The oilcloth was unfolded.
Inside was a kunai.
It was an ordinary model, but a clear mark was carved into its handle—the Uchiha Clan Crest, the design of a war fan.
"This was found in the hand of a Kumogakure Chunin's corpse at the ambush site." Danzo's voice turned colder.
"The corpse had been blown beyond recognition by an Explosive Tag, but this kunai was clutched tightly in its hand.
Root's technical team examined it. The traces of Chakra remaining on the kunai..."
He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and slowly delivered his conclusion:
"They match Uchiha Ryūha's Chakra exactly."
"Boom—!"
It was as if thunder had exploded inside the tent.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura turned deathly pale. They opened their mouths but couldn't make a sound.
Sarutobi Hiruzen staggered back a step and grabbed the edge of the table to keep himself upright.
The kunai, the matching Chakra, the survivor's identification, and the fact that Uchiha Ryūha knew the route...
"No... That's impossible..." Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured.
"That boy saved Sakumo, saved Kushina, and repelled Kumogakure several times on the battlefield. How could he possibly..."
"Why is it impossible?" Danzo's voice suddenly rose, brimming with suppressed anger.
"Hiruzen, you're too naive! What kind of clan are the Uchiha? They're a clan born with rebellious hearts!
"Uchiha Ryūha rose far too quickly—abnormally quickly! A Special Jonin at eleven?
"He walked away unscathed from the AB Duo? Do you really think it was all thanks to that so-called 'Eye of the Heart'?"
He stepped closer, his single eye fixed on Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Think about it. It's been barely half a year since he awakened his bloodline limit.
"What has he done in that time? First, he won over Hatake Sakumo, then saved Uzumaki Kushina and forged a bond with Namikaze Minato strong enough for them to trust each other with their lives.
"His reputation in the clan has soared, and he's made a name for himself on the front lines—he's weaving a web, one strong enough to shake Konoha's power structure!"
"But why would he do all that?" Utatane Koharu asked, her voice trembling.
"Why?" Shimura Danzo sneered. "For the Uchiha! To seize the Hokage Position!
"Think of what Lord Senju Tobirama said back then—the Uchiha are a clan of love, but when they love too deeply, they can easily turn to extremes!
"Kagami Uchiha was an exception, but Uchiha Ryūha? He's more dangerous than Uchiha Madara.
"Because he knows how to hide his true intentions, how to cloak his ambition in favors and merit."
He took a deep breath. His voice grew low, but all the more deadly.
"This ambush on the supply convoy is the best proof.
"Uchiha Yashiro was one of Uchiha Fugaku's most capable subordinates, and one of the leaders of the Uchiha's middle generation.
"Now he's dead, and the Uchiha have lost a major share of their contributions to the war.
"And with the supplies destroyed and the front lines under pressure, who benefits most if Konoha loses the war? Kumogakure!
"And Uchiha Ryūha just happened to have fought the AB Duo of Kumogakure—and 'walked away unscathed'...
"Did he really walk away unscathed, or did he reach some kind of understanding with them?"
"You mean..." Mitokado Homura drew in a sharp breath.
"He colluded with Kumogakure and betrayed his own clan, weakening the Uchiha's standing in the village while striking a blow against Konoha's front lines. Killing two birds with one stone?"
"The evidence is conclusive." Shimura Danzo pointed at the kunai and scroll on the table.
Silence fell over the tent once more.
Only the rain tapping against the canvas and Sarutobi Hiruzen's labored breathing could be heard.
After a long while, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with pain and deep exhaustion.
He looked at the two advisors, but both avoided his gaze.
"You... believe this too?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was hoarse.
Utatane Koharu opened her mouth, then finally lowered her head. "The evidence... does point against Uchiha Ryūha."
Mitokado Homura remained silent, but his trembling hands betrayed his uncertainty.
"Hiruzen, we can't hesitate any longer," Shimura Danzo said gravely.
"Uchiha Ryūha is on the front lines right now. He has a squad under his command, and he's close to both Hatake Sakumo and Namikaze Minato.
"If he realizes he's been exposed and lashes out in desperation, the consequences will be unthinkable!
"We must take him into custody at once, escort him back to the village, and interrogate him."
"But he's a Special Jonin who's earned merit in battle. Arresting him without a proper trial will discourage the soldiers on the front lines..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was still struggling, but his voice had grown weaker.
Or perhaps, because he feared the Uchiha Clan, he was more willing to believe this was true.
"Then use the Hokage's authority!" Shimura Danzo barked.
"Summon him back to headquarters under the pretext of 'cooperating with the investigation into the ambush on the supplies.'
"If he has nothing to hide, he'll cooperate. If he resists..."
A cold glint flashed in Danzo's single eye.
"Then that will prove his guilt.
"Root will take care of him personally and execute him on the spot!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes.
The face of the black-haired boy flashed before him.
The composure with which he had outclassed his clanmates in the graduation exam, the sharpness with which he had confronted Danzo in the Hokage Office.
The decisiveness with which he had saved Sakumo and Kushina on the battlefield...
Was he really a traitor?
But the evidence was right there before him.
The kunai, the identification, the motive, the timing... It all fit together too perfectly.
"Hiruzen!" Shimura Danzo urged him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly opened his eyes.
In that instant, he seemed to have aged another ten years.
With a trembling hand, he picked up a pen and wrote a line on a blank order scroll.
Then he stamped it with the Hokage seal.
"Send the order..." His voice was as dry as sandpaper.
"Uchiha Ryūha, captain of the Fourth Special Operations Squad and a Special Jonin, is to return to headquarters at once and cooperate with the investigation into the ambush at Wind Howl Canyon.
"Any delay or resistance may be treated as treason."
Danzo took the order scroll.
A faint, fleeting sneer touched the old man's lips.
"A wise decision, Hiruzen."
He turned, lifted the tent flap, and stepped out into the rainy night.
Inside the tent, Sarutobi Hiruzen sank into his chair and covered his face with both hands.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance. In each other's eyes, they saw deep concern—and a trace of... relief.
If Uchiha Ryūha really was a traitor, eliminating him sooner rather than later would be good for Konoha.
Even if he had once been a hero.
The rain grew heavier.
In the pitch-black night, several masked figures slipped out of headquarters.
Like ghosts, they scattered into the downpour and raced off in different directions toward the front lines.
One of them clutched the order scroll bearing the Hokage seal.
Their destination: the forward reconnaissance outpost where Uchiha Ryūha was stationed.
At last, the viper had bared its venomous fangs.
And twenty kilometers away, in a temporary camp hidden in a mountain hollow,
Uchiha Ryūha sat by the fire, slowly wiping the blade of Kyōka Suigetsu with a soft cloth.
The blade reflected the leaping firelight, as well as his calm, unreadable eyes.
Suddenly, his hand paused.
At the edge of his Reiatsu perception, he detected several Chakra signatures rapidly approaching.
They were coming from headquarters.
Ryūha set down the cloth and slowly returned Kyōka Suigetsu to its sheath.
The long blade struck the mouth of the sheath with a crisp click.
"They're finally here."
He murmured, a cold curve tugging at his lips.
Even if that old bastard hadn't made a move, Ryūha had been ready to deal with him.
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