Sarutobi Hiruzen's Fury

Greed flickered in the eyes of the Hyuga Branch Family jonin. He had never found success within the clan, and as a branch family member, he truly needed dazzling achievements to prove himself.

The Inuzuka Clan jonin and the Akimichi Clan jonin likewise lit up.

They harbored the same ambition.

After hearing Asuma's analysis, even the Inuzuka Clan jonin, who had begun to consider backing out, felt his heart stir with eagerness.

Only Kurenai Yuhi secretly worried about Ingetsu. She desperately wanted to ask him face-to-face what his purpose was in doing this.

"Everyone, rest assured. Their group has no more than a dozen Uchiha at most. There's no need to worry—I have a backup plan."

Asuma smiled confidently.

Upon hearing that, the remaining jonin's concerns completely vanished.

Kurenai Yuhi's worry only grew stronger. She had to go along this time. Even if she could not save Ingetsu, she could not let him die disgraced.

She felt nothing for Danzo.

She had even less fondness for the ANBU and Root Organization.

If those people died, then they died.

She simply did not believe

that Ingetsu would betray the shinobi village.

The five turned into black shadows and vanished into the night, while the two jonin from the Hyuga Branch Family and Inuzuka Clan began their search.

Late at night, as midnight arrived, Konoha's liveliest and most prosperous district gradually began to quiet down.

Hokage Building.

Main entrance.

Two rows of the elite among ANBU elites stood ready. Their backs were straight, ninja blades slung behind them, and beneath their various animal masks, they radiated a chilling, murderous aura.

Judging by their presence alone, these elite ANBU were far stronger than the ANBU vanguard.

Under the night sky, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura paced back and forth, waiting for intelligence from the vanguard.

Like Danzo, the two were Hokage Assistants and advisors, possessing both bearing and means.

Yet at that moment, the gravity and unease on their aged faces only grew more pronounced.

"Why hasn't there been any news yet...?"

Mitokado Homura looked grim. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened as his mind weighed heavily with worry.

Utatane Koharu reassured him, "No need to panic. The Uchiha clan must be destroyed tonight, whether they like it or not. If they do not want to die, we can help them die with dignity!"

Mitokado Homura pondered for a moment. "Have Hiruzen come out. The time should be about right. It's time for us to clean up the aftermath."

They had played a pivotal role in Danzo's proposed "Uchiha Clan Extermination Operation," and both strongly supported the plan.

Since the Uchiha had thoughts of rebellion, those thoughts had to be strangled in the cradle.

They lacked the ability to resolve the deep-seated conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha, so they would resolve the Uchiha instead.

At that moment, an ANBU covered in wounds flashed over from the distance and crouched on one knee before the two Hokage Assistants.

Seeing how bedraggled he was, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura immediately felt uneasy. The situation seemed to have exceeded their expectations.

Had the Uchiha clan risen up in resistance?

The two Hokage Assistants' faces darkened.

The ANBU hurriedly recounted everything that had happened at the Uchiha Compound, sparing no detail.

Hearing this, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's pupils abruptly dilated. Their bodies trembled as the unease on their faces turned into shock and disbelief.

Their faces turned livid, as though they had swallowed dead rats, and they hurried side by side toward the Hokage's office.

The Uchiha clan had been exterminated as planned.

But Danzo was dead, and the Root Organization and the ANBU vanguard had suffered devastating losses!!

"Senior, what happened?"

Among the ANBU ranks, Yamato quietly asked the fox-masked ANBU beside him.

Kakashi answered without concealing anything, "I didn't hear clearly, but in any case..."

Crash—

From within the brightly lit Hokage office, came the sound of a cup smashing to the floor, followed immediately by Sarutobi Hiruzen's furious roar.

The ANBU members all shuddered.

How long had it been since their kind, benevolent Third Hokage had flown into such a rage?

It seemed something major had happened in the village.

Kakashi immediately fell silent.

Yamato did not dare ask any further questions either.

Uchiha Compound Forest.

A large number of ANBU once again infiltrated this area, which had just undergone a brief battle.

At the head was Sarutobi Hiruzen. His aged face was grim beneath his Hokage hat, and his white Hokage robes fluttered in the wind as he took the lead into the forest.

The two Hokage Advisors and elite ANBU followed closely behind the Hokage, while some ANBU members took up positions on the high ground around the area.

Catching the scent of blood in the air, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned grave. His fists clenched behind his back as he casually swept his gaze over the corpses on the ground.

He quickly deduced that the ANBU vanguard had carelessly entered the forest and encountered an ambush by the Root Organization.

Over eighty percent of the Root Organization's forces had been killed or wounded!

More than half of this ANBU vanguard had been lost as well!

"That old bastard Danzo really deserves to die!!" A ball of anger lodged in Sarutobi Hiruzen's chest, impossible to swallow or spit out. He then waved his hand and said, "Take away all the wounded and recover the bodies!"

The ANBU captains nodded one after another and led their Subordinates in clearing the scene. This was routine ANBU work: killing, cleaning up, and setting fires!

As the Hokage's personal guards, Kakashi and Yamato did not need to leave his side.

Seeing such a miserable scene, Kakashi and Yamato sighed inwardly.

Konoha had suffered grievous losses in this operation. Just these dead elite Root Organization and ANBU members alone would take who knew how many years to replace.

With a dark expression, Sarutobi Hiruzen hurried deeper into the forest. Then everyone saw that giant tree.

The two Hokage Assistants stood frozen before a hollow in the tree, staring wide-eyed at the familiar old face embedded within it.

"Dan... Danzo..."

Mitokado Homura adjusted his black-framed glasses. The wrinkles on his forehead twisted together as he hurried to the hollow, placed a finger beneath Danzo's nose, then pressed it against the artery in his neck.

A moment later, Mitokado Homura lowered his head and turned around, his expression gloomy as he shook his head, indicating that Danzo had lost all signs of life.

Utatane Koharu approached with a solemn expression and took several medical instruments from a storage scroll to examine Danzo's vital signs.

She was skilled in medical ninjutsu. In her youth, she had served in the Second Hokage's elite guard unit as a Medical Ninja.

The electronic medical instruments showed no response whatsoever.

Utatane Koharu's heart sank completely. Shaking her head, she said, "There are no signs of life. Biologically speaking, he is dead."

Danzo's death would have an enormous impact on Konoha.

First, the intelligence department would be thrown into chaos. Those hidden agents scattered outside Konoha might not be recoverable.

Second, without the Root Organization, Konoha had lost a sharp blade that kept its internal forces in check.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His rage surged up, sweetening his throat, and he forcibly swallowed the blood that had risen to his mouth before stepping forward to inspect Danzo himself.

Looking at that familiar old face in the tree hollow, Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze settled on the hilt of the ninja sword that had been driven precisely into Danzo's heart.

It was an Uchiha ninja sword.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts were in turmoil, as though countless Explosive Tags had detonated in his mind.

Had Danzo spent all these years living like a dog?

He could not even Deal With an ordinary Uchiha, yet before dying, he had caused the Root Organization and ANBU to suffer such devastating losses.

He truly deserved to die!

"Danzo really was killed by that Uchiha Ingetsu."

Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled the ninja sword from the tree. No longer able to suppress the fury in his heart, he spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back several steps.

"Hiruzen!!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura immediately rushed forward to support him, steadying Sarutobi Hiruzen in place.

"Do not worry about me. Have someone take his body back. These Wood Release-derived growths on him contain the First Hokage's cells."

Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his aged eyes, tossed the ninja sword to the ground, and forcibly straightened his body. Looking toward the Uchiha Compound, he continued:

"Go to the Uchiha Compound first!"

The full moon sank in the west.

Night gave way to dawn.

Eighty li northwest of Konoha, in the primeval forest of the No. 007 Abandoned Training Ground.

Ingetsu led the team onward to the northwest.

With Chakra circulating through their bodies, they covered in just two hours what would have taken an ordinary army on foot an entire day in Ingetsu's previous life.

No one spoke along the way.

Only when they passed a ruined campsite did a young Uchiha carrying Tamao on his back cry out:

"Captain Ingetsu, Tamao has passed out!!"

Ingetsu stopped and turned back. Words suddenly appeared in his mind:

[Side Quest]: Heal a Teammate

[Options]:

1. Heal a Teammate.

[Reward]: Green Medicine.