Everyone Was an Oscar Winner, Danzo Got Slapped in the Face on the Spot

Danzo felt a surge of blood rush straight to his head.

His chest heaved violently.

Those little bastards were lying!

Could he not know the capabilities of the Root operatives he had trained himself?

Chakra with wind-and-sand attributes?

A wind-fire composite ninjutsu?

Those were clearly battle details those young masters had made up on the spot to muddy the waters.

Danzo opened his mouth, ready to keep applying pressure and force out the truth.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a hand, cutting off his old classmate's attack.

"Enough, Danzo."

"The children have just survived a life-and-death battle. Bringing the prisoner back alive was already a miracle."

"Their testimony is logical and leaves nothing to doubt."

"Sunagakure has been driven into a corner. We anticipated this long ago."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's warm gaze swept across the battered young ninjas.

His eyes were filled with genuine relief and pride.

"You have done exceptionally well."

"Even in desperate circumstances, you stood firm in protecting the village's interests. That is the true Will of Fire."

Qian Ye stood at the very back of the group, idly tugging at the steel chain in his hand.

He looked at Danzo's old face, flushed the color of pig liver.

He nearly failed to hold back a laugh.

This was the offensive and defensive alliance they had forged in the forest.

The Sparkfire Society's first resolution had been to utterly shred Danzo's script to pieces.

While traveling, Qian Ye had broken down Hidden Leaf's political landscape for these young masters and ladies in exhaustive detail.

If they truthfully reported that they had been attacked by people claiming to be White Fang's former subordinates,

they would immediately become tools in the upper ranks' power struggle.

They would be forced to stand on their clans' side and accuse a hero who had