Chapter 619: A String of Bad News
Chapter 619: A String of Bad News
"We've found some secret scrolls, and according to their contents, Danzo-sama seemed to be collaborating with an unknown force and the Amegakure ninja to kill Souzuki."
The ANBU ninja reported and handed over the scrolls they had retrieved to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Unknown force... Could it be related to Uchiha Madara?" Hiruzen's mind immediately jumped to Madara, but his expression remained unchanged.
Until they had more information, the intelligence regarding "Uchiha Madara" must not be leaked, or it could cause discord.
The Uchiha clan already had a history of attempting a coup, and now Danzo Shimura's mysterious death seemed connected to the name "Uchiha Madara."
Not only those who already held prejudices against the Uchiha clan, but even Hiruzen couldn't help but harbor some suspicions towards them.
He didn't believe the entire Uchiha clan was at fault, but he suspected that a faction within the clan was aligned with "Uchiha Madara."
For the sake of Konoha's harmony and stability, Hiruzen didn't want this information to spread, not even to the other two Konoha elders.
Hiruzen unfurled the scroll and instantly recognized Danzo's handwriting. It was a secret scroll penned by Danzo himself.
After carefully reading the entire scroll, Hiruzen nodded and dismissed the ANBU.
There was very little information about the unknown force within, and no mention of "Uchiha Madara." It mainly detailed Danzo's arrangements for the ambush on Souzuki.
Before approaching Hiruzen, Mu Yue, ever cautious, had already conducted a thorough investigation. Thus, all the information Hiruzen possessed was what Mu Yue wanted him to know.
For instance, the scroll that supposedly helped Danzo acquire Wood Release—Mu Yue had dealt with it immediately.
"Release!"
Once he was alone in the office, Hiruzen performed a chakra-infused seal, and the words on the scroll twisted and changed.
To outsiders, this was just an ordinary secret scroll. However, after reading it carefully, Hiruzen, a decades-long friend of Danzo, noticed something amiss.
"Hiruzen, if you're reading this scroll, I'm probably already dead." These were the first words that caught Hiruzen's attention.
"Ah..." Hiruzen sighed deeply.
If not for Danzo's demise, he would never have discovered this secret scroll. After all, he couldn't have ordered the ANBU to turn Root inside out if Danzo were still alive.
"This mission is extremely dangerous. Even with thorough preparation, there's still a risk of death. But I must go through with it. Once successful, Konoha will be rid of a significant hidden danger, and I'll also be able to uncover some of Uchiha Madara's secrets."
At the mention of "Uchiha Madara," Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"Uchiha Madara's capabilities are formidable. He can even enter and exit Root's most secretive locations at will, and he wields considerable influence in the ninja world."
Hiruzen was surprised. So, "Uchiha Madara" was the one Danzo had been collaborating with? Hiruzen's brows furrowed. The ANBU's defenses weren't much better than Root's, so if "Uchiha Madara" could move freely within Root, he could do the same with the ANBU.
"How did he bypass the Great Barrier?" Hiruzen's expression turned grim.
Konoha was enveloped by a massive barrier. Anyone entering through the gates, tunneling underground, or flying in from the sky should have been detected by the barrier.
"The Uchiha clan cannot be trusted. Uchiha Madara is definitely connected to them."
From Danzo's handwriting alone, Hiruzen could sense his deep suspicions of the Uchiha clan, which was why he wanted to prevent this information from leaking.
This intelligence would only serve to create disharmony.
"If Uchiha Madara can kill even a well-prepared person like me, he must be plotting something against Konoha. Keep a close eye on Haruno Sakura, Mito Menma, and Orochimaru to prevent Uchiha Madara from using them to harm Konoha."
"Hiruzen, protect Konoha."
That was the end of the scroll's contents.
Hiruzen rubbed his furrowed brow. From Danzo's words, he could sense the threat posed by "Uchiha Madara."
However, Danzo himself didn't know much about "Uchiha Madara," so the scroll naturally lacked precise information about him. Most of it was speculation based on the current situation.
"Moreover, Danzo, you were too arrogant," Hiruzen said helplessly.
According to Mu Yue's intelligence, Danzo had been killed by Souzuki, but in this scroll, Danzo believed that if he died, it must be due to "Uchiha Madara's" underhanded tactics.
Hiruzen thought for a moment, then put away the scroll and summoned an ANBU ninja, ordering, "Inform Mu Yue to come to the Hokage's office."
The ANBU ninja nodded and quickly left the office, soon finding Mu Yue and bringing her back to the Hokage's office.
"Third Hokage-sama," Mu Yue said respectfully. It was unclear if it was due to a lack of sleep the previous night or something else, but her face bore a trace of fatigue that she couldn't hide.
"You've worked hard, yet you're still teaching classes after all that's happened," Hiruzen sighed.
Although Mu Yue hadn't immediately reported Danzo's death, her various actions and decisions during this incident had only increased Hiruzen's satisfaction with her.
"It's just a few hours of class, and it won't affect anything. Moreover, Third Hokage-sama, you're still working, so how can I afford to stand still?" Mu Yue replied earnestly.
"No wonder Danzo wanted to hand over Root to you. When he first established Root, he worked as hard as you do now," Hiruzen said with a hint of nostalgia.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Hiruzen handed the scroll to Mu Yue.
Mu Yue was the only ninja in Konoha besides himself who knew about the existence of "Uchiha Madara," and she also had an unusual connection to Danzo. Hiruzen believed she had a right to know.
After reading the scroll, Mu Yue's eyes widened in surprise. "Uchiha Madara actually entered Konoha!"
Of course, she was feigning surprise.
Mu Yue was already aware of the scroll's contents.
Her sealing technique had long surpassed Kushina's, and with her Byakugan's ability to see through objects, among other extraordinary sensory capabilities, how could she have missed Danzo's tampering with the scroll?
However, as the hidden content in the scroll didn't affect her plans, she had chosen to leave it be.
With Uchiha Madara drawing fire, Konoha wouldn't pay as much attention to the Ninja Sect.
Mu Yue could only say that Danzo was truly cautious. Even in his secret scrolls, he omitted crucial information due to the risk of exposure. He made no mention of Wood Release or the Rinnegan, as if his sole purpose had been to eliminate Souzuki.
Perhaps only when it came to his dying wishes did someone like him become sincere.
"Describe in detail the scene you witnessed. Was Souzuki the only one who killed Danzo?"
"Yes, only Souzuki and Danzo were fighting, and the others were all standing at a distance without any signs of having made a move," Mu Yue nodded in agreement.
"Danzo Shimura underestimated Souzuki and overestimated himself and his knowledge of Uchiha Madara," Hiruzen remarked.
"Hmm..." Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brows, deep in contemplation.
Danzo's thoughts were mere speculation, whereas Mu Yue's intelligence was based on reality and facts, so naturally, Hiruzen prioritized her information in his deductions.
However, according to Mu Yue's intelligence, many of Danzo's assumptions didn't hold up.
"It's about time for your training team to recruit new members as well. Having only one member doesn't seem right," Hiruzen suddenly said, as if he had just thought of something.
"Although young, Obito is level-headed and an excellent candidate," Mu Yue replied.
Hiruzen believed that there was an issue with the Uchiha clan, but sending the ANBU to investigate them openly at this critical juncture could spell disaster. Thus, he thought of a clever solution—using a member of the Uchiha clan to defeat them.
Both of Mu Yue's Uchiha disciples were utterly trustworthy. If it weren't for Kakashi's personality being less suited for the ANBU, Hiruzen would have had both of them join the organization.
"Obito does indeed possess the talent to become an ANBU," Mu Yue agreed.
She understood Hiruzen's intentions, and this arrangement wouldn't be detrimental to Obito.
The issues with the Uchiha clan involved too many factors, and a complete resolution was impossible without considering both intra-clan and external factors.
Mu Yue's plan was to use the training team as a stepping stone for Obito, allowing him to develop his abilities and build an impressive resume.
The circumstances surrounding Obito's potential entry into the ANBU were different from Itachi's.
Firstly, Itachi joined the regular ANBU, whereas Obito would be a part of Mu Yue's exclusive training team, which was essentially an extension of her personal ANBU.
As a teacher, Mu Yue would never allow her disciples to be wronged or put at a disadvantage.
After offering some guiding advice for the future development of the training team, Mu Yue took her leave from the Hokage's office. Hiruzen continued to attend to his duties and arranged for the ANBU to continue their investigations.
This time, however, he expanded the scope beyond Konoha, directing their efforts toward the Rain Country.
As the place of Danzo Shimura's demise, the Rain Country undoubtedly held crucial intelligence that Hiruzen had yet to uncover.
Before the ANBU could uncover any significant information related to Danzo's death, a series of bad news reached Hiruzen one after the other.
"News of Danzo's death has leaked!"
"Unusual activity detected in Yunyin of the Steam Country!"
"A recent surge in the number of spies from the Fire Country!"
Bang!
As Hiruzen fretted over the worsening situation, the wooden door to the Hokage's office was pushed open, and Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane walked in.
"Jiraiya, Danzo is dead," Koharu said sadly.
Although his relationship with Danzo wasn't as close as Hiruzen's, they had fought side by side and frequently attended meetings together regarding Konoha's future.
The death of such a comrade naturally evoked a sense of sadness within Koharu, despite his disagreements with some of Danzo's political views.
"I know," Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his forehead.
He had done an excellent job of keeping the matter confidential, but now, the news was spreading like wildfire. It was clear that either Souzuki or 'Uchiha Madara' was behind this development.
"Why didn't you inform us earlier?" Homura asked, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.
"After all, he was one of our high-ranking members," Koharu added.
Judging by Hiruzen's expression, she knew that he had received the news much earlier.
Given Hiruzen and Danzo's long-standing friendship, it was surprising to see him so calm upon learning of his comrade's death.
"It's a complicated matter, and I wanted to gather more intelligence before informing you," Hiruzen explained briefly.
Danzo's death was intertwined with too many factors, and 'Uchiha Madara's' swift actions had ultimately led to this situation.
"Let's head to the conference room," Hiruzen said as he stood up.
With the situation having escalated, he had no choice but to disclose some of the confidential information he had gathered.
In the conference room, Hiruzen shared the secret intelligence he had recently obtained with his advisors, filling them in on the details regarding Danzo.
However, he refrained from revealing the existence of 'Uchiha Madara,' merely alluding to a sinister ninja organization pulling the strings.
"How foolish! Not reporting such crucial information to the village and acting on his own!" Homura's anger was palpable.
She wanted to give Danzo's corpse a tight slap; not only had he brought about his own demise, but he had also put Konoha in a precarious situation.
"Ahem, Homura, Danzo did, after all, sacrifice himself for the village," Koharu gently reminded, coughing lightly.
As foolish as Danzo's actions might have been, the dead deserved respect, and it wasn't appropriate to speak ill of him now.
Homura realized that Hiruzen was giving her a look, and she quietly closed her mouth. She might not care about the deceased Danzo, but the living Hiruzen, the unyielding Hokage, was a different matter.
"Inform Orochimaru in Yunyin to be cautious and dispatch additional ninjas to patrol the borders," Hiruzen instructed.
He didn't address Homura's outburst but instead shifted the conversation to concrete measures to address the situation.
"We need to crush Yunyin's morale and show everyone that Konoha is invincible," Koharu agreed.
Why was Yunyin making a move at this time? They likely sensed an opportunity amidst the chaos.
Konoha's response had to be decisive—to shatter Yunyin's ambitions and remind everyone of their village's strength, thus dissipating the turmoil caused by Danzo's death.
Of course, if Konoha showed any signs of weakness during this process, it might not just be Yunyin they had to deal with. Many would be eager to strike a fallen foe.
After the meeting concluded, it was almost the end of the work day. However, Hiruzen didn't head home immediately. Instead, he returned to the Hokage's office and stood by the large floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at Konoha.
"I'll have to increase Mu Yue's responsibilities," Hiruzen said, setting down his pipe and exhaling a puff of white smoke.
Initially, he had intended to let Mu Yue's training team develop naturally, but with the situation growing more chaotic, he needed a stronger ANBU.
PS: I think I'm feeling better today. The dizziness has subsided.
I dared not turn on the air conditioning these past two days, and the heat almost got to me.
In Guangdong, not using air conditioning in July is a recipe for disaster!
(End of Chapter)
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