Danzo had already made up his mind not to tell Hiruzen Sarutobi that Naruto could use Wood Release. Once he recovered, he would capture the Jinchūriki and interrogate him thoroughly, forcing him to reveal why he could use Wood Release.
Then, whether it was his severed arm or those hateful Uchiha, everything would work out.
As for the Uchiha and that damned Uchiha brat, he would not let them off either. But as for what he needed to do now, faking his death to escape had to come first. Otherwise, given what he had done, a whole mob of Uchiha would definitely hunt him down.
Although he had to admit that Hiruzen Sarutobi's plan was indeed good, to think that after living so long, he actually had to stage a suicide and fake his death to escape the Uchiha Clan's pursuit.
"Heh. I'm supposed to back down before them?"
Danzo had wanted to keep talking tough, but he glanced at Shimura Agou, who stood beside him staring blankly at him, and the subordinate who looked even stupider than Shimura Agou. Then he looked at his own current condition, with only one arm and one eye, and promptly changed his tune.
"Yes, I'll back down. It's the Uchiha I'm backing down before. Just wait. I will return, and when I do, I'll eradicate every last one of you evil Uchiha."
Shimura Agou could not quite understand his lord. Since when did he have two faces?
"Go, Agou. Kill him and make it look like suicide."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
Shimura Agou did not ask why he had to do this. He simply carried out Danzo's order unconditionally.
Only after Shimura Agou had finished did Danzo take him back to Root's base. Once he returned to his own territory, he summoned Root's remaining members.
"Go. Find Orochimaru and tell him I need him."
"Yes."
Most of the ninja in the hall set out to find Orochimaru for Danzo. Carrying out orders was a ninja's duty, and that went double for these Root ninja. In their eyes, there were no emotions, only the desire to complete their missions.
Almost as soon as Danzo left the prison, Anbu ninja entered and changed that Root ninja's clothes into Danzo's usual outfit. They even thoughtfully put a mask on him.
Before long, a wail rang out.
"Danzo! Out of my way! What are you people even good for? Is this how you watch a prisoner?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi rushed in furiously. The moment he entered, he saw "Danzo" lying lifeless on the ground, and his eyes instantly reddened.
Trembling, he approached "Danzo," took his still-warm hand, and burst into loud sobs.
Tears streamed from his eyes as though they cost him nothing.
It was as though he were grieving the death of his old friend.
"Danzo, you fool! How could you do something so stupid? Think of your parents back home. Think of your wife and children!"
Without caring whether Danzo even had any, Hiruzen Sarutobi threw himself down and wailed.
The few Anbu who had followed him in patted Hiruzen Sarutobi's shoulders comfortingly.
As for Hiruzen Sarutobi, he looked like an old man drained of all vitality, aging more than a decade in an instant. His eyes were red, as though "Danzo's" death had filled him with unbearable grief.
After wailing for ages, Hiruzen Sarutobi weakly approached "Danzo" and whispered into his ear:
"Danzo, go in peace. I'll care for your wife and children."
Having said that, Hiruzen Sarutobi forced himself to stand. Supported by an Anbu beside him, he announced in a trembling voice:
"Someone come. Danzo's body has yet to grow cold. We should lay him to rest as soon as possible."
"Yes."
Several Anbu stepped forward and immediately unleashed a Fire Style jutsu, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi dumbfounded.
"What are you doing?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was shocked, but anger followed right behind it. What were these people doing? This step had never been part of his plan. Had they even listened properly when he explained it?
One of them spoke impassively.
"Lord Hokage, we once happened upon a peculiar village. There, everyone who dies must undergo a baptism of flame before they can be laid to rest and attain a better reincarnation."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched at this. He could already tell that the people who had just acted were not his Anbu at all. They were clearly from that bastard Danzo's Root. They could never be won over. Never.
"Ah, forget it. Perhaps this is for the best. I hope Danzo is reborn into a good life."
At the same time, Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted inwardly.
Damn you, Danzo. Your reach is certainly long.
"Spread the word. Danzo killed himself out of guilt. I hope everyone will attend his funeral tomorrow. Consider it one last bit of dignity for him."
"Yes."
Everyone dispersed, and Hiruzen Sarutobi put away his look of utter devastation as though nothing had happened. He was still himself, the Third Hokage. As for the real Danzo, who knew where he was hiding to recover now?
When news of Danzo's suicide spread, the major clans that had suffered under his oppression for years all cheered in satisfaction.
"Oi, have you heard? That old geezer Danzo actually killed himself out of guilt. Know why?"
"Heh, of course I do. That old bastard offended all the Uchiha. Even if he'd gotten out of prison, the Uchiha Clan would've hunted him down. If you ask me, he was better off killing himself. At least it was a quick end."
"He offended all the Uchiha? What did he do?"
"What else? He gouged out their eyes. He even dug up Uchiha graves for some of them."
"Damn. Then he deserved to die."
"Want to hear something even juicier?"
"Oh? Someone topped that?"
"That day, before Danzo's body was even cold, our Third Hokage said something."
"What?"
"Danzo, go in peace. I'll care for your wife and children."
"Damn. What a man. That's our Lord Hokage for you."
From these conversations, it was easy to see that all of Konoha had suffered under Danzo for far too long.
The Uchiha in particular were overjoyed when they heard about it, with the entire clan cheering.
But in contrast to the joyful scene throughout the clan, Fugaku and Itachi sat facing each other, neither speaking. Yet everything had indeed gone just as Naruto had predicted.
Danzo really was dead, but he had not been executed by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Instead, he had killed himself out of guilt. In that case, he had most likely faked his death to escape.
"Naruto really does predict things like a god."
Fugaku took a sip of tea and sighed before saying those words.
Across from him, Itachi nodded too.
"Itachi, here's what you should do..."
After hearing Fugaku's plan, Itachi gave his father a strange look.
Fugaku flushed slightly under Itachi's gaze and coughed awkwardly twice.
"Ahem. Just do it. For our Uchiha Clan."
"All right."