Bang!
Danzo shoved open the door to the Hokage's office.
"Hiruzen, those lawless bastards from the Sand Village actually dared to kill Root's ninja while they were out on patrol."
"You must make the Sand Village hand over the killers!"
Danzo roared at the Third Hokage, looking furious enough that he would not rest until action was taken.
"?"
"What have you ordered Root to do this time?"
"Don't you know this is a critical time for the Hidden Villages' Joint Chunin Exams?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Danzo a cold look. The moment this man made a move, he knew what he was planning.
Had he set his sights on a ninja with some special bloodline?
Or was he hoping to use the Chunin Exams to undermine my reputation?
If he was trying to provoke a conflict between Konoha and another ninja village and destroy the peace between the villages, Hiruzen would not let his old friend get away with it.
"What do you mean, what have I ordered Root to do?"
"Root was simply conducting a routine patrol for Konoha's safety, only for those bastards from the Sand Village to kill them all outside the village."
"Hiruzen, if we can't deal with those arrogant bastards, how is Konoha supposed to save face?"
"If we can't put the overbearing Sand Village in its place this time, what will small ninja villages like Amegakure, the Grass Village, and the Sound Village think of Konoha?"
Danzo slammed his cane against the floor, backing the Third Hokage into a corner with his self-righteous demands.
Whether Root had started the trouble was beside the point for now. The Sand Village had killed so many of Root's ninja, and justice had to be served.
This was Konoha Village's territory. Why should they fear the Sand Village's