Chapter 197: Orders
Ryohei sighed inwardly. Shisui clearly knew about the seal and was wary of it. Since he was on an official mission, the outcome was unlikely to be favorable.
Ryohei nodded, acknowledging Shisui's firm stance. He vanished from his spot, reappearing before Toshiro and the other Jonin, who were anxiously waiting for an update.
"Sir, it's Shisui Uchiha," Ryohei reported. "He wants to speak with you outside the gate. He claims to have urgent orders from Lord Third."
Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "Shisui Uchiha? Here? Are you sure it's him?"
"Yes, sir. He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan before speaking," Ryohei replied. This was proof enough for both Ryohei and Toshiro.
Toshiro pondered for a moment, weighing the risks. Shisui's presence outside the gate was a clear indication of his awareness of the safety seals within the base. This was a calculated move. "Very well," Toshiro finally said. "I'll go meet him. The rest of you, stay alert."
Toshiro made his way to the gate, his mind racing with possibilities. As he approached, he could see Shisui standing calmly, his Mangekyo Sharingan still activated. Toshiro stopped a few meters away, close enough for a conversation but far enough to react if things went south.
"Shisui Uchiha," Toshiro greeted, his voice steady. "What brings you here?"
Shisui kept his gaze steady, locking eyes with Toshiro. "Toshiro Yamanaka, I have urgent orders from Lord Third. Your presence here is no longer required. The operation in the Land of Snow is to be shut down immediately."
Toshiro's eyes widened in surprise. "Shut down? On whose authority?"
Shisui didn't blink. "I already said on the authority of the Third Hokage. This base can compromise our diplomatic efforts with the Land of Iron. You are to stand down and return to Konoha. These orders are final and non-negotiable," Shisui said, and he stopped emitting the huge amount of chakra.
As soon as he did that, Toshiro could sense that Shisui was not alone. There was another elite Jonin and seven Jonin with him. This team was strong enough to rival the strength of every ninja present in the base combined. The numerical advantage would be meaningless against the strength of two elite Jonin.
Toshiro's mind raced. If Shisui was telling the truth, disobeying an order from the Hokage could lead to severe consequences. But what if this was a ruse? He needed to be certain. "And what proof do you have of these orders?"
Shisui reached into his pouch and pulled out a scroll bearing the Hokage's seal. He tossed it to Toshiro, who caught it and quickly scanned its contents. His eyes flickered with doubt but eventually settled on a decision.
"This only contains Lord Third's seal. Where are the orders from Danzo-sama?" Toshiro asked.
"We were only given orders to deliver this command to this base and shut it down before anyone from the Land of Iron could get any inkling about this base and its connection with Konoha," Shisui said.
"But Root bases are under Danzo-sama's authority. We can't close it without his orders," Toshiro said, making his point clear. He was relieved that the situation was looking rather peaceful. It would be great if they didn't have to fight.
"From what I know, Elder Danzo is under house arrest for operating such a base in the Land of Iron without notifying Lord Third or any other council member about it," Shisui lied through his teeth. Since there was some truth in it, like if it were somehow revealed in the council meeting about this base, Danzo would likely face similar consequences.
Toshiro's eyes narrowed. "House arrest? I wasn't informed of this. What proof do you have?"
Shisui remained calm, knowing the delicate balance of this situation. "Proof will be provided upon your return to Konoha. For now, your priority should be to follow the Hokage's orders. If you're concerned about Danzo, then returning will allow you to clear things up."
Toshiro hesitated. The logic made sense, but the risk of deception was still present. He knew he couldn't ignore a direct order from the Hokage, especially with the possibility of diplomatic fallout with the Land of Iron. "Very well, Shisui. We will prepare to leave. But if this is a trick…"
Shisui interrupted, "I assure you, it is not. We don't have time to waste. So please, start the evacuation and demolition of this base."
Toshiro turned to his subordinates, giving the signal to begin preparations for departure. "Ryohei, inform the others. We're shutting down the base and returning to Konoha. Make sure the captives are secure and prepare them for transport."
Ryohei nodded and swiftly moved to relay the orders. Meanwhile, Toshiro kept his eyes on Shisui, still wary of any sudden moves. "We'll need some time to gather everything and secure the captives. Any interference from your side will be seen as hostile."
Even though the orders were genuine, Toshiro still had a bad feeling about the situation. Something seemed off. However, since the orders were clear to return to Konoha as soon as they received them, there was no time for Toshiro to check the validity and get follow-up orders from Danzo.
Still, he decided to remain vigilant until they reached Konoha and had a direct conversation with Danzo.
Shisui nodded in agreement. "We'll stand by and ensure no one from the Land of Iron interferes. Your cooperation is appreciated."
As the Root ninja began dismantling the base and preparing the captives for transport, Shisui and his team kept watch from a distance. The tension was palpable, but the operation was proceeding smoothly.
Danzo had already planned for a situation where information about this base might get leaked. He had made some plans for such scenarios.
Using one of these plans, the Root ninja gathered all the captives in a nobles' carriage, a perfect vehicle to transport these people. Since they couldn't move stealthily like ninjas, they would move right under the noses of the Land of Iron's ninjas. But the number of scientists and captives exceeded 150, so they had to prepare two caravans for the travel.
While this was happening, everyone in Team Shadow was happy. This was the best-case scenario. Considering how loyal Root ninjas were to Danzo, it was difficult to make them do anything without his orders.
But when Shikaku got the information that the leader of that base was Toshiro Yamanaka, he made this plan. As everyone with a little brain knows, fooling an intelligent person is easier than fooling a dumb person. If there had been any other ninja, he or she would have demanded Danzo's orders before following the instructions.
But Toshiro analyzed that doing so would harm Danzo more than anything. Seeing Shisui on the mission, the Uchiha would surely use this to reduce Danzo's influence.
After analyzing these things, Toshiro decided to follow the orders for now. It would not be difficult to rebuild this base once everything settled down. Since he was the one who came up with this conclusion, he had no reason to doubt it, a true show of the brilliance of Shikaku's mind.