Chapter 106: The Fall of the Third Hokage Begins

At that moment, Gin dispelled his Susanoo and deactivated the Four Purple Flames Formation.

With a wave of his hand, he scattered the black smoke from the explosion through the shattered rooftop using a simple wind release technique.

Then, under the reverent and curious gazes of everyone present, he calmly addressed the crowd:

"Shikaku-senpai, Sakumo-senpai, Hizashi-senpai... you're all correct. I managed to secure the bodies of Hanzo and Danzō before they were destroyed."

Turning toward the Torture and Interrogation Department, Gin nodded with quiet authority.

"Yua-senpai, please proceed with the memory probe."

With a light stomp of his foot, two rectangular earthen platforms rose in the center of the meeting ground.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, Gin brought out the preserved corpses of Hanzo and Danzō once again, setting them gently atop the platforms. He made a beckoning gesture to Yamanaka Yua and her team, leaving his four shadow clones stationed at the corners of the courtyard—ready in case someone else tried to interfere.

Without hesitation, Yua and several specialists from the department stepped forward and began the memory extraction technique.

Half an hour later, they finished.

Gathering for a brief conference, the interrogators nodded to one another.

Yamanaka Yua stepped forward solemnly.

"Lady Tsunade spoke the truth," she said, her voice steady but grim. "Elder Danzō conspired directly with Hanzo of the Salamander to set a trap meant to eliminate all front-line shinobi of the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki clans."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Yua continued, "Furthermore… evidence points to the involvement of the Third Hokage himself. These weren't Danzō's schemes alone."

Gin gave a second nod. With a motion of his hand, he summoned several aged documents—sealed letters, some worn by time but marked with unmistakable chakra signatures.

"Here," Gin said. "Secret correspondence between Danzō and the Third Hokage. Direct orders. Targets. Operations. Danzō was meticulous—he kept these for leverage. The destroyed messages? Copies. Diversions. He knew the Third's spies were watching."

Yua's expression darkened. He looked at the letters and nodded.

"It's true. These documents, along with the extracted memories, prove the conspiracy wasn't just Danzō's ambition. It was sanctioned by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself."

A stunned silence fell. But only for a moment.

"What?!"

"No… not the Hokage!"

"Impossible…!"

But the disbelief quickly gave way to something else—fury.

"Our clan," one jonin began, trembling with restrained rage. "The Third forcibly conscripted several of our promising young. None ever returned."

"Our clan too!" another shouted. "He said it was for special training. They vanished!"

One by one, jonin from different clans began to speak out, a rising tide of anger, betrayal, and indignation.

"You see? Under the guise of promoting commoners, he developed only the Sarutobi and Shimura clans!"

"Ever notice how they got the safe, well-paid missions? While others were sent to die?"

"He's not fit to lead!"

"He should step down! Let Uchiha Gin become Hokage!"

"Yes! Gin-sama is strong! He killed 2,000 elite Ame shinobi in one battle and defeated both Danzō and Hanzo!"

Cries of support grew louder, surging like a wave.

Amid the rising chaos, Gin quietly released a powerful wave of chakra—heavy, ancient, commanding. The atmosphere shifted. All voices fell silent. Heads turned to him in awe.

"What a terrifying aura…"

"It's like… seeing Uchiha Madara… or the First Hokage himself…"

Veteran shinobi whispered in reverence. A few bowed their heads unconsciously.

Gin raised his hand, calling for calm.

"I thank you all for your support," he said. "But now is not the time for change. There is still a war to fight. Let us defeat our enemies first. When we return to Konoha victorious, then we will bring justice to the Third Hokage."

The crowd, stirred moments ago into emotional fervor, now steadied—grounded by Gin's firm, rational presence. His words calmed them. His wisdom reassured them.

He continued:

"Do not worry. The downfall of Hiruzen Sarutobi is inevitable. Half a day ago, after I killed Danzō and extracted evidence from his mind, I used the Flying Thunder God Technique to secretly return to Konoha."

A ripple passed through the crowd at that revelation.

"There, I infiltrated the Root base and secured damning proof of the Third's crimes—decades of manipulation, experiments, murders. I delivered everything to Lady Mito and my mother, Uchiha Hikari."

Gin's voice grew sharper.

"With the support of the Uchiha, Senju, Uzumaki, and several allied clans, control of the village is in safe hands. Even if we do not return immediately, the Third will be arrested soon—without riots, without collapse. The transition will be clean."

Relief washed over the assembled jonin.

"And as for our front-line supplies—do not concern yourselves. My mother and Lady Mito will oversee everything. The Uchiha Clan's wealth is more than sufficient to supply us all without the village's help."

Laughter echoed.

"Of course! The Uchiha clan is richer than some countries!" one jonin said.

"They've been raking in profits from medical pills and war supplies for years!"

"You forget the strengthening serums! And the antidotes!"

Gin chuckled lightly, then waved his hand again.

"I'll now send the corpses and letters to my mother and Lady Mito for safekeeping," he said.

With a flick of his hand, he sealed away Hanzo and Danzō's bodies. He stomped the ground once more, fusing the two raised earthen platforms into a single, wide surface.

Upon it, he unfurled a massive battlefield map.

"We must strike Amegakure now, before Suna and Iwa fully react. We will crush Ame and end this part of the war. And if Suna or Iwa attacks, I'll lead you to victory over them too."

He paused, then added with a grin:

"And perhaps, if I do become Hokage, you'll find standard-issue nutritious pills on your lunch trays every day."

Laughter spread again—genuine, relaxed, filled with hope.

But Gin wasn't joking entirely. He had reasons.

In the Pirate World, production of medicinal pills had soared. New alchemists and engineers, streamlined production, upgraded facilities—costs were down, output was up.

He knew that offering these supplies through the village at low cost would be a win-win.

The village gains healthier, stronger shinobi

The Uchiha gain political favor and long-term contracts

The pills would reach all ninjas—not just the elites

But Gin also understood the bigger picture: for now, the Uchiha must still separate clan interests from village interests… until the world was fully within their grasp.

And until then, this was the smartest, most sustainable path.

One that would lead to victory, and finally… peace.