Danzo: It's Him! (Fourth Watch)

The next day, disillusioned with the politics of Konohagakure, Tsunade left the village with Shizune, the niece of Kato Dan. At the same time, Minazuki Kokona concluded her training under Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade has left," Minazuki Kokona's icy voice rang out.

"Hmm. You are free to leave as well. After all, I don't want to drag others into my revenge," Uchiha Chiba replied, sitting on the mountainside and looking down at Konohagakure. This was the very spot where Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara had once stood together, gazing out at the village.

"Never mind me for a moment. I still don't know much about you, so... what is this 'revenge' of yours?" Minazuki Kokona brushed her white hair behind her back and sat down beside Chiba.

Uchiha Chiba told the girl beside him everything: how he had been hunted down during the Second Great Ninja War, and how Danzo Shimura's subsequent actions had implicated Katsuzuki of the Salamander and others.

"Hmm... Danzo, is it? What do you plan to do next? Your enemy is in the shadows while we are in the light. If he discovers your identity... I'm afraid that would be troublesome," Minazuki Kokona said, her expression remaining as cold as ever.

Uchiha Chiba was silent for a moment.

Then, he spoke.

"I intend to follow Master Orochimaru for now. That way, even if Danzo discovers me, I won't be easily targeted by him. Anyone in the village with a brain knows that I am an Uchiha who is close to Konohagakure. If I were to die, not only would Konohagakure be displeased, but the Uchiha Clan would never let my corpse be taken away by others; they would surely turn the village upside down..."

Minazuki Kokona blinked.

She reached out.

Her fair fingers brushed against the back of Chiba's neck.

"Ice Release: Glacier Crystal."

An ice-crystal necklace appeared around Uchiha Chiba's neck. Chiba reached up to touch it; it wasn't as cold as he had imagined, feeling more like crystal instead.

"This is?" Uchiha Chiba asked, somewhat puzzled.

"My bloodline limit. If the necklace shatters, a layer of ice will envelop you. Consider it a life-saving measure," Minazuki Kokona said, turning her head away, her tone unchanged.

"By the way, if you want to, you can leave now," Uchiha Chiba suddenly remembered. He had been recuperating, and Minazuki Kokona had always been by Master Tsunade's side; he had almost forgotten about this young girl.

Then, Minazuki Kokona sighed.

She glanced at Uchiha Chiba and spoke slowly: "Are you an idiot? I am your slave. The mark is still branded on my shoulder. Unless the mark disappears, if I leave you, I will die."

In truth, she wouldn't actually die. As long as Uchiha Chiba's consciousness didn't feel anger or resentment toward her departure, this slave mark was almost indistinguishable from a normal person. The specific reasons for this had already been explained in previous chapters.

"Oh, right! I forgot... So, where is my Blood Clone?" Uchiha Chiba suddenly recalled that this was indeed a thing.

"Oh, it's in my hands," Minazuki Kokona said, extending her hand. On the middle finger of her right hand, a ring with a blood-red rose pattern lay quietly.

"Your Blood Clone couldn't talk, so I turned him into a ring. It's more convenient this way," Minazuki Kokona explained.

Uchiha Chiba blinked.

"Is that so?"

In reality, Chiba didn't want to reclaim the Blood Clone; it was because he had exhausted all his blood reserves in the battle against the Third Kazekage. If he were to use the Blood Pact now, he could only summon a Blood Scythe with less than ten percent of its power. But was that really how the Blood Pact was meant to be used?

Inside Konohagakure.

Underground.

Within the Root headquarters, a Root ninja wearing a flower mask moved at high speed.

Thud!

Two ninjas collided head-on.

"Are you alright, Hanaju?" the male Root ninja asked the one in the flower mask.

"I'm fine, don't worry. But how is Lord Danzo?" The flower-masked Root shook her head, a gentle female voice emanating from beneath the mask.

"Lord Danzo... he just gave our superior, Lord Garden, a massive dressing-down. Both Lord Garden and Lord Danzo are in a foul mood right now... Wait, why are you asking? You aren't planning on seeing Lord Danzo, are you? Hey! Hanaju, if it isn't something extremely important, don't go. Be careful you don't end up like that poor kid..." (referring to the Root member Danzo had casually killed during a meeting earlier). The male Root frowned; he truly didn't want to see such a gentle girl as Hanaju die here.

Hanaju nodded. "Don't worry..."

Everyone knew of the Anbu in the light, but only the great clans and a portion of the ninjas knew of Root. One served as the light of Konohagakure, the other as its shadow. Everyone knew that joining the Anbu meant a bright future, while joining Root meant a bleak one. Root... it was just Danzo Shimura's personal fiefdom. It was a prison—even more maddening than a prison.

Hanaju took a deep breath and descended the stairs.

She arrived before Danzo's office.

She reached out, seemingly hesitant. After a few breaths, she steeled her resolve and knocked on the door.

"Lord Danzo, I have important intelligence," Hanaju knelt halfway at the door.

Then, the door opened.

"Speak..." Danzo Shimura looked down at Hanaju on the floor with a cold, sinister gaze, as if he could tear this poor Root ninja to pieces in the next second.

"Lord Danzo, we have finished investigating the matter regarding Uchiha Chiba, the student of the Sannin, as you requested," Hanaju dared not look up, speaking one word at a time.

"And? Don't waste my patience," Danzo Shimura said coldly.

"Uchiha Chiba is indeed the Uchiha from Amegakure that you were looking for. According to our intelligence gathering, the first Root ninja who died was the captain of his squad." Hanaju's heart pounded wildly; she could feel the crushing pressure radiating from Danzo Shimura.

SLAP!!!

Danzo Shimura slammed his hand against the table and stood up abruptly!

"Excellent... truly excellent. If things continue this way, I will be able to obtain that divine power... that power can only be mine." Danzo Shimura suddenly strode out of the office, leaving Hanaju behind, standing alone in a state of disarray.

Seriously, who could understand the struggle of having such a temperamental boss?!

That night.

Danzo convened a meeting of the Root.

The massive circular table was originally designed to seat thirteen people, but now, only eight remained, including Danzo Shimura himself.

"Greetings~ my friends. It's such a pity that you're all still alive~" a long-haired Root member wearing a mask said with exaggerated flair; his codename was Viper.

"Shut your mouth and save some time... Lord Danzo, please give us your instructions," another Root member wearing a floral mask shook her head; she was Garden.

After a long silence.

Danzo Shimura cleared his throat.

"Today, I have summoned you all for the same reason: that Uchiha from Amegakure. I have now obtained concrete information. He is the so-called hero of Konoha who severed the arm of the Third Kazekage... Uchiha Chiba." A flicker of malice flashed through Danzo Shimura's eyes.