"Well…"
Yuu lifted his chin toward the corner of the room. A tightly bound figure lay there unconscious.
"I captured this man during my trip. His codename is 'Shin.' He has already admitted that Kirigakure's surprise attack was connected to Root's actions.
"Later, we can have Yamanaka Ken'ichi examine his memories. The truth will naturally become clear.
"Furthermore, Fuguki Suikazan and Raiga Kurosuki are both in our hands now. We only need Ken'ichi to examine them as well to learn why they chose this moment to launch their attack."
Although Fuguki Suikazan was already dead, he had only been killed a short while ago, so most of his brain cells were theoretically still alive and his memories could still be examined.
Even if that failed, it did not matter. Raiga Kurosuki could still be used normally.
"…"
Silence followed.
Unlike Yuu, Uchiha Fugaku and the others were natives of the Naruto world and possessed an instinctive reverence toward Danzō.
Moreover, none of them were particularly scheming people. They were incapable of playing elaborate political games and could hardly imagine that someone might stoop to such an outrageous level of depravity for personal gain.
Even after realizing that Yuu might be telling the truth, they found it difficult to accept immediately.
Only Asuma seemed to remember something and quietly glanced toward Kakashi.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen's son, Asuma was more familiar with Danzō and knew some of his darker history.
If he remembered correctly, the suicide of Hatake Sakumo after his failed mission and the rumors attacking him throughout the village had also been connected to Danzō.
Danzō's deliberate inaction and encouragement had allowed public opinion to spiral completely out of control.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had even quarreled fiercely with Danzō over the matter, and the two had parted on terrible terms.
Therefore…
if Danzō had truly done what Yuu claimed, it made logical sense.
That old man really was someone willing to use any means necessary to achieve certain objectives.
However, Asuma could not say this openly. Otherwise, the situation might become impossible to control.
"Um…"
Asuma took a deep breath and slowly said,
"I believe Yuu would never joke with us about something like this. However…
"Given the unusual situation we currently face, I think everyone should keep the contents of this discussion confidential until the full truth is uncovered. We shouldn't mention it casually to anyone else. Otherwise…"
Otherwise, uncertainty and panic might spread throughout Shakuka Town and even the entire southeastern front.
After all, no one wanted to be stabbed in the back by their own people while risking their lives for the village.
More importantly, the reason behind Danzō's actions might have been to target the Uchiha clan.
If someone deliberately stirred up that issue, the Uchiha might rise in rebellion ahead of schedule and openly clash with Konoha.
The thought made Asuma shudder.
Beside him,
Uchiha Fugaku vaguely understood the hidden meaning behind Asuma's words.
After remaining silent for a moment, he nodded.
"Asuma is correct. This matter should not be spread for now…
"Let's do this. I'll find Ken'ichi and have him examine the memories of this Root ninja and the two Kiri ninja.
"Once we understand the full situation from every angle, we can decide what to do next."
"Alright. I'll go with you."
Asuma said.
By now, Asuma roughly understood why Yuu had specifically invited him to this small meeting.
Put plainly, Yuu had called him in to help bear the pressure.
This matter was a scalding-hot burden that would give anyone who touched it a headache.
But there was nothing Asuma could do.
He was the Third Hokage's son.
Regardless of his personal feelings, he could only accept the responsibility and do everything he could to maintain stability.
Among the group, only Kakashi remained standing in place.
Yuu patted his shoulder.
"Hey, Kakashi. Help me with something."
"Hmm?"
Kakashi turned around.
Yuu said,
"Although Root was responsible for leaking Konoha's intelligence to Kirigakure, the person who actually carried out the task probably wasn't this Root ninja. Someone else must have done it."
After all, Shin had followed Yuu from the stronghold all the way to Eagle Peak. He could not simultaneously have carried out the intelligence leak.
Considering that Yuu had sensed the presences of several Root ninja when they departed from Konoha, there had to be other operatives.
"…You want me to help you capture that person?"
Kakashi understood what Yuu meant.
"Yes."
Yuu nodded.
Speaking of which…
up to this point, Yuu did not actually possess conclusive evidence that Root had leaked the intelligence.
It was only a reasonable deduction based on the current situation, while Shin had merely acknowledged it through his reaction rather than openly confessing.
But that did not matter.
They could act first and worry about the rest later.
Root's hands could not possibly be clean, and the fact that it had been ordered to target the Uchiha was absolutely certain.
Since Yuu had already decided to tear away the facade, only one path remained.
"The other Root ninja should still be somewhere outside the stronghold. We don't know when he'll return or where he'll appear.
"If he senses that something is wrong, he may escape early, causing us to lose our opportunity to capture him and uncover the truth. Therefore…"
Yuu lowered his voice.
"I have a plan, and I need your cooperation, Kakashi."
…
It was early morning.
On a hill overlooking the outskirts of Shakuka Town,
Otsu silently hid within the shadows behind a cluster of trees, observing the nearby stronghold through gaps between the leaves.
He had already been back for some time.
Although he had not entered the stronghold to examine the situation in detail, judging from what he could see from the outside, Otsu felt that things had gone fairly well.
Kirigakure had launched a surprise attack and been defeated by Konoha, while the Uchiha had suffered heavy casualties…
Everything had proceeded according to expectations.
Next, he only needed to wait for the Konoha ninja inside the stronghold to bury the bodies, then find an opportunity to recover the Sharingan from the corpses of the fallen Uchiha and bring them back to Konoha for Lord Danzō.
Once that was done, the mission would be perfectly complete.
Perhaps Danzō would even grant him a reward.
However…
Otsu shifted his gaze toward the entrance of the command post.
An astonishingly large eagle stood there, preening its feathers. Occasionally, it raised its head and surveyed the surroundings.
Its sharp crimson-gold eyes gleamed coldly beneath the sunlight, making it extremely intimidating.
Otsu was certain that this creature had not existed when he left the stronghold.
Furthermore, there were no nearby habitats capable of supporting such an enormous bird of prey.
Therefore, its origin could only be connected to a certain white-haired brat.
It was most likely a newly subdued summoned beast that Yuu had brought back from somewhere else.
And the reason Konoha had managed to inflict such heavy losses upon Kirigakure was probably also related to him.
Since Yuu had returned…
where was Shin, who had been assigned to follow and monitor him?
Why had he still not appeared?
Otsu began feeling uneasy.
At that moment, a nearby bush suddenly shook, producing a faint rustling sound.
"Who's there?!"
Otsu's nerves instantly tightened.
As he turned around, his right hand had already gripped the hilt of the sword on his back. Chakra gathered beneath his feet, ready to erupt at any moment.
However, after seeing the other person, Otsu secretly released a breath of relief.
"It's you."
"Before I returned, what exactly happened inside the stronghold? When did that brat Mikami Yuu come back?"
Facing Otsu's question,
Shin, who had just emerged from the bushes, answered in a slightly hoarse voice,
"Cough… Don't mention it. That brat's alertness is absurdly high. I lost him halfway through the journey.
"Later, I saw him flying through the sky on an eagle, so I followed him back…"
As he spoke, Shin took several steps forward and approached Otsu.
Watching him, Otsu vaguely felt that something was wrong.
As a Root elite, he had trained in sensory ninjutsu and had specifically practiced methods for identifying Transformation Techniques.
He could tell that the Shin before him was genuinely Shin and not someone else using a Transformation Technique.
But…
something still felt strange.
As Shin approached,
Otsu took a step backward and spoke coldly.
"Stop there. Don't move any closer.
"Answer me. Did that white-haired brat truly fail to discover you—"
Before he could finish speaking,
something unexpected happened!
The instant the distance between them narrowed to less than three meters, Shin abruptly lunged forward.
His right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing toward the wrist Otsu used to hold his sword!
At the same time, his eyes became deep and dark, resembling a bottomless, freezing pool.
"?!"
What was happening?!
Otsu's pupils contracted sharply!
Although the attack had come suddenly, he had survived years of life-and-death battles. His body reacted faster than his thoughts.
He immediately kicked backward and retreated, widening the distance a split second before he could be grabbed.
At the same time, he threw several smoke bombs and began sinking into the ground.
"Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!"
As chakra surged, the ground beneath Otsu's feet instantly softened.
His entire body sank downward, and he began fleeing underground in the direction opposite Shin and the Shakuka Town stronghold.
However, before he could reach a safe distance, another chakra presence suddenly erupted nearby!
"…Earth Release: Returning Earth and Land!"
The soil surged!
While Otsu was still escaping underground, he felt an inexplicable force rise beneath him and push his body upward.
He attempted to struggle, but then saw a white-haired boy rapidly "swimming" through the earth from ahead.
The two collided head-on and briefly exchanged several attacks underground.
Then the force of Returning Earth and Land pushed both of them out, returning them to the surface.
By this time, Shin had already arrived.
He formed seals and used the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.
Otsu's vision instantly went black, and everything before his eyes vanished into nothingness.
He struggled several times, but the white-haired boy who had just appeared quickly disarmed him.
Then someone pressed a hand against his shoulder. Fine black symbols spread across the surface of his body, binding him completely.
Caught between attacks from both sides,
Otsu quickly lost the ability to resist.
However, he could still move his mouth, so he shouted furiously,
"Shin! Why?! Have you lost your mind?! You actually dare betray Root and Lord Danzō… Do you know what happens to traitors? Lord Danzō will never forgive you!"
"And you… Kakashi! I am Lord Danzō's subordinate! You actually dare attack me? Are you planning to betray the village?!"
That was right.
The white-haired boy who had used Returning Earth and Land was Kakashi.
He was currently standing before Otsu, forcing both his hands behind his back and binding them tightly.
There was no expression on the portion of his face visible above his black mask.
His dead-fish eyes merely stared calmly at Otsu, as though looking at a corpse.
On the other side,
Shin still maintained his original appearance.
He took Otsu's ninja pouch, searched through it, then lifted his chin toward Kakashi.
"Let's go. We'll bring him back first."
The current "Shin" was naturally Yuu.
However, Yuu had not transformed into Shin using the Transformation Technique.
He was not familiar with the man at all and had only encountered him a few times.
If he had used an ordinary Transformation Technique, he could never have fooled someone familiar with Shin—especially a veteran Root ninja like Otsu.
Therefore, Yuu had used the Spirit Transformation Technique.
He left his main body inside the command post under the giant eagle's protection, then used the Spirit Transformation Technique to possess Shin and come here to capture Otsu.
Judging from the practical results, the technique was indeed extremely useful under certain circumstances.
Of course…
it could be used occasionally, but Yuu could not depend on it.
The Spirit Transformation Technique's weakness was far too obvious.
If someone discovered the vulnerability, Yuu could end up disemboweled like Katō Dan.
Although Yuu had several plans for addressing that weakness, none had been tested.
Moreover, he had many potential enemies, so he had to remain cautious.
At once,
Yuu turned around and returned to the stronghold command post with Kakashi and the captured Otsu.
There was naturally no need to describe the process of ending the Spirit Transformation Technique and securing the two Root ninja.
A short while later,
the four people who had attended the earlier meeting gathered inside the command post once again.
This time, there was one additional person—
Yamanaka Ken'ichi.
To investigate secrets hidden within another person's memories, a Yamanaka clansman proficient in the Mind Body Switch Technique was indispensable.
Considering the seriousness of the matter, Asuma and Uchiha Fugaku had already warned Yamanaka Ken'ichi that he had to maintain absolute secrecy regarding everything he was about to encounter.
Asuma even planned to have Ken'ichi place a restriction upon himself afterward, preventing him from accidentally revealing the information.
"Captain Yuu."
Uchiha Fugaku spoke first.
"Asuma and I already took Ken'ichi to the cells and examined the memories of Fuguki Suikazan and Raiga Kurosuki.
"Although the information was somewhat fragmented, one fact was very clear.
"Kirigakure obtained the intelligence that prompted this surprise attack from an underground bounty exchange.
"The person who sold them information regarding Konoha's defensive deployments along the southeastern front used the codename—
"Deep Throat."
~~~
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