In the laboratory, everyone focused their attention on Nawaki, hoping he could provide a clear answer.
Yet Nawaki, who was usually calm and composed as though everything were under his control, wore a bewildered expression this time. He released Shinnosuke's wrist, then shook his head distractedly. "I don't know either!
This morning, I came to the base to conduct experiments as usual, but everyone here had vanished! When I entered the laboratory, I found only Teacher Sarutobi's body.
Before I could investigate, Leader Danzo and Orochimaru barged into the base together.
Leader Danzo immediately declared that I was Teacher's murderer and refused to listen to my explanation. In the end, we decided to gather everyone here and let you all judge right and wrong in a public trial."
"What is there to judge?" Tsunade snapped back to her senses from her grief, her face full of conviction. "How could Nawaki possibly have killed Teacher? He was Teacher's most beloved disciple! It's obvious someone wanted to take this opportunity to frame him!"
"Nawaki could never have killed the old man!" Jiraiya declared with equal certainty.
The other members close to Nawaki also voiced their agreement.
The other Konoha higher-ups present instinctively refused to believe Nawaki was the culprit as well, believing Danzo was using this as an excuse to stir up trouble. However, most of them did not immediately take a stance. What had happened today was far too strange, and they had to be cautious.
"Hmph!" Facing the rebuttals from the higher-ups of Nawaki's faction, Danzo said coldly, "You all saw it yourselves. Sarutobi died by Wood Release! Who else besides him could the murderer be?"
The Konoha higher-ups all turned their eyes toward Nawaki. What Danzo had said was indeed the greatest point of suspicion, and the reason they