"On the contrary," Orochimaru said with a faint smirk, "I'll even preach on your behalf in Konoha."
The sarcastic edge in his voice made his position clear.
He glanced at the others, the corners of his mouth curving ever so slightly into a mocking smile. Did they really think he couldn't see through their plan? It was obvious—they wanted to destroy Shisui's eyes and then pin it on a convenient "experiment gone wrong."
A perfect excuse. Reasonable, defensible, and difficult to question.
But it wouldn't benefit him in any way. Worse, it would damage the reputation he had carefully cultivated.
If they wanted to destroy Shisui's Sharingan, fine—let them do it themselves. But they would also have to take the fall for it.
Koharu Utatane said nothing. She stared hard at Orochimaru, her expression seething with anger.
Shisui had sacrificed those eyes for the village. Destroying them now—without clear reason, just out of fear—was an insult to his sacrifice. She knew there would be backlash. Public outrage. The stain on their reputation would be worse than even Danzo's, and that was saying something.
After decades of war, they had finally reached a fragile peace, only for it to all risk collapsing under the weight of one decision.
Still, Koharu couldn't let such a dangerous power remain unchecked in Konoha either.
Caught between duty to the village and the consequences of their actions, she was stuck—unable to move in either direction.
Homura Mitokado shared her hesitation. He frowned, unsure of the next step.
In his eyes, if Orochimaru would just cooperate, this could all be resolved with a simple lie. Quick, clean, and quiet. But of course, Orochimaru wouldn't make it easy.
He knew the man was obsessed—blinded by his desire to study the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Mitokado absentmindedly stroked his beard, then glanced over at the Third Hokage, silently sending a message:
"Old friend... handle him."
But Hiruzen didn't respond. He remained silent, unmoved. Just like the last of their circle—Danzo.
Ever since Orochimaru placed the container holding Shisui's Sharingan on the table, Danzo hadn't taken his eyes off it. The glint in his gaze was unmistakable—ambition and greed flared beneath his calm exterior.
He scoffed internally at his fellow elders.
Fools. Their rigid ideals made them predictable. Yes, the Mangekyō was dangerous—but to destroy such power? That would be a waste.
Power was never inherently good or evil. What mattered was who wielded it.
Danzo was already planning his next move: how to restore the Sharingan, and more importantly, how to get it out of Orochimaru's hands and into his own.
He said nothing, simply watching, calculating.
Speaking now would mean choosing a side—and Danzo had no intention of revealing his cards just yet.
Danzo was convinced: Orochimaru would ruin everything.
He didn't plan to stop him. Instead, he'd wait—wait for those two stubborn fools to realize the Sharingan couldn't simply be destroyed. Then he'd speak up, win them over, and turn the pressure onto Orochimaru. That way, the power wouldn't end up solely in Orochimaru's hands.
His eyes narrowed slightly as they fell on Hiruzen.
He's the only real variable left.
Logically, Orochimaru would never willingly give up the Mangekyō Sharingan. But lately, Hiruzen's influence over him had grown disturbingly strong.
Before the Third Hokage could act, however, someone else exploded.
Koharu slammed her hand down, grabbing the nutrient jar off the table. A mocking sneer curled on her lips.
"Orochimaru, do you really think I won't destroy it?"
She'd had enough—enough of his mockery, his smug confidence, the way he assumed she'd always choose the village's image over doing what needed to be done.
Did he really think all her talk about the village was just empty words?
When the time came to act for Konoha's sake, she wouldn't hesitate.
Koharu knew there was no forcing Orochimaru to comply. If they didn't destroy the eyes, he would leak the truth himself, regardless of how it affected the village's stability.
Fine, she thought bitterly. If no one else will take responsibility, then I will. Let the backlash fall on me.
With a glare, she unleashed razor-sharp wind chakra from her fingers. The thin slicing edge shattered the glass and tore through the eye inside.
It all happened in an instant—from Koharu's sudden outburst to the destruction of Shisui's eye.
She might be old, but she was still an elite Jōnin. In such close quarters, with something so fragile, destroying it was effortless.
Crack. Shatter.
The quiet sound of breaking glass and dripping solution echoed in the sudden silence of the meeting room.
Mitokado Homura sat stunned, staring at his longtime companion. He hadn't expected her to actually go through with it.
There had to be another way... But seeing her face, resolute and filled with conviction, the words died in his throat.
It's done. He would speak to Orochimaru later, try to calm the storm that was sure to follow. And if things got bad, he'd protect Koharu and her family himself.
"You really destroyed it?"
The smirk vanished from Orochimaru's face. Genuine surprise flickered in his eyes.
And as if on cue, Danzo exploded.
"You what!? You destroyed it!?"
His usual composure cracked. His eyes flared red with rage, like a bull seeing red. He stepped forward, fury radiating from him.
Koharu was stunned. She had expected surprise, maybe even fear from Orochimaru—but not this reaction from Danzo.
She turned, eyes narrowing in confusion.
Didn't you support destroying the eyes in the first place?
And then it clicked.
So you were after them too... Coveting the Uchiha's forbidden power. I was too naive...
"Ahem..."
A quiet cough cut through the tension.
Everyone in the room—shocked, angry, silent, or seething—turned their eyes to the source.
Under their collective gaze, Orochimaru calmly reached into his robes and pulled out another scroll. With a flourish, he placed a second nutrient jar on the table.
Suspended in the pale green solution... was another pair of Sharingan.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Most eyes filled with confusion. But one man, the one who had stayed silent all along, showed no surprise. Only quiet recognition—as if he had expected this from the start.
Koharu's face turned crimson. Her emotions boiled over. Words stumbled on her tongue, disjointed, unfiltered.
"You—you—you had a fake the whole time?!"
"Don't say that," Orochimaru said lightly, twirling the jar in his hand with amusement before tucking it away.
"What fake? I don't know what you're talking about. Didn't the elder just destroy Shisui's eyes?"
________
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