"Do you blame them?"
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Danzo's defense was feeble and uninspired.
The various ninja clans who had long resented Root watched him with cold eyes. Even his old allies, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, harbored their own prejudices against him and struggled to find arguments in his favor.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the table, his voice sharp as a blade.
"Danzo, you are the head of Root and bear the heavy responsibility of protecting the village, yet you have repeatedly made reckless decisions that caused tremendous losses to Konoha. If I don't punish you now, I will invite both the wrath of the people and the judgment of the gods."
Koharu and Homura exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes clouded with despair.
Killing Uchiha Itachi, concealing the mysterious Uchiha suspected to be behind the Nine-Tails' attack, sending Yume Ryuma to assassinate the Hokage—any one of these was a crime deserving death. If Danzo escaped again, the people would lose faith in the Hokage's rule.
"Cough, cough…" Homura cleared her throat and tried to speak on behalf of her old friend. "Hiruzen, Danzo's contributions to the village over the decades are indelible. At this critical time, Konoha needs every capable hand. I hope you'll show leniency."
But the assembled clan representatives only frowned in displeasure.
Did past service justify present crimes? If that were the case, countless criminals could plead for mercy. Even Orochimaru was still at large—yet no one was about to excuse his betrayals.
Hiruzen remained unmoved. "Danzo, from this day forward, all your powers are stripped, and Root is officially disbanded."
"What?" Koharu gasped.
The punishment was severe. Danzo had committed countless dirty deeds, but the Hokage had tolerated him until now because those deeds served Konoha's shadowy needs. Dissolving Root was like cutting off an arm of the village itself.
Koharu opened her mouth to plead again, but the steel in Hiruzen's eyes silenced her.
Danzo's chest burned with fury. Root's disbandment barely concerned him—every member bore his Tongue-Curse Seal, and he could rebuild in time. But the loss of the Assistant Hokage position was different. That title allowed him direct influence over village policy, only one step below Hokage. Stripping it from him felt like a blade driven deep into his heart.
"Hiruzen—" he began.
Bang!
Hiruzen slammed the table again, cutting him off. "Danzo, sparing your life is already mercy. Reflect on your failures and reform yourself."
Danzo slumped back, gasping like a fish on dry land. For all his resentment, he could not deny the truth: Hiruzen's punishment was lighter than he deserved. But gratitude was beyond him; hatred only hardened within.
From the day Senju Tobirama chose Hiruzen as Hokage, Danzo had walked a crooked path. Redemption was no longer possible.
---
After the tense judgment, Hiruzen shifted the topic.
"We have received urgent intelligence: the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki of the Hidden Cloud is leading two thousand Kumogakure shinobi toward the Land of Waterfall garrison. At the same time, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure is leading an elite unit toward our border."
The room fell silent.
Simultaneous troop movements from Iwagakure and Kumogakure clearly meant only one thing: the Uchiha Clan's defection had presented both villages with an opportunity. If they launched a joint invasion now, Konoha's weakened forces could not withstand it.
Everyone present understood the grim reality.
Without the Uchiha, Konoha's combat strength had dropped by at least thirty percent. The recent conflict with the clan had cost around three hundred lives, including numerous jōnin. Only Hiruzen himself stood as an unshaken pillar.
Resisting both Iwa and Kumo on two fronts was impossible.
Hiruzen's calm gaze swept the council. "The threat from Iwagakure and Kumogakure is greater than that posed by the Uchiha. Pursuit of the clan is hereby canceled. Our tracking team will redeploy to the Land of Waterfall to guard against Kumogakure. As for Iwagakure—Koharu, Homura, you will personally negotiate peace with Ōnoki."
Konoha's stability came first.
Even if letting the Uchiha go brought hidden dangers for years to come, averting war was paramount.
Almost everyone nodded in agreement. Danzo alone scowled, but stripped of rank and influence, he could do nothing to sway the decision.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!" he shouted as ANBU escorted him out.
The Hokage did not bother to reply. The more pressing matter was handling the twin threats of Kumo and Iwa.
As for the Uchiha who had left Konoha—whether they would form their own faction or ally with another village remained uncertain, but the possibility of their joining Kumogakure or Iwagakure was now all but certain. It was a troubling prospect, yet Hiruzen's hands were tied. Simply keeping the village stable was challenge enough.
He walked to the window, eyes settling on the stone visage of the Second Hokage etched into the Hokage Monument. "Sensei," he murmured, "if you were alive to see this, would you regret how you suppressed the Uchiha?"
---
The Land of Waterfall
Far away, the Fourth Raikage made a remarkable journey.
In less than two days he crossed from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Waterfall, where the Uchiha clan had established a temporary camp. Learning of his arrival, the Uchiha took pride in their new alliance, and Shisui himself stepped forward to greet him.
"Raikage-sama, I am Uchiha Shisui, the new clan leader. On behalf of the Uchiha—"
"I've heard of the 'Body Flicker' many times," the Raikage interrupted with a wave, smiling as he extended his hand. "Shisui-kun, you've worked hard."
Shisui clasped the Raikage's hand firmly, his face a mask of respectful gratitude. "Thank you for meeting us in person, Raikage-sama. The Uchiha will not forget your kindness."
His deliberate tone carried a message: the Raikage's personal visit showed sincerity beyond words. From this moment forward, the Uchiha were no longer Konoha's warriors—they were shinobi of the Hidden Cloud.
The Raikage chuckled. "No need for formality. We are comrades now."
Though outwardly brash, the Fourth Raikage was a shrewd leader, able to inspire the fierce loyalty of subordinates like Killer B, Tsuchida, and Yugito. A fool could never hold the title of Raikage.
---
Meanwhile, Tsuchida arrived with a team of medical-nin after three days of nonstop travel. The Uchiha, lacking skilled healers and possessing little talent for Yang Release, had endured untreated wounds since their flight. Many were in critical condition.
"You've come just in time to save lives," Shisui said gratefully.
Tsuchida bowed slightly. "The priority now is to get the Uchiha safely to the Hidden Cloud. Konoha may have ceased pursuit, but Iwagakure's advance team is less than two days away. This is no place to linger."
"Agreed," Shisui replied. "We'll depart as soon as the wounded are stable."
The Raikage nodded his approval.
---
Several nights later, in the quiet of their camp, the Raikage, Tsuchida, Neji, and Yugito sat around a low table.
"In three days," the Raikage said between reps with a pair of heavy dumbbells, "the Uchiha will reach the Land of Lightning."
Tsuchida's face remained serious. "Raikage-sama, how do you plan to integrate the Uchiha into the village?"
The Raikage set down his weights and unfurled a map of the Hidden Cloud. Pointing to a wide, empty region, he said, "The village is expanding. We will establish the Uchiha compound here. The land is larger than that of any other clan."
Neji narrowed his eyes, sensing there was more behind Tsuchida's question.
Though the Uchiha had lost nearly half their fighters, their strength still rivaled the Yotsuki Clan. Their sudden arrival would unsettle the balance of power. Other clans might not welcome them—and envy could breed hostility.
The reasons were clear.
First, the Uchiha were fearsome by nature, and people instinctively feared the strong.
Second, they were notoriously proud, known for strained relations with Konoha's own clans.
Third, the limited "pie" of village resources would now need to be shared, and few wished to give up their slice.
Even so, if the Uchiha brought significant benefit, opposition would fade. Prosperity wins acceptance where mere words fail.
Tsuchida, however, voiced a deeper concern. "Raikage-sama, the location of their compound isn't the real issue. That can be settled in months. The question is how to ensure the Uchiha truly integrate and remain loyal for generations."
The Raikage rubbed his chin. "What are you suggesting, Tsuchida? Speak plainly."
Tsuchida sipped hot water, then said slowly, "The Uchiha are unlike any other clan. Even the Second Hokage concluded they possess an inherently dangerous nature. History supports caution: Uchiha Madara's betrayal, Setsuna's attempted coup, the Nine-Tails incident, and now their departure from Konoha. The pattern is hard to ignore."
The Raikage frowned but answered firmly, "We cannot persecute them for fears of what might be. If the Uchiha contribute to the Hidden Cloud and strengthen our village, why shouldn't they rise—even to the rank of Raikage?"
He cast a meaningful glance at Neji, confident that as long as the young Hyuga stood by his side, the Uchiha would cause no trouble.
Tsuchida did not relent. "I'm not advocating persecution. I want the Uchiha to become inseparable from the Hidden Cloud, to fight for its future as their own."
The Raikage's expression softened. "Do you have a plan?"
"Marriage alliances," Tsuchida said simply.
The Raikage paused, considering. Neji's eyes lit up with understanding. Political marriages had secured alliances for centuries. The Uchiha were far less rigid than the Hyuga; intermarriage was hardly unthinkable. Uchiha Izumi, for instance, had a non-clan father.
"If successive Raikage families intermarry with Uchiha elites," Tsuchida continued, "within a few generations our bloodlines and interests will be bound together. Other clans may grumble, but an Uchiha alliance through marriage will silence many objections."
The Raikage nodded slowly. "Not a bad idea."
Hashirama Senju had shown unmatched generosity toward the Uchiha, but without shrewd planning, unrest still brewed. Tobirama, cunning but less compassionate, created the Military Police and inadvertently deepened the divide. Both approaches had failed. The Hidden Cloud would not repeat those mistakes.
"Tsuchida," the Raikage asked, "are there suitable women among the Uchiha for such an alliance?"
A knowing glint flashed in Tsuchida's eyes. "Few have the status required. After much thought, only Uchiha Mikoto—the widow of their previous leader—fits the role."
"Mikoto," the Raikage mused. "A widow, but highly respected. We'd also need a man of equal standing from our side."
Before anyone else could speak, Neji rose to his feet.
"For the sake of the village," he said earnestly, "I, Neji, am willing to shoulder this responsibility."
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