Chapter 19: Chapter 19: The Report
Inside the Hokage's office, Kakashi gave a detailed account of what he had witnessed within the Konoha Police Force. However, when it came to matters concerning the White Fang, he hesitated for a moment and ultimately chose to withhold that information.
After listening to Kakashi's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the silent Yamato beside him and let out a deep sigh.
"Child, what is your name?" Sarutobi asked.
The boy remained silent, but Sarutobi was not offended. He stepped forward and personally untied the bindings on him.
"You have no name? Then from now on, you will be called Tenzo," Sarutobi declared. "The past is behind you. Danzo is dead. From now on, live as a shinobi of Konoha."
Tenzo was stunned upon hearing these words, staring at the man who had once been his assassination target under Danzo's orders years ago.
"Since you have inherited the First Hokage's Wood Release, you should also inherit his will to protect the village."
Tenzo's lips trembled slightly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. He took one last look at the Third Hokage before turning his gaze to Kakashi.
"Kakashi, take care of this child from now on," Sarutobi instructed.
"Understood," Kakashi nodded, leading Tenzo out of the Hokage's office.
After they left, Sarutobi sat back in his chair and lit his pipe.
Uchiha Miyuki's unexpected decision to return a Wood Release user puzzled him. This was Wood Release—if the Uchiha truly intended to rebel, why would they willingly give up such power?
Could it be that Uchiha Miyuki was truly loyal to the village?
Sarutobi found himself questioning everything.
That night, he was doomed to wrestle with his doubts.
The Next Morning
Uchiha Miyuki arrived at the Hokage's office, dragging a mind-broken Yamanaka Arashi with him.
By the time he entered, the office was already packed. In addition to the two advisors, the newly appointed Hokage's assistant, Shikaku Nara—who had formally taken up the position after Danzo's death—stood beside Sarutobi.
Seeing the setup, Miyuki smiled faintly. Under the intimidation of Kotoamatsukami, Sarutobi no longer dared to meet him alone. But this large-scale gathering was actually to Miyuki's liking.
"Lord Hokage, Uchiha Miyuki, Vice-Captain of the Konoha Police Force, reporting in," he said, bowing respectfully.
"Miyuki, you're here," Sarutobi nodded with a seemingly kind smile.
"You used the pretense of an investigation to eliminate dissidents and falsely accuse innocent villagers. How do you explain this?" Mitokado Homura suddenly snapped before Sarutobi could speak.
Miyuki cast an indifferent glance at him. These two old relics held power merely due to their seniority—he had never taken them seriously.
"Is that what the Hokage himself believes?" Miyuki asked, his gaze locking onto Sarutobi.
"Miyuki, the Uchiha's methods have been… excessive," Sarutobi replied, not outright agreeing with the accusation but subtly hinting at a warning.
"When dealing with someone like Shimura Danzo and his faction, a cancer in the village, would a gentler approach have sufficed? A heavy hand was necessary!" Miyuki's voice rang with conviction. "In just these past few days, the crimes we've uncovered are staggering!"
With that, he produced a document he had compiled overnight and placed it on Sarutobi's desk.
"Shimura Danzo, in his pursuit of my clan's Kekkei Genkai, deliberately orchestrated the deaths of at least fourteen Uchiha during the Third Shinobi War—that's just the confirmed cases! Worse still, after you explicitly banned human experimentation, he conspired with the rogue ninja Orochimaru, kidnapping village orphans for experiments. Some of the children were as young as two years old!"
"For such a monstrous individual and his accomplices, do the two advisors still wish to protect him?" Miyuki's eyes turned to Homura and Utatan. "Would that not be a betrayal of the Will of Fire? A disgrace to the First Hokage, who founded this village to protect its children from war?"
"You—!" Utatan was furious, but the accusations were too damning. The burden was too heavy for even them to bear.
"Miyuki, calm down. They didn't know about Danzo's actions," Sarutobi sighed, attempting to excuse his old comrades. He then picked up the report.
As he read through the list of Danzo's crimes, even Sarutobi, who was aware of some of the details, found himself in disbelief. Danzo's audacity had far exceeded his expectations.
"These confessions come directly from one of Danzo's key subordinates, Yamanaka Arashi," Miyuki stated, pushing the dazed and drooling Arashi forward.
At the mention of the name, Shikaku Nara's sharp gaze flickered as he examined Miyuki. Their eyes met, and Miyuki gave a faint, knowing smile.
"During interrogation, there was… an incident," Miyuki continued. "He attempted to resist with Yamanaka Clan techniques, but against the Sharingan's genjutsu, his mind suffered irreparable damage. However, before that, he confessed to everything."
"Ah… abuh… abuh…" Arashi now muttered nonsensically, drool leaking from his lips.
Shikaku let out a long sigh. With his intelligence, he immediately grasped the situation. This was the Uchiha's direct retaliation against the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance. A warning.
He bowed his head decisively. This was no longer a battle he could interfere in. The political struggle between the Uchiha and Konoha's higher-ups was beyond his ability to manage. One misstep, and his clan would be dragged into catastrophe.
"Lord Hokage, to prevent such incidents from happening again, I request that you assign a team of ANBU interrogators to assist in questioning further suspects," Miyuki said. "The Police Force lacks the proper expertise to handle shinobi interrogations."
Sarutobi considered it for a moment before nodding. "I will send personnel to assist."
"Much appreciated, Lord Hokage," Miyuki's eyes gleamed.
Sarutobi likely intended to use the ANBU to keep the Uchiha under surveillance, but Miyuki didn't mind. After all, whether they stayed or not would ultimately depend on his own actions.
At that moment, Sarutobi turned to the final page of the report, where he found a section detailing the White Fang incident.
"Miyuki, this…"