Time passed, and a long period had gone by.
"Phew! Done at last!" Saitama yawned and stretched his arms.
Thump! He looked over and saw a corpse lying on the ground—the Jinchuriki of the Seven-Tails, Fu.
Beside Fu were two other figures—Gaara and Yugito.
Right after the sealing, neither of them showed any sign of life. Their faces were pale, and their lips had turned purple.
"Man, that was exhausting!" White Zetsu grinned, twisting his head around inside his Venus flytrap-like plant.
This time, Akatsuki had retrieved three Tailed Beasts, a major operation indeed, yet the sealing proceeded in an orderly fashion.
First to be sealed was Gaara, followed by Yugito brought back by Pain, and finally Fu from Takigakure.
"Once this sealing's done, we all get a few days off. Probably won't have another mission for a while!"
Pain stared at the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, where four eyes had already opened. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, showing a rare smile on his cold face.
"Everyone may disperse now."
With Rinnegan scanning the room, a faint blue glow flickered around his eye sockets.
"Yes!"
Saitama and others nodded and began leaving the place.
The sealing started with the Jinchuriki of the One-Tail, then after a day's rest, the next two sealings were completed one after another. That whole sealing process was seriously exhausting.
Sasori, Kakuzu, Hidan, Saitama, and Zetsu gradually left this space, leaving behind only the Demonic Statue and Pain and Konan.
The vast chamber wasn't too dim; above, many holes let sunlight stream through like hanging lamps, casting beams onto both hands of the statue.
Pain said nothing, silently watching the blood-red eyes of the statue. A ray of sunlight struck his back, enveloping him in light.
"From now on, it'll be hard to target the remaining Tailed Beasts. We'll continue operations after some time has passed."
Konan glanced toward Pain, her lips subtly moving.
"Understood. Let Zetsu continue gathering intel. We've got time."
As his gaze swept across the corpses lying on the floor, Pain fell into thought. The Jinchuriki of the One-Tail was too young to be useful. But the corpses of the other two could still be put to use.
...
Konoha Village.
Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage hadn't come here for a long time since the last meeting, staying at home instead.
After all, he was a retired Hokage and no longer had the authority to remain inside the Hokage Building.
But today, he returned here, accompanied by the two Elders who served as Hokage Advisors.
Minato Namikaze had asked him to come here today—likely with something important to share.
Eventually, the meeting room door opened, and Minato Namikaze and Shikaku entered one after another.
Their expressions were grim, not the slightest bit relaxed.
It was just like the previous meeting, with the old and new factions seated on opposite sides of the long table.
The Third wore loose, dark-colored casual clothes, making him appear rather plain.
He definitely looked older than he used to.
Recently, he hadn't been eating well or sleeping properly, always thinking about Danzo's death.
Minato sat down, nodded at the two advisors, then greeted the Third.
"Third Hokage!"
"Hm, Minato!"
After a quick greeting, they got straight to the point.
"I heard you sent people out a few days ago. Have you received any intelligence?"
The Third knew Minato had called him here specifically to share some information, so he asked directly.
"Yes. A few days ago, I dispatched Kakashi and Shisui to Takigakure and Sunagakure respectively."
Minato nodded, hands clasped beneath his chin. Shikaku sat on his right, tugging thoughtfully at his beard.
"Let's hear it. I want to know about that mysterious person or their organization!"
The Third leaned forward, waiting intently as Minato continued.
"The Seven-Tails from Takigakure was already taken by the enemy, and likewise, the One-Tail from Sunagakure has also been captured."
"So soon?" The Third narrowed his eyes, his graying brows furrowed close together.
"In Takigakure's case, Kakashi encountered the enemy, but since no battle occurred, he couldn't identify them."
"But in Sunagakure's case, Shisui recognized them."
Minato paused briefly before continuing.
"One of the enemies who took the One-Tail was named Saitama Uchiha—a former ninja of the Uchiha Clan."
"Saitama Uchiha…" The Third voiced his confusion; something about that name felt oddly familiar.
"This Saitama is recorded as having died on the battlefield—an Uchiha ninja from the same generation as Shisui," Minato explained to the three puzzled men beside him.
"According to the intelligence gathered by Shisui, Saitama participated in this operation targeting the One-Tail and even severely wounded Kazekage Rasa!"
Minato's tone carried weight, and a shadow darkened his face. He'd met Saitama before—once held him in high regard—but things had changed now…
"I remember him! Saitama Uchiha!" After a long silence, the Third finally spoke again.
"Wasn't it Danzo who brought word of Saitama's death back then?"
Taking a deep breath, the Third continued. He clearly remembered this event. Back then, Danzo had requested permission to leave the village.
Saitama's death had also passed through his hands personally.
At the time, Uchiha Saitama had become one of the rare rising stars within the Uchiha Clan for quite a while. To appease growing tensions among the Uchiha, the Third hadn't even wait for the war to end before inscribing his name on the "Hero Memorial Stone", hoping it might calm the clan's simmering frustrations.
"That must be where things started going wrong," the Third mused silently, connecting in his mind Danzo's strange behavior around that period along with the strange changes he'd noticed in Danzo's body.
"Ahh…" He exhaled heavily after a long pause, shadows clouding across his expression.
On the opposite side, Minato observed the Third's demeanor closely. He realized the Hokage must have connected something, yet the Third stayed silent, holding back words left unspoken.
"What's the deal now? Has Saitama Uchiha really turned his back on the village?"
Koharu Utatane pursed her lips, her expression complicated.
"This so-called Saitama Uchiha, despite being a Konoha ninja, has committed such an act..."
Behind his glasses, Homura Mitokado's eyes glinted sharply.
"Minato, it's up to you," the Third Hokage finally said after a long pause. In a short amount of time, he had already pieced together many underlying reasons.
"I will issue a wanted notice for Saitama Uchiha and treat him as a rogue ninja. I'll also dispatch Anbu to gather intelligence on him. However, the Uchiha Clan seems to have different opinions on the matter."
Minato hesitated slightly before speaking, seeking advice from the Third in hopes of working out a solid plan.
"He was the one responsible for Danzo's death, wasn't he?" Koharu asked after a moment's thought. She didn't know the details of their conflict, but from the silent exchange between the Third and Minato Namikaze, she figured out this much.
The Third looked up and met Minato's gaze in silence.
Minato's face stiffened momentarily as he turned to look, then nodded.
Saitama Uchiha had killed Danzo. Although many circumstances surrounding that event were unknown to others, killing a senior military advisor from their own village was an unforgivable act.
"I support issuing a wanted notice. No matter what complaints the Uchiha Clan might have, they can come talk to me directly!" Koharu stated firmly as her first response, then glanced toward Homura who sat across from her.
Homura nodded in agreement with her statement.
"Continue investigating everything related to Saitama Uchiha. We need to learn more—like what organization he's part of, its purpose, their current location, etc.!"
The Third nodded toward Minato, expressing his opinion.
"From the intelligence available so far, we know four members of this organization: Saitama Uchiha; a puppet master believed to be from Sunagakure; a rogue ninja specializing in ninjutsu from Takigakure; and one from the Land of Hot Springs. Their exact capabilities are still unknown, but one thing is certain—they're all powerful rogue ninja!"
With his right hand resting on his left wrist, Minato listened carefully as Shikaku summarized intelligence gathered from both Takigakure and Sunagakure.
"So they've already captured three tailed beasts now?"
The Third Hokage's expression became complex.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>