Never So Comfortable and Confident

Danzo, having calmed the rampaging Wood Release cells within his body, still had beads of cold sweat clinging to his forehead. He took a deep, sharp breath, struggling to steady himself.

Shaking his head slightly, he convinced himself he had fully recovered and quickly turned his gaze to the stack of files on the desk before him.

Tonight was the night of the Uchiha clan's annihilation. Although Danzo's preliminary plan had achieved certain results, he couldn't shake the feeling that some hidden concerns remained.

Quickly organizing his thoughts, he picked up the documents on the table and carefully reviewed the gains made by Root during this operation.

As he flipped through the pages, Danzo's brow suddenly furrowed.

"There were personnel losses?"

His sharp eyes locked onto the report within the file...

The incident regarding the disappearance of Root members within the Konoha Military Police Force.

Danzo quickly flipped to the next report, which read:

According to the preliminary investigation and analysis at the scene, within the office of Uchiha Yuan deep inside the Konoha Military Police Force, a total of six Root members have gone missing, their current status unknown.

The traces at the scene were initially judged to have been caused by an unknown sealing jutsu set up by Uchiha Yuan before his death; no bodies or any signs of survivors were found at the site.

Seeing this, a flicker of doubt and confusion appeared in the depths of Danzo's eyes, and he muttered to himself, "A sealing jutsu?"

He immediately shook his head: "No... judging by the situation at the scene, it doesn't look like a sealing jutsu at all. It looks more like..."

Danzo bit his tongue subconsciously, finding himself unable to voice the thought.

His brows knit tightly together, and his voice dropped involuntarily...

"It looks more like Wood Release..."

The moment he said it, he was startled by his own thought.

Wood Release was a power possessed only by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. How could an Uchiha possibly be qualified to... master such a powerful ability?

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Danzo subconsciously shook his head vigorously, forcibly dispelling the bizarre thoughts in his mind.

"Those evil Uchiha have absolutely no possibility of obtaining the First's cells."

After saying this, a strange suggestion welled up from the depths of Danzo's heart, as if his brain were forcibly preventing him from thinking deeply about these suspicious points.

The situation itself was exceptionally strange and completely illogical, yet he accepted it without the slightest awareness.

He simply continued to mutter to himself, filling in the gaps...

"According to intelligence, Uchiha Yuan was just an ordinary clerk in the Military Police Force; he hadn't even awakened his Sharingan. To lose several Root members in this operation... what a massive loss."

It was inherently unreasonable that someone without a Sharingan could take the lives of Root members.

But now...

Danzo was completely unaware of how strange this was; instead, he subconsciously ignored these obvious inconsistencies, falling completely into his own blind spot.

He felt a bit tired...

A short while later, Danzo closed his eyes, struggling to pull himself out of this chaotic and dazed state.

Moments later, he opened his eyes again.

"There are more important things to do next."

The Konoha high-level meeting was about to begin.

The destruction of the Uchiha clan was a foregone conclusion. How to handle the aftermath of this event, especially how to deal with the survivor, Sasuke, would become the focus of the meeting.

"That old man Hiruzen is always too naive and soft-hearted."

Danzo let out a cold snort, his face returning to its usual gloom.

"For the future of Konoha, we absolutely cannot let Hiruzen continue to be soft-hearted regarding the Uchiha orphan. That child must be brought under effective control as soon as possible."

Here we go again with the classic routine: you will regret this, I am the true Hokage.

With this thought in mind, Danzo straightened his clothes and slowly stood up.

His spirit was reinvigorated, and he returned to his usual composure and coldness.

When he stepped out of the secret room, Danzo's expression was resolute, his gait steady and powerful, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Inside the Konoha high-level meeting room.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had arrived early, already brewing today's accusations and interrogations.

After the Uchiha annihilation, Root's actions had almost completely ignored the Hokage's command, trespassing into the Uchiha Military Police Force and their residential compound.

Taking away a large amount of precious resources and Sharingan naturally provided a reason to attack.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi had not yet made a public statement, as advisors who had long contended with Danzo, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura would naturally speak up.

To maintain the delicate balance of power between the Hokage and Root, the two intended to exert pressure on Danzo at today's meeting, forcing Root to surrender some benefits to appease the various factions.

As soon as the meeting began, before Hiruzen Sarutobi could even speak, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu could no longer hold back, both questioning Danzo directly.

"Danzo, Root ignored the Hokage's orders and acted on its own. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Utatane Koharu's words were sharp, carrying clear dissatisfaction.

Mitokado Homura immediately chimed in.

"After the Uchiha clan was wiped out, a large number of Sharingan were gouged out. Do you not have any explanation for this?"

The two advisors traded barbs, their words filled with criticism and skepticism, pressing hard against Danzo.

The atmosphere inside the conference room gradually heated up, faintly revealing tension and the scent of gunpowder.

Yet Danzo remained silent, as if he were an outsider, listening to these accusations with cold indifference and a blank expression.

As for him now, he found these tedious, saliva-spraying meetings somewhat beneath him...

Two old pieces of trash who only know how to play politics...

Seeing that Danzo was slow to offer an explanation, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned slightly displeased: "Danzo, how do you explain the Root's actions this time?"

After a moment of silence, Danzo finally spoke: "I do not need to explain. Everything I have done was for the sake of Konoha."

A single sentence forcefully blocked the group's questioning, leaving the two advisors even more dissatisfied.

Utatane Koharu was just about to speak again when she saw Danzo suddenly turn his head, staring at Mitokado Homura with an inexplicable expression.

A strong sense of disgust and resistance rose inexplicably in his heart, and his tone even carried a hint of mockery...

"Homura, I see you seem very loyal to the Hokage?"

Mitokado Homura was stunned, then replied unhappily: "As Hokage advisors, being loyal to the Hokage and Konoha is only natural. Danzo, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Upon hearing this, Danzo let out a cold laugh, his tone growing increasingly icy and carrying undisguised sarcasm: "True loyalty is the complete loss of reason through obedience and blind following. But from where I stand, you still seem quite rational, don't you?"

As soon as the words fell, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Utatane Koharu were both stunned, staring at Danzo in utter astonishment, never expecting that today's Danzo would be so sharp-tongued and mercilessly confrontational.

Ignoring the confused gazes of the others, Danzo seemed to find his flow, continuing without a shred of restraint...

"So-called loyalty only earns one some empty fame, dignity, and praise."

"Yet those served by such loyalty sit back and enjoy ruling power and lucrative benefits. You two, if you want benefits, I can provide enough of them—I could even have your faces carved onto the mountain in the village."

"Danzo!"

Utatane Koharu was incensed, shouting sharply.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened: "Danzo, have you lost your mind? Do you know what you are saying?"

"I have not lost my mind; I simply think that you so-called Konoha ninjas have long forgotten your original intentions, and each of you is utterly laughable."

Danzo spoke with great sincerity...

"..."

Having said all this, he slowly relaxed his shoulders, feeling an unprecedented sense of pleasure and relief, as if he had vented all the repression and dissatisfaction buried deep within his heart for so long.

He even felt that he had never been so comfortable and confident before.

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze; the Third Hokage and the two advisors exchanged looks of shock and confusion, seemingly unable to comprehend why Danzo was acting so abnormally today.

Danzo, however, ignored their astonished gazes, his expression calm as he quietly waited for what was to come.

He did not notice that deep within his heart, some strange and invisible force was quietly manipulating his thoughts, his actions, and even his words, molding a brand-new Danzo...