It was a quiet night at Konoha's mental institution. Shadows stretched across the deserted courtyard, where silence reigned under the soft, hazy glow of the moon.
Inside one of the rooms, Danzo sat upright on his bed, his gaze fixated on the moonlight filtering through the window. His face, pale and rigid, reflected the turmoil within. He had lost an arm, yet his remaining arm steadied him as he balanced himself, his mind racing with thoughts of anger and frustration.
Sitting opposite him was Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose worn face appeared weary and shadowed by a deep sorrow.
"Danzo, how are you finding your time here?" Hiruzen asked cautiously, sensing the tension in his old friend's demeanor.
Danzo scoffed, his voice thick with resentment. "Half a month, Hiruzen. Half a month of pretending to be insane, of playing the madman for the sake of keeping our secrets. And how do you repay me? By throwing me in this madhouse?"
He shook his head, frustration etched in every line of his face. "I went along with this farce so you could bring me out of that battle quietly, without drawing attention. But I thought I'd be taken back to headquarters, not locked away with lunatics."
Hiruzen's gaze dropped, his tone apologetic. "Danzo, this is not how I wanted it, but it's the only way to keep you safe. I'm under incredible pressure from the other ninjas who are unhappy with my handling of this matter. Hiding you here was the best I could manage…."
Danzo sneered, cutting him off. "Safe? This isn't safety, Hiruzen. This is imprisonment! I won't stand for it. Let me out, Hiruzen!"
"No," Hiruzen's response was firm, his eyes hardening. "No matter what, I can't let you leave. This is my final decision."
Danzo's face contorted with fury. Rising from the bed, he stood before Hiruzen, and in one swift movement, removed the bandage covering his right eye, revealing a raw, empty socket.
"Do you see this?" he demanded. "This is what Haruto did to me. He humiliated me in a way no one ever has. I can't let him get away with it, Hiruzen. I won't."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed as he addressed Danzo, his tone sharp. "Tell me something first, Danzo. Why did you have Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan? And that arm of yours… it was filled with Sharingan eyes, and the tissue was unmistakably imbued with Hashirama's cells."
He took a breath before continuing. "How long have you been conducting these experiments behind my back? I want answers, Danzo."
Danzo's anger faded slightly, replaced by resignation. There was no point in hiding the truth anymore, not when it had all unraveled so far.
"Uchiha Shisui didn't die by suicide," Danzo admitted, his tone cold. "Two and a half years ago, I took his right eye for myself."
Hiruzen's expression grew dark with shock and disbelief. "Shisui? He was loyal to us, Danzo. He was my student, one of my most trusted allies. His Sharingan had the power to change the Uchiha clan from within. If he had succeeded in using Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku and the Uchiha leaders, we could have avoided bloodshed!"
"Bloodshed was inevitable," Danzo replied with a bitter laugh. "You think Shisui was trustworthy just because he was one of us? How naive can you be, Hiruzen? You know as well as I do what Lord Tobirama taught us. The Uchiha clan is inherently dangerous. After awakening the Sharingan, they can't control the sickness within them. Shisui's loyalty could have turned on us at any moment."
"So instead of trusting him, you decided to take his power for yourself," Hiruzen said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Yes, because that was the only way to ensure no one else could use it against us," Danzo countered. "When I took Shisui's Sharingan, I realized controlling it was difficult, even for me. That's when I turned to Hashirama's cells—to stabilize the power."
"And the one who performed the procedure for me was none other than Orochimaru, your prized student."
Hiruzen's face blanched at the mention of Orochimaru. "Orochimaru? You went to him for help? After all he did?"
Danzo's voice dripped with disdain. "And that's where you and I differ, Hiruzen. I saw what you could not. You allowed Orochimaru to slip away because you were weak, too sentimental to make the hard decisions."
The words stung, and Hiruzen fell silent. For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the faint rustling of leaves outside the window.
Danzo continued, his tone calm now. "As for the other Sharingan eyes in my possession, they were collected from the bodies of the Uchiha clan members on the night of the massacre."
With his confession complete, Danzo returned the bandage to his eye socket and sat down. Looking at Hiruzen, he let out a heavy sigh.
"There, I've told you everything. I don't regret it, Hiruzen. And now, more than ever, I'm warning you—Haruto cannot be underestimated."
"Haruto?" Hiruzen echoed, his brow furrowing.
"Yes," Danzo replied grimly. "He's awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. Somehow, he knows secrets I planned to carry to my grave. He might be able to read minds or glean information through his powers. If that's the case, none of us are safe. Our every thought is laid bare before him."
Danzo's eyes burned with conviction as he stepped closer to Hiruzen. "You need me, Hiruzen. We can't afford another massacre. This time, we have to finish what we started. Not one Uchiha can be allowed to survive—not even Sasuke. They're too dangerous."
Hiruzen's hands tightened around his pipe. He took a deep breath and remained silent, his thoughts racing. His mind drifted through memories—his responsibilities, his past decisions, the losses he had endured. He felt the weight of Konoha pressing down on him.
After what felt like an eternity, Hiruzen looked up at Danzo, a flicker of clarity in his gaze.
"Danzo," he began slowly, "I'm grateful for all you've done. I've allowed many things to happen under my watch because I trusted you, and because I couldn't find the resolve to make the hard choices on my own."
Danzo's expression softened slightly, but it was quickly replaced with suspicion as Hiruzen continued.
"But," Hiruzen said firmly, "I can't allow this to continue. You've crossed too many lines. Your actions aren't just a threat to our enemies—they're a danger to Konoha itself."
"What are you saying, Hiruzen?" Danzo demanded, a hint of panic edging into his voice.
Hiruzen took a step closer, his voice steely with resolve. "You wanted me to be ruthless, Danzo. And for the sake of Konoha, I'm going to start with you."
Danzo's eyes widened as Hiruzen pulled a kunai from his robes. The weapon gleamed in the moonlight as he advanced on his old friend.
"Hiruzen! What are you doing?" Danzo backed away, his voice trembling.
"This is for Konoha," Hiruzen said, his tone cold and final. "I can't let your darkness continue to fester in the shadows. I'll carry your words with me. But, Danzo, you… you need to disappear."
Without hesitation, Hiruzen thrust the kunai forward. The blade sliced through the air, burying itself in Danzo's chest. Danzo's body went rigid, a look of shock frozen on his face as he collapsed to the floor, blood pooling beneath him.
Hiruzen stared down at the lifeless form of his friend, a mixture of sorrow and resolve etched into his features.
"I'm sorry, old friend," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "But for the future of Konoha… I had to."
A heavy silence filled the room as Hiruzen stood there, his gaze drifting to the window and the moonlit courtyard beyond.
In that moment, he felt the weight of his decision settle on his shoulders. He had taken a step into a darkness he had always feared, but he knew it was the only way forward.
For Konoha's future, for its peace and stability, he would carry Danzo's darkness within him. He would be ruthless if he had to, and he would stand firm in his duty, no matter the cost.
As he turned to leave, Hiruzen took one last glance at Danzo, whispering a quiet farewell to his oldest friend.
Outside, the night remained still, the shadows deeper than ever. The village lay in slumber, unaware of the sacrifice and betrayal that had taken place within its walls.
For Konoha, Hiruzen
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