Chapter 562: Sasuke's Suspicions
Two days later, Kakashi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the newly selected members of the advisory council were holding a meeting in the Hokage's office.
Kakashi said, "As of now, all ninja within the village have been reorganized. Morale is high. Even if some of them had dealings with Danzō, that's in the past. I've decided not to pursue it."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "I agree. However, we must also quickly replace the ninja stationed on missions outside the village, especially on the border. There are still some clan ninja mixed in those ranks."
Kakashi nodded. "I've already sent people to integrate them. Everyone will receive the same treatment; there shouldn't be any problems."
Hiruzen nodded again. "What are your plans for Shikaku Nara and the others?"
Kakashi thought for a moment. "He and Inoichi Yamanaka are irreplaceable in large-scale warfare. It would be a waste to simply dispose of them. I plan to pardon Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Chōji Akimichi, Hinata Hyūga, Hanabi Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and the others. Furthermore, I will take them on as my disciples. This will be the price for their parents' compromise."
Kiba Inuzuka's mother, Tsume Inuzuka, had also been executed, but Kakashi did not treat Kiba any differently.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "That is acceptable. But you must be extremely cautious when choosing the next Hokage."
Kakashi nodded, understanding.
Hiruzen then added, "My Sarutobi clan will also disband. We will give up our compound. Scatter our members."
Kakashi nodded, offering no false pleasantries. Even if Hiruzen hadn't offered, Kakashi would have demanded it today. He was relieved Hiruzen had done it himself.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was thorough. Although Konoha's great purge had caused a violent internal tremor, the entire village had been reborn.
The problem of the great clans having "tails too big to wag," which had plagued every Hokage from the Second to the Sixth, was finally resolved.
Konoha's overall strength hadn't fallen; in fact, with greater unity, their combat effectiveness was now even stronger.
However, because Hiruzen had sealed the village beforehand, no word of the purge leaked out until it was over.
It was only when Kakashi dispatched teams to the various outposts outside the village that news of Konoha's "coup" began to spread.
The first to receive the intel was Danzō. When he heard the news, his mind went blank. He wasn't stupid. Kakashi's thunderous move had destroyed a year of his work.
This time, Danzō had not used the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal to recruit his followers.
For one, he had used it to kill a massive number of his own men, which made Konoha's ninja disgusted by the jutsu. If he continued to use it, he wouldn't gain allies; he would only drive away potential supporters.
For another, he was afraid of being exposed. The seal's mark was too conspicuous; Kakashi would only need to check their tongues to know who his people were.
So Danzō had used bribery and promises.
The bribes, of course, were the explosive tags from Iwa and the cash he'd earned from selling the goods he'd plundered.
The promise was that when he returned to power, he would suppress the clans and elevate the civilian ninja.
But now, both of those were useless.
Kakashi had beaten him to the punch and eliminated the clans, and he had given all the positions of power to the civilian ninja.
Kakashi was giving them a lot, including positions on the advisory council.
And in terms of money... Danzō's explosive tags were valuable, but Kakashi was giving them official mission credits, cash, and access to all the clans' secret jutsu. In this regard, Kakashi had completely crushed Danzō.
So, when Kakashi's men swapped out the border guards, Danzō's painstakingly built network vanished.
Furthermore, Kakashi had publicly announced that all past support for Danzō was understood—a necessary evil to remove the "cancer" of the clans. He gave his word as Hokage that all would be forgiven. All payments they'd received from Danzō were recognized as their own property. There would be no investigation, and they wouldn't have to return anything.
It was a fresh start. Everyone was given a clean slate.
Danzō tore the report to shreds. He said to a subordinate, "Contact the Tsuchikage immediately. I want a face-to-face meeting."
Ishiro, who had no direct contact with Konoha's ninja and had already recalled his three disciples from Danzō's side, was a bit confused when he received Danzō's request.
Ishiro didn't go immediately. He was at a critical moment in his training, attempting the fifth layer of his five-nature fusion.
Thanks to Neji-kun's "quickening," Ishiro's spiritual energy and chakra control had greatly increased. The fifth layer was woven smoothly. What should have taken a year was finished in just over a month.
Only after finishing this one-month seclusion did Ishiro have time to see Danzō.
By now, he had learned from Ikura what had happened in Konoha. And by now, the Joint Chunin Exam had already begun, with the first and second rounds already completed. The finalists were now preparing for the third round, nearly a month away.
Land of Fields, in the usual izakaya.
When Ishiro met Danzō again, he saw that Danzō's aura was much darker than last time.
Ishiro smiled. "Hokage-dono, you've had a rough time."
Danzō's eyes were red. He looked as if he could see Ishiro's mocking smile through the porcelain barrier. He grit his teeth. "Tsuchikage-dono, I demand that Iwagakure deploy its army."
Ishiro sighed. "Hokage-dono, you're putting me in a difficult position. I've said it before, I will not interfere in Konoha's internal affairs."
After spouting this magnanimous line, Ishiro quickly added before Danzō could explode, "However, I can bring one more Kage-level shinobi with me to Konoha. When the time comes, I will tie down two of their Kage-level fighters."
A flash of dissatisfaction crossed Danzō's eyes, but he figured that two Kage-level shinobi from Iwa was a significant boost to his chances.
Still, he was not satisfied. "It's not enough. I need 'popular support.' Otherwise, in the eyes of Konoha's civilians, I will just be the enemy."
Ishiro was surprised. When did Danzō become so self-aware?
Just then, Danzō said through clenched teeth, "I will trade you a piece of intelligence for it."
Ishiro was curious. "What intelligence is worth me dispatching another Kage?"
Danzō said grimly, "A few days ago, during the second round of the Joint Chunin Exam, Kakashi Hatake captured the Seven-Tails."
"The Seven-Tails?!" Ishiro was stunned. He hadn't expected that.
Ishiro hadn't been paying much attention to the reviving Tailed Beasts. He felt that hunting them was more trouble than it was worth.
However, the fact that Danzō, in his current state, could still acquire such timely, high-level intel... Ishiro had to re-evaluate him.
He thought for a moment. "Tell you what. I can give you another set of Ryōsuke's genes, plus the genes for Chiyo, Pakura, and Hanzō. Four Edo Tensei should be worth one Kage-level shinobi."
Danzō frowned. Four was good, but he couldn't control that many.
"You can have your trusted subordinates perform the summoning," Ishiro suggested.
Danzō thought about it, then nodded. "Fine. I agree."
Ishiro chuckled. "Hokage-dono, this isn't charity. It's a trade. And intel on the Seven-Tails isn't enough."
A flash of anger crossed Danzō's face. "What else do you want?"
"Nothing much," Ishiro said. "Just the Edo Tensei jutsu."
Danzō immediately refused. "No! If you get the jutsu, you could summon them before I do! How could I summon them then?"
"Simple," Ishiro said. "You prepare the sacrifices. We'll make the trade right before the Konoha Crush Plan starts. You can summon them immediately. It's not like I can learn the jutsu instantly."
Danzō considered it. "The genes are a one-time use. The jutsu is forever. You've played your hand well, Tsuchikage-dono."
Ishiro smiled. "You can't look at it that way, Hokage-dono. If you don't succeed this time, you have no future. What does 'one-time use' matter then?"
Danzō slammed his fist on the table. "Tsuchikage-dono, are you provoking me?"
Ishiro pouted. Danzō loved to posture. Fine, I'll play along. I have to take care of my 'loyal ally's' feelings.
Ishiro smiled. "Hokage-dono, don't be angry. I was just joking. Tell you what. I'll give you two sets of genes for all four."
Danzō snorted, accepting.
After they struck the deal, Ishiro asked casually, "By the way, Hokage-dono, do you still have those explosive tags I gave you?"
Danzō's anger flared again. "I've already distributed half of them!"
Ishiro nodded. "Oh? What a shame. Kakashi played that hand beautifully. All our hard work ended up funding the enemy."
Danzō didn't want to listen to this. He snorted and stood up to leave.
Just then, Ishiro seemed to remember something. "Hokage-dono, there's something I'm curious about. May I ask?"
Danzō frowned, sensing more malice.
Before he could reply, Ishiro continued, "Itachi Uchiha is a Konoha rogue-nin, yet last time he fought alongside that false Hokage, Kakashi. And I hear Kakashi has taken Sasuke Uchiha as his disciple. I also hear you used to instruct Sasuke-kun... I'm just curious, how do you all handle that brotherly relationship?"
Danzō had no interest in answering such a question. He stood up and left the izakaya.
But as he walked alone in the darkness, he couldn't help but wonder what Ishiro had meant.
He couldn't figure it out, but it made him think of something else.
When I taught Sasuke, he thought, I saw his potential, but I also feared his revenge. Kakashi... does he feel the same?
Although Kakashi didn't strike the Uchiha himself, the entire Konoha high command, the Hokage's lineage... they were all culprits. Kakashi inherited that title. Can he really escape the association?
Thinking of this, Danzō smiled sinisterly and quickened his pace toward Konoha.
Ishiro, meanwhile, sat for a moment, looked around, saw no sign of the Sage of Six Paths, and let out a breath of relief before leaving.
"I hope Danzō doesn't disappoint me," he thought.
A few nights later, in Konoha, Sasuke Uchiha walked alone through the Uchiha compound under a dim moon.
He hadn't been back in a long time.
Unlike in the original story, the Uchiha clan's assets had been divided up by the great clans who participated in the massacre. Now that those clans had fallen, Kakashi, his teacher and the Hokage, had returned his father, Fugaku Uchiha's, main house to him.
The other houses had been seized by the village; they would be repurposed when Konoha was redesigned.
The paperwork had just been completed today.
Sasuke was filled with an indescribable feeling.
The streets were clean. No trash, and no signs of the battle.
Sasuke was disappointed. He pushed open the door to a random house. It was empty, stripped of all furniture, clearly looted by the other clans.
He walked slowly toward his own home.
He had the illusion that if he just pushed the door open, everything would go back to the way it was.
His mother, cooking. His father, sitting at the head of the table. His dear brother, stepping out of his room with that sad smile.
Sasuke's hand trembled as he pushed open the door, walked through the silent courtyard, and entered the hall. The next moment, in the dim hall, he actually saw a figure.
He whispered instinctively, "Father."
He rushed forward two steps, but quickly caught himself. His parents were dead.
This person could only be an intruder.
Already a genin who had passed the first two rounds of the exam, Sasuke's reaction was fast. He drew a kunai and activated his one-tomoe Sharingan. "Who are you?"
He leaped back into the courtyard.
The figure moved, stepping out of the darkness onto the porch.
Sasuke recognized the uniform. ANBU.
He didn't relax his guard.
The ANBU spoke. "Who I am is not important. What matters is the truth I have to tell you."
"What truth?" Sasuke frowned.
The man glanced at the compound gate behind Sasuke. "The truth of your clan's massacre."
Sasuke said sharply, "My clan was destroyed by Itachi Uchiha. I don't need you to tell me that."
Sasuke couldn't see the man's face, but he felt he was being laughed at.
"Your father, Fugaku Uchiha, was a Kage-level shinobi who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan," the ANBU said. "Even one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, lost to him."
"Itachi Uchiha? Hah! You think Itachi alone could destroy the entire Uchiha clan? Your clan had so many three-tomoe users, all of whom knew the forbidden jutsu Izanagi. How could Itachi kill them all by himself?"
Sasuke didn't know what Izanagi was, and he didn't care. He was completely captivated by the man's words.
He couldn't help but think: It's true. Brother is a genius, but... how could he kill the entire clan alone?
We were the greatest clan... why did no one else escape?
Because Itachi had confessed directly to him, Sasuke had never doubted it. But now, in two simple sentences, the ANBU had pointed out the single greatest flaw in the story.
Seeing Sasuke was stunned, the ANBU chuckled. "There is only one truth. The one who destroyed the Uchiha clan... was not Itachi. It was someone else."
Sasuke demanded, "Who was it? Tell me!"
The man glanced at the gate again. "If I told you, would you believe me? You're a ninja. You shouldn't trust anyone. The truth... is something you must find for yourself."
With a poof, the ANBU vanished in a cloud of smoke.
Sasuke was stunned. He heard a loud crash from behind him, like something breaking.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh... several figures landed in the courtyard.
"More ANBU. A full squad this time," Sasuke thought.
The leader asked, "Uchiha Sasuke, what happened here?"
Sasuke said calmly, "An ANBU, just like you, was waiting for me. He asked me where my clan's kunai-throwing scrolls were."
The ANBU leader listened, studied Sasuke, and saw no signs of a fight. He waved to his team. "Search!"
The three operatives fanned out, entering his home.
Sasuke's face was impassive, but a shadow crossed his eyes. This is my house. What right do they have to search it without asking?
And... where did they come from?
He thought back. That loud crash... it must have been a barrier breaking.
The first ANBU kept looking at the gate. He must have set the barrier. Which means this second squad was... attacking the barrier while he was talking.
They... they've been following me!
That's how they showed up so fast. They knew I was here.
Sasuke took a quiet breath, keeping his composure.
Are they protecting me, or watching me?
Have they been following me just since I entered the compound, or... for years?
The answer, he feared, was the latter.
But... I'm the only survivor. It makes sense the village would protect me.
Sasuke forced himself to calm down, to analyze without emotion.
He temporarily stopped thinking about the squad and focused on the first ANBU's "truth."
Some things just need a single push to fall into place.
Sasuke was a genius in training, but... in terms of intellect... he was a bit of a blockhead.
But on this one subject, he began to connect the dots.
First, the conflict between the clan and the village elders. Sasuke remembered cursing the high command with other Uchiha kids.
Second, the night of the massacre. The Academy had a "mandatory" field trip that ran unusually late.
Third, why did the clan's assets go to the other great clans? Why not just to the village?
The conclusion was obvious: Konoha's high command knew it was going to happen. Even if they didn't participate, they were accessories. The other clans benefited. And Itachi... he had an accomplice.
Who?
A chill ran down Sasuke's spine. But he remained cold and impassive.
A moment later, the ANBU squad, finding nothing, left.
Sasuke didn't know if they were truly gone or just hiding. He walked through his empty house, then turned and left, returning to his apartment.
He hadn't planned to move in tonight; he just wanted to see the old house.
(End of Chapter)
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