Senju Clan Grounds.
Uchiha Yato and Tsunade stood before Uzumaki Mito.
Tsunade vividly recounted the recent events and shared her thoughts on the matter.
"At this point, it's either Danzo acting alone or deliberately trying to provoke others."
"Either way, I find it utterly disgusting."
Uchiha Yato listened without comment.
After all, the most influential woman in Hidden Leaf was seated before him, and he needed to maintain a respectful demeanor.
But to Uzumaki Mito, his silence seemed suspicious.
Given Yato's notorious reputation as a troublemaker in Hidden Leaf, his uncharacteristic quietness could only mean one of two things: either he was remorseful or plotting his next mischief.
After Tsunade finished speaking, Uzumaki Mito remarked,
"It seems he harbored ill intentions. The real peeping tom must be someone else."
As a seasoned shinobi, Uzumaki Mito had pieced together the truth just from Tsunade's account.
Uchiha Yato agreed, "That's what I believe as well. I trust the Third Hokage will clear both the Uchiha and the Sand shinobi of any wrongdoing."
Suddenly, a staff member from Leaf Hospital rushed in.
They informed Tsunade that a patient suspected of being the peeping tom had been severely beaten and required her immediate attention.
With a sigh, Tsunade excused herself, leaving Uchiha Yato alone with Uzumaki Mito.
Uzumaki Mito cut straight to the point, "You didn't stay behind to chat with an old woman just for small talk, did you?"
Uchiha Yato replied, "Shimura Danzo keeps framing me, and it's happening too often."
"I plan to strike back hard this time—otherwise, he'll keep thinking I'm an easy target."
With her Sage's Perception, lying to Uzumaki Mito was futile, so Yato chose his words carefully.
Uzumaki Mito asked, "Is there nothing else?"
Uchiha Yato then added flatteringly, "I borrowed your esteemed name before—both during the Leaf Court proceedings and now."
"I came this time to formally report to you, to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings."
Yato had two reasons for this visit: first, to clarify everything, since he had done nothing to betray Hidden Leaf. The wife of the First Hokage wouldn't act against him without cause.Meanwhile, another matter was to deal another heavy blow to Danzo here.
After listening, Uzumaki Mito revealed a kind smile and said, "You silly child, it's a good thing that the Leaf Court can make the Hidden Leaf's rules and regulations more transparent."
"If it weren't for my old age, I'd take that judge position myself—no one would dare lie before me."
She took a sip of tea from her cup before continuing.
"This time, you were the one pushing Shimura Danzo's matter forward, weren't you?"
Uchiha Yato replied, "Yes, but I didn't expect him to frame me."
"My main goal was to keep the Hokage's advisors occupied. It's not good for them to constantly monitor their own village comrades."
At this point, Uzumaki Mito had largely understood the situation.
To put it plainly, Uchiha Yato had set up a scheme that entangled the Hidden Leaf's leadership with the Sand ninja while keeping the Uchiha Clan out of it.
Then, Uchiha Yato added, "Aburame Ryoma is Danzo's right-hand man. From his memories, I found some... interesting things."
This immediately piqued Uzumaki Mito's interest. If Uchiha Yato called something "interesting," it must be truly explosive.
Uchiha Yato continued, "Lady Tsunade's first boyfriend was named Dan Katō, correct?"
Uzumaki Mito felt slightly uncomfortable with this phrasing, though it was perfectly in line with Uchiha Yato's usual manner.
She corrected him, "That was her first love. Couldn't you phrase it more elegantly?"
Uchiha Yato went on, "According to information from controllable sources, Dan Katō's death might be related to our esteemed Hokage's advisor."
This instantly changed Uzumaki Mito's attitude—she could no longer treat this as mere gossip.
Uchiha Yato explained further, "Aburame Ryoma wasn't a participant that time—more of a recorder."
"The two Root ninjas he mentioned have likely vanished from this world, so finding evidence might be difficult."
Uzumaki Mito's smile faded as she fell into deep thought.
Uchiha Yato sat quietly beside her, not daring to make a sound that might disturb the kunoichi's contemplation.
Eventually, Uzumaki Mito asked, "You haven't told Tsunade about this, have you?"
"Because if she knew, she'd probably be on her way to Root headquarters right now."
Uchiha Yato nodded without elaborating.
Uzumaki Mito was quite satisfied with how Uchiha Yato handled matters, so she didn't press further.
Her expression then turned cold as she demanded, "Was Shimura Danzo involved in Nawaki's death?!"
This was what concerned her most. If her grandson had died by an outsider's hand, she could accept it as his own lack of strength.
But if it was by a fellow villager's doing... this kunoichi still had enough power to take someone with her without regrets.
Because this matter was so crucial, Uzumaki Mito addressed Danzo directly by name, showing no courtesy.
Uchiha Yato replied, "I truly wish I could tell you I found evidence linking him to Nawaki."
"But lying to an elder would weigh too heavily on my conscience."
Only upon hearing this did Uzumaki Mito retract her terrifying expression.
This was precisely why Uchiha Yato always managed to stay in Uzumaki Mito's good graces.Few people knew she possessed the Shingan (Divine Mind's Eye) ability, aside from the higher-ups of the Hidden Leaf.
From the first time she met Uchiha Yato until now, he had never once told a lie in her presence.
Moreover, after the incidents involving Nawaki and Tsunade, Uchiha Yato had sincerely come to encourage Uzumaki Mito.
This greatly increased the elderly kunoichi's tolerance toward Uchiha Yato. As long as she lived, and as long as Yato didn't betray the village, she would always be willing to step in for him.
Today had been filled with too much news, and for an elderly woman, the pressure was quite heavy.
Uchiha Yato didn't drag things out. Before Uzumaki Mito could even hint at dismissing him, he took his leave and departed the Senju Clan Grounds.
At this moment, Yato didn't head straight home. Instead, he chose to grab a bite to eat at a snack stall.
Perhaps it was because of his Uchiha heritage, but Yato also had an extreme fondness for dango.
Just as he finished packing up his order of tri-colored dango, a voice called out from behind him.
"Long time no see, Uchiha Yato."
That hoarse, slightly thick voice was unmistakable.
"Orochimaru-san, must you always be so dramatic?"
"You could give someone with a weak heart a fatal scare."
Indeed, the owner of that voice was none other than the legendary Sannin—Orochimaru.
Emerging from the shadows of a nearby alley, Orochimaru smirked.
"I hold grudges, you know. You destroyed three of my Hidden Leaf laboratories."
"I haven't forgotten that debt. Don't think you can escape so easily."
Just thinking about it made Orochimaru genuinely angry. He had built those labs next to restrooms, yet Uchiha Yato still managed to stumble upon them just by using the facilities.
If not for the fact that Yato's Bloodline Limit was the Sharingan, Orochimaru would have suspected his eyes were actually the Byakugan.
Yato, however, dodged the topic with a joke, refusing to engage with Orochimaru's complaints.
If Orochimaru had sought him out, it was undoubtedly because he wanted something from Yato.
And Yato wasn't about to make it easy for him—at the very least, Orochimaru would have to contribute some of his scientific expertise.
Knowing Yato's habits, Orochimaru decided to cut to the chase.
"I want Sunagakure's Rasa. Can you get me his body?"