Shimura Danzō

After issuing his order, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued poring over the documents, puffing away. Just then, someone knocked on the office door.

"Come in."

Hearing the authoritative voice from inside, Naraku opened the door and entered.

"Lord Third."

"Ah, Naraku, you're here." The Lord Third nodded, then fell silent.

The matter of the missing ninjas was giving the Lord Third a headache. He was trying to figure out which jōnin might be behind it. The Uchiha had lost many chūnin and genin, but plenty of ninjas from other clans and civilian families had also gone missing. The Uchiha Clan was certainly one of the few with the strength to pull something like this off.

Seeing that the Lord Third was rather cool toward him and seemed lost in thought, Naraku couldn't help clearing his throat before speaking.

"Lord Third, fifteen ninjas from my Uchiha Clan have gone missing without cause recently. They were all chūnin and genin. Whoever did this is despicable. Do you know anything about it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was already troubled by the disappearances. He had guessed that was why Naraku had come.

He couldn't help feeling a little displeased. The Uchiha weren't the only ones who had lost people; many other ninjas had gone missing too.

"Does the Police Force have no leads?"

The Lord Third didn't answer Naraku's question. Instead, he asked about the Military Police Force.

"That's right. We have no leads. The Military Police Force is investigating, and we have a preliminary suspect," Naraku replied slowly.

They had a suspect? It seemed the Military Police Force had some competence after all. The Lord Third smiled faintly, his expression easing a little.

"Good. Who's the suspect?"

Naraku didn't answer. He simply looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

When Naraku didn't reply and continued staring at him, the Lord Third grew puzzled. His thoughts turned for a moment, then he understood.

The Lord Third's faint smile faded, and his expression grew serious.

Most of the missing ninjas were Uchiha. It certainly seemed like something Danzo would do. Danzo was also the Lord Third's primary suspect.

"Hiruzen, what did you want with me?"

Just then, the office door opened, and a middle-aged ninja with bandages wrapped around his eye and arm walked in.

The trip to the Land of Rain had shown Danzo just how formidable the new generation of ninjas was.

He had injured his arm in the war and could no longer use it properly, so he had to keep it in a sling. He looked like a man who had devoted himself to Konoha and remained steadfast despite his injuries.

The Lord Third had been about to ask Danzo a question, but with the leader of the Uchiha Clan, Naraku, present, it was difficult to bring up.

Shimura Danzo did as he pleased. Whenever he came to the Hokage Building, he never reported in or made an appointment; he simply pushed open the door and entered. This time, though, the atmosphere in the office was somewhat awkward.

"Uchiha, shouldn't you be working with the Military Police Force? What are you doing here?"

Danzo asked coolly, his face impassive.

He acted as if he were the Hokage himself, making no effort to restrain his authority in the Hokage's office.

"Lord Advisor, many ninjas have gone missing in Konoha recently, especially from my Uchiha Clan. I came to ask the Lord Third about it."

As the Hokage's advisor and Konoha's second-in-command in public, Shimura Danzo was not someone Naraku could ignore, so he replied coolly.

Danzo glanced sidelong at Naraku.

"Oh? Ninjas have gone missing? If that's the case, shouldn't you be investigating as a member of the Police Force instead of standing around here?"

As the Darkness of the Shinobi, Danzo had long since put Naraku's portrait and records up in Root's office.

Yet now he pretended not to recognize him. Seeing the insignia on Naraku's arm, he treated him as an ordinary Uchiha serving in the Police Force.

"As a senior officer in the Military Police Force, I've already dispatched ninja officers to investigate. I'm here to share information about the case with the Hokage."

"There's no need to report such a minor matter to me. Just handle the case, find the missing people, and arrest the culprits."

Danzo spoke in the tone of a superior, as though he had no idea that so many of the missing people were Uchiha.

"Precisely because we have no leads, and this was clearly the work of powerful ninjas or a powerful organization, I came here."

"No leads?" Danzo repeated, enunciating every word.

"I never thought the famed Uchiha Military Police Force would be so useless. Hiruzen, you might as well disband it and stop wasting the funds and supplies you worked so hard to secure from the Daimyo."

After saying this, Danzo shook his head as though deeply disappointed in the Military Police Force. Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed away in silence throughout.

Those two cunning old bastards. Naraku felt a surge of anger.

"More than twenty people have gone missing, including fifteen chūnin and genin from my Uchiha Clan. This couldn't have been the work of an individual. It must have been a ninja organization."

Danzo nodded and asked, "Which ninja organization? The Land of Wind? The Land of Earth? Or some group of rogue ninjas?"

"The Land of Wind and the Land of Earth have already been defeated by the ninja forces I led. They can't cause much trouble."

"If a group of rogue ninjas could have this much impact, then there's no point in the Military Police Force existing."

Danzo was pressing him hard. Naraku refused to hold back any longer and sneered.

"Hmph. The organization I suspect is the Anbu."

The room fell completely silent.

After a long moment, the Lord Third frowned.

"The Anbu are under my direct command. Their duties are to protect Konoha and carry out special missions abroad. Naraku, don't make wild accusations!"

"Uchiha ninjas go missing, and instead of reflecting on how weak your clan's ninjas are, you suspect the Anbu? Are you saying that I, the Lord Third, would harm the very village I'm sworn to protect? Do you even know what you're saying?"

Danzo shouted, righteous indignation filling his voice.

Naraku met his challenge and shouted back angrily.

"If the Police Force can't find a single lead, and ninjas can disappear without a trace, then who could be responsible if not the Anbu? Tell me!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen had already formed his own suspicions, but he couldn't afford to show weakness at this point. He exhaled a ring of smoke and spoke sternly.

"Naraku is right. Powerful ninjas or an organization are behind this. The Anbu will also investigate the disappearances and see that the villagers get justice."

"Naraku, go back for now. I know about this matter. Once I've investigated it, I'll give you a satisfactory answer."

Though the Lord Third could be devious, he was not yet as senile or power-hungry as he would become in his later years. His rule over Konoha was stable, and he was not yet as narrow-minded as he would be later.

So many Uchiha had gone missing, and Sarutobi Hiruzen could understand why the clan leader had come to him.

"All right, Lord Third. I'll await your answer. The Uchiha Clan and the Military Police Force will continue investigating too. If we find the culprit, I'll make sure they're thrown into Konoha's prison and..."

"Beg for death and be unable to die!"

Naraku's voice was cold. As he spoke, he shot Danzo a sidelong glance.

Danzo's face remained expressionless. One eye was wrapped in bandages, and one arm hung in a sling. Before the Second Shinobi World War, both his arms had been fine; after the war, he had returned with one useless arm.

He looked like a noble leader who had selflessly devoted himself to Konoha and remained steadfast despite his injuries.

"Naraku takes his leave." Naraku bowed slightly to the Lord Third and turned around.

"Hmph." Before leaving, he couldn't help glancing at Danzo once more. Then he snorted and walked out.