The sudden turn of events left everyone present, including Shimura Danzō, unable to react.
Only when his remaining eye saw the object in the Third Elder's hand
did Danzō feel pain that cut to the bone!
"Ah~!"
A scream escaped his mouth involuntarily.
Hearing the scream, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally came to his senses.
With a Body Flicker Technique, he rushed to Danzō's side.
He pinned him firmly in place with both hands.
Ignoring the hatred in his old friend's remaining eye,
Hiruzen looked at the eyeball the Third Elder was toying with and asked with a smile, "Third Elder, don't you think this is a little excessive?"
Hearing this, the Third Elder stood where he was and shrugged. "I didn't like the look in the little guy's eyes, so I took one to play with."
"See? I left him one."
After he finished speaking, the corner of his mouth curled up as he looked at the black-robed, one-eyed Danzō and the white-robed, hat-wearing Hiruzen, holding each other in front of him.
He really wanted to know what Hiruzen would do in this situation.
Watching the scene unfold, Uka Senju couldn't help nodding.
He'd thought something was off earlier.
Now, the scene had finally fallen into place!
How could the Third Elder be someone who simply followed the script like a good little boy?
If he didn't stir up some trouble, how could the Third Elder live up to his status and reputation over the years?
He came from the Clan Leader's Line and was a loyal supporter of it.
This time, the Clan Leader's Line had suffered such heavy losses that it had even given up the clan leader's position!
And the Danzō standing before them was the culprit who had brought the Clan Leader's Line to ruin.
With all those buffs stacked up, how could the Third Elder not make trouble?
Nearby, the sudden turn of events actually put the First Elder's long-suspended heart completely at ease.
He hadn't been able to guess when the Third Elder would cause trouble.
But now, looking at the scene before him,
he thought to himself, The old third has finally learned to behave. And all he did was destroy an eye!
"Ahem!"
After a light cough, the First Elder said to Hiruzen, who had suddenly been backed into a corner, "You know what the old third is like. It's only one eye. Have Danzō get a replacement at the Infirmary later!"
Remembering the Third Elder's reputation, Hiruzen, now given an out, nodded. "All right!"
Seeing that he'd agreed, the First Elder didn't wait for the execution to end. He pulled a scroll from his sleeve and tossed it to him. "Just agree to what's written on it!"
He released his grip on Danzō's right shoulder and caught the flying scroll.
Hiruzen squeezed his old friend's shoulder with his left hand, then opened the scroll where he stood and began inspecting it.
Half the school, positions at the Mission Center, the establishment of the Medical Treatment Department, the Corpse Collection Squad, the Medical-Nin Squad, a hospital, positions in the Sealing Squad...!
Looking at the thirteen clauses of varying importance on the scroll,
his heart sank little by little.
They'd expected the Senju to want the school, but they hadn't expected them to also demand absolute control of the southern battlefield and the funds to go with it!
If they got that, they'd have people, money, and territory.
The south of the Land of Fire would completely become the Senju and their allies' private domain!
But... if he didn't want to fight... could he refuse?
Thinking of today's objective, what they'd encountered, and his own plan,
they'd already made it through ninety-nine steps. Should he take this final one or not?
Ignoring the setting, Hiruzen stared at the scroll in his hands, his mind racing.
He weighed it against the intelligence in his head.
After a long hesitation, he made his decision.
Turning to bow to the three people in the seats of honor, Hiruzen said softly, "My lords, I can't approve the matter in the south on my own. It needs to be passed at the Jonin Meeting before it can be carried out!"
Senju Toka and Mito Uzumaki didn't respond to his question.
Only the Second Elder smiled and said, "As long as you agree, that's all that matters. You don't need to worry about the rest!"
Seeing their attitude, Hiruzen realized that they must have already reached an agreement with the other Shinobi Clans.
Even if he tried to stop them now, it would be useless!
Then he pointed to the final clause and said, "As for the funds, my authority doesn't extend to that much. You'll have to do some more work on your end!"
The Second Elder said nothing, only nodding to show he understood.
Seeing this, Hiruzen took a stamp from his sleeve.
After stamping the scroll, he handed it to the First Elder and said, "I agree. We'll complete the handover within three days!"
"Good!" the First Elder replied, his face still wearing that familiar smile.
After taking the stamped scroll from Hiruzen, he asked, "Would you like us to see you out?"
Hiruzen shook his head. Supporting his old friend, he bowed to the people in the seats of honor and prepared to leave!
Seeing their attitude, the First Elder smiled and reminded him, "Third, you can pick an eye from one of the wooden stakes for Danzō. They're all relatives, so the rejection should be less severe."
"Oh, and the Infirmary is on the left. You should know where it is!"
Hearing this, Hiruzen nodded.
In his heart, though, he cursed these Senju higher-ups for being utterly inhuman.
They wanted Danzō to use the eyes of his great-uncle or nephew?
He'd watched his relatives suffer without being able to save them, and now they wanted him to personally stab them one more time?
Struggling to keep his expression steady, he turned his gaze toward Danzō.
This was his old friend's business. It was better to let him decide for himself!
After all, aside from the Senju, there were currently no other medical-nin capable of performing the highly difficult surgery of replacing an eye.
If he refused, Danzō would have to remain one-eyed until their own medical-nin were trained!
Under his old friend's gaze, Shimura Danzō looked around at everyone present with his intact eye.
He shook his head, pulled away from the hand supporting him, and walked slowly and heavily toward the edge of the clan compound!
When he passed the Execution Ground, he unconsciously paused and looked at his relatives being tortured on the wooden stakes.
Under the wary gazes of the Senju Ninja, he started walking again and headed straight out of the Senju Clan Compound!
His younger siblings' children were gone. These few were his last relatives.
But he didn't have the ability to save them.
Would that mean he had no family left from now on?
As he walked and thought, Shimura Danzō's steps grew lighter and faster!
Following behind his old friend, Hiruzen watched Danzō stride along lightly, making no effort to hide his injuries.
On the street, Shimura Danzō was like a tiger that cleared the way wherever he went.
Hiruzen noticed the change in him.
The slight guilt he'd felt earlier sank even deeper.
Today's trip to the Senju had been difficult for Danzō.
But after enduring it, Danzō would no longer be the same Danzō as before!
He didn't know whether this change would be a good thing or a bad thing for him.
Hiruzen furrowed his brows and made a new decision.
He would need to plant more moles after all.
It was not only good for himself, but also for his old friends!
After the two of them left through the gate, the gates of the Senju Clan Compound slowly closed, once again cutting off the view between inside and outside.
The spies from earlier had also seen enough of the show.
One by one, they put away the scrolls on which they had recorded the intelligence, no longer bothering to hide themselves, and headed straight home.
With such major news, their clans would be incredibly shocked when they heard it!