If it weren't for the shocking discoveries from his own investigation, Jiraiya would never have walked into the heart of the Uchiha district to speak with Andrew. For someone like Jiraiya, approaching the Uchiha was not a casual decision—it was a deliberate one.
Danzo had done things no ordinary shinobi should be capable of. And while the village as a whole might have turned a blind eye, Jiraiya refused to ignore it. He no longer trusted the Third Hokage completely, and the more he investigated, the more uncomfortable truths came to light.
"The problem isn't that Danzo was doing these things," Jiraiya murmured. "It's that he was able to do them with the apparent tolerance—or ignorance—of the Hokage."
Most of the people in the village were closely tied to the Hokage's faction. If Jiraiya had confided in any of them, he risked being summoned by the Third almost immediately. He wasn't afraid of that—he just didn't know how he'd look Hiruzen in the eye.
"Let's go then," Andrew said dryly. "Since you've come all this way, Lord Jiraiya, I suppose I'll do you the courtesy of listening. But don't expect hospitality. The Uchiha clan doesn't trust outsiders anymore."
Jiraiya followed in silence. It wasn't the warmest welcome, but he hadn't expected one. Once inside Andrew's modest home, the two sat down.
Jiraiya didn't waste time. "After I left the police department last time, I started digging deeper. I wanted to know just how closely Danzo and Orochimaru were connected."
He leaned forward, his expression grim. "I still don't know the full extent of their partnership—but one thing is clear: Orochimaru's human experimentation was not just his own madness. Danzo played a major role."
Andrew scoffed. "That's all you've got?"
Jiraiya blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I mean, with all that dramatic flair when you showed up, I thought you uncovered something world-shattering," Andrew said. "But you're telling me Danzo pushed Orochimaru into human experiments? Everyone in my clan has suspected that for years. You didn't need to risk your life investigating that."
Jiraiya didn't take offense. Instead, he sighed.
"There's more," he continued. "Danzo's obsession with your clan's Sharingan—it's not just power-lust. He's been experimenting with cells from the First Hokage."
Andrew's eyes narrowed.
"He wanted to awaken Wood Style. That's why he needed Orochimaru's research. At first, they used regular test subjects, but the First Hokage's cells are too powerful. Every subject died from cellular overload—basically, turned into trees."
Andrew remained quiet, listening intently now.
"So, they moved on to children," Jiraiya said bitterly. "Danzo... he used an orphanage under his control. Sacrificed dozens of children in the name of 'science.' Eventually, they created a single viable host who could survive the transplant."
Andrew's hands clenched. He had known about the experiments, but not the extent.
"That's when Danzo got his hands on Uchiha Kagami's eye. When he realized the Sharingan could suppress the First's cell regeneration—he shifted all his attention to your clan."
Jiraiya paused, watching Andrew's reaction.
Andrew leaned back. "So? You came here to tell me Danzo dissected my clansmen to make himself stronger? We've known that for years. What's your point?"
"I'm not here to justify him," Jiraiya said quickly. "I'm trying to understand why the Third Hokage allowed it."
That made Andrew pause.
"Orochimaru fled the village. Danzo didn't. The Third let Orochimaru escape—but never touched Danzo. When others tried to investigate, Anbu shut them down. Even when Root's crimes came to light, Danzo walked free. Why?"
Andrew shrugged, though there was tension in his posture. "Ask the Third. I'm not your therapist."
"I've considered it," Jiraiya said. "But not in private. Not where he can control the story."
He looked haunted for a moment.
"I want to believe Orochimaru didn't betray the village of his own will," he whispered. "I need to know if he left because of what he saw. Because of what Danzo forced him to do. Or if... if the Third pushed him away to protect someone else."
Andrew didn't answer for a moment. Then he stood, moving to the window.
"Even if you find out the truth," he said softly, "what will you do with it? Expose the Hokage? Tear the village apart?"
Jiraiya didn't answer.
Andrew turned back. "If you ask me, the Uchiha would've left long ago if it weren't so troublesome. But we stay—for now. If you want answers, go ask your teacher. Just don't expect them to be clean."
He added quietly, "When you find out what happened to Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, you'll understand exactly how deep this rot goes."
Meanwhile, Third Hokage sat in his office, surrounded by Root's confiscated files.
He had ordered Root officially disbanded to appease the Daimyo. But this time, it wasn't just lip service. The Daimyo demanded transparency. Everything was to be logged, sealed, and redistributed.
And so, all of Danzo's secrets came flooding out.
Files. Experiments. Charts of Uchiha bodies. Records of stolen eyes.
Hiruzen trembled as he read.
"You damn snake..." he muttered. "I trusted you like a brother... and you hid all this from me?"
For years, he had turned a blind eye. He thought Danzo's darkness served a purpose—that someone had to get their hands dirty.
But this—this was beyond dirty. This was treason. This was butchery.
Later that evening, after speaking with Andrew, Jiraiya found himself near the edge of the Uchiha compound, watching two boys spar in the training field.
Sasuke and Naruto.
He didn't approach. Just watched from the shadows.
Naruto's laughter echoed in the twilight as he tumbled backward, dodging a punch and retaliating with a clumsy kick.
He was happy.
For once.
Jiraiya's heart twisted.
He knew Naruto's life. Living alone. Hated. Starving. Buying spoiled milk and instant ramen. The village never gave him a chance. Only recently, through the Uchiha, had Naruto found a sense of family.
"He deserves more," Jiraiya whispered to himself. "So much more."
Andrew's words echoed in his mind. "You don't know what Naruto's endured. His parents are gone. He's been alone since the day he was born."
"People think he's the demon that destroyed the village."
"And you want to know why?" Andrew had added. "Because Danzo made sure of it. He spread the whispers. The hate. It was useful to him to keep Naruto isolated."
Jiraiya's fists clenched.
"Danzo," he growled. "You don't just destroy lives. You twist them. You don't care about loyalty, or humanity. You don't do anything that has anything to do with people."
As Jiraiya turned to leave, Andrew called out.
"Oh—and by the way. Kakashi's looking for you. Something's wrong with his Sharingan."
That made Jiraiya pause.
"Kakashi? What do you mean wrong?"
Andrew shook his head. "He didn't say much. But he wants to speak to you directly. Might be worth checking out."
Something wrong with the Sharingan? Could it be Obito's chakra reacting? Or something deeper?
As Jiraiya disappeared into the night, his mind was more unsettled than ever.
So many threads. So many questions.
And somewhere beneath it all—
A storm was coming.