By Lord Danzo's Order

The Daimyo's chest heaved. He snatched up a teacup and hurled it away, completely abandoning the dignity expected of a Daimyo.

Yet that only made Konoha's leaders more wary of him, even afraid.

The more the Daimyo's behavior conformed to propriety and the angrier he appeared, the more it showed how seriously he took the matter.

At the same time, it was an indirect warning to the Third Hokage that calming his fury would be no easy task.

Seeing that the situation was nearly beyond repair, the Third Hokage had no choice but to steel himself and step forward, putting on a show of deference.

"Your Excellency, could this matter be a misunderstanding? Danzo, he..."

The Daimyo cut him off with a cold snort before he could finish.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, are you joking with me? We have witnesses and evidence in abundance, and even young Tsunade can testify to what happened. Are you suggesting that I'm framing the Lord Advisor?"

Framing him!

Of course this was a frame-up!

He knew Danzo better than anyone.

Danzo was indeed aggressive and eager to get Ye Ning under his control, but he was no fool.

Danzo would never do something so absurd.

Besides, intimidating Ye Ning had been their decision from the start. Why would Danzo suddenly try to assassinate him?

Attempted assassination of the Daimyo's Son was no small charge.

Since it had already been confirmed that Ye Ning was the next heir to the Land of Fire's throne, assassinating the Daimyo's Son was tantamount to assassinating the Daimyo himself.

And that was a crime Konoha simply couldn't bear!

If Danzo were convicted of it, he would have nowhere left to turn—not in Konoha, not in the Land of Fire, and not in the entire Shinobi World!

Konoha would be dragged down with him.

Compared with all the other consequences, the Daimyo's wrath was already a minor concern.

If word of this got out, Konoha would become the target of everyone.

If an attempt on the Daimyo's heir became public, the Daimyo Mansion and Konoha would be irreparably estranged. No matter how diligently they tried to mend the rift, their relationship would never return to what it had been. And if the other great shinobi villages added fuel to the fire and joined forces to condemn Konoha, Konoha would never withstand it!

They had to keep the fallout from this matter to an absolute minimum!

The Third Hokage was inwardly lamenting his misfortune. Seeing that the Daimyo was in a towering rage, he knew that anything he said would be dismissed as an excuse. All he could do was pin his hopes on Tsunade.

As an eyewitness, if Tsunade would say a word in Danzo's—no, in Konoha's—defense, it might soothe the Daimyo's anger a little and keep the situation from spiraling completely out of control. But if Tsunade really refused to budge...

The Third Hokage cast a hopeful look toward Tsunade.

There was even a hint of pleading in his eyes.

Tsunade pressed her lips together and turned her head slightly, pretending not to notice.

As the granddaughter of the First and Second, Tsunade had grown up surrounded by politics. She was no political novice, and she could see everything the Third Hokage could.

But Konoha was no longer the village she knew.

And her teacher was no longer the teacher he had once been.

Besides, she still harbored resentment.

Because the Senju Clan had disappeared, because her younger brother was gone, because of the White Fang incident—and, above all, because of Ye Ning.

It was true that this time Danzo had only intended to bring Ye Ning in; he hadn't meant to kill him.

But what about next time?

Who could guarantee that Danzo wouldn't actually try to assassinate him in the future?

After this, Ye Ning and Danzo had thoroughly fallen out. She could take pity on Danzo now and plead on his behalf, but Danzo wouldn't appreciate it.

With Danzo's temperament, he would surely retaliate one day.

For all she knew, an assassination attempt might really happen.

Seeing Tsunade turn away, a flicker of disappointment crossed the Third Hokage's eyes.

There was no room left to turn things around.

"Ye Ning."

Danzo spoke at last, after remaining silent for a long time.

Although Danzo was about to be saddled with the crime of attempting to assassinate the Daimyo's heir, he still seemed calm. Neither Ye Ning's tactics nor the Daimyo's scolding had made him panic.

In the end, it was just a simple frame-up.

Danzo was confident he could turn things around.

Seeing that Danzo still looked so sure of himself, Ye Ning folded his arms and watched with amusement.

He was curious what Danzo thought he could say in this situation.

"Lord Advisor, if you have something to say, please go ahead."

"Hmph."

Danzo snorted scornfully.

"You keep claiming that I sent people to assassinate you, and you've even produced a witness. Then why not ask what mission I actually gave them that day? You can't just take your word for it and claim they were sent to kill you, then expect everyone to believe it, can you?"

Danzo smiled, brimming with confidence.

He thought he had found a hole in Ye Ning's story.

All they had to do was question his subordinates, and they would learn that the shinobi he had sent out that day had not been there to assassinate anyone!

Ye Ning clicked his tongue. Danzo's words didn't alarm him in the slightest.

If Danzo couldn't even think of an excuse like this, all the planning and scheming he'd done over the past few days would have been a waste.

How could he have failed to anticipate this?

"If Lord Advisor wants to ask, then ask."

So readily?

Danzo could hardly believe it.

He had never intended to assassinate Ye Ning. The shinobi he'd sent had only been tasked with bringing Ye Ning back, and he had specifically warned them not to hurt him.

As far as Danzo was concerned, a frame-up on this level wouldn't hold up.

Only the White Fang incident he'd orchestrated earlier counted as a real frame-up.

Because White Fang really had done it.

All Danzo had done was spread rumors and amplify certain claims.

This time, he hadn't done anything at all, so he had nothing to fear.

Unable to figure out what Ye Ning was up to, Danzo snorted and stepped forward. He lowered his head to look at the Root shinobi, who was bound hand and foot but otherwise unharmed.

"Fujiyama Nakakage, raise your head and look at me."

The Root shinobi, who had kept his head bowed ever since entering the room, lifted it groggily.

His expression was panicked and fearful, and every movement betrayed his unease.

"Tell me clearly: what was my mission that day?"

Danzo was deeply displeased by the Root shinobi's cringing manner, but he forced himself to stay calm as he questioned him.

"Tell me everything that happened that night, from beginning to end!"

The Root shinobi nodded and stammered.

"That night, Iri Mutsuzawa and I were both summoned by Lord Danzo, who ordered us to assassinate the Daimyo's Son. After we arrived at the Senju Clan Grounds, we first got into a verbal argument with Ye Ning. Then Ye Ning mocked Lord Danzo, so we fought."

"During the fight, I wounded Ye Ning. Just as I was about to finish him off, Lady Tsunade suddenly woke up. Mutsuzawa and I were no match for Lady Tsunade. One punch sent Mutsuzawa crashing into the wall, and I was captured too."

His account came out haltingly, but at least it was complete.

When he finished speaking, everyone turned their gaze toward Danzo.