According to the intelligence provided by Afei, Ryoma was hiding in a remote mountainous region within the Land of Fire.
Naruto, having left numerous Flying Raijin marks across the Land of Fire, decided to save both Itachi and Orochimaru the trouble of traveling and to prevent Ryoma from escaping. He used the Flying Raijin Technique to teleport the two of them to the nearest mark to the intel's location, then returned to Amegakure.
Having companions to rely on really is a blessing—there's no need to handle everything personally.
Naruto muttered to himself, "Lately, all sorts of bizarre creatures have been crawling out of the woodwork. I never realized how much of a nuisance ROOT was before."
On his way to the tower, Naruto encountered Violet, standing alone in the rain, gazing off into the distance.
Upon seeing him approach, Violet immediately greeted him, "Lord Naruto!"
Naruto replied casually, "It's not your shift today, is it? Haven't slept yet?"
Violet's cheeks flushed slightly. "I couldn't sleep, so I came out for some fresh air."
From within Naruto, Kushina's voice echoed: "It's that foxy little minx who was making eyes at Minato!#"
Naruto, unfazed, continued, "Your sister, Hydrangea... I'll find some time to restore her soul. It may not be a true resurrection, but at least it'll bring some closure."
Violet's face lit up with joy. "Lord Naruto, how can I ever repay you for such kindness—"
Suddenly, Naruto spoke in a woman's voice: "Just stay away from my husband, and we'll call it even!#"
"Huh?!" Violet was utterly stunned.
Naruto quickly knocked on his own head and said apologetically, "That wasn't me just now!"
Regaining his composure, Naruto added, "It's just a small favor. We're comrades; there's no need to talk about repayment."
Violet's eyes flickered. "By the way, Lord Naruto, you mentioned ROOT earlier. What's going on?"
Naruto sighed, "Don't even get me started. Even after Danzo's death, ROOT's troubles just won't end. I just found out that Danzo actually had a daughter."
Though Naruto spoke casually, Violet listened intently.
"Danzo's daughter?" Violet pressed. "Where is she now?"
Naruto, hands behind his head, replied, "She's been captured by Konoha and is currently undergoing interrogation by their torture squad. Well, let's just leave it to them, huh?"
As he spoke, he yawned, fatigue washing over him.
"I've been staying up late too often lately. Time to catch up on some sleep."
"Violet, I'll head back to rest now. You should get some rest too."
After bidding Violet farewell, Naruto entered the tower.
Meanwhile, Violet stood in the rain, her pale face and light purple eyes gleaming with a cold, alluring light.
"Danzo's daughter... Konoha... the torture squad... Lord Naruto's troubles... He has shown me great kindness. It is my duty to ease his burdens."
Her voice turned icy. "I must eliminate that woman."
Whoosh!
In a flash, Violet disappeared.
Ten minutes later, she knocked on a door.
Creak.
The door opened, revealing Minato Namikaze's clean, handsome face. "You're... Violet? What brings you here so late at night?"
Violet's rain-soaked but determined expression radiated urgency. "Benefactor, please take me to that place!"
"Huh?!" Minato was taken aback. A small orange book slipped from his arms and fell to the ground.
It was titled "The Essential Guide to Being a Good Husband: Recipes for Loving Wives."
Scrambling to pick up the book, Minato broke into a nervous sweat. "S-sorry! I'm a married man. Even though I'm already dead, I can't betray my wife. I—I can't take you to that place. Please, find someone more suitable for you, Miss Violet."
Violet blinked in surprise, then quickly understood. "You've misunderstood, Benefactor. While I did once consider having your children, that was all in the past. The place I'm talking about isn't what you're thinking."
"Oh, I see..." Minato sighed in relief—only to realize something felt off.
Violet's tone turned serious. "Take me to Konoha. You must have Flying Raijin marks there, right?"
Minato hesitated, his thoughts returning to reality. "I do have marks there, but... why do you need to go to Konoha so late at night?"
Violet replied with a playful glint in her eye, "Even as a side character, I need to brush up on my presence from time to time, don't I?"
"Huh??" Minato was utterly baffled.
Violet giggled. "Just kidding. I heard Konoha is hosting a festival, and I wanted to join the fun~!"
"Oh, I see..." Minato thought to himself, "She doesn't seem like a bad kid."
"Alright, I'll take you there."
"Thank you~."
"It's nothing, just a small favor. We're comrades; no need for thanks."
Minato smiled charmingly, placing a hand on Violet's shoulder. With a whoosh, the two vanished.
The moniker Yellow Flash truly lived up to its name.
In Konoha, the festival was nearing its end. The visiting dignitary from the Land of Fire was staying at the highest-grade inn.
The villagers dispersed to their homes, and all seemed peaceful on the surface.
But beneath the calm exterior, turbulent undercurrents swirled.
In a dimly lit interrogation room, Ibiki Morino had spent the night interrogating Shimura Homura. Truth serums and the ten most infamous torture techniques had been used multiple times, yet Shimura Homura adamantly insisted that ROOT's remnants had infiltrated Konoha to target Hinata Hyuga during the festival—and that the mastermind was none other than Shikaku Nara!
With no progress, Inoichi Yamanaka stepped in to probe Shimura Homura's subconscious. The result was the same.
As a result, Shikaku Nara, now a prime suspect, was detained by the ANBU.
In a secluded tent, a flickering candle cast shifting shadows.
Tsunade, seated at a desk with a sake gourd before her, appeared visibly intoxicated.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, clad in their perpetually unchanged robes, entered. They addressed the ANBU guards: "Leave us. Wait outside."
The ANBU looked to Tsunade, who nodded in approval. Only then did they withdraw.
Tsunade sneered, "You two have truly outdone yourselves this time, with the Land of Fire's dignitaries visiting."
Homura spoke first. "Tsunade, you're aware of what happened with Shikaku, aren't you?"
Koharu added, "Though there are still unanswered questions, the incident occurred during the dignitary's visit. It must be taken seriously, so we had no choice but to detain him."
Tsunade hiccupped, pointing a finger at them. "This is your doing, isn't it? Shikaku would never do such a thing!"
The two elders exchanged sly, aged smiles.
Homura admitted, "You're right. It was us. But so what?"
Koharu smirked, "In the history of power struggles, there's no right or wrong—only winners and losers. And you, Tsunade, have lost."
Tsunade clenched her fists. "And why do you think I've lost?"
"Because," Homura replied, "we hold Konoha's strongest trump card."
Koharu called out, "Come in!"
The curtain parted, and Hinata Hyuga walked in, her expression vacant and wooden.
Crash!
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. The sake gourd rolled off the table, spilling its contents across the floor. She was instantly sober.
The two elders spoke in unison: "Tsunade, this is reality. Step down gracefully. Kakashi Hatake will take over as Hokage. If you cooperate, your contributions during the Pain invasion will be recognized, and you'll remain head of the medical corps. But if you resist, things will get ugly."
Tsunade's fists trembled. "Why... why has it come to this? Tell me why!"
Homura and Koharu exchanged glances.
"You want to know why? Fine. We'll make you understand."
They revealed their scheme:
"Ryoma Aburame, ROOT's greatest poison master, collaborated with us to control Hinata Hyuga during the festival, neutralizing your strongest ally.
"As for Shimura Homura, she willingly subjected herself to genjutsu, altering her cognition. After the plan succeeded, she was handed over to Ibiki for interrogation, framing Shikaku Nara and sidelining your top strategist.
"Now, you're nothing but a powerless Hokage. Surrender and accept your fate."
Tsunade's lips curled into a cold smile. "You senile relics... don't you know about micro-cameras? They can record audio and video in high fidelity."
Whoosh!
The two elders froze, their gazes darting to the tent's corners.
They barked orders at Hinata: "Stop Tsunade and destroy the recordings!"
But to their horror, Hinata turned to face them, her eyes clear and unclouded.
"You... you weren't controlled?!"
At that moment, Shikaku Nara, Kakashi Hatake, and a group of Konoha shinobi entered.
"Elders," Shikaku said coldly, "this farce ends now."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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