Undercurrents (Finale)

"Or else why do you think Kaze retired?"

These three sentences immediately rendered Utatane Koharu speechless.

"What about Danzo?"

Mitokado Homura looked out the window at the shadows of the swaying leaves.

"He's different. He's Hiruzen's shadow..."

"Hiruzen, you've indulged those two too much all these years!"

"Even rabbits don't eat grass near their burrows. I think those two truly have the guts of a leopard!"

"They even dare to embezzle this kind of money. You should have immediately stripped them of their Hokage Assistant positions. The Medical Department and the Civilian Affairs Department can be maintained by others just as well!"

In the Hokage's office, Danzo berated Hiruzen Sarutobi as soon as he returned, pointing a finger at his nose.

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand and wiped the spittle from his face, handing the document in his hand to Danzo.

"Take a look."

"Look at what? What's there to see? I already know their character?"

It was nothing more than them admitting defeat, apologizing, and hoping Hiruzen would let them off the hook due to their past relationship and let bygones be bygones.

"You should still take a look," Hiruzen said, a hint of exhaustion in his voice.

Danzo finally took it, his expression becoming a little more serious.

A moment later, Danzo exploded.

"Utatane Koharu!"

"Is she treating this old man like a fool!?"

"Without her orders, how could the Medical Department have smoothly brought a batch of fake medicine into the village to sell? Who would have the guts?"

"These few people must all be sent to Root. Dying would be too good for them. I'll send them to Root's suicide squad, at least they can still contribute to Konoha."

After reading the contents of the document, Danzo was so angry he gnashed his teeth.

He even felt a bit of disappointment in their lack of progress.

Where else could they have embezzled money, but they had to target food and medicine? These were crucial for nurturing ninjas!

If the children's physical fitness couldn't keep up, how could they become excellent ninjas in the future? If the ninjas' injuries couldn't be healed, how could they continue to carry out missions?

Didn't they know how much it cost to train a ninja?

Stupid, so incredibly stupid!

Seeing this, Danzo's reaction was far more intense than Hiruzen's, and his ideas were more decisive.

"Alright, I'll tell Koharu that those few people will be sent to Root, but after all, no lives were lost. I'll have the ANBU handle it; it's just borrowing Root's name to scare her."

"As for whether to dismiss them from their posts, I have my own judgment. Remember to have Root capture them, and then I'll have the ANBU take over."

"The act needs to be more thorough to fool them."

Danzo's idea was too radical, and Hiruzen didn't intend to adopt it. He would proceed with his original plan.

"Hiruzen, by doing this, you're just continuing to indulge them. You'll regret it sooner or later!"

"I'm not indulging them, because this is a case for the Police Department. Those few people will ultimately be handed over to the Police Department for their judgment."

"The Police Department? Handing it over to those lunatics? Hiruzen, have you lost your mind?" Danzo asked incredulously.

"Cough! Cough! This case is being handled by Qingguang."

Upon mentioning Qingguang's name, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice inadvertently rose a couple of tones, becoming louder.

This made Danzo feel awkward on the spot, and he could only silently take a sip of tea, pretending nothing had happened.

"Hmm, since Qingguang is handling it, then I'm relieved. He's different from other Uchiha."

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going back."

"Farewell, don't see me out~" Hiruzen waved his hand triumphantly, as if showing off his capable subordinate, Qingguang.

But Danzo felt even more smug inside.

Hiruzen, you'll never guess that Qingguang is only outwardly loyal to your orders. He truly pledges allegiance to me!

The Police Department's actions this time were applauded by all the villagers of Konoha.

No one wanted their children to be given fake medicine when they were sick, nor did they want their children to eat inferior, stale ingredients.

Just as most villagers were focusing on the case, a few specific ninja clans noticed something different in the announcement.

Their attention was drawn to Inuzuka Akiya and the announcement regarding the reform of the Police Department.

Family members of Police Department personnel would have priority in participating in the Police Department's assessments. To ordinary people, this was stating the obvious.

They were all Uchiha. With the same strength, if a family member was already in the Police Department, it would naturally be easier to join.

Inside the Kurama Clan's territory.

The current clan head, Kurama Ryuuun, looked at the contents of this announcement. Combined with the news of Akiya cooperating with the Police Department's actions, he immediately sent ninjas from the clan to gather information.

He didn't know until he investigated.

This Inuzuka Akiya and the Police Department's Uchiha Yashiro were actually lovers.

What's more, this time the Police Department's operation was carried out by these two as a team with Qingguang, and they even directly sealed a pharmacy belonging to the Shimura family.

"Saiyun, what do you think about this matter?" Kurama Ryuuun asked his wife.

The Kurama Clan was now just a small ninja clan in Konoha. Due to the special nature of their Kekkei Genkai, only he and his wife in the entire clan had inherited such abilities. None of the new generation children had inherited the Kekkei Genkai.

Including their daughter, Kurama Harume.

Although Ryuuun was the nominal clan head of the Kurama Clan, the one who truly held the power and was the strongest was Ryuuun's wife, Saiyun.

By maintaining good relationships with other ninja clans in the village and strictly adhering to the Hokage's orders, the Kurama Clan, despite the decline in the strength of its ninjas, was still able to retain its own territory in the village.

If it were other small ninja clans, like the Hayate or Shiranui, they would now be no different from civilian ninjas.

"Our genjutsu isn't suitable for Harume to continue learning. Qingguang, that child, studied genjutsu with me for a while."

"In a couple of days, it will be Kagami's death anniversary. I'll go then."

When Kagami was mentioned, Kurama Saiyun's eyes became distant, and her tone softened considerably.

Kurama Ryuuun clenched his fist slightly.

Such a move naturally did not escape Saiyun's perception.

"He's been dead for so many years, what are you still thinking about?"

"Are you going to be jealous even if I visit the graves of the deceased?"

"Don't put on that resentful wife act, it disgusts me."

"I understand." Kurama Ryuuun lowered his head like a child who had made a mistake.

He liked Saiyun's personality, which was different from ordinary women, but it was also precisely because of this matter that he felt uneasy.

Fortunately, that Kagami was already dead, otherwise, he wouldn't have been lucky enough to marry such an extraordinary woman.

"You plan to have Harume study genjutsu with Qingguang? But he's about the same age as Harume, this..."

Before Ryuuun could finish speaking, a faint illusory figure appeared behind Saiyun, its eyes turning from orange to dim.

"He's different. He's a more outstanding genius than Kagami."