"Hīruzen, we really did need the intel back then. Danzo had no choice, so don't hold him responsible," Utatane Koharu said quickly, seeing the tension in the room and rushing to speak up for him.
Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement.
Seeing his two old friends backing him up, Shimura Danzō felt a little better.
He'd been feeling rather aggrieved after Sarutobi Hiruzen had just snapped at him.
At least someone understood. They knew why I did it.
Hiruzen, you're actually starting to give in to that Fourth Hokage brat. You really are getting old.
Looking at the familiar face of Sarutobi Hiruzen, already lined with wrinkles, Shimura Danzō felt a strange pang of emotion.
"All right, you two can stop defending him. Don't I know exactly what kind of person Danzo is?" Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted their pleas with an irritated wave.
"When I was Hokage, you did whatever you pleased, and I didn't say a word. Now Minato Namikaze is Hokage, so you'd better keep a low profile. Don't get yourselves into trouble."
"All I want now is a quiet retirement. Stop trying to stir up some big scandal just to get a rise out of me."
For a moment, everyone exchanged glances. They understood exactly what Sarutobi Hiruzen meant.
First, he really wanted them to keep a low profile.
Second, they had to clean up the messes they'd left behind.
And lastly, he was saying he wanted to play the innocent old man now, so they shouldn't drag him into anything.
But after holding power for so many years, how could they just let it go?
Besides, they'd planted so many of their own people throughout Konoha that they couldn't retire even if they wanted to.
Unlike Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had technically retired, yet Minato Namikaze still came to him for advice all the time.
After all, the current Hokage was his student's student. With that kind of connection, Sarutobi Hiruzen was as secure as a rock.
So his heartfelt words were never going to sway them.
"If there's nothing else, let's call it a day. I still need to have a good talk with Biwako."
Seeing that Sarutobi Hiruzen was beginning to usher them out, everyone took the hint and left.
Just as Shimura Danzō was about to go, Sarutobi Hiruzen called him back.
"Danzo, are you sure you've told us everything?"
"Believe what you want. I've said all I have to say," Shimura Danzō replied, feigning impatience.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Shimura Danzō leave.
He knew his old classmate too well. He was worried Danzo might spring one last disaster on them.
If it dragged everyone else into the mess, there'd be no easy way out.
Meanwhile, Shimura Danzō was thinking that he needed to destroy all traces and records of his Wood Release experiments immediately.
He also had to warn Orochimaru to keep his mouth shut.
If Minato Namikaze found out, he wouldn't go easy on him.
And judging by Hiruzen's behavior just now, he didn't trust me much anymore. I have to prepare for the worst.
With that, Shimura Danzō made a hand signal.
The Root members guarding him in secret instantly appeared before him and assembled. He began issuing orders.
"Ox Horn Squad, go destroy all records and traces of the Wood Release experiments at once."
"Yamanaka Fu, set out now and find Orochimaru. Tell him that whether Hiruzen or Minato Namikaze asks him about me—"
"—he'd better keep his mouth shut about anything he shouldn't say. If my reputation is ruined, he won't come out of this unscathed either."
"Yes!" x2
With the orders given, the tension Shimura Danzō had been carrying lately eased somewhat.
"The rest of you, come with me. We're heading back to Root Base."
Root Base
Shimura Danzō was thinking about how to improve the security procedures at Root Base and the laboratory when a Root member appeared before him, interrupting his thoughts.
"Lord Danzo, we have a problem. The entire laboratory has been ransacked, and all the records have been destroyed."
"What?!"
The sudden news caught Shimura Danzō completely off guard. Before he could ask what happened next, the Root member continued at a rapid pace:
"That includes the Sharingan experiment records."
"All the Root members assigned to guard the laboratory were killed."
Shimura Danzō was shocked and furious. The scene felt strangely familiar.
Right. When Kinoe was abducted, Shimura Danzō had felt the same way.
But now that something similar had happened again, he'd built up a little resistance. He managed to keep his emotions somewhat in check.
"Has Root turned into a public toilet?"
"Anyone can come and go as they please?"
"This is never going to end, is it?!"
"What the hell are you all doing?"
"Why didn't you send up a signal when we were attacked?!"
Shimura Danzō's roar echoed through the entire space.
The Anbu member reporting to him didn't know what to say, so he continued with the report:
"After discovering the laboratory had been destroyed, I came straight here to report. I left the others to investigate the scene. They should have some results by now."
"Hmph. A bunch of useless fools!" Shimura Danzō's eyes were bloodshot, and his chest heaved with anger.
"Even the Inuzuka Clan's dogs know to howl before they die. You're worse than dogs!"
"First you lost Kinoe, costing me a Wood Release ninja. Now you've let the experimental records get leaked. What are you going to make me lose next?"
"My life?!"
"Is killing people the only thing you're capable of? Have you got no other skills?!"
Shimura Danzō kept ranting, growing angrier with every word. He cursed nonstop, too furious to think straight.
The two incidents that had happened that day had hit him hard. He'd managed to keep his emotions under control before, but now they finally boiled over.
The Root members below understood what kind of day it had been. They lowered their heads and silently endured the scolding, even though it wasn't really their fault.
"Phew."
After venting for a while, Shimura Danzō gradually regained his composure.
"Someone!"
The Root members guarding him in secret immediately appeared before him.
"Call back everyone who was ever assigned to guard that laboratory. Bring them all to the base."
"Yes!" The Root guard immediately went to fetch them.
Then he turned to the Root member who'd delivered the report. "As for you, lead the way. I'm going to see just how badly the laboratory was damaged."
"We're finally back in Konoha. All that traveling was exhausting."
"Let's go home and rest. We'll regroup tomorrow."
After several days on the road, Masaki Uchiha finally returned to the village with her group.
Of course, they had left the village quietly, so they had to return just as quietly.
If anyone found out they'd left without the Hokage's permission, they'd probably get another lecture.
But after returning to the village, Masaki Uchiha didn't head home. Instead, she went to the Konoha Police Force.
"Bring Uchiha Ichiro and Shun over. Those two brothers." As soon as she sat down, Masaki Uchiha sent someone to bring them in and report what had happened.
Before long, the two brothers arrived at the Police Force director's office.
"How did the tasks I assigned you go?"
"Don't worry, Clan Head. Both missions were a complete success," Uchiha Shun said with a grin.
"We have your intel to thank for that, Clan Head. We couldn't have finished so quickly without it." Uchiha Ichiro wore a broad smile too.