"The Uzumaki clan refused to join Konoha, even though you were the perfect jinchūriki… Heh heh heh… Blame yourselves. You were powerful—but not powerful enough."
Danzō burst into unrestrained laughter.
Kyoichi hadn't even needed to push him—this guy was already "self-destructing" all on his own. Because to Danzō, none of this had ever felt like a mistake. His mind operated in strict binaries—either this, or that.
Too extreme.
Kyoichi shook his head.
Beyond saving.
The Third Hokage also shook his head heavily, looking as though he'd aged ten years in that instant.
Utter disgrace.
And not just for Danzō—for himself as well.
But…
He didn't regret it.
Now, it was only his reputation that lay in ruins. But what about the shinobi and civilians who had died because of Danzō's schemes and his own poor decisions?
Who would answer to them?
If this wasn't resolved, he would live the rest of his life under the weight of guilt. And as for Danzō…
Forget it.
That man wasn't worth mourning.
After a moment, Nonō stepped out from the crowd.
She looked at Danzō, then glanced at the emotionless children—those he'd trained into machine-like tools. Without a word, she plunged a kunai into him.
Then—
Casually healed him with medical ninjutsu.
Cold. Brutal. Precise.
Even Kyoichi found it hard to watch.
All he could say was:
At the start, Oriri's method was brutal. Even someone as tough-willed as Danzō couldn't help but scream in agony under each slash of her blade.
"Ahhh—!"
Screams, one after another.
Some couldn't bear for their children to witness the scene and quietly left, but many others stayed—feeling thoroughly vindicated.
Danzō's contributions? No one really knew for sure.
But—
The charges Kyoichi had listed came with solid evidence. Every one of them. Real, undeniable crimes. Far more damning than Danzō's own self-serving boasts.
And moreover—
Just as Kyoichi and Tsunade had said:
Konoha's victories in war came from the collective efforts of all its people—not just Danzō. That couldn't be used to excuse his sins.
"Sigh…"
Koharu Utatane let out a long breath and glanced over at Yamato and the others—the ones who had stabbed Danzō with a kunai in silence.
Those children…
The youngest were barely five or six. The oldest no more than eleven or twelve.
She stepped up beside Kyoichi and asked in a low voice, "These children are still so young… is it possible for them to return to the Academy?"
"Impossible."
Kyoichi shook his head.
Although not every one of them had passed the Root training to become full members, the process itself had already made them different from normal kids.
Send them to the Academy?
They'd only harm the other students—and themselves.
That said…
Koharu's tone now had changed. She wasn't as aggressive or high-handed as before. She now spoke more like someone seeking counsel.
See?
She can talk like a normal person after all, Kyoichi thought to himself with a smirk.
Koharu fell silent for a while before asking, "Then what should we do with them? For now, should they be placed in the hospital for treatment?"
"Has your mental health research reached the practical stage?"
Kyoichi countered with a question.
Koharu thought for a moment, then gently shook her head.
The human psyche is complicated.
Tsunade and Kyoichi had proposed the framework and theory, but to develop it into a working branch of medicine would require long-term exploration and effort.
Treating it carelessly now…
Might result in another Kakashi situation.
Someone who at least could've been a normal shinobi—but thanks to mishandled treatment, nearly ended up dumped in the ANBU orphan unit.
With that painful precedent, she didn't dare rush anything now.
"For the time being, place them under ANBU jurisdiction. ANBU sits somewhere between standard shinobi and Root—let them slowly adjust.
After some observation and screening, those suitable to return to normal life can do so later."
Koharu's cooperative tone made Kyoichi more agreeable as well.
As for Tsunade…
She was preparing to officially deal with Danzō now.
He deserved death. Executing him wasn't excessive. But as a jōnin of Konoha, they couldn't afford to go too far. A bit of restraint was necessary.
The point was to make an example—not to indulge in bloody vengeance.
---
"Danzō's dead? Just like that?"
Uchiha Fugaku was in the middle of handling clan matters when the news of Danzō's arrest and death reached him.
"Yes. And he died miserably. If it weren't for Tsunade-hime intervening, he might still be alive—barely. By the end, he didn't even have the strength to curse."
Elder's expression was complex.
They'd always seen Danzō as someone high above, a pillar of the village's power.
And yet…
In just one day.
He was dragged to the streets for a public trial—and subjected to a brutal execution.
Even hearing about it made one's scalp tingle.
If they had sided with Uchiha Ki in rebellion, who's to say they wouldn't have been next in line for public judgment?
Fugaku was silent for a moment before sighing, "I understand now."
"Understand what?"
"That 'Tiger'… it must be Kanda Kyoichi. He never left Konoha. The whole Amegakure thing—just a smokescreen to make everyone drop their guard."
Fugaku spoke heavily.
Elder froze, then carefully considered it. It actually made sense. Otherwise, why else would Kyoichi have taken Shisui with him?
He fell into deep thought. "Could it be they already knew someone in the Uchiha was planning rebellion?"
"No idea. But capturing Danzō and publicly prosecuting him—it must've been part of the plan."
Fugaku wasn't sure if the Uchiha matter had been part of Kyoichi's larger strategy.
Because unlike with Danzō, Kyoichi's handling of the Uchiha felt clumsy. Too many near misses. It lacked the seamlessness of the Danzō takedown.
But what he didn't know…
Was that it wasn't a matter of Kyoichi being unprepared—it was that he couldn't plan ahead.
Black Zetsu's stealth and awareness made any pre-emptive moves impossible. If Kyoichi made a single wrong step, the other side simply wouldn't act.
So…
He'd decided to let the Uchiha situation run its course.
Even so—
Right now, Fugaku felt a deepening wariness toward Kyoichi.
This man was unfathomable.
If they were to cooperate, they'd need to be very cautious in choosing sides. The moment anyone showed disloyalty, they'd likely be replaced without mercy.
Then…
Fugaku thought of Shisui. His heart grew heavier.
Shisui and Kyoichi were very close.
It was common knowledge that Kyoichi treated Shisui and the other two like his first generation of personal disciples—passing down jutsu with sincere dedication.
Especially Shisui.
His kenjutsu and taijutsu were practically inherited straight from Kyoichi's style.
If that were all, Fugaku would've been glad that Kyoichi had nurtured such a talented Uchiha youth—but clearly…
Kyoichi's ambitions didn't stop there.
What he wanted to cultivate wasn't just a prodigy—
But a leader. A capable, wise clan head. Someone who could replace Fugaku… perhaps even surpass him.
This had once been Tobirama Senju's dream.
Fugaku saw it all clearly—but couldn't tell anyone. Because saying it out loud… would change nothing.
The Uchiha now… were simply too weak.
Even if someone awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan, it likely wouldn't make a difference.
The stronger you are, the more you understand the true terror of your enemies.
Fugaku was resigned.
For now…
He had to prioritize the Uchiha's internal problems.
The clan's infighting had left him mentally exhausted. Not only had their strength diminished significantly, but the deeper issue was—
Many of the rebels were close relatives.
What to do with them, and how to handle the aftermath—that was a real dilemma. One wrong move and the Uchiha might completely fracture.
His head throbbed. As for Danzō's execution—he'd merely heard about it. He had no interest in watching the spectacle himself.
---
The next day.
The storm Danzō left behind seemed to have passed. The village slowly returned to peace. People only mentioned him occasionally over tea or meals, expressing contempt as a matter of course.
But…
At Kyoichi's home, an unexpected visitor appeared.
Kushina.
Naturally, she wasn't here for him.
"Kyoichi-kun, I'm begging you—please, let me see her!"
"Uh…" Kyoichi hesitated.
The very next second—
"You made Minato grind away at missions for over a month and I haven't even started holding you accountable for that!"
"That's a separate matter."
Kyoichi wasn't planning to give in.
This wasn't a decision he would make for Oriri. It was up to her to decide whether she wanted to see Kushina or not.
As for the real reason behind the fall of the Uzumaki clan—
Danzō's confession had already made it clear.
He hadn't personally struck the blow, but he definitely fanned the flames—
For instance, when Uzushiogakure was being wiped out, Konoha received zero intelligence.
As the one in charge of the ANBU and Konoha's intelligence network, Danzō had clearly failed—or perhaps…
He never intended to stop it in the first place.
"Kyoichi-sama, please let her in."
Oriri finally spoke.
Yesterday, she'd stepped forward out of rage toward the Third Hokage. But after that moment, she'd realized she now stood at a crossroads.
Her identity…
She'd been hiding it for so long. But now that it was out in the open, she had a choice to make:
Stay, or leave?
Kyoichi didn't object, but... she had finally found a place that felt like home.
It wasn't something she could give up easily.
If she stayed, it would definitely come with its fair share of trouble.
"Go on in. She just got back—what timing."
"Ugh..." Kushina rolled her eyes but still bowed deeply to Kyoichi. She understood—he was doing all of this out of care for that Uzumaki clanswoman.
In fact...
She could easily imagine how miserable that woman's life must have been before she met Kyoichi.
Kushina stepped inside.
A while later—
She came back out, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I don't even dare imagine what would've become of Oriri... truly, thank you!"
She bowed deeply once more.
Kyoichi waved his hand and said, "No need for thanks. I didn't save her for your gratitude. As for the Uzumaki clan's fate, you don't need to blame yourself—you didn't know."
"Yes... I just... my mind's a mess right now."
Kushina let out a long sigh.
She had thought she was the last Uzumaki in the world. But it seemed that wasn't the case—there were still some scattered survivors outside the village.
They just chose not to return to Konoha.
Even Oriri had chosen to come here because of Kyoichi and Tsunade, not because of any loyalty to the village.
That left Kushina with complicated feelings.
After all...
She'd grown up in Konoha. Her sense of belonging here ran deep.
"But things are what they are. No use dwelling on it now."
"That your way of comforting people? Tch. I'm outta here. Next time Minato's back, I'm inviting you guys over for dinner."
Kushina was nothing if not cheerful.
Though her mood had clearly been gloomy, she quickly readjusted and put on a smile.
"Who's cooking?"
"I am..."
"Then I just remembered I have urgent plans."
"You?! Fine, Minato will cook! That good enough for you?!"
Kushina shouted after him.
"It's really not that serious. Tsunade and I can push things around. We'll definitely come."
"Damn it! One of these days, I'll master cooking and slap your smug face with it!"
Fuming, Kushina stormed off.
Her emotions came fast and left just as quickly—
Just like Naruto.
***************************
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