Author's Note: Welcome back all!

As mentioned last time, this is the second part of last month's chapter. I think in total the 2 parts combine to be about 15k words. By far my longest chapter, which is why I thought it best to release it in two parts.

Check my profile for writing progress if you're interested. I put estimated release dates on there and update it from time to time. Please leave a review with your thoughts if you would like. Writers love reviews.

I'm also reachable in the discord server - link in profile.

Thanks again and enjoy!

Chapter 48: Iustitia Praevalebit - Part 2

It took less than a moment for the room to settle down and for everyone to find their seats once Tsunade made her presence known. The tension was palpable as everyone waited for the next phase of the proceedings to begin. Not a single member of the audience knew what to expect…. this was an unprecedented moment in their village's history.

Tsunade seemed to be discussing something with one of the prisoners, the mysterious bandaged man in the middle. For the vast majority of attendees, it was just far away enough to be out of earshot.… but Kakashi Hatake was not like most people.

"What are they saying to each other?" Jiraiya asked. "You can hear them, right?"

"Just banter from what I can tell," Kakashi responded. "Danzo seems confident in himself; I'm not sure how well that bodes for Naruto and Sasuke. Let's hope that whatever they have is significant."

"I don't think we would be here if it wasn't. Whatever it is, Tsunade refused to tell me." Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "She said we needed to be impartial; personally, I think it's a load of crap. As far as I'm concerned, Old Man Third should have buried these geezers years ago. The Leaf would be a better place if that had happened."

"She has a point, Master Jiraiya." Kakashi disliked Danzo as much as the next guy, but cooler heads needed to prevail. "Our collective purpose is to be the impartial counsel to the Hokage. You of all people know that better than anyone."

"Yeah, yeah. That doesn't make me feel better."

Shikaku rose to his feet and made his way to the room's center. He now stood in between the Hokage sitting atop her perch and the lowly, disgraced elders on their knees. Every visible eye in the room was trained on the Nara. A normal man in his position might crack under the enormous pressure, but the commander of the Jonin forces was seemingly unfazed.

Tsunade nodded to him, which he acknowledged with the slightest of head tilts, and settled his gaze on the three Elders. Unsurprisingly, Danzo was the only one to return that courtesy with steely eyes. Shikaku had to suppress the smirk that tugged at his lips. He would have expected nothing less from him.

"Lady Hokage, my fellow members of the Jonin Council…" Shikaku's lazy and unenthused tone was gone, replaced by one that was fit for the occasion, stern and serious. "This emergency meeting was called due to severe allegations made against the three individuals before you. You will be presented with pertinent statements from both sides, and then asked to reach a consensus verdict based on the information put forth. The Hokage will factor the Council's determination into her own decision on the matter at hand. Due to my position as facilitator today, I will be excluded from deliberating with my fellow Jonin and won't have a vote."

Tsunade sat stoically with her fingers neatly intertwined and resting on her desk. She watched the expression flicker amongst the crowd; their response to this monumental moment was more important than anything in recent memory.

'They look unsure….' Tsunade noted. 'Naruto has his work cut out for him; there's no telling how this is going to play out.'

Karin glanced at her friends and frowned. 'This is risky. Naruto and Sasuke want to drag the names of these guys through the mud… and yet, the council could just as easily side with the Elders when it is all said and done. The Hokage may have the final say, but it wouldn't look good on her part if she went against the Jonin consensus. Suigetsu's plan is starting to sound better and better…. We should have just killed them and made the announcement to the Village afterward about what they did; It would have saved us a lot of headaches.' Naruto seemed to catch her staring in their direction and returned her nervous frown with a warm smile. His confidence in the face of all the uncertainty relaxed her a bit.

Shikaku waited for the murmurs in the room to die down to a tolerable level before he continued. "Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane, you three are charged with high treason against the Leaf Village, conspiracy to commit mass murder, and operating outside the scope of your authority and against the explicit command of the Third Hokage to commit the previously stated acts. The result of said acts which led to the massacre of the Uchiha Clan by none other than Itachi Uchiha…. How do you plead?"

The room erupted once again as Danzo's visible eye went wide in pure shock. His neck snapped to the side until his gaze met a waiting pair of chilling blue eyes. Naruto's face betrayed no emotion as his eyes drilled through Danzo's skull. At his side, Sasuke appeared less reserved; he was enjoying the concern on the old man's face, and the smirk across his lips was proof of that.

'What!? How is this possible?! Could Itachi have…?'

Danzo was blindsided, that much was evident. His expectations were that after the death of Orochimaru and Sasuke's subsequent return to the Leaf, his affiliation with the Snake had become known; that very possibility was why he planned to have Sai eliminate the rogue Uchiha while accompanying Naruto outside of the village. He couldn't have been more wrong….

"Danzo, Homura, Koharu; how do the three of you plead?" Shikaku reiterated.

Danzo took a deep breath to calm himself. The fear in him quickly turned to anger. He tore his gaze away from the Jinchuriki and ground his teeth together as he looked into the crowd. They would not do this to him; not now; not after everything he had done for these fools. "What complete nonsense." He challenged in a venomous tone. "It is widely known that the Uchiha incident was perpetrated by none other than Itachi Uchiha, and him alone! He fled that very night and has been hunted by the village ever since. To claim that the upper leadership knew about such things is unequivocally false! This charade is nothing more than a weak attempt to make scapegoats out of us and distract the public from what is truly going on!"

Tsunade rapped her fingers along her wood desk but refrained from taking the bait.

The Nara nodded; fully aware that the stubborn bastard wouldn't take this lying down. What was interesting was the lack of a reaction from Homura and Koharu. They'd been unresponsive up to this point, but surely such dangerous accusations, true or not, would get some sort of rise out of them. And yet, nothing; not even a twitch. They seemed to be deferring to Danzo.

"If I may interject," A man standing in the front row said suddenly. His eyes were obscured by dark glasses which featured a single tassel hanging down from one side. Spiky short black hair and a mustache were nearly concealed by his high-collared, light-gray outfit. "These claims, if untrue, could be wildly inflammatory during a tumultuous time within the village. While I believe I speak for everyone here when I say we are to take these claims seriously, I also see the truth in Lord Danzo's words. Where is the evidence that supports the alleged crimes?"

'As expected of Shibi Aburame; logical and calculated.' Shikaku thought dryly. He was cut off before he could respond.

"Itachi Uchiha told me himself before he took his own life." Sasuke blurted out harshly. Every eye in the room was now trained on him. He welcomed it; they would know the truth.

Shibi's raised eyebrow was visible above his shades. "What exactly did he tell you, Sasuke?" He asked calmly.

Sasuke let out a deep breath. It was time to reveal the truth of what happened. "Three years ago I left the Leaf Village behind to join Orochimaru in the pursuit of power. I drove myself to the edge of madness and back in hopes I would one day be strong enough to kill my brother. After learning everything that I could, then killing Orochimaru, I sought out my brother so I could strike him down and avenge my clan…." He resisted the urge to bite the inside of his cheek and continued. "...There was no battle; the moment I existed for entirely had finally arrived, and it was nothing like I imagined it would be. The monster I grew up despising was nothing more than a sick and tortured man used up and spit out by the Elders and the Shinobi System. The truth is…. Itachi Uchiha was the real scapegoat. The Uchiha had felt mistreated and alienated by the village for far too long and planned a coup d'état in retaliation…. My father, Fukagu Uchiha, was the mastermind behind this plot. The Elders knew of this and attempted to stop it. Danzo's solution was to enlist the services of a child within the clan to eliminate the threat from the inside. The Third Hokage refused and instead tried to settle things through negotiation. Danzo couldn't accept this and with the backing of the other two Elders, disobeyed the Hokage and pushed forward with their plan to eradicate my family. Itachi agreed to carry out the killings and take the entirety of the village's hatred unto him by becoming a rogue ninja… under the solitary condition that I remain alive."

The other members of Team Hebi felt pain in their chests as their friend spoke. They knew full well that Sasuke would never want anyone to feel sorry for him. Due to that, Naruto, Suigetsu, and Karin would honor his pride and support him in silence.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Sasuke's impassioned and angry detail of events left everyone's ear ringing from the sheer magnitude of the weight behind his words. Jiraiya and Kakashi, as stoic and unbothered as they usually were, couldn't believe what they had just heard.

Danzo appeared as white as the proverbial ghosts that lay at his feet.

Hushed discourse amongst the crowd ensued in light of the shocking reveal.

"No way…. The Uchiha planned a coup?"

"So, I wasn't the only one who just heard that…. I almost can't believe it."

…..

"To think that Itachi may have been a victim this entire time."

"But wasn't he still guilty of murdering the Uchiha? The only victims are the people he killed."

"Didn't you hear him? They were planning a coup and he was ordered to stop them!"

"Yeah, but…."

"But what?"

"... Would you be able to kill all of your loved ones if given the order?"

"I…. uh….-"

"Yeah…."

…..

"I always wondered why Sasuke was the only Uchiha to survive; it all makes sense now!"

"Yeah, something about that never sat right with me…. I just could never figure out what Itachi's motives could have been…. I eventually chalked it up to him being a sadist. I'm glad that isn't the case and he had good reasons for what he did."

…..

Tsunade's eyes twitched as the chatter amongst the Jonin grew louder.

"Ahem!" It was short, simple, and to the point. The message rang loud and clear. The immediate silence that followed was music to her ears.

With a head nod, she gestured for the proceedings to continue just as before.

"...I see…." Shibi, like everyone else, was entranced by the pain and anger radiating from Sasuke. "Forgive me… It is not that I do not believe your words, Sasuke, but claims of such gravitas should be accompanied by tangible evidence."

Sasuke didn't react to Shibi's logical argument. Some of the other Jonin found themselves nodding along once they were broken out of the trance set in place by Sasuke's emotional speech.

A frown had spread across the face of Inoichi Yamanaka "Shikaku, if I may interject?" To which his longtime friend nodded. "I agree with Shibi… However, I think we must also take into consideration who we're hearing this from."

"I don't believe I follow," Shibi admitted.

Inoichi gestured to Sasuke. "We all know what this young man has been through… and the lengths he's gone to try and avenge his family. And yet, here he is before us today telling us the very same family he wanted to avenge had planned a coup, and the man responsible for their deaths whom he hated was a mere pawn. As the head of your own clan, Shibi, you must know just how difficult it must be to willingly incriminate your own flesh and blood. Knowing what I know about Sasuke Uchiha…. I'm inclined to believe him."

After a moment of silent contemplation, Shibi nodded in Inoichi's direction and took a seat. The very same group of Shinobi who had agreed with Shibi just moments prior found themselves conflicted. As it stood, this was a war between logic and raw emotion.

Danzo was like a wild animal backed into a corner by a far larger predator. It was only a matter of time before he lashed out.

The door to the courtroom opened. Everyone turned to see a female Medical Ninja walk briskly through. Shikaku's eyes seemed to light up upon her arrival, and he quickly ushered her to hurry. She did and handed him a folder while whispering something into his ear. He quietly flipped through its contents while everyone waited in anticipation. After a near unbearable amount of time, he closed the folder and held it over his shoulder. This signaled an ANBU Black Ops member to appear, retrieve the documents, disappear, then reappear at Tsunade's side. She accepted it with an appreciative smile before she too examined the information inside.

Shikaku would take this time to inform the room. "Most of you are unaware, but Sasuke and his team managed to recover the body of Itachi Uchiha. At the behest of the Hokage, our best team of medics conducted an expeditious autopsy of his corpse." Every Shinobi in the room appeared to hang on the man's every word. "The initial results appear to coincide with Sasuke's recounting of events. The angle at which the jugular vein was slashed is consistent with self-infliction. The preliminary opinion is that the cause of death was suicide."

Shikoku planned to allow the council time to digest that information.

Danzo would not extend them the same courtesy.

"Sasuke Uchiha's claims are nothing but the words of a dead man." Danzo spat from his spot chained to the ground. This was the most unrestrained anyone had ever seen from him; he almost didn't seem like the same person. "Nevermind the unlikelihood that such a conversation ever occurred between them, how could anyone in this room trust the words from one of the most infamous criminals in our village's history? My Shinobi have hunted that man for eight long years with the intent to have him answer for his crimes…. He would love nothing more than to strike me down with him in his final, pathetic breath."

"So, Danzo…" Now it was Naruto's turn to speak; he wouldn't stop there though, instead opting to get out of his seat entirely and join Shikaku and the three Elders in front of everyone. "Are you saying that you had absolutely no involvement with the killing of any of the Uchiha Clan?"

Danzo saw red at the mere sound of that voice. He wanted nothing more than to break free from his restraints and strangle the boy until he stopped moving. And yet, he couldn't, especially not with so many witnesses around them. Danzo took in a deep, calming breath and exhaled in the same manner. The Jonin Council was his last hope; the locked door kept him from escaping this treacherous position. And it was such good fortune that the key happened to walk right up to him without any convincing. He suppressed a sinister smirk and began to focus chakra into his right eye.

"No, I had no involvement whatsoever!" Danzo stated with convincing conviction. "My duty has, and always will be to protect the Hidden Leaf Village and its people; the Uchiha were our comrades, and I would never do anything to harm them."

"Okay…. I just wanted to make sure." Naruto paused briefly and shook his head a few times.

Danzo was the only one close enough to see the teen's eyes turn glassy; the compulsion to smirk increased tenfold.

'Naruto Uzumaki… as much as I hate to say it, you hold significant influence within the village.' The Elder thought to himself. 'However, I can now use that to my advantage. I command you to turn the votes of the Jonin Council in my favor.'

'Kotoamatsukami!'

….

….

….

Danzo blinked in confusion. Nothing had changed. Naruto should have been well under his influence by now, but he just stood there staring at him stoically.

And, for the first time today, Naruto smirked.

'You're every bit as opportunistic and predictable as I thought you were.'Naruto's voice rang loudly in his head. Danzo's eyes widened.

'What?!'

Neji shot to his feet, Byakugan active and fixed on the old man. "Commander Shikaku, I have reason to believe that Danzo is performing a Genjutsu as we speak! Chakra has been built up behind his right eye just as the flow of Naruto's chakra changed!"

Several gasps were blurted out as the room once again erupted in chatter. This time, Tsunade decided to let it go. The more they conversed amongst themselves, the worse it would be for Danzo.

Karin leaped over the railing and raced to Naruto's side. She had noticed the extremely subtle flux in Naruto's chakra just before Neji made his announcement. She noted the glassy eyes and blank stare. "Yep, definitely Genjutsu. He got you good, huh?" She injected him with some of her own chakra.

Naruto appeared to jolt back to reality. He shook his head once, twice, three times to help the fog in his head clear. "T-Thanks, Karin; you're the best."

"No problem. You sure you're okay? I've never tried to break such a powerful Genjutsu before."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah…. I should be fine having been under it once already. That's one hell of a Genjutsu, though. I knew I was under it, but I couldn't do anything about it. It felt like all of my thoughts were stuck inside my own head, and the only ones that could leave were what he allowed. Heh, I put up a hell of a fight though."

Danzo could only watch in abject horror as his only hope had just backfired on him. 'N-No…. This can't be happening. H-How?'

Shikaku did his best to quell the noise, though it was evident he was just as blindsided as the rest of the room. "Ocular Jutsu? You're sure of this, Neji?" To which Neji nodded. "Explain."

"I believe that would be my job." Naruto put his hand up. Things up top were still hazy, but this was his show and he planned on running it.

"Naruto, just what is going on?" Shikaku asked frustratedly.

Naruto waved off the man's worry. "While the old geezer went on his tirade earlier, it gave me plenty of time to ask Neji to keep a close eye on him with his Byakugan. You see, Itachi gave us a little tip before he died…." He knelt down in front of Danzo and started to unwrap the bandages concealing his right eye. "He claimed to be one of the last people to see Shisui Uchiha alive. Except, his friend only had one eye at the time. According to him, Shisui had planned to use his Sharingan Genjutsu on Fugaku to try and stop the coup, but Danzo had other ideas; he stole Shisui's right eye during an attempt on his life."

Realization seemed to dawn on each and every person present. Shisui and his Genjutsu were the stuff of legend in the Hidden Leaf.

"There was no proof about what Danzo had done with the eye, but a snake like him would definitely keep power like that for himself. So I thought we'd force the truth out of him right here and now. I presented him with the perfect opportunity to use the Kotoamatsukami on me, and if he had the eye there's no doubt in my mind he'd use it." Naruto had effectively captivated the council with his explanation. "Hey, geezer, why don't you open your right eye and confirm my theory for everyone to see."

Danzo didn't move, seemingly frozen in a mix of fear and shock.

"Danzo, do as he says and open your right eye," Tsunade demanded. "We're all waiting with bated breath."

"Y-You tricked me…." Danzo's protests were barely a whisper. He hadn't even fought the blond when he removed the bandages.

Naruto leaned in close and spoke in a hushed tone. "The last time we spoke, you told me that you and I weren't that different…. back then I said you were wrong. Do you want to know what the biggest difference between us is?" Danzo remained silent. "I don't need to hide in the shadows like a coward and have others do my dirty work for me. When I make a move, I make sure everyone can see me. That is how you make a change in the world… all you've done is made us regress. You tricked yourself into thinking that you've been doing the right thing." "

There was nothing Danzo could do, no feasible way he could wriggle himself out from under this unmitigated disaster. All the years of shady tactics while avoiding consequences had finally caught up with him…. He finally opened his right eye to reveal a three-tomoe Sharingan.

With finality, Naruto slapped a suppression tag from his pouch on the back of the old man's head. "Oh yeah, hold this. We can't have you using that Jutsu again, can we?" Danzo could only look at him with wide, hate-filled eyes. "What? You didn't find it too convenient that your old tags were replaced and they 'forgot' to put the new ones on?"

Naruto's satisfied smirk was now on full display. Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Karin loved every second of the systematic dismantling they just watched unfold. Everyone not in the know, including Kakashi and Jiraiya, was utterly shocked at the bombshells so casually dropped at their feet. It was eerily silent as they tried to fully process what they had witnessed.

Except Naruto was not done yet.

"You heard this man just a few minutes ago attest that he had no involvement with the Uchiha incident, and yet here he is wielding the eye of one of the clan's most prodigious Shinobi. Not only that but would an innocent man use Genjutsu on me to try and manipulate the verdict in his favor? Isn't that interesting?" Naruto paused for dramatic effect; he was in his element and having fun now. "The guys over in the Torture and Interrogation Division couldn't get that seal off his arm, but I would bet anything that whatever's under there is something else he doesn't want us to see." He looked at Neji.

Neji nodded. "I cannot pierce through the seal with my visual prowess, but the chakra in that arm appears much different than what flows through both his right eye and the rest of his body."

Naruto shrugged. "Oh well, I'll just have to take a crack at removing it during his autopsy."

Shikaku maintained his composure. He found it increasingly difficult, but his role was to remain a neutral party. "Danzo, Homura, Koharu, what do the three of you have to say in defense of yourself?"

….

"This day…. I have dreaded it for a very long time." Koharu spoke her first words with a weak and raspy voice. "You would think I would be terrified that it's finally arrived, but I've come to terms with it over the years."

"It was inevitable long before that, Koharu." Homura, who had also been silent up to this point, sighed. "Our fates were sealed the first time we made a deal with the devil…. We have no one to blame but ourselves."

Naruto blinked; he expected protests, kicking, screaming, denial, anger, really anything other than this. This was rather…. pathetic in his opinion. Where was their fight? Their conviction?

"...Are you saying that the allegations are true?" Shikaku asked carefully.

Homura let out a weak, shaky breath. "Yes child, it is all true; every word of it. There is no sense in denying it any longer. The massacre of the Uchiha Clan falls on the shoulders of the three of us." He turned to look at Sasuke with weary eyes; it was evident from the shock on the teen's face that didn't expect it. "Itachi was a kind young man and we convinced him one must sometimes do terrible things for the good of the village. Looking back on it…. I wish we would have put our faith in Hiruzen to resolve things peacefully. I know that my words will not undo the things that we did, Sasuke Uchiha, but please know that if I could go back and do things differently…. I would without hesitation. I'm deeply sorry for the pain we have caused you."

"As am I," Koharu admitted. "Whichever punishment you find suitable for us, we most likely deserve far worse."

Sasuke didn't say anything in response, but his seemingly perpetual frown loosened a touch.

'Maybe I judged too quickly.' Naruto reflected. 'To show remorse and admit wrongdoing publicly…. Is quite honorable.'

"Unbelievable; The two of you have always been cowardly fools, but this is utterly disgraceful." Danzo spat, his eyes filled with abject defiance in his eyes. "I will not sit idly by and listen to this nonsense any longer!" Everyone could feel the disgust in his voice. "I have nothing to regret; everything that I have done has been for the good of the Hidden Leaf and the Land of Fire! None of you can comprehend the lengths that I am willing to go to ensure your safety. Someone must get their hands dirty, and I am the only one with the conviction to do it! The Uchiha Clan threatened the existence of my home, our home, and I did what needed to be done. Tell me, what would any of you have done? Would you have allowed them to kill us all so your conscience could remain clean?" None of the Jonin dared to answer him. "Because of me, you've never had to concern yourself with such things; you should all be thanking me for being the only one capable of making the impossible choices!"

"Danzo-" Shikaku attempted to get a word in edgewise, but he was ignored.

"So, you drag me out here and parade me for all to see…. for what? To see me wither, express guilt…. apologize?" Danzo challenged the Jonin Council. "Never! The Hidden Leaf only still exists because of what I have done and have continued to do for decades. Without me, the cowardice and inaction Princess Tsunade inherited from the Third Hokage will lead to the village's destruction. Don't worry, you will all realize it once I am gone; there will be nothing to absorb the impact, and the weight of the Shinobi World will crush you all…. remember that."

Kakashi took a look around the room at the faces of his contemporaries, then leaned in close so only Jiraiya could hear him. "This doesn't look good. I can tell by their faces, Danzo's words affected them."

Jiraiya nodded. "Now that the truth is out and he's been caught in an elaborate web of lies, this is his last hope. He's fear-mongering to manipulate them. If he can convince enough people that his methods are necessary for their survival and that he's the only man for the job, then they may side in his favor. That would put Tsunade in a tough spot."

"I'm not surprised; to live as long as Danzo has, unrivaled tenacity is a requirement." Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "Master Jiraiya, look at Naruto."

"What about hi-" The Sannin paused. "Huh. He doesn't look worried in the slightest."

"Yeah, I wonder why that is?"

"He's been remarkably poised," Jiraiya admitted. "Watching him, it feels like he's been doing this sort of thing his entire life."

"Just like Minato-sensei…."

"Yeah…."

Naruto didn't even need to look; he could feel the fear and worry that surrounded him. Danzo was a master manipulator with a lifetime of experience to pull from. Like a phoenix, every time they seemed to have him dead to rightshe would rise from the ashes once again; the Uzumaki fully expected this from someone shrewd enough to earn the moniker "The Shinobi of Darkness." If he was entirely honest, he had hoped for a good fight going into this.

It would make his inevitable victory that much sweeter.

Naruto shot a look toward Shikaku.

The Jonin Commander immediately understood. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand as an ANBU appeared at his side. "Bring him out," Was all he said.

The masked Shinobi nodded, then disappeared into a plume of smoke.

Danzo's eyes narrowed.

Naruto would use this time to set up his final act. The curtains were about to close.

"Shinobi of the Jonin Council, I would like to remind you all of the position that Danzo is currently in." Naruto gestured to the crowd while they hung on his every word. "It has been proven that he is guilty of what he has been accused of today. His life hangs in the balance and he will do and say everything possible to convince you that his actions were justified."

"But what if he's right?!" One of the council members stood up; a dark-haired man in his early thirties that wore his headband around his arm. "What if we need someone willing to get his hands dirty to keep us safe?!"

"You're that author everyone is talking about, right?" A woman in the crowd chimed in. Naruto nodded in confirmation. "Then you should know as well as anyone how messed up the world is! The other Great Nations won't stop their shady covert operations behind the scenes, so why shouldn't we? It's worked so far, hasn't it?!"

Naruto resisted the urge to frown. The court of opinion continued to swing like a pendulum right before his eyes. Were people really this easily manipulated? A few passionate words were all it took to change their mind on a serious matter; these were Jonin, no less! No wonder Danzo had such free range for such a long time. They are so terrified of what could be that it makes them act rashly.

Perhaps that was partially his fault. His second novel, 'The Weight of the System,' was meant to elicit anger and open their eyes to the truths of this world. Naruto didn't anticipate that it would instead send terror and mistrust sweeping through the streets.

It was evident that fear was the penultimate tool in the Shinobi World, and Danzo intended to use it once more.

"How much of a price are you willing to pay for that?" Naruto asked.

He heard many answers, and there was a common theme.

"Anything!"

"Whatever it takes!"

"What's necessary!"

Naruto nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the consensus agreement of the council. "Okay, I'll remember that."

Just then, the doors flew open and a team of ANBU Black Ops flooded into the room. No one could see completely through the shield of black cloaks, but there appeared to be a man in the center of the escort. Once the group made it down next to Naruto and Shikaku, the sea of ANBU parted, and out stepped a face that was quite familiar to Danzo.

"Y-You…" The old man breathed out. "What are you…?"

Instead of responding with words, he did something that would render Danzo speechless. Sai stuck out his unmarked tongue for him to see.

Suigetsu would consider the look on the War Hawk's face to be 'comical.'

'What is the meaning of this?! Sai, why would he be here?!' Danzo thought frantically. 'And what became of my Curse Mark?!' The wheel in his head began to turn. Of course, all of his questions led back to the same person. 'Naruto Uzumaki…. you will pay for this….'

"Hello, everyone." The pale teen put on a somewhat unsettling smile. Shikaku guided him to a testimonial stand in front of Tsunade's desk, which he gladly accepted. "It is nice to meet you all."

"Tone down the weird smile," Naruto whispered as Sai passed him. "We can't have them thinking you're a nutjob!"

"And you are?" The kunoichi from earlier asked the newcomer.

"Oh, I am…" Sai blinked once as if to contemplate something, then continued his face-straining grin. "For all intents and purposes, you can refer to me as Sai." He answered. "I am a Shinobi formerly under the command of Danzo Shimura."

"He's my witness," Naruto explained to those who were confused. "Sai has some insight and information regarding this trial that I think you will all find…. very interesting."

"Hold on, can we take a step back?" Kiba's mother, Tsume Inuzuka, noted his hesitation. "I've never smelled you around the village before. What is your real name; how can we be sure that you are who you say you are?"

"Sai's affiliation with Danzo is public record. You can check the mission details for Naruto's mission to the Tenchi Bridge in the Hidden Grass, the same mission where Sasuke killed Orochimaru." Shikaku explained while passing out copies of the aforementioned mission report. Tsume and other members of the council read through the report while their commander spoke. "Sai was a part of that mission. In fact, Danzo met directly with Lady Tsunade and specifically asked for him to be placed on it."

Naruto blinked. 'I went off on my own without telling them about the Tenchi Bridge. They ended up sanctioning that as an official mission and put it on the books? Then they definitely owe me S-Rank money for that one; cheap bastards.'

"I can confirm the validity of that statement," Tsunade confirmed. "Danzo, Homura, and Koharu met with me and were adamant that Sai accompany Naruto on his trek outside the village."

Tsume seemed to accept that response.

"As for my name, I do not have one," Sai admitted. "Which is why you may refer to me as Sai for convenience's sake."

"What do ya mean you don't have a name?" Tsume's brow scrunched in confusion. "Everyone's got a name."

"Unfortunately, no; we from Root are all nameless and faceless."

"Sai, please explain what Root is for those who are unaware." Naruto requested.

"Of course." Sai nodded. "Root is the secret ANBU subdivision run by Danzo that carries out the village's covert operations," Sai explained. "Danzo recruits potential soldiers from a young age and strips us of our humanity to be his perfect Shinobi Tools. We have no name, no family, and no emotions; simply weapons to be used at his sole discretion."

"As someone who has undergone Root's emotional desensitization training, what are your honest thoughts on it?" Naruto asked. "Is it a practice you believe should be continued?"

Sai's gaze fell on Danzo; the withered old man looked pathetic. The anger he felt outside Naruto's apartment rushed back to his chest. Such feelings still felt utterly foreign to him, but it was welcomed with open arms. Danzo robbed him of something every human should experience, and he'd make sure no one would have to endure it again.

"Root mainly targets children without families; we're promised shelter, food, and water in exchange for our allegiance to Danzo and the Hidden Leaf. It's posed as an ultimatum, but none of us ever truly had a choice; we needed to survive, and that's exactly what was offered…. If I knew what I know now, I might have chosen death instead." His stoic tone contrasted noticeably with his passionate words. "Once accepted into the program, we are immediately paired up with another Root trainee. Contact with anyone else is strictly prohibited; as a result, we eat, sleep, train, bond, and grow together as siblings."

"Huh; If Danzo's goal was to cut your ties with humanity, why force you to create a bond with another person?" Naruto asked for those in the stands. "Doesn't that seem to go against his end goal?"

"It is no accident," Sai explained. "The final test to become one of his ANBU is to kill your sibling in combat. Severing the only human connection you have in the world allows one to abandon humanity entirely to become the ultimate Shinobi tool…. To answer your initial question, I would not wish this fate on my greatest enemy. This should never happen to any child ever again!" He finished with a rare showing of genuine emotion.

Naruto paced in front of his witness and watched the reactions of those in the stands; most appeared conflicted and regretful after Sai's words aimed at the despicable practices of Root. "On that note, the question I will leave all of you with is…. would you still do 'whatever it takes'?"

….

….

….

No one spoke up to defend Danzo's methods this time.

Shikaku cleared his throat. "If no one has anything they would like to add, I believe Sai has one more statement he would like to make." Shikaku nodded at him. "Once again, the floor is yours."

Sai nodded back. "Under normal circumstances, I would be unable to sit before you all today like this. That is because Danzo went to great lengths to ensure something like this is impossible; he does so by placing a Curse Mark on his subordinates which prevents us from speaking about him. Just today, Naruto Uzumaki lifted that mark off me and gave me my freedom back. If you let him walk free from here today, who is to say he won't try to take your freedom next?"

Judging by their faces, that closing statement seemed to resonate with the voting members of the Jonin Council.

It was time.

"Council members, please convene in the adjacent meeting room through that door," Shikaku instructed. "I ask you to use the information presented before you today to make an informed and unbiased decision. You are not to leave that room until a consensus is met."

Meanwhile, the ANBU unchained the three elders and led them back into the detainment room. Danzo's eyes did not stray from Naruto the entire time, and Naruto reciprocated happily.

As the room slowly cleared out, Naruto made his way over to Sai. Naruto didn't smile, but he gave Sai an appreciative pat on the back. "I know that wasn't easy for you, but you did a great job," Naruto assured him.

"Thanks, but-"

"Nice going, you guys!" Suigetsu exclaimed with Karin and Sasuke trailing behind him. "We've got that bastard dead to rights!"

"Heh, ya think?" Naruto smiled and interlocked his fingers behind his head. "Was it really that good? I was just so in the moment it was hard for me to tell."

Sasuke smirked. "I have to admit, you exceeded my expectations. It's a good thing you convinced me to let you take the lead on this. After seeing his face, I don't think I could have controlled myself up there. Even right now, I want to kill him so badly I can barely think straight."

Naruto's smile widened further. "Am I hallucinating, or is the great Sasuke Uchiha admitting that he was wrong and I was right? Man, I thought that day would never come."

"Don't push your luck, idiot."

Karin noticed Sai's downcast expression and frowned. "What's wrong, Sai?" She asked. "Is something wrong?"

Sai blinked. She had managed to read his genuine facial expression?

Naruto was now looking at Sai with worry. "Everything alright?" He echoed.

"I still do not understand," Sai began. "What was the reason we didn't bring up Danzo's involvement with Orochimaru and the apartment bombing to the council? Wouldn't that have strengthened our case even further?"

Naruto sighed and brought his hand down to cross them at his chest. It was a good question, one he had thought over with great care. "We don't have any concrete proof that Danzo was involved with what happened at my apartment. He was detained at T&I at the time; his alibi is rock solid. As for Orochimaru, I figured it better to not open up an entirely different can of worms when we already had so much against him. The more opportunities we gave him to talk and defend himself, the worse it would have been for us."

"Do you think you made the right choice?"

They all looked up. Tsunade was staring down at them from her perch with an unreadable expression.

Naruto scratched his cheek. "I don't know, really. There's no way to know for sure."

"Where was all of this doubt when you were in my office pleading your case for this?" Tsunade's even expression dipped into a frown. "You made a gutsy call and stuck with it. Don't forget that you're a Chunin now, Naruto; Shinobi at your level have to make impossible decisions every day and stay true to their conviction. Sometimes you succeed, other times you will fail and have to deal with the consequences." Naruto's eyes widened. "So, I will ask again, do you think you made the right choice?"

"Yes, I do."

Tsunade chuckled. "Good, now go get some fresh air. The ANBU will come and get you when the council is finished deliberating."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, good idea," He turned to his team. "Are you guys hungry? We have a great ramen place here in the village if any of you are interested."

Suigetsu shrugged. "Sure, why not? I could eat."

"Yes, please lead the way." Karin agreed.

"Fine, why not?" Sasuke added.

"Ahem." There was a twinge of annoyance in Tsunade's tone. "I said get some fresh air, not go halfway across the village while we're on lockdown!"

"C'mon, Granny Tsunade." Naruto pleaded. "We're starving over here!"

"Fine, ya brat!" She said irritably. "You can have ramen, but you four aren't allowed to leave. I'll send one of my ANBU to have Teuchi open up shop and make your order. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to do so if you incentivize him enough."

Naruto smiled brightly. "Oh yeah, I'll make sure to give him a big tip!"

"Alright, I'll send someone right awa-"

"Can you send Uddo to get it?" Naruto asked. "This is a very serious matter, and I trust him completely."

"...Who the hell is Uddo?"

"Naruto," Karin nudged him. "Hurry and finish up! They're letting everyone back in."

Naruto slurped up the last of his noodles and took a final sip of the delicious broth. He looked over his shoulder and sure enough, the council members were slowly filling the room and taking their seats. "Wow, that was fast!" He exclaimed. "I barely had enough time to eat!"

"But…. you had eight bowls," Karin responded with concern in her voice.

"Yeah, and?" Naruto sounded genuinely confused.

Karin blinked, then looked to Sasuke for clarification. Sasuke slowly shook his head, which seemed to only confuse her even further. Before she could question it further, Shikaku entered the room followed by the ANBU escort for the three Elders.

"Alright everyone, please quickly make it to your seats." Shikaku asked sternly. "We will continue shortly."

Naruto tried to spot Kakashi and Jiraiya in the crowd but was unable to. "Huh, they must have moved seats," He mumbled to himself. "Ya think it would be easy to spot those two anywhere."

In just a couple minutes, everyone was seated and the elders were chained back up to their posts. It was eerily quiet; the indistinct background chatter from before was all but gone. The tension in the room was heavy and uncomfortable; even seasoned Jonin were fidgeting anxiously in their seats.

"Now that everyone is seated, we can pick up where we left off," Shikaku cleared his throat and looked to the other clan heads. "Has the council reached a consensus opinion on the matter today?"

Inoichi Yamanka stood. With Shikaku acting as the unbiased moderator, second-in-command Inoichi stepped into his duties as Jonin Commander. "Yes, we have," He said.

"You may speak," Tsunade authorized.

Inoichi nodded stiffly. "On the counts of high treason against the village, conspiracy to commit mass murder, and operating outside the scope of the authority of the Third Hokage…. we find Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane guilty of all counts. The Jonin Council's consensus opinion and recommendation to the Hokage are that their punishment be death by hanging."

Danzo dropped his head in defeat.

Naruto's eyes widened. He looked to the other members of his team to ensure that he had heard correctly; judging by their smiles, he had. They really did it.

Tsunade's face twitched ever so slightly, but her stoic expression remained. "I agree with the decision of the council," She began. "Danzo, Homura, and Koharu, for your crimes against the village, you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging." Another twitch tugged at her lips. "Arrangements will be made in the coming days and a date will be set. That is all for now; unless anyone has anything they would like to say, I hereby adjourn this meeting."

...

...

...

"Thank you all; meeting adjourned!"

Author's Note: The verdict has been reached.

Naruto, Team Hebi, and even Sai banded together to change the future of the Leaf Village. The fate of the three Elders has been determined, but will Danzo sit idly by and allow it to happen?

This arc is reaching its end. Join me again next time with Chapter 49: The Old Guard.

Leave a review and let me know what you thought!

Ky111 - The jury is out. Sai fulfilled his job.

And yes, Naruto as Hokage would be an unmitigated disaster.

Lilthug - I wouldn't go as far as calling Naruto Homelander (lol), but Jiraiya definitely has a point. Also, Project Matsuura isn't a replacement. You will see what I mean soon enough.

Nithi velu - Nice call about Shisui's eye! You called it.

Gamesdean1 - Wow, thank you so much! I hope part 2 didn't disappoint!

Xelaki - Cliffhangers are my specialty.

I knew about Kishimoto getting denied his Ramen story idea, but it didn't come to mind when I wrote that. I just thought it was funny.

JTheFireLord - I can't address anything to do with the future of the story for obvious reasons but thank you for the kind words! I hope you continue to enjoy it!