Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Qingyu didn't go out to train. He remained quietly in his dormitory, maintaining his "hibernation" period before his leave officially began. He had to keep up the appearance of being physically weak.
However, he had no idea that during these three days, Konoha had been engulfed in a massive storm of public opinion.
It started with people discussing the body found in the river. Because of Uchiha Fugaku's public identification, the villagers realized the corpse was linked to the recent disappearances. Normally, internal investigations wouldn't reach the ears of the common folk, but on the third day of the brewing crisis, explosive rumors began to leak from unknown sources, spreading like wildfire through the streets.
The first rumor was simple: the river murder case had been transferred from the Military Police Force to the Anbu to be handled alongside the missing persons case. This primed the public to view the murder as part of a larger, darker pattern.
Then, the news became even more shocking.
Rumors claimed that Danzo, the head of the Anbu's "Root" and a high-ranking elder, was the one who had actually killed Taiichi. It was a case of the thief crying "thief."
The village was stunned. While many were skeptical, another rumor surfaced shortly after: all the missing people had been abducted by Danzo for unknown, sinister purposes, and most were already dead.
This was the breaking point. The families of the missing could no longer sit still. They gathered in a massive crowd beneath the Hokage's office, demanding an explanation from the Third Hokage.
On the edge of the gathering, under the shade of a small tree, two elderly men watched the chaos.
"Do you think this pressure will force Hiruzen to transfer the investigative authority back to the Police Force?" one of the men whispered. If Qingyu were there, he would have instantly recognized him as Yamanaka Yuta.
"Eighty percent likely," replied the other man, Nara Tetsu, Yuta's close friend. "Danzo has been doused in filth. Whether he cares or not, Hiruzen certainly will. Danzo is his shield; to protect him, Hiruzen will have to appease the public by handing the case over to the Uchiha."
"I hope the plan goes smoothly. Losing Taiichi was a heavy price; I don't want to have to activate another operative," Yuta sighed.
"Sacrifice is inevitable for the plan," Tetsu said grimly. "We must break Hiruzen's deep-rooted control, and this is the only way to open a crack in his defense."
As they spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped out onto the third-floor balcony of the Hokage building. He was dressed formally in his red-and-white Hokage robes and his "Fire" hat.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Lord Third is here!"
"Please, give us justice!"
"Is it true? Did Lord Danzo do this?"
The crowd erupted. Questions flew like kunai, creating a deafening cacophony. Yuta and Tetsu exchanged a satisfied look. This was exactly what they wanted: maximum pressure on the Hokage.
Hiruzen cleared his throat, his expression grave and commanding. He raised his hand, signaling for silence.
"Everyone, please be quiet."
The scene stilled. Every eye was fixed on the leader of the village.
"Over the past few days, rumors have plagued our village, causing great distress. I assure you here and now: Lord Danzo will personally oversee this investigation to its conclusion and bring justice to the victims."
"What?" Yuta and Tetsu froze simultaneously. This was not the response they expected.
"Hiruzen didn't strip Danzo of his power? He's doubling down even under this kind of pressure?" Yuta's face filled with anxiety. Their calculations suggested Hiruzen would never risk his reputation to protect Danzo so blatantly.
"Wait..."
Nara Tetsu's eyes widened as he watched Hiruzen continue to speak, defending Danzo's character and reassuring the crowd.
"Something is wrong. Very wrong."
Tetsu's face turned pale, and he felt a chill run down his spine as a terrifying realization struck him.
"What is it?" Yuta asked, confused by his friend's sudden shift in mood.
"The rumors... they aren't just rumors," Tetsu whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of shock and dark amusement. "I invented the lie that Danzo was the 'thief crying thief' just to frame him. But it turns out... I was right by accident."
"What do you mean?"
"If Danzo were truly innocent, Hiruzen would have sacrificed his authority temporarily to calm the public. It wouldn't cost him anything in the long run. But he refused. He can't let anyone else investigate this case. There is only one explanation..."
Tetsu's eyes gleamed with a predatory light. "Hiruzen knows Danzo did it. Danzo isn't innocent at all! We've accidentally stumbled upon the actual mastermind behind the disappearances."
"Yuta, the fox's tail is finally showing. It's time to activate the next stage of the plan!"