"For the village?"
"Or for your own selfish desires?"
"In what way did Night Maple make you think he was harming the village's interests?"
Uzumaki Mito's questioning left Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu speechless.
"Old Madam, there must be some kind of misunderstanding."
"Yes, Danzō also said he just wanted to invite Night Maple in for questioning. Who knew Night Maple would resist so fiercely..."
"Enough!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen lifted the Adamantine Staff and smashed Danzō away with a single swing.
Blood spattered; one could even vaguely see a few teeth flying out.
Then, like a ragged burlap sack, he traced a graceful parabola through the air and crashed heavily to the ground—life or death unknown.
"Danzō was completely in the wrong this time. The two of you will not defend him any further!"
"Konoha has never had any rule that allows members of Root to openly arrest people on the street—let alone without following any procedure."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked to Uzumaki Mito with deep remorse and said, "Old Madam, this was your student's grave dereliction of duty. I... I will get to the bottom of this for you, for Night Maple, and for everyone!"
Feeling the sudden surge of Hiruzen's aura, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu went cold down their backs.
The old monkey was angry.
That one strike just now had knocked out all the teeth on half of Danzō's face!
Uzumaki Mito snorted coldly and withdrew the Nine-Tails' chakra.
That blow of Hiruzen's looked like he'd gravely injured Danzō, but in truth, he'd saved Danzō's life.
Off to the side, Night Maple watched quietly. The Old Madam's Nine-Tails state was just too cool!
A female version of Naruto!
If Kushina learned to use Nine-Tails Mode too—tsk, tsk—she'd be terrifying.
Uzumaki Mito ignored Hiruzen and looked at Night Maple with affection. "Night Maple, what do you think?"
"If Lord Third can get to the bottom of it, all the better."
Utatane Koharu eyed Night Maple with displeasure. "Then Night Maple, release them at once. They're all Konoha elites."
"Konoha elites—attacking Konoha civilians?"
Utatane Koharu's face turned ugly at once. This young man had no respect for her!
If not for Uzumaki Mito being here, she'd have had him seized today!
Mitokado Homura's expression suddenly changed. He hurried to the masked ninja at the front, crouched, and pressed his fingers to the man's neck.
"Dead?!"
Homura's reaction shocked Koharu pale; she rushed over.
"He's dead?"
Homura nodded darkly, shot a glance at Night Maple, and hurried to the second masked ninja.
Dead as well.
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.
He had noticed it too—the ten Root operatives were all dead.
Not a single survivor!
Night Maple was ruthless.
He had strangled the entire ten-man Root squad!
Just now, everyone's eyes had been on Danzō and the Old Madam, and they'd actually overlooked Night Maple!
"They're dead?"
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura both looked exceedingly grim!
Among those ten Root operatives were elite shinobi from the Utatane and Mitokado clans—nephew generation to Koharu and Homura. Their futures were limitless, candidates for the next clan heads—and just like that, they were dead?
Night Maple said blandly, "Oh. I didn't notice. My bad."
"Night Maple, you're utterly lawless—how dare you kill people inside Konoha?!"
"I merely defended myself. They tried to assault and kidnap me in broad daylight—what else was I supposed to do?"
Then Night Maple sighed. "It was just an accident. A misunderstanding."
Koharu and Homura's faces were stormy, veins standing out.
They had just used 'misunderstanding' and 'accident' as their excuse—now Night Maple threw the same words back at them.
"Night Maple, mind your tongue!"
Koharu jabbed a finger at him, beside herself with rage. "You're outrageous—killing so many elite shinobi! Guards! Seize him—"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than a thick tree root burst from the ground and smashed Koharu flying.
Koharu's whole body flipped backward, blood spraying from her mouth as she traced a parabola through the air and crashed into Danzō.
"Ah!"
Danzō let out a miserable scream; before he could even wake, he passed out again.
"Truly spraying blood and slander. Is this the quality of our senior advisors in Konoha?"
Night Maple's face was unruffled; he didn't spare Koharu a second glance.
Senior advisor?
What's that supposed to be?
"You!"
Homura's first reaction was fury, but the moment he met Night Maple's eyes, he wilted.
The other party clearly didn't care about his 'senior advisor' status.
He struck when he wanted, without scruple.
Utterly presumptuous.
Homura looked to Hiruzen for help.
Hiruzen could only give a wry smile. He truly hadn't expected Night Maple to act the instant he spoke—a thunderbolt, leaving no time to react.
"Night Maple, you've gone too far."
Uzumaki Mito snorted. "I believe he was protecting himself. He just awakened a Kekkei Genkai. When ambushed, he used too much force and accidentally killed his attackers—isn't that perfectly normal?"
This time, whether it was Danzō, Koharu, or Homura, they all left her deeply dissatisfied.
She even wondered if the Second had made a grave mistake entrusting Konoha's legacy to them.
By contrast, she admired Night Maple.
This is exactly how one should stand one's ground and argue on principle.
As for those ten Root operatives—this was killing the chicken to warn the monkeys!