At the Root base, Danzo had eagerly awaited news of the Jonin squad's successful mission to bring Tenzawa Kiyotaki back. Instead, he got word that the whole village of Konoha was abuzz over the Ghost Face Masked Man's kidnapping attempt.
Some ninja who knew Konoha's secrets had already started asking whether Root's ninja had once again targeted the village's children and abducted them.
Even the Anbu Ninja were making inquiries. If Root's ninja weren't responsible, they would have to report the matter to the Third Hokage and launch a village-wide search for spies.
Early that morning, Danzo felt as if he'd swallowed a turd. He was miserable. Even the Jonin squad he'd sent out had returned to ask whether they still needed to continue the mission.
The Jonin squad knelt on one knee as they waited for orders. Everyone in Konoha was on edge, and abducting someone had become much more difficult.
Danzo gritted his teeth. What was the point? Even the Third Hokage had sent people to ask about the incident, and plenty of people in Konoha were watching. How could they carry out the mission now?
"Mission temporarily canceled!"
He waved a hand without expression, dismissing the Jonin squad.
After breakfast, Kiyotaki happily headed to school. Passing the tricolor dango shop, he bought a few more skewers.
He'd been busy all morning, telling everyone he met about the masked ninja who'd tried to abduct him. He told the steamed bun seller while eating a bun, and the dango shop owner while eating tricolor dango.
He told the adults and children he saw on their way to school, and even the young women nursing their babies. He told them all.
The adults with children were so frightened that they clutched their kids' hands tightly. The young women nursing their babies rushed inside with their children in their arms. Even families without young children joined in the gossip.
By the time he got to school, nearly every student was talking about the foreign spies who were abducting children. They looked both thrilled and terrified, and agreed to walk home together after school.
"Ohayō! Kiyotaki-kun, I heard you were attacked last night. Are you okay?"
Hanabi, whom he ran into at the school gate, greeted him and asked with concern.
"I'm fine! On my way home from school last night, I ran into some ninja wearing ghost-face masks who tried to take me away! I was terrified, but luckily, fortune was on my side!"
"That's so scary! I'm glad you're okay."
"Yeah. Hanabi-chan, you're so cute, too, so be careful."
Perhaps it was the first time anyone had called Hanabi cute. Her little face immediately turned bright red.
"Kiyotaki-kun, don't worry. After my father heard what happened to you, he assigned me more guards."
Kiyotaki could sense several Hyuga Clan ninja hidden nearby. The Hyuga Clan had doubled the number of guards protecting Hanabi.
"That's good. Now you'll be safe going to school, Hanabi-chan!"
"Kiyotaki-kun, walk home with me after school. You'll be safer if we go together."
"Thanks, Hanabi-chan!"
Kiyotaki agreed, of course. With the Hyuga Clan around, he didn't believe Danzo would dare make a move.
Once he entered the school, Kiyotaki parted ways with Hanabi and immediately went to report the masked ninja's attempted abduction to a teacher.
He went everywhere he could: the school, Konoha's Security Department, the village guard force, and the Hokage's office...
He even went to chat with the old gatekeeper at the school entrance, reminding him to watch out for any unfamiliar ninja who might be in the village.
Before long, the Ninja Academy teachers had sprung into action, holding a large safety lesson for the whole school. They even put up warning signs about spies along the school walls.
The guard force and Security Department also increased their patrols. Even the Third Hokage was alerted, and sent Anbu Ninja to summon Danzo and demand an explanation.
Only then did Danzo realize he'd gotten himself into a mess. The whole village was talking about the incident. His hand trembled with rage as he gripped his cane, nearly crushing it.
"I've lived this long, and I've never met a child with such a loose tongue!"
"Creak!"
The door opened, and a Root member walked in.
"Lord Danzo, the Third Hokage requests your presence."
In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage slapped the desk and glared angrily at Danzo.
"Danzo, look at the mess you've made!"
Danzo's ghastly, corpse-like face remained expressionless, but he no longer had the same imposing air he'd usually shown in front of the Third Hokage. He knew he was in the wrong. Abducting a child from the village was bad enough, but now the whole village was talking about it.
The Third Hokage was furious. Danzo was always acting without his permission. The White Fang incident had been the same, as had the Uchiha incident, and now the Tenzawa Kiyotaki incident, too.
Konoha's peace and stability mattered most to him. He wouldn't allow anyone to disrupt the village's peace.
The Third Hokage gave Danzo a furious scolding. Before long, Danzo lost his temper, too. They argued back and forth, and only stopped after finally reaching some kind of agreement.
"I'll handle Tenzawa Kiyotaki. You're to leave him alone and be mindful of the impact your actions have on the village."
The Third Hokage waved him away. After Danzo left, he summoned an Anbu Ninja.
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