In the Hokage's Office, the newly returned Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the people before him, his head throbbing terribly.
Danzo, who could never stay out of trouble, and the Uchiha, who seized any chance to stir things up.
Jiraiya, who only wanted to go wandering, and Orochimaru, whose thoughts were anyone's guess.
They were all supposed to help Konoha, yet not one of them followed orders.
"Danzo, the Uchiha accuse you of killing a young Uchiha, Uchiha Beidai.
What do you have to say?"
Danzo glanced sideways at the dozen or so murderous Uchiha jōnin, and anger immediately flared within him.
Although he had very much wanted to do it, he really hadn't.
"Where's the evidence?"
"Evidence! Of course we have it."
As he spoke, the Uchiha produced footage seen by a ninja crow, sent by Uchiha Beidai just before his death a month earlier.
In the footage, Danzo was attacking Uchiha Beidai with Vacuum Sphere.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.
The person in the footage was Danzo.
The ninjutsu was the same, and so was the stance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at his old friend without speaking.
Danzo, meanwhile, was stunned.
Someone was copying his face!
Someone was copying his ninjutsu!
There weren't many Wind Release shinobi in Konoha to begin with.
And as for Danzo, he alone used Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere.
At the time, Danzo, having just stolen the money, had been focused entirely on publicizing his achievements and conducting experiments, and hadn't appeared in public.
After a long argument, the verdict came down.
Shimura Danzō was a prime suspect, and he could not provide an alibi.
He was stripped of his position as Hokage Advisor and ordered to pay the Uchiha a large sum in compensation.
As compensation, Hiruzen Sarutobi personally approved a plot of land for