The atmosphere in the Hokage’s office froze in an instant.
Without warning, Shingetsu Yu appeared in the room.
In one hand, he held Shimura Danzo, who had been completely restrained by Adamantine Sealing Chains, wrapped so tightly he resembled a bound parcel.
Yu casually tossed him onto the cold floor.
Thud.
The heavy impact echoed through the office.
A cloud of dust rose.
The next moment, an entire mountain of scrolls and documents materialized beside Danzo’s broken body, each one carrying the stale scent of secrets and bloodshed.
“Summon the Fourth Hokage, the Third Hokage, and the two elder advisors.”
Yu’s calm voice carried unquestionable authority.
“The trial begins now.”
As soon as he finished speaking—
A streak of yellow flashed across the room.
Minato Namikaze appeared instantly.
His eyes widened as they fell upon Danzo’s miserable state before shifting toward Yu.
Shock was written plainly across his face.
Moments later, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane hurried into the office.
The instant Hiruzen recognized the battered figure lying on the floor—the face of the man he had once called a lifelong comrade, now twisted with nothing but hatred—
The pipe slipped from his trembling fingers.
Pain.
Disappointment.
Disbelief.
Every emotion warred across the old Hokage’s weathered face.
“Yu…” Minato finally said, his tone grave.
“What happened here?”
Yu didn’t answer directly.
Instead, he gestured toward the mountain of evidence.
“These are only part of Shimura Danzo’s achievements over the past several decades.”
He picked up the first scroll.
“Operating an illegal assassination organization.
Eliminating political opponents.
The complete list of victims is here.”
Another stack of documents floated toward the assembled leaders.
“Conducting illegal experiments involving Hashirama’s cells.
Countless victims.
Every experiment meticulously recorded.”
Another.
“One of the masterminds behind the planned Uchiha massacre.”
“He also attempted to steal Shisui Uchiha’s Kotoamatsukami.”
“The evidence is irrefutable.”
Another.
“Secretly collaborating with Hanzō of the Salamander to interfere in the affairs of Amegakure.”
Another.
“Manipulating conflicts between neighboring nations for Konoha’s political advantage.”
Another.
“Persecuting political dissidents within Konoha.”
“Conducting human experimentation.”
Each accusation was accompanied by scrolls, reports, witness statements, and classified files.
One by one, they landed precisely before the four senior officials.
Silence engulfed the room.
Minato’s expression gradually shifted from shock…
To fury.
His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
As the Fourth Hokage…
He had known almost nothing about the cancer festering beneath Konoha.
What a devastating failure that was.
Hiruzen lowered his head.
His frail body trembled.
Memories flooded back.
Their youthful rivalry.
The vows they had made to protect Konoha together.
The political struggles that had followed.
Only now did he realize…
Behind all of it had lurked filthy conspiracies…
And rivers of innocent blood.
What kind of Hokage…
have I been?
Homura and Koharu opened their mouths.
No words came.
They had often agreed with Danzo’s policies.
Sometimes they had even supported him in secret.
But faced with overwhelming evidence…
Every document was another nail in Danzo’s coffin.
There was nothing left to argue.
Any attempt to defend him would only implicate themselves.
On the floor, Danzo let out ragged, wheezing breaths.
His lone eye burned with hatred and resentment.
He glared at Yu.
Then at Hiruzen.
As though he wished to drag his oldest friend down into hell alongside him.
Yu ignored him completely.
“This…”
He swept a hand across the mountain of evidence.
“…is only the tip of the iceberg.”
“I’ve already wiped out Root headquarters.”
“Every core member is dead.”
Minato looked up sharply.
“You…
destroyed Root?”
Yu met his gaze.
“Lord Fourth.”
“For a cancer that’s spent decades growing inside Konoha…”
“…did you expect it to cure itself?”
The words were merciless.
Yet impossible to refute.
Someone like Danzo could never have been removed through ordinary political means.
Only overwhelming force could erase him completely.
Minato fell silent.
He understood.
Some things…
A Hokage simply couldn’t do.
Not without countless political consequences.
Yu had acted where he could not.
The oppressive silence stretched on.
Finally…
Hiruzen let out a long, weary sigh.
It was as though he had aged another decade in a single breath.
He slowly raised his head and looked toward Minato.
His voice was hoarse.
Exhausted.
“Minato…”
“You’re the Hokage.”
“I leave this matter entirely in your hands.”
The words seemed to drain every ounce of strength from him.
In that moment…
He wasn’t merely abandoning Danzo.
He was acknowledging the failures of his own decades-long rule.
Homura and Koharu exchanged uneasy glances.
Fear filled both their eyes.
Those few words…
Had already pronounced Danzo’s death sentence.
Minato inhaled deeply.
When he spoke again, he wore the dignity expected of the Hokage.
“Shimura Danzo.”
“As an elder of Konoha, you abused your authority, committed unforgivable crimes, and betrayed the village you claimed to protect.”
“In the name of the Fourth Hokage, I hereby declare—”
“First.”
“Shimura Danzo is stripped of every office, title, and authority.”
“His status as a shinobi of Konohagakure is hereby revoked.”
“Second.”
“Root is dissolved effective immediately.”
“Any member found guilty of participating in these crimes will be prosecuted without exception.”
He paused.
His gaze shifted toward Yu.
“As for Danzo himself…”
There was an unspoken question in his eyes.
Yu answered calmly.
“Keeping someone like him alive is a waste of food.”
He glanced at Danzo’s grotesque right arm.
“The Sharingan he stole…”
“And the power inside that arm…”
“Should be returned to their rightful owners.”
His meaning couldn’t have been clearer.
Danzo had become nothing more than a walking collection of stolen lives.
Minato nodded.
He understood.
Yu had already eliminated Konoha’s greatest threat.
The remaining cleanup had to be decisive.
“Then…”
“I leave him to you.”
Hiruzen closed his eyes.
He couldn’t bear to watch.
Yu walked toward Danzo.
“I told you before.”
“The power of Hashirama’s cells…”
“…was never meant for someone like you.”
He placed his hand upon Danzo’s transplanted arm.
“Wood Release: Parasitic Tree Extraction.”
“AAAAAAAHHHHH!!”
Danzo’s agonized scream rang throughout the Hokage’s office—
Only to be instantly sealed inside a sound barrier Yu had erected, preventing anyone outside from hearing.
Everyone watched in stunned silence.
The grotesque arm…
Covered in Sharingan…
The arm that had granted Danzo countless second chances through Izanagi…
Was forcibly torn from his body.
Wood Release chakra surged through the wound, instantly sealing every ruptured blood vessel.
Not a single drop of blood splashed onto the floor.
Without changing expression, Yu wrapped the severed arm in layers of living wood.
“Wood Release: Bramble Seal.”
The arm disappeared inside an ugly wooden sphere, completely cut off from every trace of chakra.
“As for the rest…”
Yu looked down at Danzo.
The old war hawk no longer breathed.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of pity in Yu’s eyes.
Mercy toward a man like Danzo…
Would only dishonor his countless victims.
A miniature Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence bloomed in Yu’s palm.
Thin wooden tendrils slithered into Danzo’s corpse like serpents.
A few moments later…
They emerged again.
Several bloodstained eyeballs hung from the vines.
Danzo’s remaining eye.
Along with every Sharingan he had secretly implanted within himself.
“I’ll see these returned as well.”
Yu sealed them alongside the wooden sphere.
Only after everything was finished did he turn toward Minato and Hiruzen.
“All the evidence is here.”
“The rest is up to the Hokage.”
“Konoha’s darkness…”
“It’s time the sunlight finally reached it.”
Minato gave a solemn nod.
“It will.”
He looked Yu straight in the eye.
“…Thank you.”
This gratitude came from the bottom of his heart.
Without Yu…
Danzo’s shadow might have continued poisoning Konoha for years to come.
Yu inclined his head slightly.
His gaze swept over the mountain of evidence.
“The Uchiha clan deserves to have its name cleared.”
He picked up the sealed wooden sphere containing Danzo’s severed arm and turned toward the exit.
“The eyes stolen from their owners…”
“…will see the light again.”