Awakening

Shimura Danzō was deeply puzzled; he truly could not fathom why Hiruzen Sarutobi would have such an intense reaction.

However, he did not take the matter to heart, as he had already learned that it had no connection to Uchiha Chen.

Although he felt a slight pang of regret knowing he could not implicate Uchiha Chen in this affair or use it as a pretext to suppress the Uchiha clan, he soon let it go.

After all, this was merely an excuse; regardless of whether it succeeded, the actual damage it would have caused to the Uchiha clan was negligible.

Nevertheless, Anko Mitarashi could not be let off so easily, for Shimura Danzō's primary goal for this trip was to bring her under his command.

Thinking of this, Shimura Danzō buried his malice toward the Uchiha clan deep within his heart, turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, and said in a deep voice, "If this matter has nothing to do with Uchiha Chen, then so be it, but the fact that Anko Mitarashi killed a Konoha ninja is indisputable."

"In my opinion, she should be detained by Root first, and strictly interrogated once she regains consciousness."

Upon hearing Shimura Danzō's proposal, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally understood what his old friend was plotting.

Once Anko Mitarashi was locked away in Root, it would be like a meat bun thrown at a dog—gone forever!

Who knew if she would even be alive by the time the investigation concluded.

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but lower his voice and say, "That won't be necessary. I have already dispatched Anbu members to the scene to investigate, and they will return to report the situation to me before long."

As he said this, Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly rejoiced at his wise decision to send people to collect evidence in advance.

Just then, a figure appeared like lightning between the three of them and knelt on one knee before Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This person was the very Anbu member who had been sent out earlier.

Seeing the newcomer, Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a relaxed tone, "You've come at the right time. State the results of your investigation right here."

"Although I trust my grand-student, since this involves the safety of another Konoha ninja, I will treat everyone equally and never show favoritism."

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi speak such righteous words, the villagers who had gathered due to the Third Hokage's appearance were all moved by his impartiality and began to applaud.

Watching Hiruzen Sarutobi surrounded by villagers, Shimura Danzō was filled with resentment and unwillingness.

He gritted his teeth hard, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi sent people to investigate, what of it?

The fact that Anko Mitarashi had killed someone was certain; there was no room for maneuver!

Although he did not know why Hiruzen Sarutobi was so confident, regardless of the reason, killing a fellow ninja of the village was an unforgivable felony.

In the end, this guilty ninja would inevitably fall into the clutches of Root.

Thinking of this, a sense of triumph welled up in Shimura Danzō's heart; he couldn't wait to see what kind of expression Hiruzen Sarutobi would wear next.

The Anbu ninja who received the order did not hesitate and immediately made the investigation results public.

The originally noisy and boisterous crowd fell deathly silent the moment the Anbu member spoke.

After all, most people held deep awe and fear toward these mysterious and powerful Anbu members.

"Reporting to the Third Hokage, according to our investigation, the conclusion is that Suzuki Hiro harbored resentment toward Anko Mitarashi for unknown reasons and therefore attacked her outside the village."

The Anbu ninja's voice was cold and firm, as if stating an unshakable fact.

"The evidence is that we found a large amount of blood near the house; this blood should have been shed when Anko Mitarashi was ambushed."

"In stark contrast, Suzuki Hiro, who was not far away, died from internal organ rupture and did not lose much blood."

At this point, Uchiha Chen, who was standing to the side, seemed to recall something and spoke up: "That's right. When I found them, although Suzuki Hiro was already dead, Anko Mitarashi was also unconscious due to severe injuries to her limbs."

"Looking at it this way, Anko Mitarashi didn't commit a crime at all!"

"Although I don't know exactly what happened in between, it doesn't matter anymore."

As he spoke, he sarcastically mocked the livid Shimura Danzō: "It seems she doesn't need to be detained by Root after all, Lord Danzō!"

Hearing Uchiha Chen's mockery, boundless anger surged in Shimura Danzō's heart, but he maintained a calm exterior and said, "I was merely angry because a ninja in the village had died, and I acted on impulse to have her detained."

"Since Anko Mitarashi did nothing detrimental to the village, there is naturally no need for interrogation."

"Since the matter is settled, there are many things in Root waiting for me to handle, so I will take my leave."

After saying this, he turned and left, leaving behind a crowd of stunned people.

Having just left, Shimura Danzō felt extremely annoyed with the Root member whose incorrect information had caused him to lose his confrontation with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He lowered his voice and said, "The intelligence provided by Root just now was wrong; have him go to the interrogation room to receive his punishment!"

"Furthermore, immediately mobilize the Root ninjas to find all information on that person named Uchiha Chen."

Thinking of the Uchiha Chen who had just mocked him, he couldn't help but feel an increased sense of disgust toward the Uchiha clan.

He snorted coldly in his heart: "Just as Master Tobirama said, the Uchiha clan is a clan born with evil; one day..."

On the other side, after witnessing Shimura Danzō slink away, Uchiha Chen felt secretly satisfied.

He knew that Shimura Danzō must be filled with murderous intent toward him right now, but he didn't care, because in a little while, he would be able to make Danzō slap himself in the face while laughing.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, having lost interest in the spectacle, Anko Mitarashi was wheeled out of the treatment room by a doctor.

The gruesome wounds on her hands and feet were tightly wrapped in bandages, making her look like a rice dumpling, and the injured woman had already regained consciousness.

Her originally delicate face looked incredibly pale, yet it revealed a kind of sickly beauty.

She opened her eyes slightly and immediately locked gazes with Uchiha Chen, who was standing beside her.

In an instant, a faint, imperceptible blush crept across her pale cheeks, perhaps a lingering memory of the warm embrace she had just enjoyed.

Standing to the side, Hiruzen Sarutobi witnessed the scene, a gratified smile surfacing on his face, though he did not speak to interrupt this beautiful moment.

However, the tender scene came to an abrupt end the moment the nurse wheeled Anko Mitarashi into the hospital room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke up immediately: "Anko, tell us the ins and outs of what happened."

"After all, there are still some doubts left unresolved, and from here on out, we must rely on you, Anko Mitarashi, as the person involved, to clarify the situation."

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice, Anko Mitarashi, still physically weak, had no time to spare for Uchiha Chen. She lowered her gaze and said in a slow, heavy tone: "This matter concerns the defector, Orochimaru."

Following that, Anko recounted everything she had heard from Suzuki Hiro, leaving no detail untold.