Who Are You Hitting? Pakura? Me?

Shimura Danzo?

His head was wrapped like a mummy, with only his eyes and mouth exposed.

Wearing a hospital gown beneath a samurai helmet, he radiated resentment so intense it was practically tangible...

It had to be Shimura Danzo, right?!

Yamanaka Kei's eyes widened in astonishment. He had nearly failed to recognize him.

He truly had not expected Danzo to end up in such a miserable state after just one day under the effects of the black trait.

When he saw the Anbu Ninja who had monitored him all the way take up a position behind Danzo, however, he felt that the black trait's effects still were not quite enough.

Damn it!

Why hadn't the beam at the Jonin Waiting Station crushed that old bastard to death?!

That bastard from earlier had actually been a Root ninja!

And that old bastard Shimura Danzo too—if they were Root, then Root. Why make his subordinates dress exactly like Anbu?

And keep talking about "Lord Hokage's orders."

What, did he know that without Sarutobi Hiruzen, nobody would give a damn about him?

"Kei, Elder Danzo has just delivered some intelligence. Sand Village and Mist Village have recently been clashing frequently in the southern part of Tea Country. Casualties on both sides are still rising, and there are signs the conflict may escalate. To obtain accurate intelligence, I hope you can make the trip."

With a pipe in his mouth, Sarutobi Hiruzen raised a hand and tossed a scroll to Yamanaka Kei.

"A solo mission?"

Yamanaka Kei cast a sidelong glance at Shimura Danzo, who was sitting on the sofa, before lowering his head to read the information on the scroll.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had made it very clear.

This Intelligence Scroll had been brought over by Shimura Danzo, and it was also Danzo who had proposed sending him to carry out the mission.

As Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen had assessed the mission's authenticity and importance. He believed that Kei, who came from the Yamanaka Clan and had once served in the Analysis Team, was indeed the most suitable candidate. That was why he had summoned him.

But...

Pakura?

Pakura of Scorch Release?

Seeing the name on the Intelligence Scroll, Yamanaka Kei's eye twitched slightly.

Pakura of Scorch Release was one of Sand Village's rising young powerhouses over the past two years.

With her Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai, she had beaten countless Mist Village ninjas until they could not fight back, earning herself an enormous reputation.

Not just someone like Yamanaka Kei, who had read the original work.

Even any ninja who frequently left the village for missions would know her name.

If this were a solo mission...

He would have to seriously consider whether the Third Hokage and Danzo had conspired to get him killed.

After all, ever since joining the Analysis Team, he had deliberately kept a low profile.

The strength he had displayed was only slightly above that of a civilian jonin with insufficient foundations.

Facing the famed Pakura head-on would basically be serving himself up on a platter.

"She has quite the reputation. It would be too dangerous for you to go alone, so I found you a partner."

As soon as Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, there was another knock on the office door.

After receiving permission, Namikaze Minato pushed open the door and entered.

When he saw Yamanaka Kei standing in the office, his previously solemn expression unconsciously softened into a smile.

"Minato? Now that's a reassuring teammate."

Yamanaka Kei smiled as well.

Most of his suspicion and distrust toward Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately faded away.

Namikaze Minato's strength was obvious to all.

After mastering the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's Flying Thunder God Technique, his mobility ranked among the best in the entire shinobi world.

Forget one Pakura—even if they encountered a large Sand Village force, the two of them could still retreat calmly.

"Kei, it looks like we'll be fighting side by side again."

There was a hint of nostalgia in Namikaze Minato's expression. He had clearly recalled their past experiences carrying out missions together.

The two had grown up together, entered the Ninja School together, and graduated together to become ninja.

Though they had not been assigned to the same team after graduation, before Yamanaka Kei entered the Analysis Team, they had teamed up for countless missions and long since developed flawless coordination.

"You can catch up after you set out. Minato, have Kei explain the mission details to you. Time is of the essence—once you're ready, leave immediately."

Sarutobi Hiruzen urged the two of them.

After they accepted the mission and left the Hokage's office, he turned to look at Shimura Danzo, who had remained silent on the sofa.

"I told you before, Kei is a child I watched grow up. He has always known his limits. The one who attacked you in secret could not have been him."

"Even if it was not him, his contact with the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki has been far too close. The Nine-Tails' power should not be influenced or controlled by ninja clans."

Shimura Danzo lightly pressed the Chakra-sensing curse mark in his palm with his fingertips. His already sinister gaze became even more vicious.

The curse mark in his palm was a forbidden technique developed by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju.

Its sensitivity even surpassed that of the most advanced medical instruments available today.

Just now, the curse mark had shown no reaction whatsoever to Yamanaka Kei.

That proved there was no Chakra residue on him connected to Yamanaka Kei.

Although directly eliminating one suspect had narrowed the scope of his suspicions, he had truly hoped Yamanaka Kei was the one who had harmed him.

Given Yamanaka Kei's relationship with the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, as well as his ambiguous attitude toward the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki...

Such a person held immense value for Root!

Sarutobi Hiruzen could not read Shimura Danzo's mind and merely assumed that he was genuinely concerned about the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki.

After pondering for a moment, weighing the pros and cons...

And considering the possible consequences if Kushina married into the Yamanaka Clan...

He spoke again to console his old friend.

"Danzo, matters of the heart cannot be forced. Just like back then, you and Koharu... Ahem, what I mean is, Kushina will eventually have to marry and have children. Decades from now, Konoha will also need its next jinchuriki."

"Hmph! When a female jinchuriki gives birth, the sealing strength drops drastically. That is far too dangerous for the village. Although Whirlpool Country has been destroyed, there are still plenty of people in the shinobi world with the Uzumaki Bloodline."

"Kushina is a Konoha ninja, not a Root ninja. And regarding jinchuriki, Lady Mito made things very clear back then. You should understand perfectly well what the consequences will be if a jinchuriki develops psychological problems."

"Hmph! That's because you... Hiss!"

Shimura Danzo snorted again. Just as he was becoming agitated and about to argue further, a sharp pain pulsed through his brain.

"Calm down a little. Whatever you have to say, we can discuss it slowly."

Watching Danzo grunt twice and nearly send himself to the grave, Sarutobi Hiruzen's rising blood pressure promptly dropped back down.

He secretly felt fortunate that he was not the one being attacked.

Six attacks to the head a day aside...

Just arguing for a few sentences was enough to make his head hurt unbearably. Who could endure that?

"...Bring in the next person!"

One hand holding the helmet on his head, Danzo took several deep breaths to ease the excruciating pain in his skull.

At that moment, his hatred for the person who had ambushed him reached its peak.

He no longer had the leisure to think about the jinchuriki. All he wanted was to find out as soon as possible who had attacked him!

But the instant his words fell, a faint sound of wood cracking came from somewhere nearby.

After suffering a series of accidents, Danzo was already like a startled bird.

The instant the sound rang out, he leaped from the sofa and used the Body Flicker Technique to rush out through the open window of the Hokage's office.

"Caw—"

"Ah!"

A miserable cry filled with pain and fury came from outside the window.

Looking at Danzo clutching his head in agony and the crow that had been killed by flying headfirst into something, Sarutobi Hiruzen could not tell which one he should pity.