"Danzo, if you've done anything, tell me now. There's still time."
Hiruzen Sarutobi still wanted to give his old friend a chance. After all these years, if the other man was willing to come clean, he would not really do anything to him.
Shimura Danzō clenched his teeth, seething with hatred. He said, each word distinct, "I told you, I didn't do it. Tenzo was Root's only Wood Release ninja, and you've already taken him away!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. Since Shimura Danzō was so certain, there was no need to keep asking.
"Search the place thoroughly, in case we miss anything."
The Third Hokage waved his hand, and a crowd of ANBU immediately poured into the previously silent Root Organization Base.
"Monkey, are you really going to do this?"
"Hand him over, and none of this will happen."
Shimura Danzō fixed his one eye on Hiruzen Sarutobi opposite him and said through gritted teeth, "Hiruzen Sarutobi! Don't forget, we decided to launch the Wood Release Experiment together! If you hadn't gone soft, I would have succeeded long ago!"
Seeing that his old friend still refused to turn back, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. "The village was in a very dangerous position at the time. That was why I agreed to launch the Wood Release Experiment. But too many outstanding ninja died in those experiments. If we'd kept going, Konoha would have collapsed before the enemy even appeared!"
"All that talk of successful experiments was nothing but wishful thinking on your part! I know you've never stopped the experiments. I'll warn you one last time: give up the Wood Release Experiment!"
"You-"
Shimura Danzō almost lost control and fell out with Hiruzen Sarutobi on the spot, but in the end, he merely snorted coldly and stopped paying him any attention.
After