Sun Slash: Damn it, they're coming for me

The hall erupted in an instant, with exclamations, curses, and shouts of disbelief surging like a tidal wave.

Choza Akimichi stood up abruptly, the force causing his chair to emit a harsh, grating sound. "He actually dared to do such a thing!"

Beside him, Shikaku Nara did not react with nearly as much intensity.

He had long suspected that there was something wrong with Danzo, but he had not expected him to be this insane.

"Shikaku, do you know something?" Inoichi Yamanaka leaned in closer.

Shikaku Nara shook his head. "I only had a few guesses."

Inoichi Yamanaka stared at Shikaku Nara suspiciously, lowering his voice. "Don't hide it from me. Our three clans have always stood together; did you really not notice anything? Last month, several young ninjas from my clan who excelled in sensory arts were suddenly transferred by the Anbu without so much as a word."

He paused, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuff. "Thinking about it now, I fear they were targeted by Root."

Shikaku Nara nodded and was about to continue when a youthful voice rang out across the hall.

"Everyone, the Uchiha Clan can bear witness to the Hokage's words!" Uchiha Ao stepped onto the platform reserved for clan heads, while Uchiha Tekka and Uchiha Inabi emerged from either side, holding scrolls scavenged from the Root base.

"Why didn't Fugaku go up and say it himself? Why let a little kid stand out there?" Inoichi Yamanaka scratched his head, looking puzzled.

Behind Hiashi Hyuga, Hinata looked at Ao-kun with pleasant surprise as he stepped forward.

Before entering the conference hall, she had looked toward the Uchiha section several times.

Yet she hadn't seen Ao-kun, and even using her Byakugan, she had found nothing.

She had even begun to wonder if she had misidentified him in front of the Hokage Building earlier.

"Fugaku, you really have regressed with age, letting a child speak on your behalf."

A Hyuga Elder leaned on his cane, his tone dripping with sarcasm as his cloudy eyes swept over the Uchiha clansmen. "Didn't you Uchiha pride yourselves on your arrogance? Now you don't even have the guts to face us yourself?"

Hiashi Hyuga frowned slightly, about to stop the elder's words, when he saw Uchiha Ao turn around calmly.

The boy's gaze swept across the room before landing on the Hyuga Elder. "This elder of the Hyuga family, I fear you have misunderstood something."

Though his voice was youthful, it carried a composure that did not belong to a child. "I am the current head of the Uchiha Clan."

At these words, the entire hall was in an uproar.

The Hyuga Elder slammed his cane heavily against the floor, producing a dull thud. "Absurd! Uchiha Fugaku is still standing right there; when is it your turn, you wet-behind-the-ears brat..."

Before he could finish, Shisui, standing beside Uchiha Ao, suddenly took half a step forward, his scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan revealed.

A surging ocular power enveloped the Hyuga Elder.

The elder's voice cut off abruptly, the sarcasm on his face freezing into terror. He stood frozen in place, and his cane clattered to the ground.

"Brother Shisui, that wasn't right of you," Uchiha Ao said in a low voice, stepping forward. "The Hyuga Clan and my Uchiha Clan are both part of Konoha; how could we strike at a friend?"

With that, Uchiha Ao bowed to Hiashi Hyuga.

Hiashi Hyuga nodded slightly, unsure of what this Uchiha brat was trying to achieve.

Meanwhile, Hinata gazed at Ao-kun's straight back, her admiration for him growing even deeper.

"Hmph, Uchiha brat, at least you know your place." The Hyuga Elder shakily bent down to pick up his cane and returned to his seat.

On the high platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared fixedly at Shisui.

"Hiruzen, that is a Mangekyo..."

Beside him, Koharu Utatane spoke with a tremor, her wrinkled hands gripping the armrests of her chair tightly. Her cloudy eyes were filled with vigilance and unease. "The Uchiha Clan is truly uncontrollable!"

Homura Mitokado's expression was equally grim. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to tip over and spill a dark stain across the surface. "I said there was a reason for such a massive change in the Uchiha Clan; it turns out someone awakened the Mangekyo! Hiruzen, I told you long ago that we should have moved against the Uchiha!"

Hiruzen ignored the two fools. Could they not use their brains to think why a Mangekyo user wasn't the clan head, but a ten-year-old child was?

It seemed that the Uchiha Clan likely had more than just Shisui who had awakened the Mangekyo.

Hiruzen's gaze swept over Uchiha Ao's youthful yet steady face as he pondered in silence.

"Quiet." Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the situation descend into further chaos and rubbed his temples. His aged voice, infused with thick chakra, suddenly spread out, making everyone's eardrums ache.

He walked slowly down the steps, his gaze beneath the Hokage hat sweeping over the scrolls in Uchiha Ao's hands. "Since there is evidence, we shall verify its authenticity in public."

In any case, as long as he could shift all the blame onto Danzo, the Uchiha Clan would seek revenge against Danzo, and he would remain the Hokage.

"Xiang." Following Hiruzen Sarutobi's low command, an Anbu ninja appeared before him.

"Go and inspect those scrolls."

After receiving the order, Xiang walked over to Inabi and Tekka and opened them in front of everyone.

As the scrolls were fully unfurled, the dense handwriting and seals on the yellowed paper came into view.

After inspecting them, Xiang said, "Lord Hokage, these records... are all real. Not only is there a detailed list of the ninjas abducted by 'Root,' but the experimental processes and locations are also clearly marked."

Choza Akimichi slammed his fist into the stone pillar beside him, shaking loose a shower of debris. "Animals! They actually used Konoha ninjas for live human experimentation!" The veins on his neck bulged and his eyes turned red, as if he wanted to tear Danzo apart with his bare hands.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. Many of these experiments had been conducted with his tacit approval; how could he not know if they were real or fake?

However, he still put on a look of compassion and slowly turned to face the crowd, his gaze beneath the Hokage hat sweeping over their angry and shocked faces.

His aged voice carried a perfectly measured tremor, and he pressed his right hand to his chest, appearing heartbroken. "As Hokage, I was completely unaware of such crimes. I have truly failed the thousands of citizens of Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly removed his hat, his white hair fluttering slightly in the air, and tears seemed to pool in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. "Danzo has betrayed Konoha and turned Root into his private tool. Such sins must be brought to account!"

Koharu Utatane wanted to speak, but Hiruzen raised a hand to stop her. "Koharu, Homura, you will accompany me immediately to reorganize the Anbu and thoroughly purge the remnants of 'Root'."

His tone was unquestionable, but his peripheral vision caught the faint, elusive smile on Uchiha Ao's lips, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

"Since the Hokage feels he has failed the citizens of Konoha, shouldn't you... step down and accept responsibility?"

Oh no, he really is coming for me!