{Alright, the first week's up, prove your worth and keep the stones rolling.}
~~~
Ren moved down the aisle and took his seat in the front row, settling in just beside Yoru. Ren leaned back slightly, stretching his shoulders as if he were settling in for a long performance.
He wasn't wrong.
The first row itself was telling, it was a row of VIP watching a show.
Besides Ren and Yoru sat Fugaku Uchiha, next to him was Hiashi Hyuga, Shikaku Nara sat with his usual lazy slouch, but his eyes were alert, calculating every detail. At the far end sat the two elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
Everyone else was seated behind them, arranged carefully by strength, rank, influence, and political weight. Clan heads, department leaders, elite jōnin, civilian council elders.
At the right of the chamber stood the defendant's enclosure.
Danzo Shimura.
He leaned lightly on his cane, posture relaxed, face calm, his single visible eye half-lidded as if mildly bored. He didn't look like a man about to be judged for treason. He looked like someone attending a tedious meeting.
Ren watched him closely.
Anyone with even half a functioning brain knew how this would end. Danzo's execution was already decided, the trial was nothing more than a formal justification, a way to make his death legitimate in the eyes of the Daimyo and the village. Danzo knew that too. Which was precisely why he wasn't panicking.
If the conclusion was unavoidable, then the only sensible thing left was to accept it with dignity… or to burn everything down on the way out.
Ren's lips twitched faintly.
The Fire Daimyo lifted a document from the table in front of him.
"All right," the Daimyo began, voice firm, measured, carrying the authority of his position. "Let us formally begin the trial of Danzo Shimura, accused of treason against the Hidden Leaf Village."
His eyes moved down the page.
"These accusations have been brought forth by multiple clan heads, the Jonin Commander, the ANBU Commander, and Elder Homura Mitokado."
As he read through the names, the Daimyo's expression changed a bit and surprise flickered across his face.
Even he hadn't fully expected that.
After all, the two elders, Homura, Koharu and Danzo and Hiruzen had been teammates. Brothers-in-arms from a different era. For one of them to stand openly as an accuser against another… that alone spoke volumes.
A ripple of quiet murmurs passed through the chamber.
Hiruzen remained completely impassive, hands folded over his staff, eyes forward. Danzo, however, finally reacted. His gaze slid toward Homura, lingering there for a brief moment, long enough for something sharp and unreadable to pass between them, before he turned away again.
Koharu's reaction was far less controlled.
Her lips pressed thin, jaw tightening as her eyes darkened. Whatever emotions she felt, anger, regret, resentment boiled dangerously close to the surface.
Ren leaned forward slightly, curiosity piqued.
Just as he was about to get a better look Yoru shoved him back into his seat with a firm but subtle push, not even turning his head.
Ren sighed quietly and slouched back, folding his arms.
'No fun.'
The Daimyo continued, regaining his formal tone.
"Shikaku Nara, Jonin Commander and Head of the Nara Clan, and Homura Mitokado, Elder of the Leaf, will represent the accusers."
His gaze shifted to Danzo.
"Danzo Shimura," he said, "do you agree to represent yourself in this trial?"
Danzo inclined his head slightly.
"I do."
The Daimyo nodded once.
"Very well."
His voice hardened as he addressed the entire chamber.
"Let it be known that the verdict reached in this trial will be final. All present are bound to uphold it. Any individual who defies or attempts to undermine this decision will be treated as a criminal, and appropriate measures will be taken."
His eyes swept across the room, clan heads, jonin, elders, ANBU alike, making certain the weight of his words landed.
Silence answered him.
Satisfied, the Daimyo placed the document down.
"Now then," he said, "for the first time in many decades…"
He paused, letting the moment stretch.
"…let us begin a trial of treason."
The words settled into the chamber like a blade sinking into stone.
Ren leaned back, eyes half-lidded, a faint, dangerous smile tugging at his lips.
'Finally', he thought. 'Let's see how this rat dies.'
~
Homura Mitokado remained seated for several seconds after the trial was formally declared open. His gaze drifted briefly, across the three people beside whom his entire life had been spent.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, impassive and tired.
Danzo Shimura, calm to the point of arrogance.
Koharu Utatane, rigid, her expression already tight with restrained emotion.
Homura inhaled slowly.
Then he stood.
When he finally spoke, his voice carried clearly through the chamber.
"Since the establishment of our esteemed village," Homura began, "there have been very few cases where a crime as severe as treason has been committed."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"And in each of those rare cases, the perpetrators shared one of two traits, they either possessed an overwhelmingly powerful motive… or they were undeniably foolish."
A ripple of restrained tension passed through the room.
Homura turned slightly, his gaze landing on Danzo.
"Danzo Shimura was not a minor shinobi. He was not a background figure who slipped through cracks. He was an important man to two Hokage."
His voice sharpened just a fraction.
"The Second Hokage took him in as a direct student. The Third Hokage treated him not merely as an advisor, but as a friend."
Hiruzen did not react and Danzo's expression did not change.
"So while I cannot say whether Danzo Shimura bears a personal grudge against the village," Homura continued, "or whether he is simply an idiotic man blinded by his own beliefs, there is one thing he unquestionably is."
Homura's eyes hardened.
"He is ungrateful."
The word landed like a strike.
"A man who repays trust with betrayal," Homura said calmly. "A man who repays kindness with manipulation."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"Now, I acknowledge that as of this moment, Danzo Shimura's betrayal has not yet been proven in the eyes of this court. That is precisely why we are here today."
He nodded once.
"And so, I will now begin presenting evidence, evidence that my words are not a personal grievance or emotional outburst, but the cold, hard truth."
Shikaku rose from his seat to hand Homura a scroll.
Homura accepted it, unfurling it carefully before turning toward the Fire Daimyo.
"Lord Daimyo," Homura said, "what you see here is the original authorization document for the establishment of the Foundation."
A murmur spread through the chamber.
"The Foundation," Homura continued, "was created to train orphaned and specially selected children into operatives who would eventually join ANBU, serving the village, not any single individual."
He tapped a line on the parchment.
"This document clearly states that the Foundation was authorized to maintain six bases within the village. Any expansion beyond that number required direct approval from the Hokage."
He rolled the scroll up with a soft snap.
"Now," Homura said, turning his head slightly, "I will ask a simple question."
His gaze shifted to Ren.
"Senju heir. How many Foundation bases did you personally raid after Danzo Shimura was placed under arrest?"
Ren replied casually. "Twenty-three inside the village, Five just outside. Each base had at least fifteen people. The largest had eighty-eight."
The chamber went still.
Homura turned back to the Daimyo.
"That makes twenty-eight bases," he said evenly. "Twenty-two more than originally authorized."
He produced another scroll and handed it forward.
"This document records the Third Hokage's approvals for Twelve bases, no more."
He looked directly at Danzo.
"So I ask you, Danzo Shimura, what were the extra ten bases for? Why did they house so many operatives unknown to the Hokage himself?"
His voice lowered.
"Were they truly village assets… or were they being used to train a personal army?"
Homura stopped speaking.
Danzo remained silent for several seconds.
Then he finally answered.
"The Foundation handles missions that cannot be brought to light without risking war," Danzo said calmly. "The forces you uncovered performed the village's clean work. The hidden forces handled what had to remain unseen."
He lifted his chin slightly.
"The Root was the necessary darkness that ensured the village's survival."
Homura nodded slowly.
"Of course," he said. "No one here denies the contributions you have made with the root."
Then his tone changed.
"However," Homura continued, "the Root, for the benefit of everyone present, I'll say this, was never an officially authorized force."
He took a step forward.
"So I ask again, did those shinobi belong to the village… or did they belong to you?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"There is no need for speculation," Homura said calmly. "I will simply show you the truth."
He clapped his hands once.
The heavy doors at the side of the chamber opened.
ANBU shinobi marched in, escorting a row of Root operatives, bound in suppressing restraints. Their faces were blank, eyes empty, movements mechanical.
They were brought to a halt directly in front of the Fire Daimyo.
Homura began speaking again.
"These Root operatives are only a small portion of those captured at the time of Danzo Shimura's arrest," he said. "Lord Daimyo, you may not be fully aware of what the Root truly was."
He gestured lightly toward the restrained figures.
"These people, and not just these, but all of Root were shinobi of the Leaf Village. Orphans, clanless children, war survivors, and even promising academy students. They were taken young and subjected to years of methodical conditioning."
His gaze hardened.
"They were trained to suppress emotion, to erase personal identity, and to become efficient killing machines."
A faint murmur passed through the audience.
"For whose benefit?" Homura asked calmly. "That is what we are about to determine."
He turned and studied the line of Root operatives for a moment before stopping in front of one, a middle-aged man with weathered features and lifeless eyes.
"You," Homura said. "You look older than most. You've been in the Root longer than the others."
He motioned toward a chair set off to the side.
"Come with me."
ANBU guided the man forward and seated him. The restraints clinked softly as he sat down, posture rigid, eyes unfocused.
Homura stood before him and asked evenly, "Who do you serve?"
The answer came without hesitation, spoken in a flat, hollow voice.
"The Leaf Village."
Homura nodded, as if expecting nothing else.
"Of course," he said quietly.
He turned toward the Fire Daimyo.
"Lord Daimyo, for the next step I will require the assistance of the Uchiha clan head. Nothing extreme, only the use of the Sharingan to compel honest answers."
The Daimyo hesitated for a heartbeat, then nodded.
Fugaku Uchiha rose from his seat. His movements were controlled, his face unreadable. He stepped forward, stood before the seated Root operative, and activated his Sharingan. Crimson light reflected briefly in the man's dull eyes.
A few seconds passed.
Fugaku nodded once, deactivated his Sharingan, and returned to his seat without a word.
Homura turned back to the Root operative.
"Now then," he said. "Answer clearly."
He leaned forward slightly.
"During your time in the Root, have you ever carried out a mission that went against the interests of the Leaf Village?"
The man's body stiffened. His jaw clenched. For a moment it looked as though nothing would come out.
Then, with visible strain, he spoke.
"Yes."
The single word echoed in the chamber.
Homura did not react outwardly.
"Who gave you that mission?" he asked next.
The man trembled violently. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His lips parted as if fighting an invisible force.
Then, a sealing formation suddenly bloomed across his face.
Black markings spread rapidly, crawling over his skull. Before anyone could react, the man convulsed once and went limp.
Dead.
A sharp intake of breath rippled through the audience.
Homura closed his eyes briefly, then exhaled.
"A regrettable outcome," he said evenly. "But not an unexpected one."
He waved his hand.
ANBU stepped forward immediately, removing the corpse and replacing it with another Root operative, younger this time, eyes just as empty.
Homura repeated his questions, about missions, about orders, about loyalties.
Each time, the pattern repeated.
The moment an answer neared the truth, seals activated.
One by one, the Root operatives died where they stood.
By the fourth replacement, the tension in the chamber had become suffocating.
Homura studied the next operative for a long moment. Then he changed his approach.
"Let us try something different," he said.
He leaned closer.
"Tell me about the hidden entrances of the village," Homura said calmly. "The ones even ANBU do not openly disclose. The routes that, if exposed to foreign powers, would allow spies to flood into the Leaf and rot it from within."
The man stiffened violently.
His breath hitched.
For several seconds he struggled, teeth clenched so hard they squeaked.
Then his mouth opened.
"Nine hundred and eighty meters east from the village gate on th…"
Before he could say another word, Homura moved.
His hand flashed out and a sharp backhanded slap cracked across the man's face.
The sound echoed through the chamber.
The Root operative's head snapped to the side and he died before his body even finished falling.
Silence.
Homura withdrew his hand slowly and straightened.
"Well," he muttered dryly, "can't have you explaining that."
~~~~~
{The trial would probably end by the next chapter, maybe 1 more if I feel like it, then I'd probably do a Hiruzen-Danzo chapter and then the true show will start.}
{If you want, you can support me on pat-reon, the trial's already finished on pat.}
{ h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n }
{You know what else}
{STONES!!!!}