42 Until Dawn

-7:15 PM-

Shimura Danzō was a loathsome man.

Physically, he appeared to be an ordinary, frail, old veteran who needed cane assistance to walk. But concealed beneath the bandage over his right eye was a stolen Sharingan. An eye which he would not hesitate to replace once it had exhausted its use, through whatever means necessary.

The dark robe draped over his shoulder might make him look noble and dignified, when in truth it was hiding his bandaged arm that were implanted with ten additional Sharingan, and his shoulder which had the First Hokage's face protruding from it, looking like some sort of demented trophy.

His chakra signature mirrored him as well. Arrogance, greed, and narcissism oozed out of him.

This man possessed a fanatical and arbitrary adherence to the ideals of a shinobi, believing they must sacrifice absolutely everything for the village when he himself hypocritically feared death and hid this fear behind a belief that his survival was necessary for the sake of the shinobi world. The man was also the perpetrator behind the stigmatization of the Uchiha clan to the rest of the village and was the one who secretly leaked out the information that Uzumaki Naruto was the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox because he believed that Konoha was at its strongest when the village had a target to focus its hatred on.

You delusional dipshit.

"It's been a while since the last time I saw you. You look tired, Nonō-kun."

Nonō smiled thinly. "Please skip the pleasantries, Shimura-sama. To what do I owe your visit?"

The old hawk chuckled. "Ha, I like you better when you weren't Uciha Fugaku's whore. Then again, he's very generous with you, doesn't he? You even refurbish the whole building. I never thought you have it in you, my child."

Nonō was completely unfazed. "The esteemed Elder came all the way here during a critical time just to insult me?" No wonder you're not the Hokage. "I'm honored."

Danzō tightened his grip on his cane, his patience quickly waning. "As you've said, we are in a time of crisis. You are well aware what our enemy is and how to handle it. I'm simply giving you a choice. Choose wisely."

"I'm afraid I would have to disappoint you. Every child in our care is a civilian with no remarkable talent to speak of. They can't be the Nine-Tails' jailor."

"It matters not. The only requirement for a child to be its vessel is to have an undeveloped chakra system. Give me your youngest child."

Nonō almost growled. "I will not. Take someone from the hospital instead."

"I would have if it still existed. The beast has annihilated it, along with everyone inside it."

"Use an adult. They would've made a better jinchūriki."

"Stop testing my patience, you insolent girl! This is a direct order from your Hokage. Now hand me the child!"

"I will not!"

Danzō signaled his subordinates. "The child, small, black-haired, the one in the back."

Those ANBU were fast, but Mother was faster. With a flicker, she grabbed me first and I clung to her neck.

In response, Keiri and Kenpu quickly herd the other children together and backed them away from Nonō and Danzō, then stand protectively in front of them.

"I see that you're going to be difficult about this. It's a shame really, you were one of our best, Nonō." Danzō closed his lone eye. "As you wish."

In a speed that contrasted his old age, Danzō swiped out his leg and landed a chakra infused kick onto Nonō's abdomen, sending her—and by extension, me—flying. Mother took most of the brunt, but I could still feel the shockwave rattle my bones.

The former captain of the Medic Corps snatched my body mid-air and secured me into her arms before landing with a body roll. Drops of blood dripped from her chin onto my forehead, slightly obscuring my view. Before Nonō could move, one of the ANBU came with his blade held high, ready to decapitate.

I held my hands up at the last seconds.

"Stop," I shouted. "I will… I will go with you. Let Mama go. Please..."

With Danzō's acquiescence, the other ANBU ripped me away from Nonō and dangled me by my midsection, holding me like a lamb.

The Root leader approached his ex-subordinate hunched form as she scanned her internal organs for damages. It was clear that she had been inactive for way too long.

Danzō knelt before her.

"You have promising potential, my child, but you never really did learn how to lose your emotions. It's a pity, you were one of my favorites."

Dimly, I could register the man pulling a kunai from his pouch, but the hand against my mouth kept me from screaming.

"Alas, we are at the end of the road now. You know the consequence of disobedience."

There was a faint, metallic sound and Nonō grunted a pained noise.

With a blink, wind chakra disappeared from Danzō's blade. Nonō gurgled, blood fountained from her lips. Danzō's diagonal swing had neatly parted Nonō from shoulder to navel.

One of her glowing hands was pressed against her severed carotid artery whilst the other hovered over her cleaved lungs, but the bleeding was way too extensive. Blood spurted from her abdomen and back.

Nonō wheezed.

"Nonō-chan!"

"Mother Superior!"

"Mama!"

Burning tears blurred my eyes even more as I squirmed against the too-tight hold.

I could've used my sharingan and called Shinju, but I had done neither because I did not want my identity nor my power to be discovered. To protect myself, I've killed Mother Nonō and ruined the orphans' lives.

You're a piece of shit, Hideyo. A self-centered, spineless, useless piece of shit.

Danzō lifted the bandage over his stolen sharingan and softly whispered, "Let it go, my child. Let it go."

Nonō fell with a thud.

I retched.

Danzō brushed the dirt from his robe and used his cane to stand. The two ANBU agents immediately joined his sides. I hung limply, catatonic.

"Keiri, Kenpu," Danzō greeted.

The two wardens flinched. Behind them, children were sobbing.

"Take care."