Can't Keep Acting

"Orochimaru still hasn't given up!"

He had only just left this place, yet before long, he had returned again.

As one of the people involved and an assistant directly answerable to the Hokage, Yinsen reported everything that had just happened to Tsunade. Together with Sasuke and Naruto's accounts, the situation was already clear.

Orochimaru still coveted Uchiha Sasuke, so he had sent his elite subordinates to "kidnap" Sasuke.

That's right, kidnap! The matter had already been classified as such. As for whether Orochimaru had sent his men to persuade Uchiha Sasuke to defect, there was no need to emphasize it. Sasuke had not chosen to leave with them and had instead killed the invading Sound ninja. That was enough to prove that Uchiha Sasuke currently had no intention of betraying the village.

However... the person beside them apparently didn't see it that way.

Shimura Danzo, the person Yinsen found least agreeable in the entire Hidden Leaf Village, had also appeared in the Hokage's office this time. Perhaps because the Third Hokage was still alive and present, Shimura Danzo had kept an extremely low profile from beginning to end, not even saying a word.

After hearing all the reports, the entire office fell into dead silence.

What concerned them was not merely Orochimaru's refusal to give up, but also the weakness of the Hidden Leaf's defenses... Orochimaru's subordinates could come and go as they pleased. The Hidden Leaf was practically undefended, making the village's higher-ups feel ashamed.

Tsunade's expression was even uglier. She could guess why this had happened. The old her would probably have exploded long ago, but after serving as Hokage for a while, she had come to understand that the village was far less peaceful than it appeared. Beneath its calm surface surged undercurrents, and simply losing her