Chapter 116: Danzo's Response

Inside the Grand Conference Room on the Third Floor of the Hokage Tower, tensions ran high.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked around at the Leaf ninja who appeared to be "concerned" for him and felt as though he were surrounded by traitors.

At that moment, Danzo, seated beside Hiruzen, had already hidden most of his body in shadows, as if he might vanish into darkness completely at any second.

Meeting Fugaku's seemingly "caring" gaze and hearing the others' "concerned" words,

Hiruzen wanted to politely decline their kindness, but he knew it would be hard to reject such insincere "goodwill."

And still, he refused to turn his back on Danzo.

The tasks carried out by Root could never see the light of day, and only through [Absolute Silence] could these secrets remain buried forever.

Besides, Danzo generally showed restraint, applying [Absolute Silence] mostly upon war orphans.

Yet all of this could not be explained to those present.

After a brief pause for thought, Hiruzen stood up and raised both hands, signaling for quiet.

After all, he had served as Hokage for decades and commanded great respect. Seeing this, everyone finally closed their mouths.

Once the crowd fell silent, Hiruzen spoke sincerely, "I've received your 'care' and appreciation. However... the current situation is urgent. We're battling Hidden Cloud while Hidden Stone watches nearby like a tiger ready to pounce. This truly isn't the time for internal conflict.

If ninja on the front lines learn that Anbu leadership has harmed villagers, it will certainly shake morale—possibly causing our defenses to collapse completely.

Wherever the leaves dance, the fire burns on without end. That flame shall continue to light the village, giving life to new leaves as they grow!

I understand everyone's position, but for Konoha's sake, please bear with this situation for now..."

Upon hearing this, many shinobi deeply educated in the Will of Fire—a deep-rooted belief that every ninja must sacrifice for the village when called upon—couldn't help but start thinking about placing the greater good first. Yet quite a few also felt resentful inside, although they dared not speak under the pressure of righteousness.

Indeed, what the Third said wasn't without reason.

Under Konoha's current crisis, even slight disturbances might have massive consequences. If word spread that Anbu leadership had harmed villagers, frontline unrest could indeed result in full-scale battlefield defeat, leading to heavy losses.

Fugaku had always been someone who valued placing the interests of the village above personal grievances, so he understood well.

He knew perfectly what "placing the greater good first" truly meant—it meant swallowing bitterness alone.

Later, no explanations would follow, and no one would take responsibility.

What's worse, next time, someone else would just drag you into sacrificing once more in the name of "the greater good."

"Cough! Cough!" Fugaku lightly cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "So Hokage-sama's saying means we should place the interests of the village above personal grievances? Knowing full well there are dark hands in Anbu harming our clan members, we still pretend not to know anything, letting clansmen risk their lives at the front line?"

"If those at the rear can't guarantee safety for their families, what meaning remains in sacrifices made at the front?"

Fugaku's words chilled the hearts of those immersed in thoughts of the Will of Fire, quickly sobering them up.

Though forty years had passed since the village's founding, most people's familial loyalties remained strong, especially among major ninja clans passed down from the Warring States era. While they might sacrifice for Konoha, they absolutely wouldn't do so at the expense of their own clans.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Fugaku a cold, lingering stare before forcing a smile. "Of course not! I'll return to conduct a discreet investigation."

Hiruzen bowed to the people present and said, "Please trust me. I will definitely give everyone a satisfactory answer soon! And I will make sure those harmed receive their due!"

Having held power for decades, Hiruzen had always been an insurmountable mountain in the eyes of those present.

Yet now this mighty mountain was bowing to them. Seeing Hiruzen's silver hair and hunched figure, everyone felt momentarily dazed.

Aozora sensed the shift in atmosphere within the meeting room. Hiruzen's emotional appeal indeed carried great power.

Decades of built-up prestige came crashing down in one moment, yet it was enough to win their trust — for now.

But Aozora wasn't about to let the matter rest so easily.

Although Hiruzen repeatedly promised to deliver justice, he never gave any specifics on when or how.

Clearly, these were just excuses — after all, he would inevitably downplay the issue, at most offering up a scapegoat.

Aozora paused before speaking. "Lord Hokage makes a valid point. Given our current situation, large-scale actions indeed should be avoided!"

At this moment, the Third already occupied the moral high ground and had gained some understanding from the crowd. Direct rejection would only provoke resistance.

"But..." Aozora continued, "To deal with external threats, we must first stabilize ourselves internally. If the shadow manipulating Anbu remains hidden, how can Lord Hokage's safety be assured? What about the clan members going on missions? Without peace of mind, how can we unite against Hidden Cloud and Iwagakure's aggression?"

Seeing some subtle nods among the audience, Hiruzen interrupted, "The bigger picture is most important. Everyone please endure this situation temporarily — I will address it soon enough."

Meeting Hiruzen's gaze head-on, Aozora said, "I have a method that won't cause major disruption yet can reassure everyone."

Hiruzen wanted to reject this outright, but he could sense the dwindling patience among the other ninja.

Realizing control had slipped away, he sighed inwardly before reluctantly saying, "Let's hear it then!"

"I suggest investigating all Anbu squad leaders and above. Those stationed in Konoha should be investigated publicly today. This measure would guarantee Lord Hokage's safety while calming everyone's concerns. Additionally, it might lead us to uncover others involved."

"Excellent!" Tsume Inuzuka immediately voiced her approval.

As Kuroga's aunt, she wished to investigate every Anbu member thoroughly.

Others also began nodding in agreement.

This truly seemed like a solid solution — there were few Anbu squad leaders, so an investigation would cause minimal disruption.

Speechless, Hiruzen knew he still had other arguments, but they would only sound weak now.

In truth, citing the tense situation was just as flimsy — but his decades of prestige would buy him that much.

However, justification through excuses was a precarious game — one might pass, but two would not.

Pushing further risked everything, including Danzo's protection, and could drag himself down too.

Sighing internally, he feigned sudden realization.

"I hadn't thought of that — I guess I really have grown old!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a self-deprecating chuckle before saying, "Send word. Summon all Anbu squad captains to the meeting room."

"Yes!" Four Anbu members in the room responded in unison, then disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.

The office fell silent once again. Everyone lowered their eyes, each seemingly still but minds racing.

Aozora glanced at Danzo, who was sitting next to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He felt strange about it—Danzo remained calm even now.

Although much more reserved than usual, Aozora could see that Danzo showed not a trace of panic.

Others might take this as proof of Danzo's clean conscience, but Aozora had orchestrated Fugaku's confrontation specifically against Danzo. He already knew that Danzo was the source of [Absolute Silence].

Is there something I haven't foreseen?

Aozora mentally retraced every step, recalling Danzo's strange behavior.

Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Quick! Intercept those four Anbu now!"

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>