Chapter 56: Rotting Wood

Outside the Uchiha Clan Compound.

At this moment, Danzo had already dismissed his subordinates, but hearing Hiashi Hyuga's words made his blood boil. If he had the chance, he would've gladly squared off against Hiashi right there.

"Lord Hokage, I suspect that Lord Danzo is a member of the Uchiha clan. I've received word that the Uchiha are conspiring for a revolution, and Lord Danzo intends to lead the Root to rejoin the Uchiha."

Hiashi's words were provocative and relentless, yet his expression remained calm and unwavering, as if his accusation was grounded in undeniable truth.

"What? Such a thing is happening?" The Third Hokage wore a mask of shock, pretending to know nothing. "The Uchiha planning a revolution?"

Before Danzo could even defend himself, the Third Hokage glanced at him, still maintaining his feigned surprise. "So you're part of the Uchiha too, Danzo?"

Are you kidding me?!

Danzo nearly shouted, but held his tongue with visible restraint.

[This Hiashi is spouting nonsense just to provoke me! Just a moment ago, he claimed to be acting under your orders, Hokage, and now he says he heard it through the grapevine. Is there even a single honest word in this?]

[And you, Sarutobi Hiruzen! We discussed everything in private. Now, you're pulling this stunt. What's your game? Were we performing a comedy act back in the Hokage's office?]

Seeing Danzo's barely contained fury, the Third Hokage understood. After all, they had been comrades for years. He owed him a bit of face-saving.

Clearing his throat, the Third Hokage turned to Hiashi, seemingly in defense of Danzo. "Hiashi, Danzo is a village elder whom I know well. For you to suddenly claim he's an Uchiha and plotting a rebellion—do you have any proof?"

"…Lord Hokage, my Byakugan can clearly see what's hidden behind the bandages on Lord Danzo's face: a Sharingan!" Hiashi's face darkened, and he pointed at Danzo's right eye without hesitation.

"Is that so?" The Third Hokage hadn't anticipated this turn. Initially, he thought Hiashi's claims were mere stalling tactics, but now it seemed he had truly hit upon something.

Danzo's face went pale as the realization struck him. In that instant, the Third Hokage's gaze sharpened, clouded with a dark suspicion.

Shisui's disappearance had been a nagging thorn in his mind. When he heard someone had impersonated Shisui and committed atrocities in Kirigakure, he couldn't shake off the sense of betrayal.

Shisui had been his last glimmer of hope for the Uchiha, the one who embodied the Will of Fire. If Shisui had not disappeared, he might never have given Danzo the freedom to act against the Uchiha. Perhaps things wouldn't have come to this…

Danzo, gripped by an icy dread, finally calmed. His rage cooled to a bottomless chill.

[An informant within the Root?]

Impossible. Every surviving member of that operation was bound by the Tongue-Curse Seal; they couldn't reveal anything, not even at the cost of their lives.

[Did the Hyuga Byakugan see through it?]

No. His bandages were specially crafted, and Shisui's Sharingan, not yet fully assimilated, showed no signs of chakra flow. The Byakugan shouldn't have detected anything!

[How did he know?]

[Who told him?]

Danzo noticed the dangerously intent look in the Hokage's eyes, a look he hadn't seen in a long time. Realizing he was in trouble, Danzo's mind raced.

If things went wrong, he wouldn't even get the chance to recover the Uchiha bodies. He might not walk out of this place alive!

[No, not here…]

Knowing that this wasn't the time, Danzo's breathing grew rapid, his face contorted in anger. "Utter nonsense! Preposterous! Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

He didn't wait for any retorts. Turning swiftly, Danzo left without a word to his subordinates, walking straight-backed but leaving in a way that reeked of defeat.

Hiashi, his Byakugan activated, felt his pulse quicken as he saw Danzo's retreating form. Chakra surged through his palms as he waited for the Hokage to give the order.

If the Third Hokage issued the command, Danzo would still be within reach of his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!

It was a rare chance!

Yet, as Danzo moved beyond the Byakugan's range, the Third Hokage remained silent. Smoking his pipe, his eyes betrayed flashes of murderous intent, yet ultimately, he said nothing.

Hiashi sighed internally, watching as the opportunity slipped away, understanding that the Hokage once again chose to indulge his old comrade.

Even though he knew the truth.

He really was growing old, and not just in body, but in spirit as well.

Looking up at the night sky, Hiashi's gaze was conflicted. Just as the Fourth Hokage once said, Konoha was rotting, from its very roots up through its branches.

How could rotting wood sprout new life?

The answer the blond boy had given him was resolute:

Only by burning away the rot can new leaves truly flourish!

Meanwhile, inside the Uchiha clan leader's residence...

The illusion finally lifted, releasing Itachi from the Tsukuyomi. He looked down at Sasuke, who lay unconscious on the floor, then turned away, unable to meet his parents' gaze.

"Take your parents' remains," Minato said solemnly, nodding toward the bodies of Fugaku and Mikoto. "At the very least... let them rest in peace."

"Father was the Uchiha clan leader. The mission targeted the whole clan, taking hundreds of lives. The authorities will surely take notice if his body—"

"Let them notice!" Minato cut him off, placing a hand on Fugaku and Mikoto's shoulders. His serious, determined expression, worn on Naruto's face, was both startling and reassuring.

"And what will they do about it?"