There was a firm knock on the Third Hokage's door in the middle of the night.
The elderly leader, who had been sleeping soundly, frowned in annoyance.
"Who is disturbing this old man's rest at this hour?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes as he stood up.
Pushing the wooden door open, he was met with a shocking sight—his old friend, Danzo, standing there with an ashen face.
"Danzo?"
But something was wrong. Danzo wasn't breathing. His skin was cold, void of life.
Dead?!
The leader of the Root Organization, a man with countless subordinates, had fallen—just like that?
Behind Danzo's lifeless body, a young man stepped into the dim light.
"I killed him," Morkel stated calmly, his expression unreadable.
The Third Hokage's eyes widened in disbelief. As the initial shock wore off, his mind raced. Danzo had been involved in countless secret operations over the years, but Morkel was not the type to kill without reason.
Taking a deep breath, the Third Hokage asked, "What happened?"
Without hesitation, Morkel dragged Danzo's body inside and began to recount the events of the night.
The Third Hokage lit his pipe as he listened, his frown deepening. By the time Morkel finished, the elderly man exhaled a long breath.
"I see… If what you say is true, I will handle the matter."
The news of Danzo's death spread quickly, shaking Konoha to its core.
Multiple emergency meetings were held over the following days, focusing on two critical issues.
1. Was Morkel guilty of a crime?
2. What should be done with Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan, which Danzo had stolen?
---
Tsunade's Fury: Defending Morkel!
Inside the dimly lit conference room, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, sat at the head of the table. Surrounding her were Konoha's senior officials, the village's most influential figures.
The longer she listened to their discussions, the angrier she became.
"There's no need to keep debating this," she said, slamming her palm onto the table. "Danzo attacked Morkel first. He was only defending himself!"
A council member stood up, shaking his head. "But the surviving Root members claim that Morkel was the one who attacked first."
Tsunade's anger flared.
"They've been brainwashed by Danzo since childhood! Can we really trust their words over Morkel's?!"
Another elder chimed in, "And yet, we only have Morkel's account. Why should we believe him?"
Tsunade clenched her fists, her voice sharp.
"Are you all blind to what Morkel has done for this village?! During the Chūnin Exams, when chaos erupted, who was it that saved countless lives? Do you know the extent of the damage we would have suffered without him?"
Silence.
"Half a month ago, Morkel returned with a massive steel fortress and successfully developed chakra conversion technology. Do you even understand what this means for the future of the ninja world?"
The room remained quiet.
She leaned forward, her gaze burning with authority.
"If Morkel wanted to destroy Konoha, do you think we'd still be sitting here, having this discussion?"
The weight of her words hung in the air. Even the most stubborn elders couldn't argue against the facts.
However, one of them, Utatane Koharu, crossed her arms.
"Regardless of his contributions, we must remain objective. There must be proof before we clear him of suspicion."
Tsunade's eyes darkened.
"The only 'proof' you'll accept is testimony from within the Root, correct?"
The elders exchanged glances but didn't deny it.
Tsunade's lips pressed into a thin line. She knew how impossible that was—Root operatives were programmed to be loyal to Danzo above all else.
Her voice lowered.
"Aren't you afraid that this treatment will push Morkel away? If he defects, you will have no one but yourselves to blame."
Gasps filled the room.
Finally, one elder spoke, voicing their collective fear.
"We cannot allow such a thing to happen. If Morkel shows even the slightest sign of rebellion, we will act immediately."
Tsunade's temper exploded.
"BANG!"
With a single punch, she shattered the conference table into splinters.
"Let's see who dares lay a hand on him!"
At that moment, the doors swung open.
Morkel entered, his expression unreadable, followed by Sai, a former Root member.
"He can vouch for me," Morkel announced.
Sai stepped forward, his posture hesitant but determined.
He revealed everything—Danzo's long-time surveillance of Morkel, his plots, and most shocking of all…
"Danzo-sama had plans to assassinate the Third Hokage in the past," Sai confessed.
A stunned silence followed.
"And just recently, he was plotting to assassinate the Fifth Hokage."
The room erupted into chaos.
Tsunade smirked.
"See? This is the true face of that old fox, Danzo!"
Morkel, however, remained expressionless. He spoke in a calm but firm voice.
"I've done everything I could for Konoha. And yet, the village leaders still doubt me?"
A cold gleam flickered in his eyes.
"I was ambushed and nearly killed. Now I stand accused by my own village." He let out a slow breath. "If this is how Konoha repays its protectors, then I deserve some form of compensation."
The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow. "What compensation do you have in mind?"
Morkel's gaze was sharp.
"Shisui's eyes."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
The elders exchanged wary looks.
Tsunade, however, immediately voiced her support.
"I agree. Morkel rid us of Danzo, who was a threat to Konoha. The Sharingan rightfully belongs to him."
The Third Hokage nodded. "I have no objections."
With two Hokage in agreement, no one could oppose the decision.
The very next day, the transplant surgery was scheduled.
---
A Perfect Transplant—Morkel's Mystery Unfolds!
On the day of the operation, Tsunade gave Morkel a final warning.
"The Sharingan is deeply tied to the Uchiha bloodline. You're not an Uchiha, so there may be complications, similar to what Kakashi experienced."
Morkel tilted his head. "What complications?"
Kakashi, standing nearby, sighed.
"Because I'm not an Uchiha, my Sharingan is always activated. It drains my chakra constantly."
Morkel nodded. "I see. Can I switch back to my original eyes if needed?"
Tsunade reassured him. "Yes. I'll keep your original eyes safe."
The operation proceeded smoothly, taking only ten minutes.
When Morkel woke up, he was surprised.
"That was fast! Is the Sharingan really plug-and-play?"
Tsunade smirked. "For some reason, your body adapted to Shisui's eyes perfectly—better than expected."
Days later, when the bandages were removed, everyone gasped.
His right eye looked… normal.
Tsunade's brows furrowed. "Did the surgery fail?"
Morkel simply smiled.
"Sharingan… open!"
Instantly, his right eye turned blood red, three tomoe spinning within it.
Everyone was stunned.
Kakashi's voice was filled with disbelief.
"How…? How can you activate and deactivate the Sharingan at will?!"
Morkel shrugged. "I just can."
A heavy silence followed before Kakashi muttered, "This kid… is truly something else."
The legend of Morkel had only just begun.