Konoha Turmoil, Prelude to the Tailed Beast Capture

When Su Ye returned to Konoha clutching the experimental scroll, dawn was already breaking. He did not head straight to his residence, but instead made a beeline for the Hokage Office Building—this evidence exposing Danzo's crimes had to be delivered to Tsunade immediately.

Inside the Hokage office, Tsunade was frowning over a stack of documents. Hearing the knock, she looked up to see Su Ye covered in dust, a wound still fresh on his shoulder. "What happened to you?" She stood up and hurried over, but the moment her fingers touched his wound, she sensed the lingering black chakra. "This is... chakra from the Akatsuki?"

Su Ye placed the experimental scroll on the desk, his voice laced with exhaustion: "Lady Tsunade, I found the secret base of Root. Danzo has been using the corpses of ninjas for Pain experiments, and he has been colluding with Obito of the Akatsuki."

Tsunade unfurled the scroll. As she read the recorded experimental data and the diagrams of the cultivation tanks, her expression darkened instantly. Every line of text on the scroll felt like a blade piercing her—many of the corpses used as experimental materials were Konoha ninjas who had gone missing during the Third Shinobi World War. "Danzo... how could he dare to do such a thing!"

Just then, the office door was shoved open, and Nara Shikaku entered with several other high-ranking Konoha officials. Clearly, the explosions at the Root base had alerted the upper echelons. When Shikaku saw the contents of the scroll, his brows knitted together: "If this matter gets out, it will shake the very foundations of Konoha."

"Even if it shakes the foundations, the truth cannot be covered up!" Su Ye said coldly. "Danzo used the corpses of his own comrades for experiments and colluded with the Akatsuki; such behavior must never be tolerated!"

While the group argued, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the office. An Anbu ninja rushed in, his expression grave: "Lady Tsunade, the body of Lord Danzo has been discovered in the eastern suburbs. Members of Root are gathering, demanding a thorough investigation into the killer!"

Su Ye felt a chill in his heart—Danzo had been alive when he left. Clearly, someone had dealt the finishing blow after his departure, intending to frame him. Tsunade also realized the gravity of the situation and immediately ordered: "Shikaku, go and pacify the members of Root to prevent internal strife. Su Ye, return to your quarters to tend to your wounds; I will get to the bottom of this."

Knowing this was not the time for debate, Su Ye nodded and turned to leave. He had barely stepped out of the Hokage Office Building when he felt a familiar gaze upon him. Turning his head, he saw Uchiha Itachi standing on a nearby treetop, watching him with a complex expression.

"Did you know about Danzo's plan all along?" Su Ye asked.

Itachi was silent for a moment before speaking slowly: "I knew Root was conducting secret experiments, but I did not expect them to be colluding with the Akatsuki. Obito's goal is the Tailed Beasts; you have disrupted his plans, and he will not let this go." With that, he dissolved into a dark shadow and vanished into the woods.

Back at his residence, Su Ye had just finished treating his wounds when he received intelligence from Gen—Deidara and Sasori of the Akatsuki had infiltrated Sunagakure, their target being the One-Tail, Shukaku. "As expected, Obito has begun his move." He clenched his fists, the pale purple light of the Rinne Sharingan flashing across his pupils.

Meanwhile, inside the Kazekage Building in Sunagakure, Gaara was staring blankly at the desert outside his window. Recently, he had been feeling an inexplicable sense of unease, as if some danger were drawing near. Suddenly, a massive hole was blasted into the wall of the building, and Deidara's voice arrived with an arrogant laugh: "Gaara, we are the Akatsuki, and we've come to take you away."

Sasori's puppet emerged from the smoke, his crimson eyes fixed on Gaara: "One-Tail Shukaku, it is time for you to return to where you belong."

Gaara immediately summoned a Sand Waterfall, launching an attack toward Deidara and Sasori. However, Deidara released countless clay birds into the air, and the shockwaves from their explosions shattered the sand. Sasori, meanwhile, manipulated his puppet to fire poison needles at Gaara.

Sunagakure ninjas rushed to provide support, only to be blocked by Deidara's clay bombs. Watching the villagers get injured, a flash of anger crossed Gaara's eyes, and he released the full power of Shukaku, his body gradually undergoing Tailed Beast transformation.

Far away in Konoha, Su Ye learned of the situation in Sunagakure through Gen's intelligence network and immediately rushed toward the Hokage Office Building. He knew this was only the beginning of Obito's plan to capture the Tailed Beasts; if the Akatsuki were not stopped, more beasts would be seized, and the "Eye of the Moon Plan" would draw ever closer to fruition.

When Su Ye arrived at the Hokage office, Tsunade was discussing countermeasures with Shikaku and Kakashi. "Lady Tsunade, I request to go to Sunagakure to support Gaara!" Su Ye stated.

Kakashi looked at Su Ye with a hint of concern: "The Akatsuki's strength is immense; it is too dangerous for you to go alone."

"I possess the Rinne Sharingan; I can see through their ninjutsu," Su Ye said firmly. "Besides, I must go to stop them. I cannot let Obito's plan succeed."

Tsunade pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Very well. You and Kakashi will head to Sunagakure together. Remember, you must protect Gaara at all costs, and at the same time, uncover the Akatsuki's next move."

Su Ye and Kakashi set off immediately, racing toward Sunagakure. They both knew that this battle over the Tailed Beasts would determine the fate of the entire shinobi world. And within Su Ye, the Rinne Sharingan would unleash even greater power during this conflict.