Danzo Protects His Own

Beneath the eaves of the bell tower opposite the Hokage Building.

Qian Ye crouched in the shadows, clutching a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds.

He closed his eyes and quietly released his Observation Haki.

The blue bricks and thick tiles could not block his perception. The voices and presences coming from inside the conference room were soon captured with perfect clarity.

Orochimaru had not stayed near the bell tower. Instead, he had returned to his private base first.

The only person left at the scene to watch was Qian Ye.

" Hiruzen, look at what you've done!"

Danzo's booming voice made the window lattice tremble.

"I merely trained an elite force for the village, and you want to cut off my provisions and funding?"

"What are you plotting?"

Inside the conference room, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the central seat.

He struck his pipe hard against the ashtray twice.

Hiruzen's expression was grim.

The desk had been kicked half an inch out of place, and documents were scattered across the floor.

"Danzo, you still have the nerve to bring up that unit?"

Hiruzen raised his voice.

"ANBU went to deliver orders today, and those five hundred men didn't move an inch!"

"They even treat my name as if it were nothing but wind in their ears!"

"They only recognize Qian Ye's snap of the fingers!"

"How is this the village's auxiliary force? It's clearly Qian Ye's private army!"

Mitokado Homura, seated beside him, pushed up his glasses, his expression stern.

"Hiruzen is right."

"Their official affiliation is under Root, but they also use the village's funding."

"Yet everyone in the unit only respects one person. What kind of order is that?"

Mitokado Homura opened a document and pointed to the regulations written on it.

"Since the village was founded,