Chapter 102: Utter Disgrace
Sarutobi Hiruzen collapsed into the Hokage's chair as if all strength had been drained from his body in an instant.
Deep down, he'd harbored suspicions that Danzo might be conducting dark dealings behind the scenes. But when these suspicions were laid bare in such irrefutable, shocking detail, the impact was still devastating.
Every crime, every atrocity recorded on that scroll... any single one would be enough to execute Danzo dozens of times over in any hidden village.
Though the heart-stopping Nine-Tails chakra in the distance had finally quieted moments ago—the immediate crisis seemingly resolved—the Third Hokage felt no relief whatsoever. Crushing fatigue and guilt crashed over him like a tsunami, leaving him slumped in his chair, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen before his very eyes.
"Heh..." Menma's mocking laugh echoed again. "How should I put this, old man? Perhaps you didn't directly participate in these filthy schemes, but your tolerance, your indecisiveness, your so-called 'considering the bigger picture'—all of it provided the most fertile ground for that bastard's rampage."
"Come to think of it... you should know that this man once genuinely planned your assassination for the Hokage position."
"Even under those circumstances, you chose to 'forgive' him... So expecting you to thoroughly investigate and settle accounts for these crimes now seems rather strange, doesn't it?"
Menma's mockery left the Third without even the strength to argue back.
"...I have a few more conditions. Naturally, these should be obvious matters for both of us. However, given your consistent track record, I'm genuinely uncertain whether you'll follow through."
The Third struggled to lift his head, unable to understand what "obvious" conditions still needed to be stated.
"Konoha has a tradition... All shinobi who die in missions or war have their names solemnly carved on the Memorial Stone, to be remembered and honored by future generations, correct?"
The Third remained silent, nodding slowly.
Menma's voice suddenly turned even colder. "Then—Shimura Danzo's name... you're not planning to carve that name up there as well, are you?"
The Third's body shook violently beyond his control. To place Danzo's name alongside those heroes who shed their last drop of blood for Konoha? It would be the ultimate desecration of the fallen. A complete betrayal of the Will of Fire.
Yet... to deny everything about Danzo, to completely erase him from Konoha's history, was equally a devastating and painful decision.
After suffocating silence, the Third nodded extremely slowly and heavily.
He agreed to Menma's condition.
"Good." Menma seemed unsurprised by the Third's submission. "Then, the second condition. I need you to actively spread the 'truth' using your authority as Hokage."
"Truth?" The Third looked up.
"That's right. I'm very curious to see what happens when the village learns about their trusted Konoha leadership—your dear friend Shimura Danzo. How he kidnapped fellow villagers for inhumane human experimentation to control the First Hokage's god-like Wood Release. How he secretly colluded with the infamous S-rank missing-nin Orochimaru to continue those forbidden research projects. How he repeatedly targeted Uchiha clan members and other Sharingan wielders—fellow Konoha shinobi—to steal their ocular powers..."
"I recall that bastard even had designs on Hatake Kakashi's Sharingan, didn't he?"
With each crime Menma listed, the Third's face grew paler, his knuckles white as he gripped the chair's armrests.
"Aside from the full truth about the Uchiha massacre—which needs to be suppressed temporarily and revealed later—"
Menma concluded, "Spread these 'truths' completely and clearly. Let everyone see exactly what kind of evil the so-called 'Root' has been nurturing in the darkness. Understood?"
"....."
The Third fell into prolonged silence. This was tantamount to asking him to personally tear open Konoha's ugliest wound, exposing the internal rot to broad daylight.
But he knew the other party wasn't offering a choice—it was a command. His hands, which had been gripping the chair's armrests with white-knuckled intensity, finally loosened powerlessly.
"...I understand." His voice was hoarse, the words barely squeezed through gritted teeth as he once again submitted to the humiliating demand with painful reluctance.
"...Good, I'm pleased we've finally reached an understanding." Menma seemed to nod with satisfaction.
Then his tone suddenly became somewhat meaningful, no longer sounding like conditions but more like casual advice. "And... old man, you've been sitting in that position far too long. It's time to consider retirement."
He said something rather cryptic. "If you keep clinging to power much longer... you might attract someone who'll make you feel even more 'unsettled.'"
After delivering this ambiguous warning, Menma stopped lingering. He turned and walked toward the Hokage office door with the still-silent Shisui, their figures quickly disappearing into the corridor's shadows.
In the office, only Sarutobi Hiruzen remained. He slowly, somewhat unsteadily, rose from his chair, feeling unprecedented exhaustion wash over his entire body.
He knew the other party was probably right—he'd been in power too long, long enough for too much darkness to fester under his watch. But... his students... each one of them...
The next time that bastard Jiraiya returns to the village... no matter what! Even if he has to use force, he'll make him stay!
Shaking his head violently, he temporarily suppressed his chaotic thoughts. The Third knew clearly that now was not the time to wallow in grief and self-blame—there were mountains of messes waiting for him to clean up.
Forcing himself to gather his spirits, he immediately strode out of the office.
Menma and Shisui were already long gone from outside the door. His most urgent task now was to immediately summon all available ANBU and rush to the Uchiha compound—no matter how slim the hope, he had to personally confirm whether any survivors remained.
——————
The suffocating night air hung heavy over Konoha as the Third Hokage's footsteps echoed through empty corridors, each step carrying the weight of devastating revelations and the crushing responsibility of leadership corrupted by decades of compromise.