Chapter 217: Give Him Mercy? I Don’t Approve!

Words : 2004 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

Danzō stared coldly at the children trained by the Root squads. Each of them had the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal placed upon them—rendering them incapable of speaking about him, and any attempt to forcibly break the seal would damage their vocal cords, or even cost them their lives. He wanted to see just how far they’d go... “Tell us about your experiences,” Kyoichi said blandly. “No need to mention him. Just briefly speak about your own story.” “Uh, yes... I... I don’t even know my real name. In the squad, I was called A. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been inside a lab…” Yamato began quietly recounting his past. At first, no one felt much sympathy. After all, these were Root operatives—who knew how many despicable things they’d done for Danzō? But the more Yamato spoke, the more the crowd fell into a heavy silence. He didn’t use any vivid descriptions. But just from his account alone, they could sense an overwhelming despair—and, in turn, their hatred and resentment for Danzō only deepened. A man like that… Had controlled Konoha’s ANBU and Root for so many years? Discontent stirred in their hearts. And the target of that discontent… was naturally— The Third Hokage. At that moment… Hiruzen Sarutobi leapt down from the upper level. “As Hokage, I take responsibility for this,” he said. “I failed to properly supervise Danzō’s actions, which led to this outcome.” After a moment of silence, he nodded at Kyoichi to release the seal on Danzō’s mouth. Danzō could finally speak. He scanned the crowd, let out a cold chuckle, and said, “Konoha cannot have light without shadow. Without me and Root pulling the strings from the darkness, there would be no era of peace and prosperity.” Kyoichi raised an eyebrow and smirked. “So all of Konoha’s peace is thanks to you alone now, huh? I must’ve missed the memo where you won all our wars single-handedly.” That smugness—that shameless arrogance—was Danzō’s trademark. He took credit for the achievements of the many, and reveled in it. In truth, the victories of war had little to do with him. All his underhanded schemes and shadowy manipulations—any other ANBU or Root squad could’ve done the same. Why? Because Konoha was strong enough—with or without him. “You! Hmph... I understand. No one can comprehend my sacrifices. I did it for Konoha—for the village! Hiruzen Sarutobi, you were too soft! Do you really think Orochimaru started those experiments because I tempted him?” Danzō sneered. The crowd’s eyes widened. Kyoichi had mentioned experiments earlier, but hadn’t clarified who was behind them. Now, it seemed the implication was clear—it was Orochimaru. “He’s already been punished,” Sarutobi said calmly. “He’s essentially imprisoned now, atoning for his sins.” “Atoning…” Danzō gave a chilling laugh. “If the Wood Release experiments had succeeded, there would’ve been no problem at all. History is written by the victors.” He scoffed, saying no more. Many in the crowd began recalling Orochimaru’s treatment after the war. As commander of the eastern front, his contributions had been tremendous—his leadership and battlefield presence had saved countless lives. But once the war ended, all of his titles and powers were stripped. Lately, no one had even seen him around the village. So he’d been imprisoned after all. Given the circumstances… it made sense. After all, Orochimaru had earned great merit on the battlefield—whereas Danzō was clearly more detestable. “Wood Release was never going to succeed,” Kyoichi spoke up. “The First Hokage’s strength came at the cost of his very life.” He stepped forward. “You didn’t even have a solid theoretical foundation, and you went straight to human experimentation? That’s nothing short of reckless murder.” “What?” Danzō and Yamato both looked stunned. Indeed... Yamato’s Wood Release had always paled in comparison to the First Hokage’s. Danzō had long assumed the experiments were failures. But now, hearing Kyoichi’s explanation— Maybe that wasn’t the case. “The First Hokage possessed the Sage Body,” Kyoichi said, speaking plainly for all to hear. “Do you know how long the sages from the three Great Sanctuaries have lived? The First may not have been one of them, but with his constitution, living a hundred years at peak strength wouldn’t have been unusual.” “The reason he died young wasn’t due to illness or old wounds—but because every time he fought, he paid the price with his life force. That’s all there is to it.” “This… is that really true?” Koharu Utatane looked toward Tsunade in shock. This... none of them had ever known. Tsunade nodded solemnly. “Based on my grandfather’s markless healing technique, I developed a forbidden jutsu. It can briefly replicate his effects—but the price is uncontrolled cellular division, which drains the user’s life force.” This wasn’t the kind of thing one should reveal to the public, but Tsunade understood Kyoichi’s intention. The sacrifices made by Hashirama Senju shouldn’t be buried in history. People deserved to know. Kyoichi then turned to Danzō and said, “Danzō, you’ve always talked about how sacrifice is necessary. And I’ve always asked—why can’t you be the one to make that sacrifice? The First Hokage gave his own life to protect the village and its people. What about you? Are you more important than him?” “Ugh…” Danzō was still stunned. He didn’t doubt it. As one of the researchers, he knew better than anyone the properties of Hashirama’s cells—just as Tsunade described: they could divide endlessly, draining the host’s vitality until they turned into trees. So that was it… The secret of Wood Release—was life force. “Kill Danzō!” Someone shouted angrily from the crowd. It was only when compared side by side that people began to see clearly. In other villages, people like Danzō were standard fare for black ops—but Konoha had once been led by a man like Hashirama, a saint in every sense. Against that backdrop, Danzō’s character looked all the more despicable. “The Will of Fire is a legacy handed down by the First Hokage,” Kyoichi said loudly. “Its core is sacrifice—but that doesn’t mean sacrificing others. It means sacrificing oneself to protect the village.” “Danzō is the kind of man who waves the flag of justice while committing vile acts driven by ambition. As a jōnin of Konoha, I, Kanda Kyoichi, cannot accept that.” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face was heavy with regret. “Danzō… I kept indulging you,” he said. “I knew I was soft-hearted, so I thought you and I could balance each other out—reach the level of our teacher together. But looking back… I was wrong.” “No one can become our teacher,” he continued quietly. “And the teacher would never have wanted anyone to try becoming him.” He turned his gaze to the Hokage Rock. At that moment, Hiruzen’s heart felt utterly clear. “Each generation has its own needs. Konoha doesn’t need another Tobirama Senju. And Kyoichi isn’t Tobirama either—he is simply Kanda Kyoichi.” Then he turned to Danzō. “As Kyoichi said, the true meaning of the Will of Fire is giving yourself for the village. But you… were you really doing all this for Konoha?” Hiruzen’s mind echoed with Kyoichi’s words: “This man’s vision is outdated. He doesn’t even realize it. He thinks he’s seen the future, clinging to the belief that his path is the right one.” “Say whatever you want,” Danzō muttered, closing his eyes. “My conscience is clear.” He didn’t regret any of his actions—only one thing: Why hadn’t he stepped forward back then? If he had… maybe he would’ve become Hokage, and Konoha would be a different place. Kyoichi understood perfectly. A man like Danzō could never be persuaded by words—and he had no intention of trying. Everything he said was to give this public trial the gravity it deserved: Danzō was guilty. He deserved to die. Hiruzen bowed deeply to the crowd. “I offer my sincerest apologies. I am a guilty Hokage. Danzō’s actions are my responsibility as well. May I be allowed to fight him myself—and end his life with my own hands?” “If I die, then that too is what I deserve,” he said gravely. Danzō slowly opened his eyes, staring at Hiruzen in silence. Koharu and Homura both sighed quietly. Despite everything, their hearts wavered—after all, they had been comrades. Hiruzen and Danzō had worked together for decades. Though they often disagreed, there was one thing they both knew: Danzō had always wanted to fight Sarutobi again. There was something in the past he had never let go of—and it had weighed on him ever since. Kyoichi was silent for a moment, then said, “Forgive me, Lord Third. If he admitted guilt, I’d support granting him that final wish. But he doesn’t even believe he’s done anything wrong. I can’t let someone like him leave this world without regrets.” “…I see.” Hiruzen looked stunned, then glanced at Tsunade. Tsunade’s mouth twitched. Kyoichi really knows how to cause me trouble. But after thinking about it… She realized she wasn’t satisfied either. Danzō refused to admit fault, convinced his actions were justified. So— Why should he be granted a dignified end? Still… Perhaps this wasn’t her decision to make. She turned to the gathered crowd and said, “Let the people decide. Konoha belongs to all of us—we are merely its stewards. When it comes to Danzō… let everyone here vote. Should he be allowed that kind of end?” “I don’t agree!” A voice rang out. Everyone turned to look. It was a small, nondescript ANBU. Judging by the voice, probably a girl. She pulled down her cloak but didn’t remove her mask. “As a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, I cannot sit by while a mastermind like him, who refuses to confess, is allowed to die with dignity. Shimura Danzō… do you know what our clan leader’s final words were before we were wiped out?” “‘Hide. Don’t go to Konoha!’” She—Oriri—shouted through tears. She glared at Danzō, then at the Third Hokage, her emotions spilling over. This man… And the Third actually wanted to let him die with honor? She couldn’t accept that. The Uzumaki clan couldn’t accept that. “If I’m not mistaken, the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal used by Root is derived from our sealing techniques, isn’t it?” “She’s… a descendant of the Uzumaki clan?” Hiruzen’s eyes went wide in shock, and even Danzō looked dumbfounded. A survivor of the Uzumaki clan—who had witnessed their destruction firsthand—was living inside Konoha’s ANBU all this time, and they had no idea. If Hiruzen hadn’t shown leniency... Oriri wouldn’t have stepped forward today. Kyoichi said nothing, only looked to the Third. “She’s a true Uzumaki,” he said quietly. “Her hair alone should be proof enough.” “…I understand now. Forgive me.” Hiruzen bowed deeply again. He hadn’t known the full story behind the Uzumaki tragedy at the time—but in hindsight, several things had always seemed suspicious. He’d long suspected Danzō’s hand in the affair. Of course… Danzō may only have been the one pulling strings—while the ones who carried it out were Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and other villages. Oriri stepped forward. She held a kunai, stabbed Danzō with it—then immediately used medical ninjutsu to heal the wound. And then— Stabbed him again. “Ahh!!” Danzō gritted his teeth and didn’t scream. His eyes burned coldly at her, but Oriri wasn’t afraid. She stabbed again. There would never be a day more terrifying than the day her clan was destroyed. Outside the circle... Kushina stood frozen, her mind blank in disbelief. Another Uzumaki. There were still Uzumaki clan members alive in the world! And— Before their destruction, their clan leader had told them not to go to Konoha? That— That turned her entire worldview upside down. “I’m not your only enemy,” Oriri said coldly. “Letting you die now would dishonor all the others.”

Chapter 217: Give Him Mercy? I Don’t Approve!

Comments (0)