Both eyes were taken. The eight major chakra points throughout his body were sealed with locking needles. Beyond that, three silver needles had been embedded deep inside him—carried along by the flow of blood. One had already pierced the heart meridian, while the remaining two had sunk into the bone itself.
If not for Amegakure's medical equipment having been upgraded through Orochimaru's innovations, not even the most skilled medical ninja would have been able to detect these silver needles, already fused with flesh and blood.
Sakura used forceful methods to extract the three silver needles, preserving Toneri's life.
But the eight locking needles—those were beyond her ability. If they were forcibly removed, the moment the seals were broken, Toneri would be paralyzed for life, bound to a sickbed. If they were left in place, then he would simply be unable to refine chakra.
Silver needles to take his life. Locking needles to seal his power.
Konoha's methods were truly vicious.
On the second day after Toneri returned to Amegakure, Konoha underwent a change of leadership. The Fifth Hokage, Princess Tsunade, resigned in disgrace. The Sixth Hokage was Shimura Danzo.
In the ruthless and cruel struggle of politics, the granddaughter of the First Hokage lost utterly and completely.
Laying down the burden of Hokage had been Tsunade's greatest dream ever since she assumed the position—but it should never have been realized at this moment.
The one to succeed her should have been Uzumaki Naruto—the boy who shouted about becoming Hokage, the blond kid who charged forward without ever knowing despair.
Not this relic of a bygone era, this man steeped in scheming and rot.
Tsunade was unwilling.
Tsunade was furious.
Tsunade was powerless.
The defection of the Hyuga clan cost her a crucial pillar of support. The Ino–Shika–Cho clans struggled desperately just to hold the line, only for the Aburame clan to defect as well. At that point, even with the Sarutobi clan's backing, Asuma—bearing the stain of having left Konoha years earlier—was ultimately not enough to turn the tide.
As for Hatake Kakashi, another pillar of the village, he bore "irrefutable evidence" that silenced all defense—his excessively close ties with the rogue ninja Uchiha Obito.
That alone severed any possibility of Kakashi ever becoming Hokage. He would even be criticized for remaining one of the village's mainstays.
And so, with the support of the Hyuga clan and full control of the ANBU, Danzo seized the Hokage seat with overwhelming force.
The impeachment of the Fifth Hokage stemmed from a joint petition submitted to the daimyō by dozens of elite jonin. The letter accused Senju Tsunade—under the name of the Fifth Hokage—of providing medical treatment to a non-human.
After the storm of blood and violence came Tsunade's solitary drowning in alcohol.
She lost the Hokage position.
She lost her dignity as a human being.
She lost her student.
In the end, she couldn't even preserve the bare minimum of human decency.
That boy named Otsutsuki—when they first met, Tsunade had been forced to weigh every word with caution, unable to even say a single thank you. And now… heh…
The bottle was empty.
Then another bottle was filled.
This cheap little tavern was secluded and quiet. Tsunade had always liked coming here for a drink whenever she faced an unsolvable problem—sometimes clarity would strike, sometimes her heart would ease.
But now, no amount of alcohol could clear the blockage in her chest. No level of drunkenness could dissolve the knot in her heart.
"Tsunade-sama…"
Shizune's face was full of worry and anxiety. Tsunade let out a cold laugh, lifting the cup and staring at the clear liquid within. She laughed at the chessboard—one wrong move, and the entire game was lost. She laughed at the human heart—one mistaken thought, and heaven and earth collapsed.
"Heh, Shizune. I bet on the right person… but I misjudged human hearts."
She had placed everything on Naruto.
But she had failed to bet correctly on the ever-changing hearts of people.
"Tsunade-sama."
Shizune looked utterly dejected. The cloth curtain of the tavern was lifted. Shizune turned her head—and her face twisted with rage.
"Danzo! Bastard!"
"I am the Sixth Hokage," Danzo said calmly. "Shizune, even if you are the niece of the fallen hero Dan Kato, you have no right to call me by name."
He wore the same black-and-white robes as ever. The Hokage hat hung at his waist. His eyes were still shadowed, his expression still contemptuous of all else. His cane still struck the ground. His steps were still unsteady.
"I absolutely refuse to acknowledge—"
"Shizune, that's enough."
Tsunade spoke, stopping Shizune's immature resentment. The outcome was already decided. In the eyes of the victor, any further unwillingness was nothing more than a farce.
"As expected of the First Hokage's granddaughter. Such composure truly does not disgrace your predecessor."
Only then did Danzo slowly make his way to Tsunade's table. A guard pulled out a wooden chair, and the old man sat down.
"Mocking the defeated—so you're capable of that too," Tsunade said coldly.
Danzo said nothing. He glanced at the guards beside him, who forcefully escorted Shizune away. Tsunade did not move to stop them.
"You're not worried I might kill her?"
"The outcome is already set. Killing her would only be destroying your own fortress," Tsunade replied.
As she reached for the bottle to pour another drink, an aged hand seized it instead. Clear liquor filled her cup—then Danzo poured one for himself.
"You are indeed formidable," Danzo said. "After Hiruzen died, I believed that no matter who was propped up, the Hokage seat would inevitably be mine. But I never expected you to be so decisive—allying with Sunagakure at the risk of Konoha being seen as betraying its own, securing war reparations that gave Konoha room to breathe. You even dared to continue routine missions while Konoha was weak.
"You promoted a large number of grassroots ninja, allowing them to rise during the village's crisis. You trained new blood while stabilizing your rule. By uniting the Ino–Shika–Cho clans, you inherited Hiruzen's legacy at astonishing speed.
"Tsunade, back then, I was truly shocked. With nothing but a woman's body, you guided Konoha smoothly through that ordeal."
"Hmph. Is that all you came to say?"
"Not quite."
Danzo poured himself a cup and drained it in one gulp. The sharp burn scorched his throat, leaving him deeply uncomfortable.
"Since Hiruzen's death, I haven't had a single drink. This cup… I offer it to you."
"I don't deserve it," Tsunade said, pouring her drink onto the ground. It was a gross breach of etiquette, yet Danzo showed no anger.
"It doesn't matter. Offering the toast is my choice. Drinking it is yours."
He rose and began to walk toward the exit.
Tsunade's heart was full of resentment. No matter the causes or consequences, no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't understand. And so she shouted.
"I ask you—what about the world that she saved?! That person was poisoned for the sake of this world! If she hadn't found him, if they hadn't acted, what would this world have become?! Danzo, you know the answer! Why?! Why can't you tolerate even that?! Why can't you give her—give them—a chance to live?!"
It was almost a roar.
Danzo stopped.
"A chance to live?"
Tsunade fell silent. Danzo laughed aloud.
"Heh. You really are forgetful, Tsunade. Before it happened, I asked you—did you want my help?"
He turned back, looking at Tsunade's face twisted with hatred.
"I knew you couldn't bring yourself to do it. If you had said yes, everyone who knew her identity would have been quietly eliminated by me. Tsunade, don't misunderstand—I hold no grudge against her. She is a hero. I acknowledge her. What they did is something I could never do in my lifetime.
"I possess restraint due to heroes. Whether it was her or him.
"This situation exists because you created it. Even the heavens were helping me. When I was courting the Hyuga clan, it was you who allowed that boy to remain in the village. You wanted to use that tiny, meaningless compassion of yours to make an unnecessary compensation.
"You gave me the chance to use him.
"If you had driven him out of Konoha, nothing would have happened. The Hyuga were gambling. And you were gambling too. You gambled that the village had no malice. The Hyuga gambled that their clan still had a future.
"Tsunade, do you know who Hiashi Hyuga gave those eyes to?"
Tsunade did not know.
"Hiashi Hyuga gave them to Neji Hyuga. Those eyes released his Caged Bird Seal. Hiashi waged his entire clan to give his younger brother's orphan a future without blind spots.
"Do you think Hiashi is the kind of man who would sacrifice everything for status and family? And do you really think I would act purely out of selfish desire, without regard for consequences?"
"Aren't you?!"
Tsunade roared.
Danzo smiled faintly and continued walking toward the exit.
"Konoha is not without non-humans. They're all in my Root, living under false names. I am Shimura Danzo of Konoha. I can support the great tree that is Konoha—but I cannot support the entire world.
"Tsunade, you lost because you were stubborn when you should have yielded, and you yielded when you should have been stubborn."
His steps paused slightly. A sigh drifted back.
"As long as it benefits Konoha, I accept it—whether it's a non-human or Uzumaki Naruto. Rest assured: Uchiha Sasuke will protect Naruto. As long as Sasuke remains loyal to Konoha, I will not touch Naruto.
"My life is filled with stains—but for Konoha, my conscience is clear."
As he stepped out the door—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted, leaving the old tavern scorched and reduced to ashes.
"Danzo-sama?" a guard asked.
Danzo nodded, glancing at the restrained Shizune. Another guard immediately released her, and she rushed into the ruined tavern.
"Let's go."
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Regarding the Kita couple—if Haruno Sakura returns to testify, this may cause further turmoil."
"At this point, even if the truth comes out, nothing will change," Danzo replied. "But you're right. Issue a wanted notice. It's best if she doesn't come back."
"You mean…?"
"Sever her lingering attachment to Konoha."
"Yes."