The Fifth village Hokage:Uchiha Douhuan

Chapter 17: The Arrangement for Yamato

That night, inside the Uchiha clan's shrine, amidst the long prayers recited by the priests, the nine Sharingan, taken from Danzo's arm, were brought into the inner part of the shrine under the watchful eyes of all the clan members.

After the ceremony, the clan members slowly dispersed, and Uchiha Douhuan once again went to the interrogation room.

The three Shimura clan members, who had been tortured for a whole day, had already lost most of their strength. However, the newly arrived Shimura Hiroshi kept cursing at Uchiha Douhuan upon seeing his figure.

Uchiha Douhuan casually cleaned his ears as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Seeing this, the Uchiha ninja responsible for the interrogation increased the force of his baton.

Uchiha Douhuan walked straight to the prison cell where the Wood Release ninja, who had yet to be named Yamato by the Third Hokage, was being held.

Since he had already decided to hand this person over to Kakashi as part of his achievements, Uchiha Douhuan would not make things difficult for him. Aside from the first day when he was beaten for an entire day, the subsequent time was spent under solitary confinement.

Of course, the sealing technique applied by Uchiha Douhuan remained on him. Although he was far weaker than the First Hokage, he was still a Wood Release ninja. Without proper precautions, the ordinary middle-ranking ninja in the interrogation room would have had a hard time dealing with him.

In the corner of the prison cell, the current occupant, still named "Kakashi" for now, heard the noise and suddenly sat up.

Uchiha Douhuan entered the cell and turned on the light. The sudden change in light made "Kakashi" squint his eyes.

As "Kakashi" was about to take action, the sound of clanking chains and the intense pain caused by the sealing techniques reminded him of his current predicament.

"Let's talk," Uchiha Douhuan said, pulling up a chair and sitting directly in front of "Kakashi."

"Hmph, I won't say anything."

"So, how much did Danzo pay you? You're so loyal," Uchiha Douhuan chuckled.

"We followed Danzo-sama for the sake of Konoha. How could you measure our loyalty with money!" "Kakashi" said with righteous indignation.

"Oh, so you mean there's no money involved? Then why risk your life?" Uchiha Douhuan laughed.

"You evil Uchiha clan! How could you understand Danzo-sama's dedication to the village!" "Kakashi" said passionately, and Uchiha Douhuan shook his head.

"Speaking of Yamanaka, at least they have a family as a weakness, and that's why they ended up like this. But you, an orphan, do you really need to go that far?" Uchiha Douhuan said, having someone bring in some food, and handed it to "Kakashi."

"Hmph," "Kakashi" sneered, glaring at Uchiha Douhuan.

"Tell me, how did you obtain your Wood Release? Your crimes aren't too severe. We've found out that you were ordered by Danzo to assassinate the Third Hokage, but the Third Hokage values talented individuals and is unlikely to pursue this. As for other matters, Kakashi interceded on your behalf, and for his sake, I'm not planning on investigating it too thoroughly. So, as long as you confess, you might still be able to go free."

"I will never betray Danzo-sama!" "Kakashi" gritted his teeth and said.

"Actually, it's not hard to guess. It was Orochimaru, wasn't it?" Uchiha Douhuan said. "The artificial Wood Release plan wasn't much of a secret for us ninja clans. The idiotic Senju clan was duped into supporting it. What used to be a grand Warring States-era clan is now reduced to a few stray cats. Eventually, due to the overwhelming sacrifices and lack of results, the Third Hokage stopped it."

"But Danzo, that old fool, wasn't convinced. He continued his research in secret, and his partner was Orochimaru. And you, you are the only product of this project, right?" Uchiha Douhuan continued.

Seeing the disbelief in "Kakashi's" eyes, Uchiha Douhuan smiled lightly and said, "Don't look at me like that. I'm not stupid. There are occasional reports of children disappearing from the orphanage in the village. The Police Department even has records of it. But before, due to Danzo's influence, we couldn't investigate it thoroughly. After Orochimaru defected, the cases of missing children sharply decreased. Combine that with your age, and it's not hard to deduce."

"Kakashi's" eyes flickered, and Uchiha Douhuan pressed on, "So, you, an orphan who was taken for experimentation, why are you so loyal to Danzo? You should be loyal to the Hokage and the Will of Fire."

"Now, you only have two options. First, confess and live a normal life as a ninja in the light. Second, continue to resist and be buried with Danzo, who only treated you as a tool. The Curse Root Seal on you is already ineffective. Think carefully, don't waste the opportunity Kakashi secured for you."

After saying that, Uchiha Douhuan stopped speaking further, left the food and water, and stood up to leave the cell.

Uchiha Douhuan didn't have high hopes for capturing Yamato. He knew himself well—he didn't have Naruto's gift for persuasion. He relied more on direct benefits when trying to win over subordinates. Moreover, from the start, Uchiha Douhuan knew that Yamato wasn't someone the Uchiha could keep at the moment. After all, he had inherited the First Hokage's Wood Release, and when Sarutobi Hiruzen came to his senses, he would certainly demand him back.

Thus, Uchiha Douhuan treated Yamato as Kakashi's merit for promotion. He also wanted Yamato to think that he was spared due to Kakashi's face.

...

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen was smoking his pipe, while the two advisors, who had been rebuffed by Uchiha Douhuan, sat silently beside him.

"Hiruzen, we can't let Uchiha Douhuan continue like this. He's clearly using the investigation as an opportunity to eliminate his opponents," Homura Mitokado said, seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen remain silent. "He even dares to arrest the Shimura clan leader. If this continues, we might be sitting in the Police Department next."

"Douhuan wouldn't do that," Sarutobi Hiruzen said after a long pause, lifting his head. After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still wary of the Kotoamatsukami in Uchiha Douhuan's possession. Moreover, with the events at the village entrance just three days ago, the shocking body of Danzo, and most of the village's core ninjas having seen it clearly, if they ordered the Uchiha clan to stop their investigation now, it would raise suspicions.

"Hiruzen! You can't hesitate any longer. Don't you remember the teachings of our sensei?" Koharu Utatane couldn't help but remind him.

"Fine, but we can't just let the Uchiha stop their investigation without reason," Sarutobi Hiruzen finally conceded after some thought, "Kakashi, go to the Uchiha clan and ask Uchiha Douhuan to report the progress of the investigation tomorrow."

"Understood." Kakashi, who had been standing in the shadows of the office, stepped forward, received the order, and disappeared into the darkness.