"Third Hokage, summoned us here, but there has been progress because of the disappearance of Duanmu?" Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses and asked first, with a hint of unnoticeable urgency in his tone.
Utatane Koharu beside him also looked sharply at Duanmu, obviously aware of his return.
Danzo, on the other hand, had a sullen face, with a scrutinizing light shining in his one eye. From the moment Duanmu appeared, his eyes never left the other person, as if he wanted to see through him from the inside out.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, motioned for everyone to sit down, and then briefly recounted the experience of Duanmu and the existence of "Star-Devouring Shadow" and "Dragon Palace". Of course, he had reservations about the specific details of Thunder Sage Art and the trial of Moonview Plains. This information was too important and should not be known to too many people.
"What? Senjutsu that far exceeds Mount Myoboku? A space and existence that has never been heard of?" Mitokado Homura's eyes widened in shock, obviously unable to accept such a thing that was beyond common sense.
Utatane Koharu also frowned, twisting his clothes unconsciously with his fingers. "Third Hokage, this matter is not trivial, we must treat it with caution. What is the purpose of this so-called 'real dragon'? Why did it choose Duanmu? Could this be a conspiracy set up by a hostile ninja village to infiltrate our Konoha?"
Danzo snorted coldly, his hoarse voice carrying the usual sinister tone. "Hmph, power of unknown origin is always accompanied by huge risks. Duanmu is just a Genin, and there is no guarantee that he will suddenly be involved in such an incident. He will not be used by the enemy. In my opinion, he should be controlled immediately and the so-called 'Senjutsu mentality' in his mind should be thoroughly investigated, and whether the 'Dragon Palace' really poses no threat to Konoha!"
His words were full of distrust, and the eyes he looked at Duanmu became colder and colder. Ever since Duanmu interfered in the night of genocide, Danzo had always had a grudge against him. Now that this unknown power that he could not control appeared on Duanmu, it made him want to completely control or eradicate it.
"Danzo!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him in a deep voice, "Duanmu is the ninja of Konoha, a member of Team 7, and our companion! We cannot treat our own people in this way before there is any evidence that there is something wrong with him!"
Jiraiya also supported. "That's right, old man Danzo, what you said is too much. What kind of person Duanmu is, Kakashi and his teammates know best. Moreover, that' Since Star-Devouring Shadow' can open space channels at will, if there is really any malicious intention, Konoha may have suffered a long time ago, so why bother? I think this may be an opportunity, an opportunity for Konoha to be born with stronger combat power."
"Opportunity? I think it's a crisis!" Danzo looked at Jiraiya without giving in, "Jiraiya, you are always so naive! The unknown power is like a double-edged sword, and it will hurt you if you are not careful. Myself! If Senjutsu fails to practice, Duanmu becomes a monster, or if the existence of 'Dragon Palace' suddenly gets into trouble, who will be responsible? You? Or Third Hokage?"
The two sides immediately fell into a dispute, and the atmosphere in the office became tense.
Duanmu stood aside silently, listening to their argument, with mixed feelings in his heart.
He knew that Danzo's worries were not entirely unfounded, but the feeling of being treated as a potential threat still made him uncomfortable.
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi knocked on the table heavily, and the pipe made a "keep" sound, suppressing everyone's arguments. "Quiet!" Although his voice was old, it carried unquestionable dignity, "This matter is indeed difficult, with both opportunities and risks. But no matter what, Duanmu is our student, and we cannot give up on him."
He paused and glanced at everyone present. "The top priority is to ensure the safety of Duanmu and figure out the true purpose of 'Dragon Palace' and 'Star-Devouring Shadow'. Jiraiya, you are responsible for assisting Duanmu in studying the Senjutsu mentality in his mind, making sure to understand its principles and potential risks, and at the same time, use your intelligence network to investigate whether there is any record of 'Star-Devouring Shadow' or similar existence."
"Kakashi," Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Kakashi, who had been silent, "You must always pay attention to Duanmu's status and protect his safety, especially during Chunin Ninja Exams, you must not let him do business again. In addition, Team 7 and Chunin Ninja Exams must also participate normally and cannot be affected by this incident. Everything will proceed as planned. But you must be more vigilant and pay attention to observe whether there are any abnormal movements inside and outside the examination room to prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to harm Duanmu."
Kakashi responded in a deep voice, "Yes, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu again. "Two consultants, you are responsible for appeasing the village's senior management and stabilizing people's hearts. At the same time, you must strictly control the spread of the news. You must not let the news of 'Dragon Palace' and 'Star-Devouring Shadow' leak out, so as not to cause unnecessary panic and the covetousness of other nin villages."
"As for Danzo," Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes fell on Danzo, his tone was calm but stressful, "Anbu will be responsible for monitoring all entrances and exits of the village and paying close attention to the entry of any suspicious persons. At the same time, mobilize some Root forces to secretly investigate the intelligence related to 'Moonview Plains' and whether there are any unidentified strong people operating at the Land of Fire border recently. Remember, this is a secret investigation, don't alert the enemy."
Danzo A trace of unwillingness flashed in his one eye, but in the end he hummed. "Huh, I know."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with satisfaction, and finally his eyes returned to Duanmu, with expectations and warnings in his eyes. "Duanmu, you are the core of the whole incident. In the following days, you must not only continue to prepare Chunin Ninja Exams, and more importantly, under the guidance of Lord Jiraiya, carefully explore the mystery of Thunder Sage Art. Remember, never lose yourself at any time. Your power is first to protect Konoha and the people around you."
Duanmu felt the weight of Hiruzen Sarutobi's words and solemnly made a ninja salute. "Yes! I understand, Lord Hokage! I will never let down your expectations!"
When Duanmu came out of Hokage Office, he saw his Team 7 companion waiting for him.
Naruto was the first to rush up, his face full of anxiety. "Duanmu! Are you okay? That Anbu person suddenly took you away just now, but it scared us!"
As he spoke, he reached out and patted Duanmu's arm to confirm that he was fine.
Although Sasuke was not as excited as Naruto, he quickly stepped forward with a trace of concern and inquiry in his eyes. "What is Lord Hokage looking for you for? Is it about your previous disappearance?" He was keenly aware that there seemed to be something different about Duanmu, but he couldn't tell what it was specifically.
Sakura also asked quickly, "Yes, Duanmu, are you okay? Have you been in trouble?" Her face was full of worry, and she was holding a scroll tightly in her hand, as if she was ready to help at any time.
Seeing the sincere concern from his friends, Duanmu felt warm in his heart, and the depression and unhappiness he felt when facing Danzo in the secret room immediately dissipated a lot.
He showed a relaxed smile and shook his head, "It's okay, don't worry, everyone. Lord Hokage just asked me something about what happened in the previous training ground. It's no big deal."
He vaguely said that things about "Star-Devouring Shadow" and Thunder Sage Art were absolutely confidential and he could not tell anyone, even his closest partners.
"Really?" Naruto was still a little worried. He got closer and looked at Duanmu carefully, "But you look a little tired."
"Maybe I was too nervous just now." Duanmu laughed and tried to change the topic, "By the way, should we prepare for Chunin Ninja Exams's last scene?"
Naruto nodded and immediately jumped up excitedly. "Yes, that's right! The last exam was conducted under the spotlight! I must let everyone see that I, Naruto, am going to be the man of Hokage!"
He clenched his fists and his eyes were filled with burning fighting spirit, as if he had already seen himself standing on the final stage.
Sasuke folded his hands on his chest, raised an imperceptible arc at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were also full of desire for battle. "Huh, just don't hold back when the time comes."
Although his tone is still cold, anyone familiar with him can hear the fighting spirit hidden in it.
Sakura smiled softly, looked at the two high-spirited people, then looked at Duanmu, and said softly, "Let's work hard together! We Team 7 will definitely be able to do it!"
Duanmu looked at these three partners with different personalities but the same sincerity around him, and his heart was filled with strength.
He nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with vitality and determination again. "Well! Let's work hard together! In the last game of Chunin Ninja Exams, we Team 7 will not lose to anyone!"