Ying Yue knew that ordinary villagers and ninja were merely tools blinded by public opinion. The true instigators were Root, hidden in the shadows.
Next, Ying Yue turned his attention to Root personnel. Through his intelligence network, he had long since identified a group of Root ninja—the very culprits responsible for stirring up public opinion and ruining Hatake Sakumo's reputation.
Ying Yue ordered the Police Force ninja to apprehend them one by one.
However, things did not go as smoothly as expected. After these Root operatives were brought back to the Police Force, Ying Yue discovered that all of them bore Danzō's "Tongue Eradicating Cursed Seal."
This seal could seal their mouths, preventing them from revealing any truth about Danzō.
Ying Yue stood in the interrogation room, coldly watching the captured Root ninja.
Their lips were tightly shut, and their eyes held an almost despairing obedience. They knew that even at this point, they could not defy Danzō's orders.
"Danzō really is controlling everything behind this," Ying Yue thought. He had originally planned to obtain evidence of Danzō's direct involvement by interrogating these men, but the existence of the Tongue Eradicating Cursed Seal made that impossible.
Ying Yue knew that even at the brink of life and death, these Root ninja would be unable to say anything detrimental to Danzō.
"You people betrayed the village's interests in order to preserve Root's darkness," Ying Yue said coldly. "Since you cannot reveal the truth, you can only be punished under Konoha's laws."
To Ying Yue, the Root ninja's silence was not a sign of innocence, but proof of their absolute loyalty to Danzō.
He knew that if these people were allowed to live, Danzō's schemes would continue, and Konoha's order would remain under threat.
Therefore, Ying Yue made a decisive and ruthless