Chapter 167: First, Make the Roots Suffer!
Chapter 167: First, Make the Roots Suffer!
"Damn Shell Organization, daring to invade Root!"
Danzo's face was red with rage.
This was an outrageous affront!
Previously, they had stolen the Hashirama cells from one of his branch bases.
Since this couldn't be made public, he had to investigate in secret, but he hadn't uncovered much information.
Now, they had the audacity to strike again.
And this time, they were targeting Root's headquarters directly.
How dare they!
This was Konoha, the premier village of the Five Great Shinobi Nations and the safest place in the shinobi world.
Yes, because he believed that his base was invulnerable, Danzo had taken all of Root's elite out of the village, inadvertently making things easier for Hyuuga Aoi.
"Danzo, what's this Shell Organization? Has Root really been invaded?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded to know.
He knew nothing about this, and the fact that Danzo had kept it from him was deeply troubling. If he could hide information today, who knew what he might do tomorrow?
This was why Hiruzen had confronted him so sharply.
Hearing Hiruzen's stern question, Danzo realized that this wasn't the time to be angry. He hurriedly explained:
"The Shell Organization is a deeply hidden and mysterious group. They are currently invading Root. If we don't act quickly, they'll escape!"
He was in a desperate hurry.
Root was his life's work!
No, it was more important than his life.
For Danzo, who had dedicated his entire life to making Konoha great again, becoming Hokage was his true passion. Relying on Root was essential to achieving that goal. Comparing Root to his life would be an insult to Root.
Women, they would only slow me down in becoming Hokage. JPG!
In some ways, Danzo was truly ruthless.
He avoided women, was physically disabled but mentally strong, and fought tirelessly.
Tsk!
Honestly, Tokuhira could never match Danzo's level of dedication.
"Who knows if this is a diversion? What if they're luring us away to attack other parts of the village?"
Tanzuki Koharu interrupted before Hiruzen could respond.
Yes!
No one could guarantee that the attack on Root wasn't a ruse to draw them away and strike elsewhere.
"Koharu, you—"
Danzo was furious.
This was like a knife in his heart.
His Root was almost being overrun, and she wasn't helping. Instead, she was stopping Hiruzen from lending a hand. Had decades of friendship meant nothing?
"You're right," Mito Homura added, "The village is in grave danger. Is the safety of Root more important than the village's safety?"
Moral coercion!
They were directly comparing Root to the village's safety.
If Danzo insisted on everyone going to support Root and something happened elsewhere, he would be held responsible.
Koharu and Homura weren't trying to antagonize Danzo. They had received reports from their clans that explosive tags had gone off, and who knew what other dangers might be lurking.
Facing opponents like the Kurogane Village, who were quick to resort to self-destruction, they had to prioritize their own safety.
With a group of shinobi present, they could respond to any other threats immediately. If they went to support Root and something happened, it would take time to return, and who knew what could go wrong.
"Homura, you—"
Danzo was ready to kill.
All he wanted was for them to support Root and capture the Shell Organization members. Did they have to take it to this extreme?
At that moment, he completely forgot that he often used the same tactics.
Seeing the internal conflict, Tokuhira, who had retreated to the side, really wanted to laugh.
He knew they were only surface brothers.
They could unite against others, like himself, but when it came to their own interests, they would each look out for themselves.
Planting explosive tags in the four clans' territories was a stroke of genius.
"Danzo, go deal with the invaders. Once we've checked for any dangers in the village, I'll come to support you!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi made his decision.
Village First!
Now, the most important thing is to investigate and eliminate any potential threats within the village. It's time for Root to endure some hardship.
In the past, Danzo would have gone after the Shell Organization without a second thought. But now, even dealing with elite Jonin is no longer a sure victory for him. Most of Root's elite operatives are out gathering intelligence, leaving only a few Jonin and a dozen or so Chunin. How could he possibly return with such limited forces?
Therefore, if he were to go back to deal with the situation, he would at least need to bring a strong ally.
Thinking of a strong ally, Danzo glanced around.
Even if he was reluctant to admit it, he knew that the strongest person in the village right now was definitely that brat. Hiruzen might be even more powerful, but age is a ninja's greatest enemy, and his position doesn't allow him to take risks.
If that brat were to be killed by the mysterious Shell Organization, it would be... a great loss.
"Danzo, how about sending Uchiha Dohei to support us?"
Danzo looked earnestly at his friend.
You wouldn't forbid me from bringing just one person, right?
After a moment's hesitation, Hiruzen finally nodded.
"Alright!"
We can't just ignore Root. They've taken so much of the blame for us, and there will be many more situations where we need them. Sending one person to help is reasonable.
Hearing this, Dohei, who had been hiding in the corner, knew he couldn't avoid it any longer and spoke up.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
He didn't want to appear suspicious in front of everyone, so he took the initiative.
But this might not be such bad news.
By his calculations, Hyuga Aozuki should have completed her mission. This would be a good opportunity to check for any loopholes and address them immediately.
"..."
Danzo swallowed back the words he was about to say.
Given their relationship, the fact that Dohei would even consider supporting Root was surprising. He certainly wouldn't celebrate if Root were invaded, but to rush to its aid so readily?
But Dohei couldn't explain himself to Danzo, so he simply said,
"What are you waiting for?"
He looked even more urgent than Danzo, immediately activating his Flame Cloak and dashing off at full speed.
His actions left the others bewildered.
The enmity between them was no secret. They expected Dohei to at least try to delay, not to rush to the rescue.
But the reality was completely unexpected.
"Hurry up and follow!"
Though Danzo didn't understand the reason, he immediately led the Root members to follow.
With his base invaded by the Shell Organization, he couldn't help but be anxious. If he could, he would have gone back alone long ago. He certainly didn't want to rely on Dohei to return.
In his Flame Cloak state, Dohei's mobility had greatly improved.
In less than two minutes, he reached the edge of the village and saw the large hole dug into the Root base.
At that moment, a figure in a black cloak was just emerging.
It was Hyuga Aozuki!
With her Rinnegan, she could see Dohei approaching and knew time was running out. She immediately grabbed her loot and fled.
They passed each other.
Yes, the culprit who had raided Root was now escaping right in front of Dohei.
Next, Aozuki would hide the loot in a pre-prepared pit that could evade the Byakugan and other detection methods before the temporary seal scroll's effect wore off. Then, she would return to the Hyuga compound.
No one would suspect that this weak and injured branch family member of the Hyuga clan was a member of the Shell Organization who had ransacked Root.
With this, Dohei was completely at ease.
The mission was a complete success.
Not only had he thoroughly looted Danzo's base, but there was also someone to take the blame. It couldn't be more perfect.
Satisfaction was the word he would use again and again.
His thoughts didn't affect his actions. At this moment, he was the epitome of an actor, rushing into Root with a desperate urgency, portraying the role of a rescuer to the hilt.
But when he saw the tunnel created by the divine attack and the emptied warehouses, he thought, Danzo better not have a heart condition.
Otherwise, he might just be signing his own death warrant.
(End of Chapter)
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