This was clearly a well-used room, with various pieces of experimental equipment and tools neatly arranged around the massive glass tank in the center of the chamber.
Inside the tank, a handsome young Uchiha clad in a snow-white kimono slept suspended in transparent liquid.
Aside from the empty socket of his right eye, his features were entirely unchanged from years past.
The system, disguised as an attendant, felt immense pride.
Kagami Uchiha’s body, left here for so many years, had originally been little more than a skeleton.
Fortunately, the system store offered a wide array of items; by throwing them all at the problem, it had successfully restored him to the proper appearance of a handsome Uchiha.
How handsome!
How pure!
How perfectly he fit the image of an unattainable white moonlight!
On the surface, however, the attendant maintained a completely emotionless expression.
He stared at Kagami Uchiha for a long moment before turning to face Tobirama Senju, who stood behind him in shock.
“Lord Danzo…
originally wanted to exchange his own life for Lord Kagami’s.” Tobirama Senju was stunned by the sight of this corpse, preserved for decades yet looking as if merely asleep.
Hearing these words made it even harder to believe: “Why?
Were Danzo and Kagami really close to such an extent?” Upon hearing this, the attendant’s already emotionless eyes grew perceptibly darker.
Tobirama had an intuitive feeling that what the attendant was about to say would be even more unbelievable.
He glanced at Kagami Uchiha, whom Danzo had so meticulously preserved all these years, and patiently waited for him to gather his thoughts.
Through rapid internal computations, the system selected the script proposal with the highest success rate, then spoke softly: “Back then, Lord Tobirama’s death dealt a devastating blow to Lord Danzo.” “Perhaps due to overwhelming grief, Lord Danzo lost most of his memories overnight.” “He retained only faint memories of a few classmates like Hiruzen Sarutobi, forgetting everything else.” Tobirama’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, hesitated for a long time, and finally closed his eyes in silence, his tall, straight posture slumping slightly.
Hashirama Senju was shocked by how much Tobirama meant to Danzo.
Seeing his younger brother’s reaction, he quickly stepped to his side and comforted him in a soft voice.
Ignoring the reactions of those present, the attendant continued in a cold, calm voice to describe what he knew.
“At that time, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane were working hard to suppress the various factions in Konoha.
Some had raised doubts about the cause of your death, suggesting that members of the escort team might have betrayed and murdered you during the negotiations, and demanded the election of a new Hokage.” “Others favored Torifu Akimichi or Kagami Uchiha, as the Akimichi and Uchiha clans held a much higher status in the village back then than the Sarutobi clan.
Many hoped one of those two would inherit the title of Hokage.” “Under those circumstances, Lord Danzo, having lost his memory, believed that remaining near the Hokage’s seat would bring trouble to others, or that he might be manipulated due to his hazy memory…
Thus, he concealed his amnesia and took the initiative to request the creation of Root, hiding himself in the dark.” At this point, the attendant seemed to recall some painful past, pausing briefly before changing the subject without going deeper into it.
“Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed.” “In the end, at the strong insistence of those three, Torifu Akimichi and Kagami Uchiha both temporarily stepped down from the ranks of Konoha ninja and remained idle at home.” “Lord Danzo, who remembered only a few of his classmates, was terrified that Hiruzen Sarutobi would suffer foul play.
Anyone who dared oppose them became a target of Root.” “Only then was Hiruzen Sarutobi’s position as Hokage truly secured.” Hearing the mockery in the attendant’s tone, Tobirama Senju understood that the attendant was feeling indignation on Danzo’s behalf.
Danzo had hidden in the darkness of Konoha, becoming the shadow enforcer behind the Hokage.
As the Second Hokage and patriarch alongside the First Hokage, Tobirama knew full well what that entailed.
Tobirama felt equally heartbroken over this, and consequently dissatisfied with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
When one becomes the Kage of Konoha and the Land of Fire, one must be prepared to bear the full weight of that position.
In that seat, one must take the initiative—like a gardener tending a great tree, possessing the resolve to use the shears themselves to trim away extraneous and diseased branches.
How could anyone let their comrade shoulder the dark side while sitting comfortably in the Hokage’s seat playing the good guy?
“It was during that period…” The attendant turned back toward the tank in the middle of the room, a touch of gratitude showing in his eyes.
“Lord Kagami noticed Lord Danzo’s disappearance and realized something hidden was going on.
So he actively established contact with Lord Danzo, who had lost his memories.” “Lord Kagami was very gentle.
He soothed Lord Danzo’s anxiety, giving hope and courage once more to the man forced into the dark.” “It was also then that Lord Kagami promised Lord Danzo he would grow stronger and decipher that stone tablet.
He told Lord Danzo only that it was a secret between the two of them.” Though describing a beautiful scene, the hearts of the four people present sank.
Because Kagami died in battle shortly thereafter.
Having lost his memories and abandoned the light, Danzo was left all alone once again.
Sure enough, the attendant’s next words brought news of Kagami’s death in battle.
“Lord Danzo completely broke down at that moment,” the attendant said, placing a hand against the glass tank as he gazed at the sleeping youth inside.
“He concealed the news of Lord Kagami’s death, recording him as missing in the archives, and hid him here for decades…
He even went so far as to conduct experiments on his own body to develop Ninjutsu, waiting for an opportunity to revive him.” With that, the attendant turned his gaze back onto Tobirama, suddenly breaking into a mocking smile.
“All of this…
must have been done with Hiruzen Sarutobi’s tacit approval.” “After all, that old man placed the student he raised himself—the one best at research and human experimentation, named Orochimaru—into Root.” At this moment, the murderous intent in Tobirama Senju’s heart reached its limit.
Why on earth had he chosen Hiruzen Sarutobi as his successor back then?
To so thoroughly exploit a friend he grew up with, to so cold-bloodedly exploit the pain in that friend’s heart!
Knowing full well that Danzo had spiraled out of control due to grief, instead of offering the necessary comfort and guidance, Hiruzen had fueled the flames, encouraging Danzo to accelerate down that lost path.
Now, Danzo had even turned his own body into a battered culture dish.
The system’s hand remained on the tank, its data stream continuously transmitting into the sleeping Kagami Uchiha inside, weaving corresponding memories in his brain—lest one day Kagami Uchiha be resurrected via Edo Tensei and cause a bug in the script provided by the system.
During the period when Hiruzen Sarutobi inherited the Hokage position, Konoha’s operations were quite chaotic.
As long as both parties in the story shared the same memories, who could say the story was fake?
In any case, its host would always be the most innocent, fragile, and delicate child who needed others’ care the most.
Sensing the murderous aura surrounding Tobirama Senju, the attendant spoke again, seemingly trying to soothe his emotions: “However, Lord Danzo found a ray of hope not long ago.” “Lord Kagami’s descendant, an Uchiha named Shisui, is currently in the Hokage’s Anbu.
He earned the title ‘Shisui of the Teleportation’ during battle.” “Lord Danzo said he is a good child, and hopes he can quickly become a reliable ninja.
Perhaps he might even become the next Hokage.” Tobirama’s expression finally softened a bit, but Hashirama on the side blurted out in shock: “Kagami Uchiha’s descendant?
Kagami got married and had children?!” The attendant nodded: “Yes.
Lord Kagami was exceptionally talented, so the clan arranged a marriage for him early on.” “Then…
what about Danzo?!” Hashirama pressed.
“Lord Danzo remains unmarried to this day.
He said he was destined to spend his life in the dark and did not want to drag anyone else down.” Feeling that he owed his disciple far too much, Tobirama Senju glared angrily at Izuna Uchiha: “You Uchihas truly are a blight upon the world—” A married guy still flirting with someone else’s disciple!
Izuna Uchiha flew into a rage: “Wasn’t Kagami Uchiha your disciple too?!” And isn’t your brother, a married man, also flirting with my brother?!
This is clearly you Senjus’ fault!