Even Danzo knew when to back down

Kakashi and his group of four sneaked into the Valley, their four figures moving like agile monkeys through the dense jungle.

Tōka felt a gust of wind howling past her ears, and all that remained was the sound of her own heartbeat.

For many years, ever since he fused with the immense power of the Byakugan and his eyes evolved into the eternal Tenseigan, Dong Ge has rarely traveled like this.

Thinking of this, Tōka clenched her fists involuntarily.

Six Paths, you just wait!!

The four arrived at a hidden cave, surrounded by dense foliage; the lush green trees formed a natural barrier.

Danzo really knows how to pick a location. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of such thickets in the Land of Fire. Who would have thought that this place would be the entrance to the Root?

Tōka Budong surveyed his surroundings. He found it strange that even if the entrance was well-hidden, there should still be people guarding the area.

"The Lord Hokage has already ordered the disbandment of Root." Kakashi, with his back to Tōka, seemed to have guessed Tōka's doubts and explained.

During the period from the Nine-Tails Incident to the Uchiha Clan Massacre, the Root organization was quite active and played a unique role in Konoha.

However, because the Third Hokage could not tolerate Danzo Shimura's behavior of training people into killing machines, after the Uchiha Clan Massacre Shimura Danzō Massacre, he ordered Danzo to be relieved of his position as Hokage's assistant and ordered the disbandment of Root.

Tōka vaguely remembered this incident, but he never expected that he would personally participate in the mission this time.

How could someone like Danzo give in so easily? He probably just publicly disbanded the Danzo while secretly hiding his roots even deeper.

"So, our mission is to wipe out the remaining Roots." Kakashi said solemnly, staring at the entrance in the bushes.

"Understood." Tōka nodded slightly.

The remaining forces of Root are bound to be loyal to Danzo, and those who were chosen by Danzo and groomed as his confidants are either powerful or possess mysterious and unpredictable Secret Technique.

These guys aren't so easy to deal with.

Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai are strong, but not invincible. Was the Third Hokage too complacent?

With this question in mind, Tōka followed closely behind the three of them and darted into the dense bushes.

The entrance appears to be an ordinary Cave, but it is actually a passageway leading to the underground base. There are no oil lamps hanging on the two stone walls.

However, faint light shone through the dim passage, illuminating the dark passageway somewhat.

Although the light was dim, the ground beneath our feet was still faintly visible.

Tōka looked around and noticed that every so often, there were tiny fluorescent lights flickering on the stone wall.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that a small mirror, about the size of a palm, was embedded in the stone wall, its position adjusted to refract the light from outside the cave into the depths of the passage.

Even the Dark Root need light, don't they?

Tōka chuckled inwardly and then disappeared into the depths of darkness.

The four of them quickly moved through the cold, dimly lit passage. On the surface, Danzo had already disbanded most of the Root's members.

That's why the four of them were able to enter the Root's base without any hindrance.

After walking down a long, sloping passage from the ground, Tōka appeared in a spacious, open square, where two ferocious-looking stone statues stood guard over a large gate.

"Red, can you sense anyone nearby?" Kakashi and the other three hid under the stone statue, where even the air seemed to thicken.

"I'll give it a try." Kurenai closed her eyes, Hand Seals, and activated her Chakra Sensing Technique!

The three held their breath, remaining vigilant of their surroundings. The Third Hokage had sent two small teams to infiltrate the Root's base precisely because he did not trust Danzo.

A short while later, Hong opened her eyes with a solemn expression, and the three of them immediately focused their gazes on her face.

"How is it?" Kakashi asked.

"We didn't find anyone," Hong said, shaking her head slightly.

"Is that so..." Kakashi's eyes One Flash, and he was about to speak when he suddenly felt a movement coming from behind the demon-faced door.

The four exchanged a glance and immediately quieted down, suppressing their auras.

Squeak!~~

A deep, muffled sound rang out, and the enormous door slowly opened, revealing a narrow crack less than a tenth of the doorway, yet large enough for two people to pass through side by side.

Two figures walked steadily out of the darkness, their blurry forms gradually becoming clear.

Until...

The two walked into the wide, quiet square.

"Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune!" Tōka was stunned. It was actually these two?!

"The Yamanaka Clan and the Aburame Clan..." Kakashi secretly made a gesture, pointing two fingers at Tōka and Kurenai, then tapping the spot where he stood.

The intention was to have Tōka and Hong stay where they were and provide support using Genjutsu.

Then, Kakashi's gaze fell on Asuma, and Asuma almost instantly understood what Kakashi meant.

The four were all old classmates, and had even worked together during the Genius Hunt Plan.

Leaving aside Tōka, Kakashi and Asuma's teamwork can be described as perfectly in sync; a single glance is enough for them to clearly convey their thoughts.

Swish!!

Two dark figures darted out from behind the menacing stone statue. Kakashi, holding Kunai, had already activated his Sharingan, which was hidden behind his eyepatch.

At the same time, Asuma attacked from the side, gripping the Flying Swallow tightly with both hands, and using the nature transformation of Wind Release chakra to form a Wind Blade on the Flying Swallow.

The buzzing Wind Blade can easily slice through solid Rock!

"Watch out!" Aburame Torune is Insect Master Clan. Mushi can not only attack and defend, but also conduct area reconnaissance!

As Yamanaka Clan, Yamanaka Fu specializes in Yin Release Mental Energy and is also highly sensitive to his surroundings.

A deafening roar!

Kakashi and Asuma crashed heavily to the ground, their sharp blades piercing the ground with perfect clarity, raising clouds of dust that obscured their vision.

The instant Kakashi and Asuma approached, Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune used the Substitution Technique to escape.

The first wave of attacks missed, and Kakashi and Asuma drew their swords and turned the tables without hesitation.

Bang!

The two gathered chakra in their feet, lowered their bodies to gather strength, and with a whoosh, they sprang forward, chasing after Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune had jumped back to create distance.

"Wind!" The Aburame Torune removed her gloves and gave a low shout.

Upon hearing Aburame Torune's cry, Yamanaka Fu instantly understood the other's intention, as both of them had been by Danzo's side since childhood.

They have fought together countless times, and their teamwork is nothing short of perfect.

"Secret Technique: Mind Transference..."

Yamanaka Fu Hand Seals, and chakra surged forth. Just before he completed the Jutsu Formula, an even stronger spiritual force exploded in the depths of Yamanaka Fu's mind like a thunderclap.

The deafening roar of thunder left him standing there, frozen in place like a statue.

Even without the aid of his Dojutsu, Tōka's Genjutsu are still incredibly terrifying, not to mention the immense mental power that supports Genjutsu.

Even a master of Yin Release like Yamanaka Fu, who specializes in Mental Energy, is like a child in front of Tōka.

Kakashi landed smoothly and saw that Yamanaka Fu was being controlled by Tōka. He immediately put away the sharp Kunai in his hand and turned his palm into a knife, striking Yamanaka Fu on the back of the neck.

With a muffled thud, Yamanaka Fu collapsed to the ground.

Upon seeing this, Aburame Torune's expression changed slightly, and with a tremor of his hands, his entire body was covered in highly toxic, dark purple Nano-sized Venomous Insects.

Whoosh!

Asuma, still in mid-air, narrowed his eyes and focused his gaze on Aburame Torune.

Asuma crossed his arms and then suddenly flung out the Flying Swallow, which was imbued with powerful Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation.

"Chakra Blade..." Aburame Torune leaped backward.

He is not afraid of close combat because Nano-sized Venomous Insects can easily invade the opponent's body.

But Aburame Torune of steel or copper; if Flying Swallow were to stab her in a vital spot, she would surely die!

Sudden!

A clear, alluring sound, almost like Demonic Sound, appeared. Aburame Torune froze, staring in shock at the enormous lotus flower enveloping him.

"Genjutsu: Lotus Flower of Destruction!" Her red eyes blazed, and she slowly uttered five words through her pearly teeth.

The mysterious and alluring lotus is fraught with deadly danger.

The Lotus Flower is an illusion created by consuming most of the caster's chakra.

Within the illusion, the victim is trapped on a giant lotus flower, its beautiful petals slowly closing and distorting their vision.

The Jutsu Formula continued until the flower burst open!

After the lotus explodes, the victim will suffer severe damage, and the Genjutsu will be dispelled.

"Red, you went too far." Kakashi glanced at the unconscious Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fu lying on the ground, and uttered these words after a moment of silence.

"These two people..." Asuma adjusted his mask, looking troubled.

The Yamanaka and Aburame are among the most prestigious in Konoha, and these two individuals are on the list, but they are beings that the Yamanaka and Aburame clans cannot directly eliminate.

Kakashi nodded, understanding Asuma's concerns.

The list of Third Hokage consists of two types of people: those who were orphans adopted by Danzo and die-hard Danzo, whose deaths would go unnoticed.

Another type of person was the clan members selected by the various clans of Konoha in the early days of the Root.

Therefore, the eight elite Anbu were divided into two teams. The other team was tasked with hunting down Root members who were weaker and had no background.

Team Kakashi targets the small group of people from various clans who have joined Root and are completely devoted to Danzo.

"These two are Danzo's confidants. Take them back to the Lord Hokage for him to deal with." Kakashi had asked the Third Hokage before coming here.

The Third Hokage's original words were. "If you can capture them, capture them; if you can't capture them, kill them."

Now that we've captured them alive, handing them over to the Third Hokage will at least save face for both families.

However, just as Kakashi's gaze swept over Tōka, Asuma, and Kurenai, considering who should take the two back,

A strange sound suddenly rang out.

Thump...

Knock knock...

Beneath the Demon Face Gate in the depths of darkness, a blurry figure walked slowly and unhurriedly.

"It's best to leave those two to me." A figure stepped into the darkness, revealing an aged face—it was none other than Danzo, the leader of the Root!

"The Lord Hokage's order was to disband Root, yet these two are still here." Kakashi's usually calm tone paused, then suddenly turned serious...

"Danzo, shouldn't you explain this?"

"Heh..." Danzo stared coldly at Kakashi with one exposed eye, a disdainful smile playing on his lips.

That look seemed to say, "I don't need to explain myself to a junior like you when I do things."

Asuma and the Red Eye darkened as they quietly prepared themselves. If Danzo dared to make a forceful move, they would definitely step in!

Danzo the glint in his eyes, his gaze lingering briefly on Tōka before turning to Kakashi and saying something indifferent.

"I'll talk to Sarutobi. Leave these two to me."

"That won't do. If Danzo wants these two, he should ask the Lord Hokage for them." Kakashi glanced at Asuma and Tōka.

The two immediately understood, and each picked up one of the unconscious Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune.

Danzo's expression tightened; he had been speaking so politely...

Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune quite strong, possess Secret Technique inherited from two major families, and most importantly, they have always been very loyal to him.

Although they were ambushed by Kakashi and his Danzo of four, Danzo was unwilling to give up on the two of them.

The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive as Danzo's face darkened.

The dimly lit and empty square actually gave people a suffocating feeling.

Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai were all Jonin, even Elite Jonin, so they naturally wouldn't be intimidated by Danzo's aura.

Tōka deliberately concealed his aura, afraid of revealing even the slightest hint that might arouse suspicion.

Danzo's attempt to intimidate everyone using his imposing presence is likely wishful thinking.

It seems there's no way to protect these two. Danzo, but he knew he absolutely couldn't fight Kakashi and the other three.

Sarutobi is serious this time...

Regardless of whether he can save the two, Danzo must take a tough stance; otherwise, which powerful clan will send people to him in the future?

Danzo believed that the Dark Root would one day be rebuilt!

"If Danzo has nothing else, we'll take our leave now," Kakashi said immediately, noticing that Danzo's aura was gradually weakening.

At the same time, Kakashi turned to look at Asuma, signaling him to take Tōka and Kurenai and leave first.

Kakashi Danzo in case he suddenly launched a sneak attack.

Swish swish swish!!

Tōka and Asuma each led one, while Hong followed behind them. The three of them transformed into three black shadows and quickly disappeared into the depths of the dimly lit passage.

After the three had gone far away, Kakashi withdrew his gaze from Danzo and gave him a wary look.

Kakashi vanished from the spot using a Body Flicker Technique.

"Silver hair, Kakashi; Red Eye female ninja, Kurenai Yuhi; and another tall ninja wielding a pair of Flying Swallow, Asuma," Danzo silently uttered the names of the three.

Although all three wore masks and were dressed in the typical attire of the Anbu).

But he couldn't escape the cunning eyes of the Fox Danzo.

"Sarutobi, I thought you were old, but I never expected you to still have such courage." Danzo gazed at the dark passage, his eyes drifting into the distance.

Aburame Torune Danzo didn't know what would happen to Yamanaka Fu afterward, but he knew that the two of them would definitely be taken to the Hokage Building first.

Therefore, he decided to go directly to the Hokage Building to find the Third Hokage!