Since she had already decided to take Uchiha Hikaru along, Mito Uzumaki didn't hesitate.
But to avoid alerting anyone, she didn't go to the Hokage Building with a grand display.
Instead, she opted for a private visit, planning to quietly instruct the Hokage to investigate.
When Uchiha Hikaru heard her plan, he couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, 'Good one.'
'You're asking someone to investigate themselves—if anything actually comes out of this, that'd be a miracle.'
Still, he didn't try to convince Mito Uzumaki to change her method.
Because up to this point, everything Hikaru had said was based on speculation.
Nonō Yakushi hadn't spoken up, and there was no other concrete evidence.
And really, just meeting the Hokage was enough—once that happened, the situation could be formally defined.
Define the culprit as: a rogue ninja who targets children.
Leaving the investigation to Hiruzen Sarutobi might indeed lead nowhere—or someone else might be used as a scapegoat.
But that didn't mean Hiruzen was the only one who could find the mastermind.
With Mito Uzumaki's experience, once she met the Hokage, she would definitely sense something was off.
At that point, Hikaru would persuade her to ask the Uchiha Police Force to investigate the matter.
Mito adopting Hikaru was already a gesture of goodwill toward the Uchiha.
And the Police Force had jurisdiction in such matters, so the Uchiha couldn't refuse the request.
While the relationship between the Uchiha and Danzo wasn't as hostile as it would become in the future, it was far from friendly even now.
The Uchiha were quite capable, and with Hikaru's subtle guidance, they could quickly zero in on the target.
Even in the worst-case scenario—if Danzo really had covered all his tracks—
Hikaru was confident he could get Nonō Yakushi to reveal the truth.
Not to mention, knowing Danzo's personality and capability, he probably hadn't done such a flawless job.
So exposing Danzo was only a matter of time.
And when that moment came, even if Hiruzen tried to cover for him or sweep it under the rug, it would be too late.
Because once the truth was out and known throughout the village of Konoha, there would be no turning back.
Danzo might survive it—but not without shedding a layer of skin.
In the grand scheme of things, Uchiha Hikaru didn't need to do much at all.
All he needed was to go with the flow and wait a while—for Danzo to walk himself right into a dead end.
The Hokage Building was as quiet and calm as always.
This was Hikaru's second time visiting.
The last time, he'd been brought here by the Anbu.
This time, he was with Mito Uzumaki.
The difference was night and day.
The moment they arrived, the guards—upon learning her identity and purpose—didn't even announce her arrival. They simply led the way.
As they walked through the corridors, every shinobi they passed greeted Mito respectfully.
Some kunoichi even looked at her like they were seeing a living legend.
And just like that, they reached the Hokage's office without a single obstruction.
It was as smooth as walking into one's own home.
The whole thing was so over-the-top that Hikaru couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.
'No wonder the Senju clan and Mito's Uzumaki lineage eventually disappeared… even Senju Nawaki died.'
'Hiruzen Sarutobi just wasn't strong enough to suppress such a powerful subordinate.'
'If he hadn't done something, who knows—maybe one day Nawaki really would've been crowned Hokage.'
At that moment, Mito paid no mind to Hikaru's inner thoughts.
They had already arrived before Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen glanced briefly at Hikaru, then walked over to greet Mito with a broad smile.
"Lady Mito, is there something you need today?"
Sensing the rising malice in Hiruzen's aura, Mito's already foul mood—thanks to the situation with the children—grew even worse.
She knew where Hiruzen's hostility was coming from: Uchiha Hikaru.
Hikaru had become Konoha's rising star—a bridge between the village and the Uchiha.
A renowned prodigy. A future pillar of the Hidden Leaf.
There had even been murmurs about making him the Fourth Hokage.
In the end, the idea was shelved because he was still too young.
But for Hiruzen, that idea was utterly unacceptable.
He was still in his prime as a ninja and had no intention of retiring.
Seeing Mito bring Hikaru here personally—of course he wasn't pleased.
Sensing that animosity, Mito gave a helpless smile.
She stared at Hiruzen for a moment, then finally spoke.
"Hiruzen, I'm here today because something important needs your attention."
Hearing this, Hiruzen shelved his personal thoughts.
Knowing Mito's personality, if she said it was important, it likely was.
The First Shinobi World War still wasn't over—if something had gone wrong on the Senju front, that would be bad news.
So he quickly asked, "What happened to prompt you to come see me in person, Lady Mito?"
Mito glanced at Hikaru and gave him a subtle signal to step forward.
After all, he had discovered the issue—it made more sense for him to speak.
Hikaru wasn't intimidated in the slightest. After the signal, he stepped forward and addressed Hiruzen directly.
"Hokage-sama, someone has violated the village's taboos—they've targeted the children of Konoha."
Hiruzen let out a small breath of relief—it wasn't about the battlefield.
But when he heard that children had been targeted, the first person who came to mind was his old friend.
Then he remembered the command scroll he had issued him.
In that moment, his back was soaked in cold sweat.
Still, as a seasoned fox, Hiruzen masked his reaction, instead putting on a furious expression as he asked for details.
"Is the intel reliable? Do we know who did it?"
"Outrageous! To commit such a heinous act… they clearly have no respect for me as the Hokage!"
Hikaru thought for a moment, then calmly answered.
"The intel is solid—we already have a witness."
"But we haven't identified the culprit yet, which is why we're here to ask the Hokage to dispatch the Anbu to investigate."
When Hiruzen heard that there was a witness, his heart dropped.
But when he heard they didn't know who the culprit was, a wave of relief followed.
And learning that Mito had come to ask him to investigate—that finally eased his nerves completely.
Though he couldn't be sure Danzo was involved, his understanding of Danzo told him it was highly likely.
So the request for him to lead the investigation was actually a blessing—it gave him room to maneuver. At worst, he could find someone to take the fall.
Then again, the witness was still a concern. Just as his heart relaxed, it tensed slightly again.
"No problem. I'll instruct the Anbu to investigate with full force."
As he spoke, Hiruzen feigned concern and added gently:
"Is the witness safe? Perhaps I should take over their protection."
Hikaru almost laughed.
'Hand them over to you? Might as well feed them to a wolf.'
Still, his acting was just as good. Facing Hiruzen's seemingly casual question, he smiled warmly.
"No need. Grandma is already protecting them. We wouldn't want to trouble the Hokage."
Mito stood silently beside them, listening to their exchange—sensing the shifting undercurrents of Hiruzen's malice.
And just like that, she realized… something wasn't right.