Danzo is Very Unhappy
Hokage Office.
It's been a while since I've been here...
The Shadow of Shinobi, Danzo of the Root of Konoha from the Shimura Clan, wearing a kimono with his head and right eye wrapped in bandages, stepped through the main entrance with a slight sigh.
He glanced around the room. There were no other Jonin or clan heads, only the Third Hokage and the two advisors.
"Danzo, you've gone too far this time!" Utatane Koharu said sternly as soon as he sat down.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand," Danzo of the Shimura Clan said, his mind racing to figure out which of his deeds had been exposed.
But he couldn't admit anything right away. He had done too many things that couldn't be revealed, and he couldn't offer any excuses in the face of these accusations.
Knowing his three old friends, they must have already gathered information before summoning him for questioning.
Mitokado Homura's expression was unfriendly. "Explain yourself regarding your actions against the village's younger generation."
Has someone betrayed me?
Danzo of the Shimura Clan's expression was grim. He had many reasons to justify his actions in protecting the village, but having been relieved of his duties, he was theoretically just an ordinary elder and had no right to argue with the two advisors.
So, while pondering which Root member had betrayed him, he compromised slightly. "I will release their Tongue Severing Curse Seals and hand them over to the Anbu."
Which ones should I hand over...? he thought, subtly.
It had to be those who knew little, otherwise even the Cursed Seal wouldn't be effective. Even if he handed over a corpse, the Interrogation Department could easily extract the remaining memories...
Utatane Koharu exchanged a quick glance with Mitokado Homura and the Third Hokage, their surprise fleeting.
The three old figures exchanged subtle expressions.
"Danzo, you've really gone too far this time," the Third Hokage, who had been silent until now, emphasized. The blame rested on the Hokage, and he remained silent and serious, waiting.
Danzo of the Shimura Clan quickly listed over a dozen names, most of whom were Anbu—
After all, the so-called 'Root' he controlled was actually the Anbu's training division. Entering the Anbu often involved some connection to the training division, which is why many people entered the Root upon joining the Anbu. (Orochimaru, Kakashi, Itachi, etc.)
So, even after Root was disbanded, most of its members simply scattered into the Anbu and went into hiding.
The Third Hokage's face darkened as he listened. Mitokado Homura managed to maintain his composure, but Utatane Koharu stood up and pointed at Danzo, saying, "What exactly are you trying to do, Danzo? Are you planning a rebellion?"
The accusation was extremely serious.
But that was just Utatane Koharu's temperament. When the Uchiha were reported to be planning a rebellion, she was the first to shout in front of everyone that the Uchiha should be completely purged.
A retired elder who had been stripped of all duties, secretly controlling many members of the Anbu with Cursed Seals...
"Hmph!" Danzo of the Shimura Clan believed he was not ashamed of anything he had done. He grunted and, disdaining to explain, stood up to leave.
He knew the soft-hearted Hiruzen would never accept his reasons.
But even after doing such things, he was confident that the village wouldn't punish him. On one hand, as an elder of the village and a member of the Shimura Clan, there was room for forgiveness for his 'mistakes'. On the other hand, if Hiruzen could be soft-hearted enough to let Orochimaru leave, he was even less likely to punish him.
As for whether the two advisors would try to target him...
What a joke. Although he nominally held no position, he was the leader of Konoha Village's militant faction. If they could deal with him, they wouldn't have waited until now.
[Note: According to the "All Things Book," Danzo failed to seize the Hokage position from the Third Hokage, who represented the village's steady faction.]
"Wait," the Third Hokage said, his tone complex. "Danzo, do you remember the name Yakushi Kabuto?"
Yakushi Kabuto...
Danzo of the Shimura Clan, with his back to his three old friends, quickly recalled that useful tool. After he manipulated him to eliminate the 'walking shrine maiden' who might have escaped his control, he had disappeared from his sight...
"I don't know who you're talking about," he thought, denying it without hesitation.
"We found out that Yakushi Kabuto was once a member of Root, infiltrating the Genin with a fabricated identity," the Third Hokage said sternly. "Today, he attempted to attack the village's genius and escaped Kakashi's capture—"
"Danzo, do you really not know?" His voice was filled with anger.
He knew very well that the nominal dissolution of Root had not extinguished his old friend's desire for power, but secretly controlling the Anbu and being suspected of attacking the village's genius was the bottom line.
Once that line was crossed, even someone as good-tempered as him would definitely get to the bottom of it.
The two advisors beside him watched intently, waiting for the Third Hokage to finish his questioning before starting the next round of inquiries and investigations.
That brat...
Danzo Shimura instantly realized that it wasn't that he had exposed anything. It was Yakushi Kabuto, who had disappeared at some point and returned to Konoha, who had done something extremely outrageous, implicating him. And those three old friends were simply questioning Yakushi Kabuto, but as a result...
"I don't know what you're talking about!" He pushed the door open and left, filled with frustration and anger.
What else could he do? First, destroy some evidence, and then wait for the Anbu to come to his door to remove the Tongue Severing Curse Seal.
Although he had done many dark things in his life, including imitating the Village of the Bloody Mist to train talents, conducting human experiments, and so on, he absolutely wanted to curse at this moment.
Because he really didn't know that Yakushi Kabuto, whom he had controlled, was still alive! – Too bad I can't say any more detailed information...
Lin Ke, completely unaware of what deviations he had caused in the plot, was walking home, thinking with some regret that saying Yakushi Kabuto's name was already a bit risky. However, with the village's emphasis on him, and the completely incomprehensible 'secret techniques', he could barely get away with it.
If he could also say that Yakushi Kabuto was trained by Orochimaru, and his strength was about the same as Kakashi's... then it would be impossible to explain.
As for whether to defect to Orochimaru...
Don't even think about it. With Orochimaru's desire for control, he would probably give him a bite the moment he got his hands on him, and with the Cursed Seal binding him, his little life would be completely in the hands of others.
Freedom? What a luxury for Orochimaru's subordinates.
Lin Ke didn't want to gamble on whether his future mutated ninjutsu could get rid of Orochimaru. It was so comfortable staying in Konoha, with the Third Hokage protecting him, without having to accept purely weaponized or militarized training and scheming probes. Even if the Third Hokage passed away, Tsunade was also a good person who inherited the Will of Fire.
It's like everyone is talented, and they speak so nicely –
I super love Konoha!
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