Early in the morning.
Kakashi Hatake and Akihara Kagura left the Konoha Archives.
One raised his head and headed toward the Hokage Building; the other lowered his head and headed toward the Root base.
Inside the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi started work early.
Hiruzen Sarutobi believed something might happen today.
The evidence in the Konoha Archives regarding Shimura Danzō supporting Orochimaru's illegal human experiments had originally been placed there by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had guessed that Akihara Kagura might fall out with Shimura Danzō, but when Kakashi Hatake reported to him, he had not expected Yakushi Nonō to be involved as well.
That little brat Akihara Kagura...
Had he been threatened because of Yakushi Nonō?
"Yakushi Nonō..."
"I remember she belongs to the village's Intelligence Department..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled that woman, Yakushi Nonō.
Yakushi Nonō had always traveled the ninja world under the identity of the "Priestess," providing Konoha with plenty of valuable intelligence, but she had never particularly liked being a spy.
Shimura Danzō had used the Konoha Orphanage's funding to threaten Yakushi Nonō into continuing her work as a spy and supplying Konoha with intelligence from other ninja villages. Hiruzen Sarutobi knew all too well about that.
That was the darkness within the village.
That was something Hiruzen Sarutobi could not bring himself to do, leaving Shimura Danzō free to act. Konoha could not have only warm sunlight; it inevitably also had shadows where darkness existed.
"Leave this matter alone for now."
Hiruzen Sarutobi could not allow Shimura Danzō's work to become impossible to carry out.
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that transferring Akihara Kagura to the Anbu had already provoked Shimura Danzō's anger. Doing anything more would inevitably make Shimura Danzō unhappy.
If he could bring Yakushi Nonō out of Root, it would indeed free that little