Chapter 334 - Hiruzen, Danzo & Tobirama

Hearing Danzo's question, Hiruzen recalled the reports his agent had given him about the incident. "Kabuto Yakushi. Adopted son of Nono Yakushi. Remember her?"

Danzo's attention sharpened after hearing her name. "What do they have to do with this?"

"You sent them to kill each other after they became a liability to you and you had Orochimaru waiting to clean up the survivor. Except all you did was force Kabuto to kill his mother and make him turn against the village. He's now working for Orochimaru. He's still alive."

Danzo's first clenched in anger. "My mistake was trusting that snake. I should have sent someone else to finish the job."

"You shouldn't have forced them to kill each other to begin with." Hiruzen was angered that Danzo learned the wrong lesson from his mistake. "You still don't understand! You don't value the lives of the people who serve this village. Your paranoia got the better of you and now we have a powerful enemy because of that. This is exactly why I can't let you become Hokage. You'll only create more enemies than allies."

Danzo was silent for a while as his mind recalled all the things he had done as the leader of the Root forces. He looked at his rival and a small smile grew on his face which took the Hokage by surprise.

"It wasn't easy, you know… Being number two." Danzo's words felt heavy to the old Kage. "You are the leaf glowing in the light… while I was the foundation hidden in darkness… I had to go far to protect this village. And that meant plunging my hands into the filth to do what needed to be done."

Hiruzen's eyes slightly softened. "I'm sorry I couldn't share your burdens... I regret so many things. But I can't let you continue with your work."

Danzo looked at his old rival and gave a small nod. "Let me end it on my terms. Will you give me that, Hiruzen?"

The Hokage was relieved and saddened as he heard those words. "Yes. But before that there are a few things I need to know. And there is someone you need to meet. He insisted."

"Who?" Danzo was sure that whoever it was wouldn't be anyone ordinary.

"It's a bit of a complicated answer. He'll be joining us soon."

"Hmph!" Danzo lightly snorted. Danzo's face remained impassive, but a flicker of curiosity crossed his eyes.

At that moment three Anbu appeared near them. The three masked ninjas were weary but seeing as the fight between the Hokage and the Root leader ended they internally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Go inform the others that the battle has ended. The Root ninjas that surrender, take them into custody. And make sure we're not interrupted." Hiruzen ordered, looking at his old rival.

"Yes sir." The three loyal followers of Hiruzen took another glance at Danzo and vanished with the body flicker jutsu. They respectfully left the room, giving space to their Hokage and his old friend turned foe.

Danzo sighed as he knew his end had come. "I have to give you credit."

"Hm?"

"You had your men infiltrate my organization, you studied me, identified my strengths and weaknesses and you waited patiently to exploit it… At the last moment, just when I thought I had the upper hand, you redirected my forces away from the village and launched your attack… Tobirama sensei would certainly approve." Danzo spoke with a soft sigh.

"I do."

The suddenly familiar voice that came from the shadows startled Danzo. 'It can't be…'

He swiftly turned around and saw a man dressed in black Anbu gear with no identifiable marks. He was wearing a dull gray colored mask and had a black hood covering his head.

Danzo quietly watched with wide eye as the man walked closer to them. Once he was near, he slowly took off the hood covering his hair and the mask obstructing his face.

The air grew heavy as the tall man with a commanding presence, white hair and red markings on his face made himself known. Danzo's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"Tobirama-sensei…?"

The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, looked at Danzo with sternness and disappointment. His voice, even after death, carried the authority of a leader and the weight of a teacher addressing a wayward student.

Hiruzen stood silent but his eyes were tinged with the burden of what was to come.

"Danzo," Tobirama began, his tone severe, "it has been a long time. And it seems much has transpired since I last saw you."

Danzo struggled to find his voice. "Tobirama-sensei… I… How is this possible?"

"I was brought back by the Reanimation Jutsu," Tobirama explained. "A jutsu I created for battle, now used on myself for purposes beyond my original intent."

"But who-" Danzo suddenly turned his attention to the Hokage standing behind him. "You." He almost whispered in disbelief.

"Yes. Orochimaru has been dabbling in forbidden reanimation jutsu. And with you making whatever sort of deal with him, I needed an ace up my sleeve." Hiruzen nodded and answered the unasked question.

Danzo turned his attention back to the former Hokage. "Sensei… Why did you want to see me?"

Tobirama looked at the man and crossed his arms. "After everything that's transpired, I needed to speak with you, one last time."

Danzo clenched his fists. "Speak with me? About what?"

"About your actions," Tobirama replied sharply. "The Nine Tails' attack, the Uchiha massacre, and your attack on Tsunade. All of it... You have perverted the ideals I instilled in you, using them as justification for your deeds."

Danzo's face contorted with a mixture of regret and defiance. "My actions towards Tsunade could be considered treasonous but regarding what happened with the Uchiha clan…? It was necessary. I did that for the village. To protect it and ensure its survival."

"Is that really what you believe?" Tobirama asked, his gaze piercing. "Have you truly convinced yourself of this lie just so you could justify your actions?"

Danzo's expression hardened. "The Uchiha were a threat! They needed to be controlled."

"Controlled?" Tobirama's voice grew cold. "Or eradicated? You pushed them into a corner, left them with no options. With how the village marginalized them, a coup was inevitable."

Hiruzen looked at the exchange silently, his heart heavy as he recalled that incident.

"The Nine tails attack-"

"The Uchiha clan was innocent!" Tobirama cut off his former student.

"What?!" It wasn't just Danzo who was surprised by that answer but Hiruzen as well. The Hokage looked at his former sensei and he slightly tensed. 'What did he find in that tomb?'

The weight of Tobirama's words hung in the air, and for a moment, Danzo could only stare. Tobirama continued, his tone clipped and laced with disappointment. "The Nine Tails attack. It was an event that should never have happened, and yet it did. And in its aftermath, you both allowed the village to spiral into suspicion and mistrust. The blame fell on the Uchiha clan, but now I have reason to believe you were wrong."

"But- but the nine tails… It was under the influence of the Sharingan. There are several witnesses." Danzo spoke as he looked at his teacher but Hiruzen was silent.

Tobirama sighed and looked at the two. "I'm not saying it's not an Uchiha behind the attack. I'm saying it's not the Uchiha clan."

Danzo's eyes widened while Hiruzen stood still shocked as he understood what those words truly meant. He began to slowly piece together the truth about that night.

Tobirama, seeing the silence of the two, continued. "The Nine Tails' attack was orchestrated by an external force, but your paranoia led to the marginalization of the Uchiha clan. Your fear sowed the seeds of distrust and discord."

Danzo's eye narrowed, confusion evident on his face. "An Uchiha was responsible but not the clan? What do you mean, sensei?"

Tobirama sighed and replied. "Madara Uchiha. I paid a visit to his tomb. We all assumed he perished at the Valley of the End, but recent findings suggest he might not have died there. His survival changes everything. The Nine Tails attack might have been orchestrated by him, not the Uchiha clan we had under suspicion."

Hiruzen's face tightened with realization. "We wrongly blamed them… and that blame led to the seeds of their rebellion."

Danzo, despite his injuries and the situation, scoffed. "Even if Madara lived, the Uchiha were always plotting. They were planning a coup."

Tobirama's eyes locked onto Danzo's. "And how did you handle it? Through secrecy, through violence? You pushed them further into the shadows, isolated them, until their rebellion became inevitable."

Hiruzen spoke, his voice heavy. "We mishandled it. I see that now… But what could we have done differently, Tobirama-sensei?"

"The massacre was the only solution left." Danzo said not believing his course of action to be wrong.

Tobirama nodded slowly. "I cannot say if there was a better path, Hiruzen, Danzo. Not at the end. The Uchiha had already decided on their course of action. However, your mistakes pushed them to that brink. Your failure to properly integrate them, to trust them, led to this tragedy. Perhaps it was inevitable, but such a drastic action should have been your last resort, not your first."

The three fell silent for several moments before the Second Hokage spoke again. "I'm still not sure how Madara came back to life. I'm certain it's a forbidden jutsu but I'm not sure what?"

"Izanagi." Danzo spoke in a soft tone and he had the attention of both kages.

Hiruzen frowned, unfamiliar with the term. "Izanagi?"

Danzo looked between the two Hokage, a bitter smile forming on his lips. "It's an Uchiha technique. A forbidden one. It allows the user to rewrite reality at the cost of losing their Sharingan. A way to cheat death, to turn a fatal wound into an illusion."

Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "I see… That explains a lot. Madara must have known I wouldn't destroy his body. He was counting on me storing away his remains. It must have been a delayed jutsu he implanted into one of his eyes, with the trigger to activate a short time after his death."

"How do you know about this jutsu Danzo?" Hiruzen asked him.

Danzo was silent for a few moments. "Because I've used it… On more than one occasion."

Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock. 'That means he's had multiple Sharingan.'

Tobirama sighed. He looked at the one eyed man with disappointment. "That technique is another symbol of what's wrong with your methods, Danzo. Instead of facing the consequences of your actions, you found a way to escape them."

Danzo's fists clenched. "I did what I had to. I sacrificed everything for the village."

"And in doing so, you lost sight of what truly mattered," Tobirama replied, his tone softening slightly. "The village isn't just a place or an idea; it's the people. Their trust, their willingness to work together despite their differences. You've eroded that trust, Danzo. And look where it has brought you."

Danzo slumped, the weight of Tobirama's words pressing down on him. Hiruzen watched with sadness in his heart as he saw his old comrade finally began to realize the full extent of his actions.

"There's more," Tobirama continued, his voice now a mix of sorrow and anger. "Orochimaru's betrayal… Hatake Sakumo's death. These were not isolated incidents. They were symptoms of a deeper problem, one that festered under your noses."

Hiruzen looked down, guilt evident in his eyes. "I failed them both… Orochimaru was my mistake and I could not stop him. And Sakumo… he was driven to his death by the very village he gave everything to protect."

Tobirama nodded grimly. "Orochimaru was always ambitious, your failure was not in guiding him, or to keep him close. You failed in stopping him and that allowed his ambitions to grow stronger and to turn into something monstrous… As for Sakumo… the village turned its back on him because we valued success over the lives of our comrades. That is a failure we must own, Hiruzen."

Danzo remained silent, the full weight of his actions now crushing him. He had believed himself to be the village's protector, but in his zeal, he had become something else—something that had contributed to the very problems he sought to prevent.

The three were silent before Danzo looked at his teacher. "So what now?"

"Danzo, actions have consequences. More than anyone, you should understand what that means, right?" Tobirama looked at his student with a knowing gaze.

"I understand sensei." Danzo replied with a steel gaze.

The second Hokage turned to look at the other. "As for you Hiruzen, after we rescue Tsunade and ensure her safety, you're going to step down from your position. The next Chunin exams will be held here right? You will officially step down and appoint your successor at that time."

That news was shocking to Danzo, but Hiruzen looked calm. The old Hokage had anticipated such an action. Tobirama continued. "The village needs fresh blood and I've decided… Tsunade or Jiraiya. One of them will make a suitable 5th Hokage…"

Lord Third looked at his reanimated teacher and nodded. Danzo couldn't believe that Hiruzen wouldn't be Hokage for much longer.

Hiruzen glanced at his old rival and a small sad smile formed. For some reason the weight on his chest lightened as he thought about handing over the burden of the village to someone else but at the same time it grew at the thought of Tsunade in danger from Orochimaru.

"I'll do everything I can to rescue her quickly, sensei." Hiruzen spoke and the other kage nodded. Tobirama then turned to Danzo.

"Before I leave, I have a few more questions for you, Danzo?"

The Root commander was silent as he waited.

"Where is Shisui Uchiha's eye? What business did you conduct with Orochimaru when you went to visit him outside the village and finally… Who was here before us? Who did you fight?"

—-------------

Author's Note:

I hope I got their personalities right.

Now, just so there isn't any confusion, I'll explain the second hokage's attitude towards the uchiha.

Now that Tobirama knows most of the facts about the massacre and knows that madara was brought back to life, he would work to avoid blacklisting the clan and forcing them into a corner.. as a strong clan like the uchiha being destroyed weakens the village, from his perspective. but if the uchiha still moved forward with the coup then tobirama would have killed most if not all of them. At least this is what i think he would do. if you have any different thoughts, feel free to comment and share. 

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