Late at night.
Konoha.
Root base.
The guards at the Root base were still diligently standing watch.
Something pitch-black was suddenly thrown down through the well opening at the base entrance. The two guards jumped in fright and hurried over to inspect it.
"This is..."
"Aburame Ryoma?"
The expressions in the two guards' eyes abruptly changed.
What had fallen in at the base entrance was Aburame Ryoma's corpse.
Sharp wooden spikes had pierced through Ryoma's entire body, even his head. Dozens of wounds protruded with sections of wooden spikes, making it look as though a clump of shrubs had grown inside him.
"This is..."
"Wood Style Ninjutsu?"
The two guards immediately went to report to Shimura Danzō.
Aburame Ryoma had once been Shimura Danzō's personal bodyguard. It was one thing for him to be killed, but for his corpse to be thrown into the Root base was clearly a provocation against Root.
The most troublesome part was...
The killer was very likely Akihara Kagura!
After all, Root's guards had just driven Akihara Kagura away. Then Ryoma was killed by Wood Style and his corpse was thrown in. It was most likely that brat's retaliation!
After seeing Aburame Ryoma's corpse, Shimura Danzō immediately concluded that Akihara Kagura had done it, because he had personally seen Akihara Kagura use this Wood Style Ninjutsu!
Besides...
Akihara Kagura was an extreme child by nature!
Root's two guards had been ordered to drive Akihara Kagura away. Kagura had then happened to encounter Aburame Ryoma, who had returned from a mission in Kirigakure, and simply killed him to vent his resentment against Root. That was entirely in keeping with Kagura's usual conduct!
"Go bring him back!"
A flash of fury crossed Shimura Danzō's face.
Akihara Kagura killing Aburame Ryoma was no different from challenging his authority. Did that brat really think he could still tolerate his insolence?
"..."
The Root members looked at one another.
Though they did not dare disobey Danzō's order, they could not help wanting to ask whether Lord Danzō no longer wanted them to live.
Shimura Danzō also realized the problem. Leaning on his cane, he coldly ordered, "Does anyone know where that brat is?"
"..."
The Root ninja did not dare speak.
They did not know where Akihara Kagura was either.
Shimura Danzō once again realized that there was something wrong with his question. Akihara Kagura was not a native of Konoha, merely an outsider he himself had brought into the village...
What a nuisance...
Where could that brat possibly go in the middle of the night?
Other than the Root base, where else could he stay?
"Everyone, split up and find him!"
Shimura Danzō's expression became exceptionally grim as he said in a deep voice, "Whichever squad finds him only needs to keep him occupied. I will arrive immediately. Before dawn, I want to see that brat!"
In the early hours of the morning.
Akihara Kagura could not sleep.
As Root ninja began searching for him on a large scale, Akihara Kagura sensed that something might have happened in the village and used Shadow of the Ninja World to investigate Root's situation.
In his mind, Akihara Kagura saw Aburame Ryoma's corpse. Only Wood Style: Impaling Technique could have left a corpse in such a horrific state.
In an instant...
As an expert at framing others, Akihara Kagura immediately understood why the Root ninja had suddenly begun moving in force.
Someone was using Wood Style to frame him!
There were only a handful of Wood Style Ninja in the entire ninja world. As far as Shimura Danzō knew, the only person capable of using Wood Style: Impaling Technique had to be Akihara Kagura himself!
This was a blame that had fallen onto Akihara Kagura out of nowhere!
Akihara Kagura immediately considered why this blame had landed on him. No blame in the ninja world ever appeared out of thin air.
This ninja world...
Someone actually dared to shift blame onto him?
He only needed to find out who else possessed the Impaling Technique.
The information from his memories of a past life was immensely important. Akihara Kagura knew that someone else could use this technique—a Behind the Scenes Master hidden within the ninja world.
A man who always wore a mysterious mask.
His official designation: the Mysterious Masked Man.
"This guy..."
"Was actually in Konoha?"
While secretly using Shadow of the Ninja World to investigate the Mysterious Masked Man's information, Akihara Kagura was shocked to discover that the man was hiding within Konoha, even close to him!
Perhaps Konoha's internal struggles were too comfortable, making people instinctively forget the dangers still lurking in the ninja world. Akihara Kagura had been busy planning to continue acting as a double agent between Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi, yet he had forgotten that someone had been watching everything happening in Konoha.
Furthermore, Aburame Ryoma's final stop in life had been Kirigakure, which just so happened to be a major ninja village long occupied and controlled by the Mysterious Masked Man.
"Has this guy been in Konoha all along?"
Akihara Kagura's eyes narrowed slightly as he considered everything that had happened tonight. "He used the Impaling Technique to kill Aburame Ryoma in order to frame me, rather than trying to kill me... Does he want to force me to defect and become his pawn?"
Such a good deal...
Why could he not just say it outright?
The Mysterious Masked Man could have simply told him face-to-face. Did he really think an employee like him would be able to resist the temptation of working for a new boss?
He had actually resorted to such underhanded methods!
There was no way this blame could logically be pinned on him!
Akihara Kagura abruptly sat upright. The little blanket covering him swung behind his back like a cape as he flung it away!
Since he could not clear his name, he might as well accept this blame first, then figure out a way to shift it elsewhere!
Anyway...
He would write this debt down for now!
No matter what, he could not delay his appointment to report to the Anbu today. For Akihara Kagura, entering the Anbu meant a new superior and a new welcome package.
As it happened, there was a man in Konoha's Anbu whom Akihara Kagura could use. He could use that man to cause the Mysterious Masked Man a little trouble.
"Hey."
Akihara Kagura took the initiative to approach a squad of Root ninja.
"Keep him occupied!"
The instant the Root squad saw Akihara Kagura, they did not wait for the little brat to speak. They immediately drew their ninja blades and scattered to surround him!
Akihara Kagura suddenly brought his fingers together!
As Wood Release Chakra surged forth, enormous Vines rapidly burst from the ground and lashed out at the Root ninja around him!
One Root ninja dodged the Vines and swung his ninja blade at Akihara Kagura, only to be kicked away head-on. A Vine immediately wrapped around the ninja, and the other Root ninja were quickly subdued as well!
The squad captain of this Root team was remarkably resolute. Stiffening his neck, he asked, "Lord Kagura... You killed Aburame Ryoma. Are you planning to kill us too? We came to find you under Lord Danzō's orders. Lord Danzō will be here soon!"
"Take me to see Lord Danzō."
Akihara Kagura controlled the Vines and lowered the Root captain, who had performed rather well. He said quietly, "I will not kill you again, lest I make Lord Danzō angry once more."
"If Aburame Ryoma had not just returned to Konoha and mocked me for being driven out of Root by Lord Danzō, I would not have accidentally killed Senior Ryoma."
"...Yes."
The Root captain slowly nodded and followed Akihara Kagura's lead. "Aburame Ryoma said the wrong thing. He truly brought death upon himself..."
After this Root squad left with Akihara Kagura, the Mysterious Masked Man silently appeared beneath a large tree. His voice seemed somewhat bewildered.
"Could it be... I was caught in Genjutsu?"
The Mysterious Masked Man's voice was filled with confusion. "Why did that brat not argue? Why did he admit to killing Aburame Ryoma?"
The Mysterious Masked Man felt like his mind could not quite process it. "I remember, I was the one who killed Aburame Ryoma, right?"
Second update!
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