually, the Alliance would expand and explore other worlds, so sending out Reincarnated individuals could serve as vanguards or anchor points. Reincarnation, at least, was better than rotting in prison with no hope of resurrection.
Danzō #2 remained silent for a long time.
…
[Alliance Building – Executive Committee Office]
"Will Danzō cooperate?" Shisui #1 asked anxiously. He'd lost an eye to that man once, making him suspect the old guy might resist.
Next to him, Reincarnated Danzō #1 smiled confidently. "Don't underestimate 'my' will and cunning. Only an idiot would choose mutual destruction now."
"Being obedient and transferring to another world via Reincarnation isn't so bad."
Shisui #1 shot him a sidelong glance, saying nothing. Even if they were coworkers now, the two men still disliked each other—Danzō considered Shisui naive, and Shisui deemed Danzō shady.
Without official business, they'd never share a room.
"Danzō's agreed," came a voice from Koharu Utatane #1, who'd been monitoring Tobirama #2's messages. She looked much more at ease.
With someone willing to sacrifice themselves and come clean, the rest would be simpler.
Otherwise, detaining four Kage out of nowhere was a huge strain, and word was already causing a stir across Web Net.