Ch. 21This Was Real Treason!
Plot points and events
- Danzo, alarmed by Uchiha Yi’s sudden promotion to jonin, sends Root operatives to forcibly bring him to Root headquarters.
- Yi is transported by the Flying Thunder God Formation. Danzo demands his submission, then orders Root to kill him when he refuses.
- Yi overwhelms Root’s defenses with a powerful Fire Release technique, then reveals his Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo. He defeats Danzo’s Wood Release attacks and devastates the underground base.
- When the Third Hokage and other Konoha ninja arrive, Danzo claims Yi is rebelling and warns that his Mangekyō could let him control the Nine-Tails.
- Yi exposes Danzo’s Sharingan-studded arm, revealing that he has taken Uchiha eyes. He also accuses Danzo of using the First Hokage’s body for Wood Release and links him to Orochimaru’s experiments and the Hokage resurrection technique.
- The Third Hokage, recognizing the accusations as credible and unable to shield Danzo any longer, orders him to surrender. Danzo instead creates a dust screen and attempts to escape as Root operatives fight Konoha’s forces.
Character developments
- Uchiha Yi is established as far more powerful than Danzo expected. He remains confident under threat and turns the confrontation into a public exposure of Danzo’s crimes.
- Danzo shifts from coldly commanding to furious, then panicked as Yi defeats him and reveals his secrets. His insistence that his actions served Konoha fails to persuade those present.
- The Third Hokage is forced to confront the extent of Danzo’s wrongdoing. His disappointment becomes a public demand for Danzo’s surrender.
- Tsunade and the assembled ninja react with anger and suspicion once Danzo’s appropriation of Uchiha eyes and alleged use of the First Hokage’s body are exposed.
Significant themes
- Power and corruption: Danzo’s claim to act for Konoha contrasts with his exploitation of the Uchiha and pursuit of forbidden power.
- Truth and accountability: Yi turns a private attack into a public reckoning, making Danzo answer for his actions before the village.
- Loyalty and treason: Danzo labels Yi a traitor, but his own attempt to flee after his crimes are exposed raises the chapter’s central question of who has truly betrayed Konoha.
Character interactions
- Yi repeatedly taunts Danzo, refusing to submit and challenging his claims of strength.
- Danzo treats Yi as a threat to be eliminated; Yi answers by defeating Root’s forces and exposing Danzo’s hidden power and conduct.
- Before the gathered Konoha ninja, Danzo tries to enlist the Third Hokage against Yi, but Hiruzen defends Yi and ultimately orders Danzo to surrender.
- Yi’s accusations provoke Tsunade’s fury and shift the crowd’s judgment against Danzo, isolating him as he makes his escape attempt.