Chapter 83

Elite operatives from the corpse processing unit meticulously examined Shimura Danzō's body, inch by inch from head to toe. As for the clan heads who had promised to assist with the investigation, every one of them stood idle, not a single one making any move to lend a hand.

Danzō had lain in that hospital bed for so long—any secrets he had were already thoroughly stripped away.

Even Root had been torn apart and dismantled. Clan members were taken back to their families, orphan recruits absorbed into the ANBU. In the end, even Root's base was completely taken over by ANBU, and the current secret prison was one such base, repurposed.

Rēn stood nearby, coldly watching it all, though his thoughts were already elsewhere.

He was waiting.

Waiting on the outcome of Biwa Jūzō's mission.

Given Jūzō's abilities, he certainly wasn't a match for Sarutobi Hiruzen. What Rēn truly awaited was the hidden trigger he had implanted in Jūzō to activate. As long as that hidden hand wasn't wasted, then Sarutobi Hiruzen would not survive this time.

Time trickled by. It didn't take long.

Just as the corpse handlers were processing Danzō's remains, Rēn suddenly noticed a subtle anomaly in his vision.

As though fatigued, he let his eyelids droop slightly in feigned rest.

Beneath his half-closed lids, his crimson eyes revealed the six-bladed pinwheel of the Mangekyō Sharingan. His consciousness descended into that illusion once again—the same garden with a rockery, a pond, stone lanterns, and a bamboo grove. But this time, something had changed. On the grassy lawn, a giant cherry blossom tree now stood.

A tree in full bloom, its petals already completely fallen.

"Where is this?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked around warily.

He clearly remembered preparing to interrogate Biwa Jūzō when he suddenly saw Jūzō's right eye shift into a warped Sharingan pattern unlike the three-tomoe form. He immediately realized that Jūzō's assassination attempt was definitely tied to the Uchiha.

Unfortunately, he hadn't had time to say much—he had only just thrown his Wind Sword before suddenly arriving in this garden.

"Lord Third."

"We meet again."

Rēn emerged from behind the enormous cherry blossom tree.

"So it really is you, Uchiha Rēn... Is this your Mangekyō Sharingan's dōjutsu?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not surprised by Rēn's appearance. In fact, he would have been more surprised if it weren't him. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at Rēn. "I didn't expect your clan's dōjutsu could even be embedded in someone else's eye. That trick is truly impossible to guard against."

"This isn't as easy as you imagine, Lord Third. Transcription Seal has significant limitations. To implant a Mangekyō dōjutsu requires at least a three-tomoe Sharingan. An ordinary eye would go blind after using a single Mangekyō ability."

"Biwa Jūzō—his right eye is likely already physically destroyed by my ocular power."

Rēn smiled as he explained.

"Looks like I didn't lose unfairly after all," Hiruzen said, though the gloom in his eyes did not fade.

Didn't lose unfairly?

Impossible.

Biwa Jūzō alone wasn't even worth wasting chakra on. Hiruzen had held back so many techniques and trump cards, preserving them to deal with Uchiha Rēn, Hyūga Hiashi, and Aburame Shibi—these true betrayers.

And yet—

In the blink of an eye, everything was gone.

He'd been outplayed by a minor character like Jūzō. Even knowing the real mastermind was Uchiha Rēn, it was hard to accept. Had he known of their collusion, he would've been more cautious of Uchiha genjutsu and wouldn't have fallen into such a humiliating trap.

But—

"Victory or defeat, that's all that ever mattered. What's the point of talking about fairness or what-ifs?"

Rēn said softly.

If fairness mattered, then the hundreds of thousands of shinobi who died in the three Great Ninja Wars would all have their grievances.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was silent.

He too had survived by crawling from piles of corpses, and he understood Rēn was right. Those who died with hidden aces unplayed had only themselves to blame. To call it unfair would be absurd.

Knowing the battlefield is do-or-die and still holding back—death was deserved. There was no injustice to speak of.

"Looks like I've truly grown old," Hiruzen sighed, his expression complex.

Rēn had no interest in dissecting Hiruzen's emotional shifts. He clapped his hands softly and looked at the half-buried elder. "If you have nothing more to ask, then it's time I sent you on your way."

"Uchiha Rēn, what are you planning for Konoha?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen had become aware of his trapped state and had repeatedly tried to break free in secret. But his efforts were in vain. Even knowing he was under a genjutsu, he couldn't dispel it. The futility made him realize this was truly the end.

In his final moments, what surfaced in his mind wasn't his late wife, his children, or his clan—but Konoha.

"I've said it many times: the Uchiha belong to Konoha, and Konoha belongs to the Uchiha. Senju and Uchiha built this village together in an age of chaos. We have no reason to betray or destroy it. Lord Third, rest in peace. Konoha will only grow stronger."

"Konoha of the Uchiha, huh..."

Hiruzen turned his gaze to the green sprout emerging from his shoulder, feeling a sudden, unstoppable weakness overtake him. The tiny sprout rapidly grew, its countless roots invading his body, draining his spirit and will.

In an instant, a towering tree stood where he had been, its dense foliage heavy with pale pink flower buds swaying gently in the breeze.

"Draining another's spirit... so that's the true nature of your dōjutsu? Is that how you took Danzō as well?"

"Exactly."

Since Hiruzen had already deduced the nature of the technique, Rēn didn't deny it.

"Then... what is your other eye's power?" Hiruzen asked calmly. Even though his body was wrapped in roots like a cocoon with only his face exposed, he showed no panic. "I've read my teacher's research notes. Mangekyō dōjutsu typically come in pairs. This genjutsu must be only one. What's the other?"

"The Second Hokage, huh? As expected from the master of forbidden techniques—his study of our clan's Sharingan was indeed thorough... But I have no reason to share my secrets."

Rēn chuckled. "These days, not even the dead can keep secrets. So... please sleep soundly and stop trying to pry into mine."

Snap!

Rēn snapped his fingers.

In an instant, the cherry blossom tree bloomed, and in the very next breath, the petals began to fall. As the flowers rained down, Sarutobi Hiruzen's life force faded with them. By the time the final petal fluttered to the ground, the last light had vanished from his eyes. What remained was a dry, empty shell.

In the garden, two cherry blossom trees stood side by side.

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