Danzo was shocked to hear Sarutobi Hiruzen claim he knew nothing about the Root, immediately suspecting there might be a spy among his operatives. But he quickly dismissed the thought.
All shinobi in Root had undergone training that included a self-destruction jutsu to prevent betrayal—all except for Sora. Therefore, it was absolutely impossible for any Root ninja to betray him.
Danzo stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen seriously. It seemed the Third Hokage's thoughts ran deeper than he had anticipated. The old man had been wary of him for longer than he realized.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Danzo said coldly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen fixed his stern gaze on Danzo. "Although I can't interfere in Root affairs directly, my word still carries weight in Konoha!"
Unwilling to give up his agent 'Ka' who could use Wood Style Ninjutsu, Danzo retorted, "You are not the Hokage now!"
"Is that so? I understand," Sarutobi replied calmly.
The Third stopped talking and silently walked to his seat, sitting down without another word.
Danzo turned and left the office, his face grim.
Sarutobi had set his sights on agent 'A', and now intended to make immediate arrangements to retrieve him.
After Danzo left the office, Sora released his Shadow Clone jutsu.
Sora was having lunch with Uzumaki Kushina when he heard the notification sound from the system.
[Host witnesses the assassination attempt on Sarutobi Hiruzen by Shimura Danzō. Rewarded with 1000 witness points.]
Sora sighed. It was too little.
Although he had expected this outcome, he still felt a bit disappointed. But it was okay—small amounts would add up, and there would be many more opportunities to gain witness points later. Moreover, Danzo didn't seem to know much about Sarutobi Hiruzen's true capabilities.
Judging from Danzo's expression earlier, the Third Hokage might be more formidable than Danzo had estimated.
After returning to Root headquarters, Danzo immediately summoned agent 'A' and ordered, "A, from today forward, you are relieved from all missions. Remain at the base at all times!"
Agent 'A' knelt down on one knee and replied without emotion, "Yes, Danzo-sama."
After Danzo's departure, Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned several elite shinobi and headed to the Daimyo's palace.
The following day, news of Sarutobi Hiruzen's return as Hokage spread throughout Konohagakure.
Two days later, rumors of Namikaze Minato's death circulated throughout the village.
Of course, Minato wasn't actually dead. He remained under heavy protection in the hospital, though still unconscious. The reason Sarutobi Hiruzen had issued this false report was because Konoha shinobi patrolling near the village had discovered foreign ninja approaching silently.
These shinobi had likely been sent by other villages to gather intelligence on Konoha's current situation. With Sarutobi Hiruzen back as Hokage, these spies would definitely want to learn what had happened to Minato.
The Yellow Flash had many enemies across the shinobi world. If word got out that Namikaze Minato was still alive but vulnerable, he would face endless assassination attempts. Rather than risk this, Sarutobi Hiruzen decided it would be better to announce Minato's death to prevent potential trouble.
Of course, Sarutobi had consulted Uzumaki Miyuki for her opinion on this matter.
Her answer had been clear: "No matter what, as long as it's for the good of Konoha, he would choose this path."
Meanwhile, in just a few days, disturbing whispers about Naruto had begun to spread through Konoha.
"The child of disaster born on the day of the Nine-Tails' attack."
For now, these rumors remained limited, spreading only in small circles.
...
Uzumaki Kushina's due date was only half a month away. Sora now anxiously kept watch over her twenty-four hours a day, fearing any possible complications.
Just as Sora was helping Kushina to the balcony to enjoy some sunlight, Kakashi suddenly arrived.
"Sora-sensei, Kushina-san," he greeted with a small bow.
After helping Kushina settle comfortably on the recliner, Sora turned to greet Kakashi. "Hey, Kakashi. What brings you here today?"
"I need to speak with you about something, Sensei."
"Alright."
Sora and Kakashi moved to the living room, though Sora kept a watchful eye on Kushina through the balcony door.
"What did you want to tell me, Kakashi?" Sora asked.
"The Third Hokage found me this morning," Kakashi explained. "He asked me to join him and some others tonight. Said he needed my help with something."
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Sarutobi Hiruzen wants you to accompany him somewhere? Just you?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No, not alone. When I arrived at his office, I saw several ANBU there as well."
Sora's eyes narrowed thoughtfully before he smiled. "Heh, seems like he plans to cause trouble for Danzo today."
"Trouble for Danzo?" Kakashi asked, confused.
Sora nodded. "There's a shinobi in Root who can use Wood Style jutsu. Sarutobi wants to retrieve him, but knows Danzo won't hand over someone with such a rare ability so easily. He might try to hide him, which is why he needs your Sharingan."
"If Danzo attempts to conceal this Wood Style user, your Sharingan will prove invaluable. You can cast genjutsu on Danzo's subordinates to learn where they've hidden him."
Kakashi looked uncertain. "Then, Sensei, should I help?"
Sora smiled. "Why not? You're still a Konoha shinobi. If something doesn't conflict with your own interests, just go along with it."
Kakashi nodded. "I understand, Sensei. I won't disturb you and Kushina-san any longer. I should go meet with the others."
"Go ahead. If anyone gives you trouble, don't hold back. Whatever happens will be on Sarutobi Hiruzen's head anyway."
Kakashi bowed to Sora, then left to meet the Third Hokage at the Hokage Tower.
...
When Kakashi arrived, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already departed. An ANBU operative guided Kakashi to their headquarters.
Dozens of ANBU had gathered at the base, which surprised Kakashi. Just to retrieve one person from Root, did they really need so many shinobi? Were they actually planning to fight against Root?
An ANBU captain approached Kakashi. "You'll be with our team. We're heading directly to Root headquarters. I'll explain your role when the time comes."
Kakashi nodded. "Understood."
As darkness fell, the ANBU captain gave the order: "Everyone, follow me!"
All ANBU operatives left their headquarters and moved toward the Root facility.
Upon arriving, all teams except Kakashi's concealed themselves in strategic positions.
The captain of Kakashi's team positioned himself at the entrance with Kakashi and five other ANBU.
"Follow me into the Root base," the captain ordered quietly.
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