Danzō's Accusation

Upon entering Konoha, Uchiha Fugaku walked through its streets.

Pedestrians flowed along the streets—ninjas and civilians alike—in a scene of harmony and prosperity.

Yet who knew what darkness and filth lay hidden beneath that harmony and prosperity?

Whoosh!

An Anbu Ninja wearing a mask appeared before Uchiha Fugaku, blocking his path.

"Clan Head Fugaku, the Hokage requests that you make a trip to the Hokage Building!"

the masked Anbu Ninja said.

"Did the Hokage say what it was about?"

Uchiha Fugaku frowned slightly.

He had only just returned to Konoha and had not even made it back to the clan when the Hokage sent someone for him. It gave him a sense that something was amiss; he had a feeling that nothing good awaited him.

"No, the Hokage did not say what it was about."

The masked Anbu Ninja shook his head.

"I'll go at once."

Changing direction, Uchiha Fugaku followed the masked Anbu Ninja toward the Hokage Building.

Neither spoke along the way. He arrived at the Hokage Building and entered the Hokage's office.

The moment he entered the Hokage's office, the ominous feeling in his heart grew even stronger.

Besides the Third Hokage, who wore a Hokage Robe, there was another man in the office. His right eye and right arm were both wrapped in bandages, and he leaned on a cane.

The man wore a dark expression and exuded a chilling aura. He was Shimura Danzō, known as the Darkness of Konoha.

Although he had taken the blame for the Third Hokage on many occasions, there was no doubt that Shimura Danzō had done plenty of shady things himself to earn the title of Darkness of Konoha.

With Shimura Danzō present, he did not believe what was about to happen could be anything good.

"Uchiha Fugaku, you actually dared to collude with ninjas from another village and murder ninjas of our own village!"

Before the Third Hokage could speak, Shimura Danzō took the lead in accusing Uchiha Fugaku.

He immediately pinned the grave charge of colluding with foreign village ninjas to kill Konoha ninjas on Uchiha Fugaku.

"Shimura Danzō, you have some nerve. Without any evidence, you dare slander the head of a clan."

Hearing the grave accusation Shimura Danzō had leveled against him, Uchiha Fugaku was alarmed and immediately fired back.

He had only recently heard that Root had lost a squad of elite ninjas.

But he had not expected Shimura Danzō to pin the losses of his own subordinates on him.

Although the matter was indeed somewhat connected to him, since Nagato had acted because of him, he had no relationship whatsoever with Nagato.

Rather, the two had formed quite a deep enmity. After all, Kakuzu, an official member of the Akatsuki Organization, had died at his hands.

With anger on his face, he turned his gaze to the Third Hokage.

"Hokage, Shimura Danzō has slandered me without evidence. I ask that you uphold justice for both me and the Uchiha Clan."

"Advisor Shimura came to me just now, saying that he had something concerning you to report. I did not expect him to say such things."

"Rest assured, I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If it proves to be slander, I will have Advisor Shimura apologize to you."

The Third Hokage wore an expression of "sincerity" and "fairness," his personal charisma making people instinctively inclined to trust him.

He looked toward Shimura Danzō.

"Advisor Shimura, do you have any evidence?"

"Eight days ago, when Uchiha Fugaku left Konoha, I sent one of my men to secretly follow him."

"However, contact with that man was lost several days ago. Not only that, the squad I sent to investigate was attacked by a Kage-level ninja."

Shimura Danzō fixed Uchiha Fugaku with a cold, sinister gaze.

"Uchiha Fugaku, the man who followed you and those sent to investigate were attacked and killed one after another. This matter must be connected to you."

"Without any cause, he sent people to follow and monitor me—Shimura Danzō said so himself. Hokage, I ask that you uphold justice for me."

Rather than respond to Shimura Danzō, Uchiha Fugaku turned to the Third Hokage.

"Sending people to monitor the head of a clan is indeed highly improper."

The Third Hokage looked at Shimura Danzō, his voice carrying a trace of reproach.

"Advisor Shimura, you went a little too far with this matter."

Old fox.

Seeing the Third Hokage act this way, Shimura Danzō snorted coldly inwardly. That old man Hiruzen still loved putting on an act as much as ever.

He clearly knew all about this matter, yet he insisted on pretending to know nothing about it.

He spoke.

"That is no longer important. What matters is that the person who followed him and those sent to investigate all died because of Uchiha Fugaku. Uchiha Fugaku must be connected to the person who killed them."

"Judging by importance, the unexplained deaths of these people deserve greater attention. Clan Head Fugaku, how do you explain their deaths?"

The Third Hokage appeared fair and impartial on the surface, but in truth, he had already taken Shimura Danzō's side.

Without giving Uchiha Fugaku a chance to refuse, he glossed over the matter of the surveillance and instead pressed him about his connection to these deaths.

Seeing the Third Hokage behave this way, Uchiha Fugaku sneered inwardly.

The two were practically perfect partners—one took the blame for the other, while the other used his position as Hokage to resolve the first man's troubles.

He spoke.

"Not long after leaving the village, I noticed that I was being followed and watched."

"Thinking that ninja from another village were trailing me with hostile intent, I used a Shadow Clone to shake them off."

"As for what happened afterward, I know nothing."

Although it had happened suddenly, he quickly came up with an explanation.

"That is only your claim. What evidence do you have that proves this matter had nothing to do with you?"

Shimura Danzō said coldly.

"Then what evidence do you have that proves this matter had anything to do with me?"

Uchiha Fugaku looked coldly at Shimura Danzō, an icy chill in his eyes.

"All these people were connected to you, yet every one of them was killed. That is the best evidence."

The exposed left eye of Shimura Danzō was equally cold.

"It was nothing more than a coincidence."

Uchiha Fugaku turned to the Third Hokage.

"Hokage, I am the head of a clan, after all. If you wish to convict me, you must at least produce sufficient grounds. Trying to condemn me based on a mere coincidence will hardly convince anyone."

"Ahem. The grounds are indeed insufficient. Such a reason alone is not enough to convict the head of a clan."

The Third Hokage coughed and looked toward Shimura Danzō.

"Advisor Shimura, I know you are greatly angered by the losses among your subordinates, but without evidence proving that this matter is related to Clan Head Fugaku, we will leave it at that."

Shimura Danzō did not answer, merely keeping a cold expression.

He truly had no conclusive evidence, but calling it a coincidence was far too convenient. That was precisely why he had confronted Uchiha Fugaku.

"Hokage, I am somewhat tired after traveling all this way. Since this has nothing to do with me, I will take my leave."

Uchiha Fugaku gave Shimura Danzō a cold glance, then bid farewell and departed.

After he left, Shimura Danzō spoke.

"Third, this matter is far more than a simple coincidence. Uchiha Fugaku must be connected to that Kage-level ninja."

"I know. But since you cannot produce conclusive evidence, it is impossible to bring down Uchiha Fugaku over this."

The Third Hokage lit his pipe, took a puff, and said, "There are not many ninjutsu in the ninja world that grant the ability to fly. Use that as a lead and see whether you can uncover anything."

"I will have Root investigate with all its strength."

Leaning on his cane, Shimura Danzō turned and left.