In a prison in Konoha, the light was dim and the air cold and damp, filled with the smell of mold and decay. Only a few flickering torches burned in the chilly air, like the prisoners held there, seemingly struggling to escape this cramped, confined place.
The firelight flickered, casting shadows across the cramped space. The entire place was oppressive and silent, as though every inch of its cold air could suffocate a person.
Inside one of the cells, an old man slowly opened his eye. His cloudy eye fixed on the person standing outside.
"Did you bring it?"
"Lord Danzo, I brought everything."
"Then hurry up and get started."
"Yes."
The visitor was none other than Shimura Agou, who had made such a racket during the day. He took a bottle filled with disinfectant from inside his clothes. Inside it was a scarlet Sharingan.
Shimura Agou beckoned into the darkness, and a Root ninja walked over. Shimura Agou broke open the cell door and went inside with him.
"Prepare for surgery."
The ninja who had followed him in merely nodded woodenly and began the operation. As waves of green healing chakra lit up the darkness, Danzo's surgery was finally completed. The Sharingan Shimura Agou had just brought was now transplanted.
"Agou, see that? Learn from this. There are plenty of tricks to it. You have to put your eggs in different baskets. That way, you won't lose everything in one fell swoop."
Shimura Agou nodded, only half understanding.
Danzo formed a seal with one hand, and then something truly remarkable happened. Wisps of white mist rose from his body, and then... there was no "then." His injuries barely healed at all, and the Sharingan was ruined outright. The newly transplanted Sharingan had gone blind just like that.
Danzo fell silent. He clearly hadn't expected things to slip out of his control.
All he knew was that Izanagi, a forbidden technique of the Uchiha Clan, had an absurdly powerful effect. It could rewrite part of reality; calling it a divine technique would be no exaggeration. At the cost of a Sharingan, this ninjutsu erased events unfavorable to the user that occurred within a certain period. In exchange, that Sharingan would lose its sight afterward.
But Danzo hadn't realized that he knew nothing about what that "certain period" meant. It seemed the amount of time one could reverse varied with one's strength. Clearly, in his injured state, Danzo had less than a tenth of his strength left and couldn't bring out the forbidden technique's true power at all.
Furious, Danzo gouged out the Sharingan that had just been transplanted with such effort and tossed it aside.
The medical-nin beside him hurried to stop the bleeding and treat him.
"Damn it! Those damned Uchiha, that damned Jinchūriki, that damned Monkey!"
Danzo was livid. Not only had his injuries failed to heal, but if he remembered correctly, that had been his very last Sharingan.
Taking a deep breath, Danzo tried to calm himself. Considering his current situation, not only had he become a one-armed old man, he was now a one-eyed old man too. Although he had often disguised himself that way before, it had all been a persona, a disguise. Now it was real. How could he not feel awful?
It was like someone pretending to be a little girl. That didn't mean they actually wanted to lose certain parts and become a little girl without the equipment.
"How many people are left in Root?"
Hearing Danzo's question, Shimura Agou hurried to answer.
"Lord Danzo, excluding those Lord Hokage forcibly took away last night, a third remain..."
Shimura Agou didn't dare continue. He was worried that if he provoked his lord any further, he might get hit.
Danzo hadn't expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to actually poach his Root members. He had spent so long training Root, while that man kept insisting that doing so was wrong and inhumane. And what happened? He had simply taken more than half of them, without the slightest hesitation.
"That damned Monkey."
Just thinking about what Hiruzen Sarutobi had said to him today infuriated Danzo.
As it turned out, after taking Danzo away, Hiruzen Sarutobi had brought him straight to his office.
The moment the door closed, Hiruzen Sarutobi began berating him.
"I hate to say it, but what on earth were you doing this time? Making such a huge commotion was bad enough, but you nearly got me killed there too! If I hadn't been trying to save you, I would have run long ago!"
Danzo stayed silent. See? This was the Hiruzen Sarutobi he knew. This was what he was really like. Everything earlier had been an act for the Uchiha.
In other words, Hiruzen Sarutobi had fooled all those Uchiha.
"Who could have known that Uchiha brat would deceive me?"
Danzo curled his lip in displeasure. He hadn't expected things to end this way either. He had been waiting to wipe out the Uchiha Clan and raid their homes. All those pairs of Sharingan, and Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan-he coveted them so badly. Wouldn't he have been able to use a different pair every day?
He didn't dare imagine it. He simply didn't dare.
"Enough, Danzo. I paid dearly to protect you this time. Don't forget to compensate me later."
Danzo stared speechlessly at Hiruzen Sarutobi. What exactly did you pay? All you did was make those Uchiha a bunch of empty promises. What else did you do?
Seeing the confusion in his old friend Danzo's eye, Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted.
"Danzo, don't forget, I'm the Hokage. You've never held this position. You don't understand a thing."
By now, Danzo wanted to curse him out. This Monkey was utterly shameless.
He didn't even give Danzo a chance to argue.
"Enough. Find a way to fake your death and get out of this. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to appease the Uchiha Clan's anger."
Danzo's lone eye was filled with shock.
"Wait, Monkey, you want me to apologize to the Uchiha? With my death?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi clicked his tongue. Something about Danzo's words displeased him.
"Tsk, Danzo, how is this atoning with your death? You've got it wrong. I'm telling you to fake your death to get out of this. It'll make things easier afterward."
Danzo remained silent. He could hardly believe his ears. Hiruzen Sarutobi would actually do this.
"Enough, Danzo. Don't blame me. I'm doing this for your own good."
Danzo fell even further into silence. So I get to be the villain, while you do nothing in the end and walk away with the goods, the benefits, and a good reputation. Meanwhile, everyone wants to beat me up and kill me.
Ignoring Danzo's venomous gaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi simply sent him packing.
"Enough, Danzo. I called you here to tell you all this. You're still injured, so hurry back and get treatment. Oh, right, remember to head to prison yourself. I don't need to teach you what to do after that, do I?"
Danzo had intended to tell Hiruzen Sarutobi that the Jinchūriki could use Wood Release. But after seeing how he treated him, he changed his mind. Since you, Hiruzen Sarutobi, have shown me no kindness, don't blame me, Shimura Danzō, for showing you no loyalty.
"Hmph, Monkey. You'll regret this."
Danzo left, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi alone in his office, smoking his pipe.