"Lord Hokage, Sasuke has been located. He's lying on a bench not far from the village gate."
An ANBU member, who had rushed back from the field, softly reported this to Hiruzen Sarutobi, interrupting his deep thoughts.
He had received direct orders from their leader to track down Sasuke.
"Oh, is he alright?"
Upon hearing the report, Hiruzen Sarutobi already knew who was behind this.
However, just thinking about Itachi's terrifying combat power made his scalp tingle. For a moment, he didn't know how to proceed.
"Where was Danzo when this happened?"
Itachi was not someone to provoke lightly. Given the grim situation, solving the case quickly was imperative to restore the village's damaged prestige.
...
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately decided to pin the blame on Danzo.
For now, the charges could sit on Danzo's shoulders.
After reading the Scroll of Seals, Hiruzen was acutely aware of Itachi's immense power. He knew there wasn't much he could do against him.
With Itachi now out of the village and virtually untraceable, sending people after him would be as futile as searching for a needle in a haystack—it would only be a waste of lives.
The only option was to maintain stability, as he always had.
Powerful villages couldn't afford to make powerful enemies, and powerful individuals were equally untouchable.
Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made to maintain the facade of peace.
Unlike Sakumo, Itachi didn't have any exploitable weaknesses. Danzo's usual underhanded tactics were useless against someone of Itachi's caliber, leaving only the option of deliberate neglect...
Besides, Itachi hadn't killed him, right? Perhaps there was a chance to win him over.
With this thought, Hiruzen's mood lightened.
His mind became increasingly active, as if he had reached a sudden epiphany. A series of cunning strategies began forming in his head.
...
"Lord Danzo seems to have stayed home recently, playing chess," one of the lower-ranking ANBU members replied instinctively to Hiruzen's question.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible. That must be a smokescreen! He's probably been planning this for a long time!"
Hearing the ANBU's response, Hiruzen flatly denied it. He shot a deep, meaningful glance at the junior officer, noting his lack of discretion. This one might ruin his plans someday; better to reassign him to rear-line support, perhaps managing livestock.
He needed lackeys here, not saints.
"But Lord Hokage, last time, you already assigned our squad to monitor Danzo. The advisor truly hasn't done anything suspicious," the junior officer replied earnestly, completely ignoring the pointed looks from his colleagues.
"Guards, take him away for interrogation!" Hiruzen snapped, enraged. "This man must have been corrupted by Danzo! He's colluding with him, taking advantage of my absence to stir up trouble!"
Furious at the ANBU's lack of tact, Hiruzen waved his hand to give the order, striking decisively.
Now was not the time for hesitation. Any delay could hinder the investigation, which would deal a devastating blow to his reputation.
...
Watching the clueless ANBU member being dragged away by his comrades, Hiruzen radiated authority, commanding respect without the need to raise his voice.
"Step forward, you two!"
After a brief pause, Hiruzen called again.
Two masked individuals stepped forward and knelt before him.
Hiruzen's gaze lingered on them, making their skin crawl.
"Speak. What did you see?"
After a moment of silence, Hiruzen asked again, his tone low and measured.
...
"Lord Hokage! I saw Advisor Danzo—the old thief—using a shadow clone to deceive everyone. His real body knocked out the hidden guards, then confronted Sasuke while waiting for you. After wreaking havoc in the Hokage's office, he abducted Sasuke!"
Under Hiruzen's piercing stare, one of the ANBU members stammered at first but quickly gained confidence, speaking as if he had witnessed everything firsthand. His account sounded solid, as though irrefutable.
"Would you be willing to testify against Danzo in front of the entire village?" Hiruzen asked, his expression one of approval.
"Reporting to Lord Hokage, I would! I'll expose Advisor Danzo's crimes before the entire village!"
The ANBU member stood tall, brimming with righteous fervor, like a beacon of justice.
"Excellent! The ANBU needs more ninja like you—truthful, sharp-eyed, and courageous. From today onward, you're promoted to squad leader!"
Hiruzen stepped forward, helping the astonished ANBU member to his feet.
Patting the man's shoulder warmly, he spoke with kindness.
In that moment, the image of a wise and benevolent leader filled the Hokage's office, casting a radiant glow.
...
"All hail Lord Hokage! Solving the case so quickly—it's as if he's a god of investigation!"
At that moment, several squad leaders of the Anbu began clapping enthusiastically...
The applause was thunderous, as if something truly inspiring had just occurred.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the squad leaders with an expression of approval.
"Keep it low-key, low-key. Honestly, the culprit was just too foolish. To dare commit a crime right under the noses of the righteous Anbu... utterly idiotic!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Over the past few years, he had adjusted the training policies, and the Anbu had become more and more to his liking.
Of course, there were still a few bad apples...
---
"Great Lord Hokage, shall we immediately apprehend the evil Danzo and bring him to trial before the entire village?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hands and gestured downward, indicating that the flattery could stop now.
The office fell silent once more, with everyone waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi to deliver his instructions.
Hiruzen rolled his shoulders, secretly cursing their lack of perception.
He was still carrying the sealing scroll on his back.
---
"Hold on for now. Human testimony alone isn't enough; we need physical evidence as well, so the evil wrongdoer has no chance to overturn the verdict."
Hiruzen spoke slowly, his tone exuding a sense of impartiality, as if he were determined to handle the matter with both testimony and evidence.
His words caused the faces of the Anbu below to shift. Where on earth were they supposed to find evidence? Or, more accurately... how were they supposed to fabricate it?
What a shameless request.
"Do any of you righteous Anbu have any thoughts?"
When no one spoke again, Hiruzen felt a little annoyed.
This group lacked sharp minds. He needed to recruit smarter people.
---
"Hokage-sama, I just remembered something. Back then, Danzo... seemed to have colluded with Orochimaru!"
Though it had been years, there might still be some traces left to investigate.
Hiruzen's words left the Anbu in a bind.
However, among them, there were a few clever individuals.
It was clear that Hiruzen was preparing to deal with Danzo. Without the Hokage's protection, the crimes Danzo had committed over the years were no small matter.
Listing a few of them would be enough to cause public outrage.
Instead of forging non-existent evidence, it would be better to dig up old scandals.
As long as there was a reason to take down Danzo, they could casually add this new testimony on top. Who would even care about physical evidence by then?
One Anbu, as if a light bulb had gone off, began to see things more clearly.
---
"Is this really true?"
Hearing this subordinate's words, Hiruzen's eyes lit up. He replied with a hint of praise in his tone.
"It's true! I can testify! Also, Danzo's bandages are highly suspicious. It's likely they're connected to his dealings with Orochimaru!"
As Hiruzen's eyes and ears, they knew a lot.
Previously, Hiruzen had let things slide because Danzo still had his uses. But now? This was the perfect opportunity to prove loyalty and demonstrate capability.
A good performance could lead to promotions and wealth. Maybe even two... no, three young wives!
---
Once someone took the lead, others quickly followed suit.
They accused Danzo of colluding with rogue Anbu members to assassinate the Hokage, only to be foiled when the Hokage heroically turned the traitors against him.
They alleged that he spread rumors and plotted against war heroes.
They even claimed he manipulated one of the Legendary Sannin into conducting cruel human experiments for his own gain.
By the end, it seemed as though everything bad that had ever happened was somehow connected to Danzo.
---
For example, the attack on their ally, the Land of Whirlpools, where Danzo intercepted the plea for help, leaving Konoha without a key ally.
Or how he encouraged the few remaining members of the Senju Clan to assist the Land of Whirlpools, only for none of them to return.
Even Minato's wife, during childbirth, was said to have been betrayed by Danzo, who let the enemy infiltrate and revealed their location.
---
Hearing all this, Hiruzen's expression grew darker. Some of these claims, even he hadn't known about...
Particularly the former members of Root, whom he had transferred into the Anbu and released from Danzo's Curse Mark of Absolute Obedience—they were the most vocal.
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