"On the contrary, I'll even spread the word for you in Konoha."
Her tone carried a hint of mockery, her stance revealed with absolute clarity.
Orochimaru looked at the two elders, the corners of his mouth curling up in ridicule.
Did they really think he couldn't see through their plan? They simply wanted to destroy Shisui's eyes, then tell the outside world it was an accident during an experiment.
A reason that sounded proper and was hard to challenge.
But to him, it brought no benefit, only ruined the reputation he had carefully maintained.
If Shisui's eyes were to be destroyed, fine—do it yourself, and take the blame yourself.
"…"
Koharu stayed silent, her eyes locked furiously on Orochimaru.
Shisui had made great contributions, his eyes lost for the sake of the village. To then destroy those same eyes out of baseless fear—no matter that she was a senior advisor—there would be backlash.
Her reputation would rot instantly, even worse than Danzo's, who was already buried in blood and filth.
She had fought for Konoha for decades, north and south, yet at the end of her life, to ruin her honor over something like this—she couldn't accept it.
But letting such a risk remain in Konoha, she couldn't accept that either.
Torn between the village's so-called greater good and her personal honor, Koharu was stuck in the middle.
Mitokado Homura shared her thoughts, frowning deeply, unsure of what to do.
A matter that could be solved with a small lie, if Orochimaru cooperated, had now blown up into a mess.
He knew Orochimaru had his eyes on the Mangekyou Sharingan, his greed clouding his judgment.
Homura stroked his beard, his gaze drifting unconsciously toward the Third Hokage, silently suggesting one thing.
— Old friend, deal with him.
But the Third ignored his look. Just like him, the other advisor also remained silent.
— Danzo.
Ever since Orochimaru placed Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan on the table, Danzo's gaze hadn't moved from it. His half-narrowed eyes gleamed with greed and ambition. If not for the setting, he would have already snatched it by force.
He looked down on the other two elders' ideas.
Old fools, stuck in their rigid thinking. Yes, the Mangekyou Sharingan was taboo, but to destroy it just because of that? That was overkill.
Power itself had no right or wrong.
Right now, the correct move was to restore the Mangekyou and take it from Orochimaru.
Danzo shot a subtle glance at his two old companions, but stayed silent.
If he spoke now, it would put him directly against them—there was no need for that.
He believed Orochimaru alone would send them away defeated.
And once those two old relics realized destroying the Mangekyou was impossible, then he would speak up, pull them to his side, and pressure Orochimaru, not letting him keep it to himself.
Thinking this through, Danzo narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze toward the Third Hokage.
If there was one unpredictable piece in his plan, it was him.
Normally, Orochimaru would never give up the Mangekyou. But in recent times, the Third's influence over him seemed too strong.
Yet before the cautious Danzo could see what the Third would do, someone suddenly exploded.
Koharu grabbed the nutrient jar from the table, her face twisting into a mocking smile. "Orochimaru, do you really think I wouldn't dare destroy it?"
Insults and ridicule, mockery and sneers—she had had enough.
Especially Orochimaru's smug attitude, certain she would choose personal interest over the village.
That infuriated Koharu even more.
Did he really think that when she spoke on behalf of the village, her words were hollow?
When the time came to sacrifice for the village, she would never back down.
Koharu also understood now that there was no way to force Orochimaru to yield.
As long as Shisui's eyes were destroyed, this wretched woman would spread the news everywhere, without a care for the village's peace.
Fine, if none of them had the resolve, then I'll take the blame.
Utatane Koharu glared fiercely at Orochimaru. Sharp wind-natured chakra surged from her fingers, cutting through the fragile glass container with ease and completely destroying the eyeballs floating in the solution.
It all happened so fast. From Koharu's sudden outburst to the complete ruin of Shisui's eyes, it was all over in an instant.
Though Orochimaru had mocked the Hokage's advisors as old and frail, even at her age she was still an elite jonin. In such a small space, holding the advantage, breaking something so unprotected was effortless.
"Crack… crack…"
The sound of breaking glass and dripping liquid wasn't loud, but it made the silence of the meeting room stand out even more.
Mitokado Homura stared blankly at his companion. He never imagined she would go this far.
She shouldn't have been so reckless. There had to be better ways… but seeing her stubborn and determined face, all his words got stuck in his throat.
Forget it. Later he would try persuading Orochimaru. If things couldn't be fixed, at least he'd try to lessen the fallout and protect Koharu and her family.
"You really destroyed them?"
The smile vanished from Orochimaru's lips, replaced by clear surprise.
And as if his words were the trigger, a furious shout exploded inside the Hokage's meeting room.
"How dare you destroy them!?"
Danzo's single eye burned red, his usual calm completely gone. He looked like a raging bull.
Koharu hadn't even had time to feel proud of herself for acting before Orochimaru could mock her. Danzo's roar left her stunned.
She turned to look at him, confused by his furious expression.
In the earlier meeting, hadn't he also agreed to destroy Shisui's eyes?
So Danzo too was after the Uchiha's "forbidden eyes."
For a moment, countless thoughts rushed through Koharu's mind.
"Cough, cough…"
Two soft coughs echoed through the meeting room, cutting through the ugly scene that was about to turn into open betrayal and infighting.
Everyone—those sighing, those shocked, those furious, and those who had been silent—turned their eyes in one direction.
From inside his robe, Orochimaru drew out another small nutrient tank and set it on the table.
Inside the glass cylinder floated another pair of eyes in pale green solution, identical to the ones from before.
Everyone's expressions shifted at once. The others' eyes showed complicated emotions that were hard to describe, but the one who had been silent all along now looked as if to say, "Just as expected."
After a brief silence, Koharu erupted again. Her face flushed red, her rage burning away her reason. She could barely string words together, only repeating the obvious truth, "You… you… the ones you showed us before… they were fake?!"
"Don't put it like that."
Orochimaru toyed with the small tank for a moment before tucking it back into his scroll, a playful glint in his eyes.
"Fake? I wouldn't know. Weren't Shisui's eyes already destroyed by the elder herself?"
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