Naruto: Getting Observation Haki By Sacrificing The Byakugan

The fact that so many people had gone missing so close to Konoha made it impossible for Tobirama Senju to believe that the village wasn't somehow involved.

But if Konoha was truly behind this, wouldn't a simple cover-up have sufficed? Why dispatch three different departments for a joint investigation?

The two facts were inherently contradictory.

Unless... it was the covert act of a hidden faction within Konoha itself.

Human experimentation? Or perhaps something even darker?

Tobirama wasn't sure. He had only been resurrected recently—summoned back to the world of the living via Impure World Reincarnation—and had yet to fully grasp the current power dynamics within the village leadership.

However, as the investigation progressed, he had all but confirmed this theory.

Only someone within Konoha, possessing both the authority and the resources, could carry out such operations so close to the village—and keep them hidden for so long.

Beyond that, even Tobirama found himself powerless. Not due to lack of ability, but because the trail had already been swept clean. The few who might have known anything had been silenced.

After all, when it came to clandestine operations, Root were the true specialists.

"It seems I'll need to act when I return. The village's waters are murkier than I imagined."

In that moment, Tobirama made a decision—to investigate Konoha's internal affairs more deeply, even if it meant using the identity of an Uchiha, a twist of irony not lost on him.

He and his elder brother, Hashirama, had built this village with their own hands. Leaving aside sheer military strength, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Tobirama had designed the framework of Konoha's institutions himself.

The village was like his child. He couldn't allow it to decay from within.

Just then, a message came through the communication device in his ear.

Team Seven had made a critical discovery.

Upon receiving the alert, Tobirama immediately mobilized his team to the designated location. With his tactical mind and commanding presence, it hadn't been difficult for him to become the leader of this temporary task force.

As he moved swiftly through the forest, listening to the voices coordinating over the comms, Tobirama couldn't help but be impressed by the talent within the modern Konoha.

The device itself, he had heard, was designed by a promising young shinobi named Kawaki Qingyu. He had heard the name so frequently over the past few days that it had almost grown tiresome—but he had to admit, the youth was truly remarkable.

Not only was he reportedly a powerhouse among the new generation of shinobi, but his scientific acumen was extraordinary. In many ways, he reminded Tobirama of himself—Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage.

Following the markers left behind by Team Seven, Tobirama and his squad entered a valley.

What they found brought a rare silence from the stoic shinobi.

Corpses—no, not corpses, just remains. A field of them.

There were obvious signs of Earth Release having been used to exhume the dead. The broken and disfigured state of the remains made it clear: they had been buried, and then unearthed.

A Byakugan-user in the team activated his dōjutsu. After scanning the area, he visibly trembled, then moved to whisper into Tobirama's ear.

"The entire valley floor… it's filled with them. Several thousand, at least."

Even Tobirama's mouth twitched slightly at the number. For a man as cold and calculating as him, that alone was telling. This was insanity.

But what truly unnerved him wasn't the scale of death—it was the condition of the bodies.

He recognized it all too well.

Tobirama crouched beside a pile of bones, examining them carefully. His frown deepened.

He no longer had any doubts.

These people had been used as sacrifices—for the Impure World Reincarnation.

Initially, he had dismissed the idea. The missing were mostly civilians, and the sheer number seemed impractical. Who would attempt to raise thousands of undead soldiers?

But the evidence was undeniable. These remains weren't faked.

Shimura Danzō.

The name surfaced in his mind. There was no direct evidence, not yet, but Tobirama had long since stopped believing in coincidences. Everything about this bore Danzō's mark.

The team spread out, searching for further clues—residual chakra traces, paper trails, anything.

But they were destined for disappointment. Whoever had buried these corpses had also taken care to destroy all remaining traces. The signs of tampering were violent, deliberate—done just before the team's arrival.

The discovery was reported to the Hokage's office immediately, along with an analytical report on the corpses.

Tobirama, careful as always, didn't write the words "Impure World Reincarnation" in the report itself. But the strange chakra conditions of the bodies and the nature of their decay would make the implication clear to anyone familiar with the jutsu.

It was also a test—a subtle one.

He wanted to see how the current Hokage and the higher-ups would respond when confronted with the knowledge that someone had used his forbidden jutsu—at such a horrifying scale.

After reading the report, neither Minato Namikaze nor Hiruzen Sarutobi looked pleased.

Clearly, both had considered the implications of the Impure World Reincarnation technique.

"Third Hokage."

Minato turned to Hiruzen, his gaze sharp with unspoken questions.

Meeting Minato's eyes, Hiruzen slowly shook his head. "I only just became aware of this."

Minato nodded slightly. He accepted Hiruzen's answer, but that didn't mean he trusted him completely.

If Hiruzen had been involved, there was no way the information would have leaked so easily. He hadn't been Hokage for nothing—his experience had sharpened his insight into Konoha's politics. And he'd learned plenty about Hiruzen's methods.

If Hiruzen wasn't responsible, then only one other figure came to mind.

"Elder Danzo. What's he been up to lately? Why hasn't he shown his face even once?" Minato asked the room.

The response was unanimous: no one knew.

They weren't fools. If Danzo was implicated, no one would risk stepping forward.

Still, it wasn't hard to guess the truth. Given Danzo's history, personality, and access to forbidden techniques like Edo Tensei, suspicion naturally pointed his way.

Hiruzen had already considered this.

He'd long wondered how Danzo, after Root's recent losses, had managed to replenish his forces so rapidly. Now, it all made sense.

But he hadn't expected Danzo to go this far.

What troubled Hiruzen more was this: where had Danzo and his subordinates gone?

If Danzo were still within reach, there might be a path forward. As reckless as he was, Danzo wouldn't destroy Konoha outright. His obsession with the village's strength made him dangerous—but still aligned, however twisted, with its survival.

With the support of the village elders and his longstanding service record, even if he were caught, the likely consequence would be his dismissal and another disbandment of Root.

It wouldn't have been the first time.

But now...

Hiruzen glanced subtly toward Kawaki Aoba.

As expected, Aoba stood and addressed the room loudly. "Hokage-sama, this matter is serious. Since Elder Danzo is a primary suspect, I propose we immediately seal off the Root base and begin a formal investigation."

Hiruzen sighed inwardly.

He knew Aoba wouldn't miss such a perfect opportunity. Root had always been a dark place—if Danzo wasn't guilty of this specific crime, they'd still uncover plenty of others.

Still, Hiruzen felt he owed Danzo. The man had taken the fall for him more than once. Just once more, he decided, he would return the favor.

"Ahem," Hiruzen cleared his throat. "Danzo is indeed under suspicion. It's reasonable to summon him for questioning. But searching Root itself? That's a sensitive matter. Root is still a classified division, and barging in could undermine Konoha's internal security protocols."

His tone was measured, but clearly dismissive.

He expected to have to bargain with Aoba to get him to back down. But what Aoba said next caught everyone off guard.

"What Hokage-sama says is reasonable. Root does operate in secrecy—it's inappropriate for us to charge in without cause. Very well, let's summon Elder Danzo again. We'll give him a fair opportunity to come forward and explain himself."

He paused, then added, "But waiting indefinitely isn't an option, is it?"

The implication made Hiruzen's heart sink.

He glanced at Aoba again. The man's composed expression told him everything: something had happened to Danzo.

It couldn't be… Aoba wouldn't act this confidently without proof.

Unless…

Proof.

If they did search Root, there would surely be evidence—damning, undeniable.

Was that Aoba's plan all along?

Hiruzen clenched his hands behind his back, silent. Now wasn't the time to ask questions. And even if he did, Aoba would never admit it.

'Danzo… I've done what I can. The rest is in your hands.'

Though in his heart, he knew Danzo's time had likely run out.

Still, the request to delay an internal search had been made. None of the others present could easily oppose the words of the former Hokage. And Homura Mitokado, ever loyal to Danzo, remained silent.

Minato glanced around. Seeing no objections, he gave his consent.

He summoned an Anbu agent.

"Go to Root. Summon Elder Danzo to the Hokage Tower. If he doesn't appear, we'll go to Root ourselves."

The Anbu bowed and vanished.

The five of them waited.

An hour later, the Anbu returned with the same report: he'd been turned away at the gate. The Root personnel claimed the message had been passed to Danzo, but there was no sign of him.

Whether the message had actually reached him was unclear.

No one in the room was surprised.

If Danzo were truly inside Root, he wouldn't have stayed silent this long.

All they could do was wait, hoping he would respond in time—hoping this wasn't the worst-case scenario.

Hours passed.

Darkness fell over Konoha.

"It's getting late, Hokage-sama," said Kawaki Aoba, standing by the window and looking out at the setting sun. "Shall we continue waiting?"

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