Two days earlier, at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
"You may return to Konoha. Root will take over from here. Your Hunter-Killer Unit mission is over."
Danzo stared at the Uchiha before him with a stern, displeased expression.
What Hunter-Killer Unit? They were clearly the Uchiha Clan's private army!
"We have not received orders from Commander Hanma."
Fugaku's newly evolved Three Tomoe Sharingan glimmered red as he looked at Danzo.
Danzo's expression darkened further, but he forced out a smile and handed over a document.
"The village has other arrangements for your Hunter-Killer Unit. The village currently has a great need for the Military Police Force."
As he spoke, he produced a handwritten order from the Third Hokage and passed it to Fugaku.
Fugaku carefully inspected the Hokage's seal, nodded, and led the Hunter-Killer Unit back toward Konoha.
Danzo, meanwhile, wore a dark expression. Deeply dissatisfied, he cursed inwardly.
"I am the Hokage's Assistant, yet I cannot even command these Uchiha. I even had to forge Hiruzen's handwritten order. How ridiculous!"
Watching the Uchiha leave, Danzo gave Root a grim order.
"Open a gap for Kumogakure's Jinchuriki. Guide her toward the Sunagakure battlefield."
This was a blatantly reckless order.
But within Root, Danzo was the absolute authority. The vast majority of Root ninja placed Danzo's orders above even those of the Third Hokage.
Danzo stood where he was, considering the state of the war and the Uchiha.
He was a man who had witnessed great storms. He had seen the Tailed Beasts and experienced Hashirama Senju's immense power.
He had his own standards for assessing Hanma's current combat strength.
Danzo believed that Hanma was absolutely capable of holding off Shukaku. But if two Tailed Beasts attacked him together, Hanma's chances of survival would