Chapter 100: Shadows of the Past

Tsunade's fist clenched involuntarily. "What?" Her voice was sharp as she turned to the shadow clone of Gin, freshly created and buzzing with information.

"You actually found the location of the second Mangekyō in Danzō's memoirs?" she demanded.

The clone nodded.

"Not just the Mangekyō," it said, voice calm but resolute. "There were also seven or eight pairs of Sharingan, countless jutsu—some even forbidden—detailed experiment logs… and a preserved portion of Hashirama-sama's original cells."

Tsunade's face went pale. Then rage colored her cheeks. "That creature defiled my grandfather's body? What was he trying to do?!"

The clone braced itself with chakra against the oppressive aura she radiated.

"Why else?" it answered. "He was after the First's Wood Release. Wanted to recreate it, master it, and make it his own. And he wasn't alone. Hiruzen… and even your granduncle Tobirama Senju were involved."

"What?!"

"The records say Tobirama began the original experiments but sealed them away when he deemed them hopeless. Danzō and Hiruzen reopened them later in secret."

Tsunade's expression darkened. "My grandfather… Tobirama-sama… how could they defile his memory like this?"

The clone shrugged. "Tobirama invented the Edo Tensei. Desecrating the dead was never off-limits to him. It's no surprise he'd tinker with Wood Release too. Danzō just followed in his teacher's footsteps—without restraint."

Tsunade's fury simmered, but she said nothing.

"Let my grandmother handle this," she muttered finally. "These are the sins of the older generation. We, the younger ones, have no right to speak… but I will never forgive Danzō or Hiruzen. Danzō may be dead, but the Sandaime still breathes."

Meanwhile, in Konoha…

Gin teleported directly into his home.

"Back already?" Uchiha Hikari looked up from the kitchen, where Uzumaki Mito sat sipping tea.

Gin nodded confidently. "Mission accomplished."

The successful assassination of Danzō, the annihilation of Hanzo, and the defeat of over 2,000 Amegakure shinobi had sent shockwaves through the four clans at the front. When Gin displayed the gag-sealed Mangekyō Sharingan of Uchiha Kagami—recovered from Danzō's vault—both Hikari and Mito were stunned.

Hikari inspected the eye with her mental abilities, confirming its authenticity. Her eyes turned cold.

"I always suspected Kagami was betrayed… now we have proof."

Mito sighed. "Tobirama took Kagami in to bridge the Uchiha and the village. He was supposed to be the path to peace. To think he was murdered by Danzō and Hiruzen… Tobirama chose his students poorly."

"What's your next move?" Hikari asked.

"We can't strike just yet," she answered herself. "First, Gin must complete his campaign at the front and rack up merit. Defeating Hanzo alone earns him immense prestige. But Hiruzen won't sit still after hearing this. He'll try to recall Gin, stop him from gaining more power."

Gin added, "Danzō's memoirs also revealed the location of eight more stolen Sharingan, more of Hashirama-sama's cells, and evidence of countless crimes. I plan to seize all of it."

"You're going to infiltrate the Root headquarters," Hikari said without asking.

She knew her son too well.

"You really found Kagami's second Mangekyō?" Mito asked.

"Yes."

Hikari's jaw clenched. "Then Danzō must've killed at least eight Uchiha to harvest those eyes."

Mito, her aura darkening, whispered, "Hashirama's cells… they were my husband's. And they dared keep them—experiment with them?"

Gin hesitated. "They conducted small-scale experiments on kidnapped members of the Kazekage bloodline… When results failed, the Third pulled back. But Danzō never stopped. He wanted to wait until you passed, Mito-sama, and then trick the Senju heirs—Tsunade and Nawaki—into becoming his test subjects."

Fury erupted from Mito. Her chakra exploded, rattling the walls. Had she not restrained herself, the roof would've vanished.

"Very well!" she growled. "Danzō may be dead, but I'll resurrect him with Edo Tensei just to kill him again!"

Gin continued calmly, "You living longer derailed their timeline. You protected the Uzumaki, strengthened the Senju's standing in the village… It delayed their plans to monopolize the First's cells and become gods in human form. Danzō's true aim was to master the Wood Release and become Hokage."

Mito snorted. "He had ambition, but no soul. Typical of Tobirama's students. Akimichi Torifu and Kagami were the only decent ones."

"We can't wait for the war to end," Hikari said firmly. "We must act before Hiruzen does. He'll soon find out Danzō is dead."

Mito turned to Gin. "You said you had hard proof of their crimes. Good. Copy it all. We'll rally the Senju, the Uzumaki, the Uchiha—and the other major clans. Ino-Shika-Cho, Hyūga… We'll create a united front. If we move quickly, we can remove Hiruzen and keep the other nations from exploiting the power vacuum."

Gin nodded.

Infiltration of Root

Moments later, Gin arrived outside the hidden Root headquarters deep in Konoha's forests.

A flicker of movement alerted nearby Root shinobi. But Gin was faster.

"Genjutsu Sharingan: Mist Mirage!"

In an instant, the guards fell under illusion. Gin dispatched over ten shadow clones, who flooded the base.

The original approached the captured Root agents and rewrote their Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal—subtle, undetectable, and impossible to detect unless triggered by specific questioning. Then he stunned them unconscious.

Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Gin teleported through his clones' markers deeper into the compound. They used advanced genjutsu and subterfuge, overwhelming Root operatives and replacing old seals with his own.

With Danzō's memories, the traps and seals inside Root were child's play. Within minutes, the entire base was his.

At the Hokage's Office…

A Root captain arrived before Hiruzen, anxiety on his face.

"Is it Danzō?" asked the Sandaime.

"Possibly. Something's wrong. The Cursed Seal on every Root shinobi in the village… it vanished. All at once."

"What?!"

The old Hokage shot from his chair. "That seal… only breaks if the caster is dead. You're telling me Danzō has fallen?!"

His heart thundered. Just yesterday, Danzō had promised to annihilate the Uchiha and Gin's unit at the front using Hanzo's forces.

And now… nothing but silence. Panic rippled through him.

He immediately summoned the ANBU and ordered an escort to Root headquarters. Whatever secrets Danzō kept there had to be secured—before anyone else found them.

But he was too late.

Back at Home…

Gin returned home with a mountain of scrolls, eyes, and sealed containers. Mito and Hikari stared in awe.

"All of it's here," Gin said, pointing to the mountain of files. "Every sin Danzō and Hiruzen ever committed."

"Good work!" Mito said, eyes burning with vengeance. "This gives us two or three days before the Sandaime breaks the new seals. Just enough to win over the public."

"And these—" Gin held out vials containing Uchiha eyes. "This is Kagami's second Mangekyō, and the eight stolen Sharingan. What should I do with them?"

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to study Kagami's Mangekyō," Gin replied. "Maybe I can decipher its abilities… and even create a method for other Uchiha to learn Mangekyō techniques without needing to awaken the eye themselves."

Both women froze.

"…Is that even possible?" Mito asked.

"I'm not sure," Gin admitted. "But I think I can. And even if only Mangekyō holders benefit, it would still be revolutionary for our clan."

Hikari's eyes glistened. "Then do it. Even Tobirama couldn't dream of this… but if you succeed, Gin, you'll reshape the Uchiha forever."

She handed the eye back to him with pride.

To Be Continued...