"Root, hidden in the darkness... So this was why you wanted to kill me, Danzo!" Sarutobi sighed, his expression complicated.
His feelings were far more turbulent than they appeared. After hearing the Root leader's account, Sarutobi had already realized that today's events were a conspiracy Danzo had arranged in order to assassinate him!
Even his disciple Orochimaru had likely been nothing more than one of the other man's pawns, meant to lure him into this trap!
In the span of a single day, he had suffered both his disciple's fall from grace and his comrade's betrayal. Sarutobi's state of mind had taken a tremendous blow, and his emotions were now raging like stormy waves.
Yet compared to Danzo's betrayal, Sarutobi was even more heartbroken over Orochimaru's corruption. Though the former's actions were extreme, his motives were more "noble and selfless"; it was merely a difference in ideals, and there was still a chance to bring him back. The latter, however, had acted entirely out of selfish desire. In Sarutobi's eyes, he was beyond saving.
"Attack!" Seeing that Sarutobi's mind was in disarray, the Root leader decisively gave the order.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Dozens of Root members simultaneously hurled their ninja tools, intending to disrupt the enemy formation before swarming in from multiple directions to besiege the Anbu.
This was the most common tactic for a coordinated assault. It made full use of their numerical advantage. Once the Anbu were forced into close quarters, they would face attacks from several opponents at once. Their formation would soon shatter, allowing them to be isolated and defeated one by one.
Furthermore, the laboratory was cramped, and ninjutsu could easily cause friendly-fire casualties. Close-quarters combat was more suitable.
Yet unexpectedly, the Anbu guard unit neither dodged nor retreated before the barrage of thrown weapons.