Elite agents from the corpse-handling squad meticulously inspected Danzo Shimura's body, inch by inch, from head to toe. As for the clan leaders who had vowed to investigate the clues, they all stood idly by, not bothering to lend a hand.
Danzo had been lying in bed for so long that any secrets he had were long gone.
Even his organization, Root, had been thoroughly dismantled. Members from the various clans were sent back to their families, and those who were orphans were taken in by the ANBU. Eventually, Root's base was completely taken over by the ANBU, and the current secret prison was a remodeled Root base.
Sougen stood nearby, coldly observing everything, but his mind was elsewhere.
Waiting for news from Juzo Biwa.
With Juzo's skills, it was clear he couldn't defeat Hiruzen Sarutobi. What Sougen was really waiting for was the hidden trap he'd placed on Juzo to come into play. As long as that trap didn't fail, Hiruzen Sarutobi would certainly meet his end this time.
As time slowly passed, it didn't take long.
Just as the corpse-handling squad was working on Danzo's body, Sougen suddenly felt a strange sensation in his eyes.
It was as if he were drowsy, and he slowly narrowed his eyes as if to take a nap.
Behind his eyelids, his crimson eyes revealed the pattern of a six-pointed windmill. His consciousness fell into an illusion—a familiar courtyard, complete with a rock garden, a pond, stone lanterns, and a small bamboo grove. However, unlike before, there was now a massive cherry blossom tree in the courtyard.
A cherry blossom tree in full bloom, though all its petals had fallen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
He vividly remembered preparing to interrogate Juzo Biwa when he suddenly noticed that Juzo's right eye had transformed into a strange Sharingan, different from the usual three tomoe pattern. Realizing that Juzo's assassination attempt must be linked to the Uchiha clan, he was ready to act.
But before he could say anything, he had thrown his Wind Sword, and in the next moment, he found himself here in this courtyard.
Sougen's figure emerged from behind the giant cherry blossom tree.
"As I expected, it's you, Uchiha Sougen... So this is the power of your Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Hiruzen wasn't surprised to see Sougen. In fact, if it weren't Sougen here, he would've been shocked. He narrowed his eyes, watching Sougen. "I never imagined the Uchiha's eye techniques could be implanted in an outsider. That's truly hard to defend against!"
"It's not as easy as you think, Lord Third. The technique 'Transcription Seal' has many limitations. To bear the power of a Mangekyo Sharingan, at least a three-tomoe Sharingan is required. A regular eye would go blind after just one use of a Mangekyo's power."
"Juzo Biwa—his right eye is probably already destroyed by my ocular power."
Sougen explained with a smile.
"It seems I lost fairly this time."
Though he said that, the gloom in Hiruzen's eyes couldn't be shaken.
Juzo was nothing more than a minor figure, not even worth expending much chakra. Hiruzen had many techniques he hadn't even used yet, saving them to deal with traitors like Uchiha Sougen, Hyuga Hiashi, and Aburame Shibi.
Everything had crumbled in an instant.
Falling at the hands of someone like Juzo, even if it was Sougen pulling the strings, was hard to swallow. If he had known Juzo was working with Sougen, he would've been more cautious of the Uchiha's genjutsu and wouldn't have fallen into Sougen's trap so miserably.
"The victor writes history. What's fair or unfair?" Sougen said softly.
If fairness mattered, half the ninjas who died in the three great ninja wars would likely think their deaths were unjust!
Hiruzen had no words.
He, too, had fought his way through piles of corpses. He understood that Sougen was right. Many had died without ever using their trump cards, and asking if their deaths were fair was meaningless.
Going to battle and withholding your strongest techniques, only to be killed—there was nothing unfair about that. It simply meant they weren't skilled enough.
"Looks like I'm truly old now."
Hiruzen sighed with a complicated expression.
Sougen couldn't care less about Hiruzen's inner turmoil. He clapped his hands softly, looking at Hiruzen, whose body was half-buried in the ground. "If you have no other questions, Lord Third, I'll be sending you on your way now."
"What do you plan to do to Konoha?" Hiruzen asked, already realizing his situation. He had secretly tried many times to break free from his restraints, but every attempt failed. Even though he knew he was under a genjutsu, there was no way to escape it. He now understood that this was his end.
In his final moments,
It wasn't his deceased wife, his children, or his clan that came to mind—it was Konoha!
"I've said it many times already: Uchiha is Konoha's Uchiha. Konoha is also Uchiha's Konoha. The village was founded by both the Senju and Uchiha clans during a time of chaos. There's no reason for the Uchiha to betray or destroy Konoha. Rest assured, Lord Third—Konoha will only grow stronger!"
"Konoha, under the Uchiha..." Hiruzen muttered, looking at the green shoots sprouting from his shoulders. He felt a sudden, unstoppable weakness as the tender shoots grew at an alarming rate, their roots intertwining through his body, sapping his spirit.
In no time, a towering tree with dense green leaves had formed. Thousands of pale pink flower buds hung heavily from the branches, swaying gently in the wind.
"Sapping others' spiritual energy—is this the true nature of your ocular technique? Is this how you took down Danzo as well?"
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Since Hiruzen had deduced the truth on his own, Sougen didn't deny it.
"And... what is your other ocular technique?" Hiruzen remained calm, showing no signs of panic despite being wrapped tightly in tree roots, with only his face exposed. "I've read the research left behind by the Second Hokage. The Mangekyo Sharingan's abilities always come in pairs. This genjutsu is only one of them, right? What's the other?"
"The Second Hokage, huh? He truly was a master of forbidden techniques. His research on our clan's Sharingan runs deep... But I have no reason to reveal my secrets to you!" Sougen chuckled. "Nowadays, even the dead can't keep secrets. So please, rest in peace! Don't bother trying to uncover my mysteries any further!"
Sougen snapped his fingers.
The entire cherry blossom tree bloomed, and moments later, its petals began to fall. The petals drifted down like rain, and with them, Hiruzen Sarutobi's energy and life faded away. As the final petal floated to the ground, the last spark of life left his eyes, and his body turned into a dry, hollow shell.
In the courtyard, two cherry blossom trees stood side by side.