"Danzo-sama..." Yamanaka Fū whimpered, clutching his cheek, looking like a scolded child.
"Shut up!" Danzo roared, wishing he could kill Yamanaka Fū on the spot. He'd planned to deflect blame later, but Fū had ruined everything.
With everyone watching, deception was impossible. He felt the kunai in his hand nearly snap from the pressure. Facing Kai's unfathomable power, he felt exposed. This boy had to be eliminated.
"Danzo, remove your mask," the Third Hokage said grimly. He'd initially been calculating how to handle Danzo's "death," but now he wished Danzo were dead.
He'd heard of Izanagi—a powerful genjutsu that allowed shifting between reality and illusion, negating fatal injuries. Its high cost—sacrificing a Sharingan—made it almost invincible. Danzo's resurrection and Kai's revelation were a terrible predicament.
The Sharingan's origin would exacerbate tensions between Konoha and the Uchiha.
Homura Mitokado's face was ashen. He'd just condemned Kai, and now Danzo's survival was a slap in the face. He moved to take Danzo's mask.
"Danzo, remove your mask and prove your innocence…"
Even Danzo was surprised by Mitokado's sudden move. Before he could react, the mask was removed, revealing a lifeless Sharingan where the bandages had been. Everyone's expressions changed.
"It's a Sharingan," Uchiha Fugaku said, his voice low and dangerous. "Danzo, explain how you obtained it!"
For any clan, maintaining uniqueness and avoiding weakness meant protecting their bloodline.
The Hyūga clan, Konoha's largest, had inner and outer branches, with the outer branch members, burdened by the Cage Bird Seal, fighting on the front lines, sacrificing themselves to protect the inner branch.
The Uchiha didn't have branches, but they often destroyed their eyes in death. Unlike the Hyūga's constant Byakugan activation, the Uchiha only activated their Sharingan during combat.
To obtain a Sharingan, one needed the owner's permission or to swiftly take it before the Uchiha could close or destroy it. Otherwise, without Uchiha blood, it couldn't be activated.
"Heh, Uncle, don't blame Danzo-sama. He cares for Konoha. He probably found the Sharingan on the battlefield," Kai said, looking at Danzo with a playful smile.
Yamanaka Fū nodded eagerly. "Uchiha Kai is right. I found the Sharingan and gave it to Danzo-sama."
"Idiot! Don't you understand what's happening?!" Danzo kicked Yamanaka Fū, sending him sprawling. Yamanaka Fū stared at Kai, bewildered. The shift in his fortunes was shocking.
"Heh, Danzo-sama, look how loyal Yamanaka Fū is. He even found you an activated Sharingan," Kai said, a knowing smile on his face.
He wanted to see Danzo's next move. "But he's incredibly lucky. He found you a whole armful of Sharingans. Spare parts, perhaps?"
Silence fell. One Sharingan might be believable, given Danzo's position, but an armful of activated Sharingans? No one would believe that.
"Uchiha Kai, you're slandering a Konoha advisor! This is a grave crime, inciting conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha!"
Mitokado exclaimed, his voice sharp. The advisors, while not always united, usually followed Danzo's lead. If Danzo had acted secretly, they were accomplices. He had to discredit Kai.
"Heh, Advisor, if you want the truth, have Danzo remove his arm bandages. Don't beat around the bush and make me the fool," Kai said warmly, looking at Danzo. He wanted to see what Danzo would do next.
The Hokage election had devolved into a confrontation. Everyone's gaze fell on Danzo.
Their opinions were shifting. Initially, many feared Kai, the Blood Asura, especially after his repeated attacks on Konoha advisors.
But if Danzo had really collected an armful of Sharingans, were the good guys and bad guys reversed? Kai seemed less threatening now.
Danzo's face was grim. He wanted to kill Yamanaka Fū and Kai. The arm was a recent transplant, intended as a trump card, now a ticking time bomb.
He couldn't understand how Kai knew about it. Was it Orochimaru?
"Danzo-sama, retreat. I'll buy you time," a voice echoed in Danzo's mind, completely unexpected.
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