Confrontation!

The sun continued climbing through the sky. Tiny snowflakes gradually drifted down, melting the instant they touched the ground. It was already morning.

Senya and Fugaku, in their offices at the Police Force, received orders delivered by Anbu agents at the same time.

"Senya, are we going to the Forest of Death tonight? From the looks of it, Danzo has probably already told Hiruzen about the Root base. What exactly was the plan you mentioned last night?"

Fugaku ran over from the office next door and asked Senya.

Sitting in his chair, Senya calmly took a sip of green tea from a white porcelain cup.

"Just go to the mission hall and collect a copy of the mission information for the one Chikura and the others are carrying out."

Seeing how composed Senya was, Fugaku decided to keep trusting his judgment.

After all, Senya had not made a single mistake so far. He just had to trust Senya without thinking too much about it.

Fugaku turned and headed for the door.

"Hurry up and get back. While you're at it, help me deal with the documents on my desk too."

Fugaku tripped over the bar at the doorway and nearly fell.

He turned back and glared viciously at Senya, wanting to refuse in no uncertain terms.

But remembering that the clan still depended on Senya, he chose to swallow his anger and grit out through clenched teeth,

"Fine! Got it!"

Night fell, and the air in the dead of winter became exceptionally cold.

Within the dense green forest, poisonous creatures ran rampant. Venomous snakes and wild beasts lurked everywhere, and even an inconspicuous plant could contain deadly poison.

Senya and Fugaku had arrived early at the Central Tower deep within the Forest of Death.

It was not until late at night, with the moon hanging overhead, that Hiruzen and Danzo finally arrived at the agreed location.

Though only Hiruzen and Danzo stood before them, Senya could sense nearly a hundred ninjas surrounding the Central Tower. Judging from the chakra within them, even the weakest were probably special jōnin.

The moment the four met, Danzo did not waste words. His tone was sharp as he took the lead in questioning them.

"Senya, Fugaku, why didn't you bring that traitor Itachi tonight? Did the traitor run away in fear?"

Hearing Danzo insult his son like that, Fugaku's initially calm expression began to change.

But Chiba was different. Fugaku might not have been much of a talker, but when it came to verbal sparring, Chiba was maxed out!

"Because Lord Hokage didn't summon Itachi."

Senya looked at Danzo with concern, as though he were sincerely worried about the man's intelligence. He could not understand how Danzo could ask such a stupid question.

For a moment, the atmosphere became extremely awkward.

Danzo had intended to suppress their arrogance first, but Senya defused it with a single sentence and even slipped in a counterattack.

Seeing Danzo at a loss for words, Hiruzen immediately stepped forward to speak up for his good friend.

"Enough! Senya, stop trying to win with your tongue."

"Was the attack on the Root base last night carried out by you, Fugaku, and Itachi?"

The cloudiness in Hiruzen's eyes vanished, replaced by sharpness. For an instant, he displayed the bearing of the Ninja World's former Shinobi Hero.

Senya nodded without the slightest concern, looking utterly indifferent.

"That's right. We did it. So what? Is there a problem?"

Then his eyes turned scarlet. The Three-Tomoe spun rapidly before instantly transforming into the shape of a Mangekyō Sharingan.

Danzo and Hiruzen both took two steps back, adopting combat stances.

The situation reached a stalemate.

Senya's expression became somewhat impatient.

"I said, we did it! So what? Is there a problem!"

Chakra suddenly erupted from Senya's body. Blue chakra flames enveloped him, and the pressure radiating from his chakra instantly multiplied the strain on Hiruzen and Danzo.

Seeing this, Danzo immediately barked,

"As expected of the evil Uchiha Clan. You refuse to change."

Hiruzen followed with a rebuke.

"You killed so many people for no reason! You murdered so many Konoha comrades! Don't you feel even a shred of remorse?"

At Hiruzen's words, Danzo suddenly felt an inexplicable unease. But the equipment on his right arm made him ignore it. He was Danzo Promax now! What was there to worry about?

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"How ridiculous. So after all this, you, the Third Hokage, do not even know why I attacked Root? You condemned us solely based on Danzo's one-sided account?"

"Clan Head Fugaku, show our Lord Hokage."

Fugaku immediately tossed the mission scroll in his hand to Hiruzen.

Hearing Senya's words, Hiruzen suddenly sensed that something was wrong, but he still took the scroll and examined it.

After reading the scroll, Hiruzen questioned them again.

"I know about the mission assigned to those twelve Uchiha. Lord Daimyō personally asked me to approve it. What is the problem?"

Senya's Mangekyō Sharingan fixed firmly on Danzo before he turned to Hiruzen.

"They all died on their way back. I already sent clan members to ask Lord Daimyō about it. They left the Capital of the Land of Fire shortly after nightfall yesterday."

"They should have reached Konoha by this morning at the latest, yet there has been no news of them."

Hearing Senya's claim, Hiruzen began to grow impatient.

"You mean they were all killed?"

"Are you going to say next that they were attacked by Root ninjas?"

"Huh? Is that it? Tell me, Uchiha Senya!"

When Hiruzen first took the scroll, he had thought Senya possessed some crucial information. He had not expected it to be something like this.

So much for this supposedly brilliant, monstrous Uchiha genius. In his panic, he was actually trying to use such an excuse to justify his atrocities!

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Senya suddenly began applauding and laughed.

"As expected of our Lord Hokage. You guessed it."

"Then doesn't Lord Hokage want to see our evidence?"

Senya laughed loudly, and the unease in Danzo's heart surged up once more.

Impossible. Ryoma and the others' operation had been foolproof. They could not have left behind any evidence.

Seeing this, Fugaku immediately began forming hand seals.

"Summoning Technique!"

A cloud of white smoke dispersed, revealing a black cat with a scroll strapped to its back.

Fugaku removed the scroll again and threw it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the scroll, once again with a doubtful attitude.

His brows furrowed even more deeply. Fury filled his eyes as he stared hard at Danzo.

"Senya, although Root was at fault first, you still should not have slaughtered every Root ninja. They were all innocent!"

Danzo's face was full of question marks???

"How was I at fault?"

The words left Danzo's mouth instinctively, before he had even thought about them.

Hiruzen snatched the scroll and hurled it into Danzo's face.

"I may be old, but I am not so old that I cannot recognize Granny Cat's handprint from the Ninja Cat Clan!"

As one of the foremost summoning beast powers outside the three great summoning holy lands, the Ninja Cat Clan had long conducted trade throughout the Ninja World, with nations, villages, and clans alike. They were only especially friendly toward the Uchiha Clan because the Uchiha had once helped them. Of course, Uchiha shuriken and explosive tags were also among the finest in the Ninja World.

This summoning clan had earned its reputation through trustworthiness. Since it had provided proof for the Uchiha, the credibility of this scroll was self-evident.

Even Kumogakure, which had always enjoyed killing, arson, and plunder, traded properly with the Ninja Cat Clan. During the Warring States Period, the Yotsuki Clan of Kumogakure had tried to seize the Ninja Cat Clan's business.

The Uchiha Clan had saved the Ninja Cat Clan, forging their close relationship. For several decades afterward, the Yotsuki Clan's economic situation plummeted by more than half. It was not until the Yotsuki Clan head of that era personally kowtowed in apology that the matter finally ended.

No matter how much Hiruzen might doubt this scroll, he did not dare deny it. If he did, at least forty percent of Konoha's ninja tool supply would be cut off. He had no intention of leading all of Konoha down the same path as the Yotsuki Clan.

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