The conference hall fell silent once again.
What Uchiha Jin had said struck far too close to home.
The idea of sacrificing a minority for the so-called greater good was not abstract philosophy to the clans present—it was lived experience.
Over the years, under the banner of "for the village," how many concessions had they been forced to make? How many "contributions" had they handed over? How many talented young heirs had vanished into Danzō's Root?
Every time Root was short on personnel, Danzō would appear at their doors—armed with righteousness and threats in equal measure.
Back then, they had no choice but to yield.
Now, thinking back on it, the way they looked at both Hiruzen and Danzō began to change.
Especially now that it was becoming increasingly clear that the phrase "for the village" was no longer as pure as it had been in the era of Hashirama and Tobirama.
Hiruzen suddenly found himself in an awkward position.
Under these circumstances, he almost hesitated to continue speaking about the human experimentation issue.
But the arrow was already on the string.
Even if revealing everything would damage his own reputation, he had no choice.
If Danzō wasn't nailed down today, there might never be another chance.
Hiruzen cleared his throat.
"After hearing Minister Uchiha's argument," he began, "one could say the Second Hokage made mistakes."
"But we are successors. We cannot judge the past solely through the lens of the present. Every era has its limitations."
Jin immediately sneered.
"That's a rather convenient argument, Sarutobi-san."
"If it were merely a limitation of the times, then why was Uchiha Madara not bound by it?"
"And this idea of sacrificing the few for the many has never disappeared. In the past it was clans. Now it is villages."
"The problem isn't the era."
"It's the mindset."
"If those at the top cannot truly put themselves in the shoes of those below, the same tragedy will repeat."
"If those at the top are selfless, perhaps the damage can be minimized."
"But when those at the top harbor private interests—"
"Then that noble slogan becomes a blade used to harvest the lives of others."
"They enjoy the fruits bought with other people's blood and still claim it was necessary."
"That," Jin said coldly, "is the most disgusting part."
The sarcasm was unmistakable.
His gaze locked directly onto Hiruzen.
Everyone knew who "those at the top" referred to.
Hiruzen's face flushed red.
He had never been confronted so bluntly in public.
Danzō, though also one of the targets of Jin's words, found himself oddly less irritated. Watching Hiruzen simmer under the pressure brought him a flicker of satisfaction.
Hiruzen inhaled slowly.
"Minister Uchiha," he said stiffly, "what exactly are you trying to imply?"
Jin shrugged.
"Just sharing some thoughts. Please, Sarutobi-san. Continue your performance."
Hiruzen shot him a long look before turning back to the assembly.
"The Second Hokage has long since passed," he said solemnly. "We need not linger excessively on his merits and faults."
"Let us return to the matter of human experimentation."
"When that incident was exposed in the past, the experiments overseen by the Second Hokage were suspended."
"Later…"
He clenched his teeth.
"Later, as the war situation deteriorated and the pressure on the village increased… I made a reckless decision."
"I resumed the experiments."
The hall erupted.
This revelation was entirely new.
No rumors had ever leaked.
Hiruzen pressed forward without pause.
"The cells of the First Hokage proved highly invasive. Progress was minimal."
"After heavy losses, I came to my senses and personally ordered the experiments stopped."
"That chapter, I believed, had ended."
He paused.
"However, I recently discovered that the experiments did not, in fact, cease."
"They continued."
"Enter—Tenzo."
Hiruzen clapped once.
The doors of the chamber opened.
A young man stepped inside.
He had removed his mask.
His face was youthful—almost startlingly so.
Yet the standard jōnin flak jacket he wore caused murmurs to spread.
That age… and already a jōnin?
In the entire village, only one other name came to mind: Hatake Kakashi.
Who was this boy?
Why had no one heard of him before?
"Tenzo," Hiruzen said calmly, "show everyone."
Tenzo nodded.
He formed a hand seal and extended his palm.
Before the stunned eyes of the assembly, a small, verdant sapling sprouted from his hand—growing steadily, leaves unfurling with vibrant life.
"Wood… Release?!"
Several people stood abruptly.
Shock rippled through the hall.
Even Orochimaru's pupils contracted.
He had once led the Wood Release experiments himself—and yet even he had never been informed of this outcome.
"Yes. Wood Release," Hiruzen declared, voice ringing through the chamber.
He turned sharply toward Danzō.
"If I had not accidentally discovered Tenzo's existence a few days ago, I might still believe the experiments ended when I ordered them to."
"Elder Danzō."
"Do you not owe me an explanation?"
"An explanation to everyone here?"
"An explanation to the village?"
The room shifted.
Officially sanctioned experimentation—however questionable—was one matter.
Secretly continuing it behind the Hokage's back?
That was another entirely.
One was policy.
The other was treason.
If Danzō could not explain this away—
Forget the Fourth Hokage.
He might lose his positions as Elder and Hokage Advisor on the spot.
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