"That was what happened!"
In the Hokage's office, Hatake Sakumo respectfully reported what had happened that night.
"The body was destroyed by an Explosive Tag, so we can't confirm whether the deceased was the ninja who attacked Might Duy and the others."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff from his pipe, exhaled a plume of smoke, and said slowly, "Sakumo, do you think this was the Uchiha Clan's style?"
Hatake Sakumo narrowed his eyes. "Lord Hokage, if the Uchiha Clan wanted to go after Houka, they could have done it on their own grounds. There was no need to act out in the open. And if they wanted to destroy the body, they could have done a much better job."
Hiruzen Sarutobi drew a deep breath and smiled. "Exactly. In other words, someone else was the one who really wanted to go after Houka!"
A name came to mind.
Shimura Danzō!
"Root...?" Hiruzen Sarutobi rose and walked to the window, gazing outside.
Konoha was completely blanketed in snow. All he could see was pristine white, flawless and breathtakingly beautiful.
But how much darkness was hidden beneath that whiteness?
As the head of Anbu, Hatake Sakumo knew about Root, of course.
"Lord Hokage, Root has infiltrated an Uchiha Jonin, but his standing in the Uchiha Clan can't be very high. We can notify the clan and have them eliminate this ninja," Hatake Sakumo said calmly. "His presence will remain a threat to Houka's safety."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "No. I don't agree."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took another puff from his pipe before continuing. "I know Danzō. If he wanted someone dead, he wouldn't hesitate. The fact that the ninja didn't kill Houka means Danzō has no intention of killing him. He wants to recruit the boy! So Houka is safe."
Hatake Sakumo nodded, understanding the Third Hokage's meaning.
They would wait and see!
Knock, knock!
A sudden knock came from outside the office.
"Who could it be at this hour?" Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to his seat and said, "Come in."
The door opened, and a very young ninja strode in with an air of confidence. He had brilliant blond hair, azure eyes, and a smile on his face. He was handsome and heroic.
"Ha ha, Minato, you're back!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's face lit up with delight at the sight of him.
"Lord Hokage!"
The newcomer was Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash of the original story, the future Fourth Hokage of Konoha, and Naruto's father.
"Lord Hatake!"
Minato Namikaze was very polite. He smiled and greeted the two men in the office.
"How are things? Is the border safe?" Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed happily on his pipe.
Minato Namikaze had been trained by Jiraiya, making him Hiruzen Sarutobi's grand-disciple. There was a special fondness between generations, so it went without saying how much Hiruzen Sarutobi liked Minato Namikaze.
"I dealt with several enemy ninjas. The border should be safe for now." Minato Namikaze had the bearing of a leader, and his words carried a naturally convincing air.
"How is your training with that Jutsu coming along?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a kindly smile.
Minato Namikaze scratched his head, his expression warm. "Lord Hokage, it's going well. I think I'll master it soon. I just want to make a few more improvements!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hatake Sakumo exchanged a look of astonishment.
That Jutsu had been created by the Second. Mastering it alone was already an immensely difficult task, yet Minato Namikaze wanted to improve it?!
"Really?" Even Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha, renowned throughout the Ninja World, felt a surge of nervousness.
Minato Namikaze replied modestly, "Perhaps I'm just suited to this Jutsu."
"Ha ha ha ha..." Hiruzen Sarutobi burst into hearty laughter.
"Minato, you really are something..." Hatake Sakumo shook his head with a wry smile, at a loss for words.
"Minato, go home and get some rest," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a kindly smile, waving him away.
"Then I'll take my leave."
After Minato Namikaze had left, Hatake Sakumo finally couldn't hold back. "I envy Jiraiya's eye for talent."
"I didn't expect it either."
Jiraiya's reputation as a lecher was spreading throughout Konoha. He'd peeped into the women's baths, read dirty books—there was no lowlife act he wouldn't stoop to. And yet, he had somehow taken on such an outstanding student as Minato Namikaze. It left them speechless.
"By the way, where did that fellow Jiraiya go?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. His three students were becoming more and more of a handful.
"Lord Jiraiya went to Mount Myōboku. He said he was training in Senjutsu," Hatake Sakumo replied.
"Senjutsu?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked astonished.
He had heard the Second speak of Senjutsu. It was a terrifying secret art that absorbed the forces of nature and possessed immense power. Only those with exceptional talent could even begin to learn it. If ordinary people tried to practice it by force, they could even die!
"He really doesn't make things easy for me."
Elsewhere, in a medical room at one of Konoha's secret underground bases, a Medical Ninja was treating the gravely wounded Crow Ghost, who was on the brink of death.
After leaving the river, Crow Ghost had come straight here. But his injuries were too severe, and he had delayed for over an hour, so he had collapsed as soon as he arrived. He still hadn't regained consciousness.
Danzō stood nearby, watching coldly without saying a word.
"Lord Danzō, Crow Ghost's injuries were caused by Taijutsu. They're horrific. More than half his internal organs have been crushed, and the rest are damaged to varying degrees. We'll have to replace his organs if we want him to survive." The Medical Ninja looked up, revealing long blond hair and round glasses. It was none other than Yakushi Nonō!
"Is that so? Injuries caused by Taijutsu... Could he have run into someone from the Hyuga House?" Danzō narrowed his eyes in thought. Given Crow Ghost's strength, only an Elite Jonin from the Hyuga House could have inflicted such terrible injuries on him!
He had to focus on dealing with the Uchiha Clan now. He absolutely couldn't fight on two fronts and antagonize the Hyuga Clan as well.
"In that case, give up," Danzō said coldly. "Take out his eyes!"
Danzō had decided to abandon Crow Ghost, lest he learn some "intelligence" from him and go against his original intentions by changing his decision to eliminate the Uchiha.
Yakushi Nonō shuddered. After hesitating for a long moment, she reluctantly stopped the treatment. Then, before Crow Ghost breathed his last, she removed both his eyes and placed them in a test tube filled with a strange, pale green liquid.
The liquid could preserve the vitality of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan for a long time.
Danzō stared greedily at the Sharingan, but ultimately resisted the temptation and ordered, "Put them away for now."
"Yes, Lord Danzō!" Yakushi Nonō replied.
"I already know what's happening at the border. Minato Namikaze truly is Jiraiya's student—he pacified the area so quickly. In that case, we'll have to move our orphan-gathering operation elsewhere." Danzō turned to leave. "Oh, and destroy this body. Don't leave any trace behind!"
"Yes, Lord Danzō!" Yakushi Nonō said.
When will this life ever end?
Yakushi Nonō gritted her teeth and looked at the body growing cold on the hospital bed, lost in thought.
Before you continue