Heat waves churned through the underground ruins, while the violet flames of the Four Violet Flames Formation scorched the air into rippling distortions.
Blood, green culture fluid, and charred chunks of flesh mixed together, giving off a nauseating stench.
Hiruzen Sarutobi clenched the bloodstained evidence scroll in his hand, veins bulging across the back of his hand. Sweat slid down his age-spotted cheeks and struck the scorched stone slabs beneath his feet, instantly evaporating into wisps of white vapor.
He said nothing.
The entire underground space was deathly silent, broken only by Danzo's occasional weak, ragged gasps from within the pool of blood.
Dozens of elite ANBU stood frozen like clay statues. Their blades still pointed at Hyuga Xiao in the center of the barrier, but the tilt of their weapon tips had already exposed the violent turmoil in their hearts.
They had not seen the full contents of those scrolls, but the Third Hokage's face, paler than a corpse's, already explained everything.
Leaf Village's roots had rotted through.
"Lord Hokage, have you finished reading?"
Hyuga Xiao chuckled, breaking the suffocating silence. His left hand still held Hinata's securely, while his right casually toyed with a kunai torn from some corpse.
"I'm not a very patient person." Xiao raised his eyelids, teasing coldness gleaming in his azure starry eyes. "If Qiye doesn't receive my safety signal within half an hour, there'll be some fascinating reading on the Land of Fire Daimyo's breakfast table tomorrow morning. The Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and Mizukage will receive the same gift on their desks as well."
Clang.
Xiao tossed the kunai in his hand onto the ground. The sound of metal striking stone landed on Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart like a heavy hammer.
"Then the entire Shinobi World will know that Leaf Village's Hokage not only condoned