Evidence

His gaze fell on Shimura Danzō's arm. That bastard Danzō had actually experimented with First Hokage's cells—something even he hadn't known about.

But before he could say anything—

"Lord Hokage, you heard that, didn't you? Fugaku has confessed. This was all Shimura Danzō's plot! Now, let's talk about Shimura Danzō. Lord Hokage, did you know that Shimura Danzō desecrated First Hokage's remains, murdered members of my clan, and took their eyes?"

Uchiha Kazuto raised the arm in his hand and asked solemnly.

"I didn't know. I never imagined Danzō would do so much behind my back."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and lowered the gun barrel in his hand. The truth was, he knew a little. He had even turned a blind eye to some of it. If he'd truly wanted to stop Danzō, how could he have failed to? But he couldn't admit that.

Whether Uchiha Kazuto's claims were true or false, Shimura Danzō was dead and couldn't come back to prove his innocence. And then there was Danzō's arm, with those Sharingan embedded in it.

Killing one's comrades was a grave taboo in the village!

"Uchiha Kazuto, don't change the subject. Uchiha Fugaku confessed, yes, but who knows whether what he said was true? What proof do you have that Danzō and Uchiha Fugaku were connected? Danzō is already dead!"

The old woman stepped forward again and spoke.

Before Uchiha Kazuto could reply—

"Since Uchiha Fugaku has already been captured, why not have someone from the Yamanaka Clan examine his memories?"

An old man stepped forward and suggested.

"Enough! Uchiha Fugaku may have become a disgrace to my clan, but he was still our former clan head. He knows all sorts of clan secrets. How could we let outsiders rummage through his memories? I admire Lord Hokage greatly, but I'm also the clan head of the Uchiha Clan, and I must answer for my clan. I will never let outsiders pry into our secrets. You want proof, right?"

Uchiha Kazuto shook his head and refused with righteous indignation. Then he waved a hand. A Uchiha shinobi stepped forward and brought out several photographs.

"This is the proof. To deal with Lord Hokage, Shimura Danzō went after the Uchiha Clan's genius shinobi, Uchiha Shisui, and tried to take his eyes—the eyes with the Kotoamatsukami Dojutsu—so he could control Lord Hokage."

Uchiha Kazuto handed the photographs to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Unfortunately, Lord Hokage, Shisui's eyes were destroyed when I fought Shimura Danzō."

Had they really been destroyed?

Hiruzen Sarutobi studied the photographs in his hands. He knew about Uchiha Shisui's eyes. Their Dojutsu was terrifying, so it was only natural that Danzō would covet them.

He was far too suspicious.

And this was exactly the sort of thing Danzō would do. Danzō had always had his eyes on the Hokage's position.

But had those eyes really been destroyed?

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't make sense of it. He looked at Uchiha Kazuto, whose expression was earnest and sincere, then at Uchiha Fugaku, who was pale, grief-stricken, and anguished.

He said nothing, but deep down, he was gradually beginning to believe Uchiha Kazuto. Perhaps those eyes really had been destroyed. Given Danzō's nature, if he couldn't have something, he'd rather destroy it than let anyone else have it.

If Shimura Danzō had ever acted like a decent person, no one would believe Uchiha Kazuto now.

But Danzō really had coveted the Hokage's position. He had even tried to assassinate Hiruzen Sarutobi. It was entirely possible he'd wanted Uchiha Shisui's eyes so he could use Kotoamatsukami on Hiruzen Sarutobi. That was just the kind of person Shimura Danzō was!

"Ah, Kazuto... You've been through so much."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. Something still felt off, but he was already inclined to believe Uchiha Kazuto. Surely it couldn't all be made up, with Uchiha Kazuto framing Fugaku just to remove him as clan head?

How could that be possible?

The two advisors fell silent as they looked at the photographs. They had objected earlier, but that had just been instinct. In truth, they also leaned toward believing this had been Danzō's plot. They both knew what Danzō was like these days.

Then Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Uchiha Fugaku. Fugaku was no different from a missing-nin now, but since he had once been the Uchiha Clan's clan head, Hiruzen ultimately decided—after Uchiha Kazuto's urging—to have him imprisoned within the Uchiha Clan.

Fugaku had originally been sentenced to death. But Uchiha Kazuto had considered the existence of Uchiha Itachi, that bastard of a son. And since Uchiha Fugaku had cooperated fairly well, Kazuto used the fact that Fugaku had voluntarily relinquished his positions as clan head and Military Police Force chief to spare his life.

In truth, Uchiha Fugaku wasn't really to blame for much. His only mistake was fathering a son like Uchiha Itachi, which had doomed him and his entire clan.

If Uchiha Fugaku knew what fate awaited him and his clan, would he regret not having left Uchiha Itachi as a stain on the wall?

"Lord Hokage, let's discuss Shimura Danzō's arm now. Danzō dared to steal the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan. Who knows how many other atrocities he committed in secret? Lord Hokage, please put the Military Police Force in charge of investigating Danzō. We'll root out the darkness in Konoha once and for all!"

Uchiha Kazuto raised Shimura Danzō's severed arm and spoke with a grave expression.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Uchiha Kazuto. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded.

"Very well. The Anbu and the Military Police Force will work together."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

Not long afterward, Uchiha Kazuto led the Uchiha shinobi away and headed straight for Root.

Silence settled over the Hokage's Office for a long while.

What had happened today was too earth-shattering. Hiruzen Sarutobi needed time to process it.

"Hiruzen, could this be a plot by the Uchiha Clan?"

Utatane Koharu looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with concern and asked.

"No. I saw the Will of Fire and a sincere heart in Uchiha Kazuto. This was all the work of Danzō and Uchiha Fugaku."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head as he smoked.

Before long, all the information on Uchiha Kazuto was in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands.