"What? Root clashed with Itachi Uchiha?"
Inside the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed a hand on the desk as he rose upon hearing the ANBU report.
He had already grasped the general situation and realized just how bad it was.
Shimura Danzō's Root had ambushed and killed Shisui, which was within his expectations.
But that fool had actually been discovered by Itachi Uchiha, and the two sides had even come into conflict.
"Whew~"
Though Hiruzen Sarutobi was old, he was still the Hokage.
He quickly brought his emotions under control.
No matter what, Shisui was already dead. Presumably, that pair of Mangekyō Sharingan had also fallen into Danzō's hands.
That was enough.
As for Itachi Uchiha...
After thinking it over, he shook his head and said, "Itachi knows what he's doing. Bring them here later."
The Uchiha Clan must have already learned of Shisui's death.
But he still could not openly fall out with the Uchiha Clan.
And with the Uchiha Clan having lost Shisui as both a "combat asset" and an "information channel," they likely would not rebel outright. They might even postpone their coup.
At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Itachi, I hope you won't disappoint me."
Meanwhile, the Ninja School remained peaceful.
Naruto sat by the window in the second-to-last row of the classroom.
A smile rested on his face, while his slightly narrowed eyes discreetly observed his surroundings.
His gaze merely swept past the civilian children.
Only when he saw the few people seated in the middle of the classroom did his eyes linger.
"Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara... Is this Leaf Village's Ino-Shika-Cho?"
Under Menma's guidance, Naruto had also learned some of Leaf Village's history.
The clans behind those three were all pillars of Leaf Village, as well as steadfast supporters of the