Chojuro still died. It wasn't because Kakashi had misread the mission. It was because, surrounded on all sides, Hatake Kakashi had no choice but to fight with his life on the line. In the end, Kakashi lived. Chojuro died.
Three major losses followed in a chain. Mifune of the Iron-Mist-Earth Alliance was killed, and Chojuro, leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and one of Kirigakure's strongest, died from severe injuries that could not be healed. If Mifune had died but Kirigakure still retained its future successor, Mei Terumi might have hesitated. But she didn't hesitate. She snapped.
Chojuro had been personally raised by her, carefully cultivated for years. He was her chosen future. Her plan was simple, when the war ended, she would step down as Mizukage, leaving behind a clean Kirigakure for a clean successor. She would carry the guilt of her era alone, waiting for death. And the world would belong to Chojuro. Bright, peaceful, full of birds, moonlight, and blooming flowers.
But now Chojuro was dead. And the culprit was the source of all evil, Hatake Kakashi.
Mei Terumi snapped. And the moment Mifune's death was confirmed, she seized command of the entire alliance. Even the Third Tsuchikage, a veteran who had walked through decades of war, found himself unable to challenge her. Somehow, she had learned everything about his past dealings with Kakashi, everything he had tried to bury. Now he could not afford resistance. If he did, the alliance would fracture. So he stayed silent, and obeyed.
Mei Terumi moved with terrifying speed. The Land of Iron Daimyo became a subordinate of the Mizukage before anyone even noticed. A ninja now commanded samurai with perfect ease. And the Land of Water Daimyo supplied massive resources without hesitation. In a single night, an entire nation shifted hands.
The Third Tsuchikage felt it clearly. The era has changed. I really am getting old.
Meanwhile, Mei Terumi made her first move as commander, not against Kakashi, but toward Kumogakure. She arrived personally with the Third Tsuchikage. No guards, no escort, only negotiation. Kumogakure, already broken after losing both the Fourth and Fifth Raikage and watching its top combat force fall into a coma, was near collapse. Its temporary leaders, Yugito Nii and elite Jonin Samui, could only accept reality. They were finished. So they listened, and they yielded.
Only after peace talks concluded did Mei Terumi reveal the true question. Why was Hatake Kakashi moving like a mad dog across every battlefield? Who was he truly serving? And who was benefiting? All eyes turned at once toward Konoha. That was the third day of Mei Terumi's command.
On the fourth day, Kumogakure officially left the Fire-Wind-Lightning Alliance and joined the Water-Earth faction. The news spread across the world like wildfire. Suna and Konoha fractured. At the riverfront battle, Suna failed to provide support. Konoha suffered devastating losses. Elite Jonin Sarutobi Asuma was killed in action. Even Jiraiya arrived too late, he could only rescue the new generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
And the reason for all of it was simple. Chojuro's death. If Chojuro had lived, Mei Terumi would never have fought this seriously. But now she no longer cared about restraint. War always required sacrifice. She had accepted that long ago. But she had never accepted losing her future. Now that her future was gone, she would take everyone else's with her. If I lose my future, then no one gets to keep theirs.
And as for Kakashi, it didn't matter who he served. It only mattered where he came from. Konoha. That alone was enough. Mei Terumi didn't need justification beyond that. A single village had produced the source of chaos, so the entire world would suffer for it.
Kakashi was shown the footage. He could not hear the screams, he had long lost his hearing, but he could still see. And seeing it was worse. His body trembled violently as he was forced to watch suffering unfold on screen. Faces he knew. Faces he didn't know. People screaming, twisting, breaking.
Then he saw Tenten. Tenten. I asked her to protect them. And I still failed.
"Don't... don't... please... I was wrong... I'm sorry... please stop... they'll die... don't..." He was crying uncontrollably. The source of all evil of the ninja world no longer looked like anything human at all.
Danzo turned off the screen. Silence filled the room. Only Kakashi's broken begging remained.
A rough hand grabbed his white hair and forced his face upward. Slowly, deliberately. "Did you intentionally kill Chojuro to cause me trouble?"
Kakashi couldn't hear the words, but he saw the movement. He saw everything. And in his mind, he saw the battlefield again. Tenten. Nagato. Everyone. I destroyed them.
"No, no, please don't... I'm sorry... I'll kill Mifune instead... I won't kill Chojuro... I swear... I won't..."
Danzo was silent. He's broken. But the timing was wrong. Konoha was still in a fragile position. And Kakashi was still the best execution tool they had. Danzo's mind calculated rapidly. Too valuable to discard, but unstable. He had other options. Jiraiya. Might Guy. Sasuke. Naruto. Each came with risks. Each came with consequences. But one truth remained, someone important had to be sacrificed, or the war would consume everything.
He slapped Kakashi awake again. Then spoke, clearly. "Kill Jiraiya."
Kakashi froze. Then broke again. "No... no... not the number... not the number..." He began repeating nonsense, trembling, begging.
Danzo watched him closely. Then sighed. Truly useless at the worst possible time.
Later that day, Danzo ascended to the Hokage's office. He took the seat, unrolled a white scroll, and began writing. A written confession.
"Delivered it successfully," an ANBU reported. Danzo didn't look up.
Moments later the door opened. Sasuke Uchiha entered. He saw the scroll.
"What is this?"
Danzo did not stop writing. "A contingency."
Sasuke stepped closer. The scroll detailed everything. The extermination of the Uchiha clan. The death of the Third Hokage. The power struggles of the Fifth. The manipulation of Hyuga affairs. The war orchestration. Hatake Kakashi. Everything.
Danzo finally spoke. "If Konoha falls apart, this will become truth. You will reveal it. You will take the blame and ensure Naruto becomes Hokage."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You want me to become a scapegoat."
"No," Danzo said calmly. "I want you to become a hero." A pause. "You are Uchiha. You can unify the clans under Naruto's rule."
Sasuke looked at him like he was filthy. "You really are garbage."
Danzo didn't deny it. "I already know."
Sasuke left. Danzo remained. He looked out the window, at the Hokage Rock. Hashirama. Tobirama. Hiruzen. Minato. Tsunade. And himself. There is nothing there for me.
He exhaled slowly. Hiruzen, I finished what you could not. After I die, Konoha will finally become the village you dreamed of.
Then he lit a cigarette, and said softly, "Jiraiya... I'm sorry."