When Hiruzen finished speaking, the chamber remained silent but the Fire Daimyo's face had darkened visibly.
Hiruzen's pressure had not crushed him, had not even made him stagger, but the Daimyo knew the truth of it. He knew that the only reason he was still sitting upright, still breathing steadily, was because Hiruzen Sarutobi had allowed it. The control in that chakra release had been absolute, almost surgical.
And that realization terrified him more than any open threat ever could.
There was no doubt left in his heart, if Hiruzen had truly wished to, he could have ended his life in that room before the guards behind him even reacted. The Daimyo clenched his jaw slightly, nails digging into the armrest beneath his robes.
Yet even knowing this, he could do nothing.
He could not afford to make an enemy of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Not now. Not ever.
The man before him was not merely a Hokage. He was the Professor, the pillar that had held the Leaf together through wars, calamities, and monsters that should have erased it from history. The Daimyo understood politics well enough to know when power was real and when it was only ceremonial.
This was one of those moments.
Hiruzen, for his part, was keenly aware of what he had done. Openly pressuring the Daimyo was not ideal. In another era, in another political climate, it might even have been reckless. But this was not another era, and the village did not have the luxury of subtlety anymore.
If he was to remain Hokage for even a little longer, if he was to shepherd the village through the chaos that Danzo's fall would inevitably bring, then the Daimyo needed to be kept at arm's length.
He had to be kept wary and careful. If that meant offending him, so be it.
And if the Daimyo ever truly crossed a line?
Well.
Who said a Daimyō was irreplaceable?
~
In the front row, Ren was very clearly having a completely different reaction.
He was repeatedly slapping Fugaku's arm, each hit heavy enough to make a dull thump, his grin wide and unrestrained, eyes practically shining as he leaned closer.
"He threatened the Daimyo, didn't he?" Ren muttered excitedly, barely keeping his voice down. "That was totally a threat. That was awesome. I didn't know the old man still had it in him, that was better than I expected."
Fugaku's jaw tightened.
Even as an S-rank shinobi, even as the head of the Uchiha clan, his strength lay primarily in ninjutsu, perception, and the Mangekyo Sharingan. Ren, on the other hand, was… something else entirely.
By the time Fugaku finally gathered enough composure, his arm was already numb.
With a sharp motion, he blocked Ren's next slap and flung the younger man's arm away, then immediately brought his own hand up to massage the abused limb. His Sharingan flared to life as he shot Ren a deadly side-eye.
For a brief moment, Fugaku seriously considered beating the enthusiasm out of him then and there.
Then he looked at his own hand again and reconsidered.
'Tch. I'll let Itachi handle him later.'
Ren, finally realizing he might be pushing it, controlled himself. The manic grin faded into something more subdued, though the excitement still lingered in his eyes. He leaned toward Yoru instead, lowering his voice.
"This counts as a falling out with the Daimyo, doesn't it?" Ren asked. "Is that going to mess with the plan?"
Yoru thought for a moment.
"No," he said eventually. "It won't affect Danzo's execution. That much is already decided."
He paused, then added, "Later, he might try to restrict missions. Reduce funding. Impose bureaucratic hurdles as punishment."
Ren hummed. "But nothing serious."
"Nothing he dares to push too far," Yoru confirmed. "Despite everything, the Fire Nation may be the strongest of the five, but its Daimyo is the weakest when it comes to actual influence. Compared to the Third Hokage, and even his predecessors and successor, he simply doesn't measure up."
"The balance has always been this way. The Hokage does not interfere in civilian governance, and the Daimyo does not interfere in shinobi affairs beyond formal authority. That mutual restraint is what keeps things stable. Even if the Daimyo tries to tighten the leash for a while, Sarutobi can suppress it easily."
Ren glanced at Yoru and noticed that, for the first time in a while, the man looked… relaxed.
Amused, even.
Ren smirked. "You sound excited," he teased. "What, seeing the Third back in form do something for you?"
Yoru was silent for a few seconds.
Then he answered honestly. "Yes."
Ren blinked, surprised by the bluntness.
"I was worried," Yoru continued. "Worried that he had grown too hesitant, too burdened by regret to act when it mattered. But he cleared himself at the right moment."
His voice hardened slightly. "If Sarutobi is truly resolved, then everything becomes easier."
He looked at Ren directly.
"When this chaos is over," Yoru said, "learn from him. Strength is important, but it's not enough. If you can grasp even half of his leadership, his ability to hold people together, you'll be a great Hokage."
Ren nodded.
He understood that in raw power, Hashirama Senju might have been unmatched. But in influence, in the ability to bind a village together through sheer presence and trust, Hiruzen Sarutobi was something else entirely.
And that, Ren realized was a kind of strength worth learning.
~
The Fire Daimyō took a slow, measured breath before speaking again, his fingers resting lightly against the armrest of his seat.
"Considering all the evidence presented," he said, his voice steady but heavy, "the crimes of Danzo Shimura are sufficient to be classified as treason against the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire."
A murmur rippled through the chamber, quickly suppressed by discipline and expectation.
"However," the Daimyo continued, his gaze sharpening, "before this seat delivers its final judgment, it is only proper to hear from the accused himself."
The room went still.
Every eye turned toward Danzo.
Until now, he had been little more than a shadow standing in the defendant's box, silent, unmoving, leaning on his cane as though this were merely another tedious meeting. But now, under the weight of countless gazes, even that stillness felt deliberate.
Danzo lifted his head slightly and stared at Hiruzen with his single visible eye.
Behind that impassive expression, his thoughts churned.
'So Hiruzen has chosen his side completely,' he thought coldly. 'He's letting Yoru and the others proceed without restraint.'
Even if Danzo spoke now, he knew it would change nothing. The verdict had already been decided long before this trial began. Still, the Daimyo's decision to let him speak was… unexpected.
'He wants to use me,' Danzo realized. 'To pressure Hiruzen. To test whether I'll resist.'
If Danzo openly allied himself with the Daimyo, it would force Hiruzen's hand. The Third would have no choice but to fully side with Yoru, Ren, and the rest of the village's hardliners. And once that happened, escape would become impossible.
If it were only Yoru and Ren, Danzo still had contingencies and a narrow but viable path to survival.
But if Hiruzen truly moved against him…
'Then this becomes a permanent death sentence.'
Danzo weighed his options carefully, faster than anyone in the room could have guessed. And when he finally spoke, his voice carried neither defiance nor remorse, only a cold finality.
"I have nothing to say."
A faint flicker crossed the Daimyo's face. Surprise, perhaps, or irritation. He had clearly expected something more, denial, justification, maybe even an attempt at manipulation.
But Danzo gave him nothing.
The Daimyo did not press further. Instead, he lowered his gaze, picked up his brush, and wrote a few final lines onto the parchment before him. When he looked up again, his expression had hardened into something resolute.
"Very well," he said. "Since Danzo Shimura has chosen silence, this seat shall now deliver its judgment."
The air felt heavier with every word.
"Danzo Shimura," the Daimyo continued, "former advisor to the Hokage, has been found guilty of treason against the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire. His crimes include, but are not limited to, raising an unauthorized private army, subverting village authority, assassinations, manipulation of court officials, and the attempted assassination of the Third Hokage."
He paused for effect.
"His sentence is death by execution."
The chamber erupted.
Some gasped. Others clenched their fists in satisfaction. A few looked away, unable to fully process that one of the village's darkest pillars was finally being torn down.
"The execution," the Daimyo continued over the noise, his voice sharp enough to cut through it, "shall be carried out tomorrow morning, in front of the entire village, under my direct supervision."
Silence returned instantly.
"And the one who shall carry out the execution shall be…" He paused deliberately, letting the moment stretch.
"The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
All eyes snapped toward Hiruzen.
For a heartbeat, the room seemed to hold its breath.
Hiruzen closed his eyes, inhaled slowly, and then opened them again. There was no hesitation in his expression, no attempt to deflect the burden being placed upon him.
He bowed his head slightly. "I have no objections."
The Daimyo nodded once. "Very well."
Then his gaze swept across the chamber.
"As for the involvement of the two elders and the Third Hokage in enabling Danzo Shimura's crimes," he said evenly, "this matter will be addressed after the execution has been carried out."
"I assure everyone present," the Daimyo continued, "that justice will be served. However, for now, the priority is to inform the village of this verdict and prepare for the execution."
As soon as his words ended, the chamber broke into noise.
Cheers erupted from several sections. Jonin and clan leaders alike exchanged relieved glances. Whispers of finally and it's over echoed throughout the hall.
Danzo Shimura would die.
The traitor would be executed.
For many, that alone felt like victory.
Yet not everyone joined in.
Yoru remained still, Shikaku exhaled slowly, already calculating the fallout. Fugaku's expression was unreadable. Ren leaned back in his seat, quiet now, his earlier excitement replaced by something sharper.
Those who understood the deeper currents knew the truth.
This was not the end.
This was the opening act.
Danzo's execution would not bring peace, it would ignite chaos. Hidden forces would surface. Old grudges would break free. Blood would be spilled before the dust settled.
But still, one thing was finished.
Danzo Shimura's reign was over.
And that, at least, was worth acknowledging.
~
The Fire Daimyo rose from his seat, the folds of his robes settling as he straightened his back. His expression had already shifted from judicial solemnity to the practiced authority of a ruler addressing his people.
"Third Hokage," he said, then turned his gaze slightly, "Senju heir, come with me. The people of the village deserve to hear this with their own ears." His eyes flicked toward the prisoner. "Bring the traitor as well."
Ren stood up with an exaggerated stretch, arms raised above his head as joints popped faintly. "Man, long meetings really take it out of you," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. Yoru leaned slightly toward him and spoke in a low voice.
"When you're done, come to my office. I'll explain the plan in detail."
Ren nodded without looking back. "Got it."
He stepped toward Danzo's holding box just as two ANBU moved forward to restrain the old man. Ren waved a hand lazily.
"Don't worry," he said with a grin. "I'll take him myself."
The ANBU nodded and flickered away, leaving Danzo alone with Ren.
Ren slipped an arm through Danzo's as if they were old friends heading out for a walk. "Hey!" he said cheerfully, glancing sideways. "How you doing?"
Danzo didn't respond. His face remained carved from stone, his single visible eye fixed forward as he stepped down from the box without resistance.
Ren chuckled softly. "Still the strong silent type, huh."
Together, they followed behind Hiruzen and the Fire Daimyo as the heavy doors of the trial chamber opened and closed behind them.
~
Moments later, they stood atop the Hokage Tower. From this height, Konoha looked peaceful. Almost deceptively so.
Four ANBU appeared in a blur of motion and placed a massive ceremonial bell at the center of the roof. Without a word, they raised the striker and rang it.
Once.
The deep, resonant chime rolled outward like a wave.
Twice.
The sound echoed farther, bouncing off walls and rooftops.
Thrice.
The third strike seemed to sink into the bones of the village itself.
Below, the effect was immediate.
Shinobi froze mid-step. Conversations died mid-sentence. Civilians paused in doorways, hands still on shutters and stalls. Every person in the village recognized that bell.
Within a minute, shinobi of all ranks began converging toward the base of the Hokage Tower, moving with practiced urgency. Patrols redirected foot traffic. Guards remained at critical points, but everyone else came.
Within five minutes, the streets below were packed.
Jonin stood shoulder to shoulder with Chunin. Genin clutched their headbands nervously. Civilians filled in the gaps, whispering anxiously, eyes darting upward.
The Fire Daimyo stared down at the sea of people, his brow creasing slightly. He hadn't expected this many. Tens of thousands, all gathered at once, among them there were atleast a thousand shinobi, just their dormant chakra was enough too overwhelm him.
He shifted uncomfortably.
'I underestimated this,' he realized. 'I can't control the shinobi crowd alone.'
Ren noticed.
With a quiet sigh, he unhooked his arm from Danzo's and stepped forward, stopping right at the edge of the tower. The wind tugged at his cloak as he looked down.
He raised his hands and Chakra flowed into his palms.
Ren brought his hands together in a single clap.
BOOM.
The sound wasn't just loud, it was omnipresent. A wide, invisible shockwave rippled outward from the tower, pushing down through the air like a giant hand pressing against the village. Flags snapped, dust leapt from rooftops and loose papers spiraled upward.
The crowd below staggered, instinctively bracing.
Then he spoke softly.
"Silence."
~~~~~
{Well, the trial is finished and you could say with this we have finished the first part of this arc, before we begin the second part, the action part, do tell me if you want to see something else and I'll see if it's feasible.}