Questioning Sarutobi

"Who goes there?! How dare you trespass into Konoha's classified grounds!"

Just as the Uchiha contingent prepared to press deeper, dozens of ninja wearing cat-faced masks leaped out.

Their appearance instantly darkened the expressions of the clan ninja present.

But when Uchiha Retsuyō saw them, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Take them down! We cannot let these accomplices leave!"

In an instant, every Uchiha clansman drew their weapons. Without giving the Root ninja a chance to speak, they rushed forward and activated their Sharingan.

One clansman, with a distinct golden vertical mark on his forehead, had the Three-Tomoe in his eyes spin rapidly before forming a pinwheel shape. "Illusion!"

"Not good! Close your eyes!" a Root ninja suddenly shouted.

But they were ultimately too late. The ninja who had been holding weapons instantly fell into a daze, and their kunai clattered to the ground.

This sudden development left the clan ninja behind them stunned. They had already prepared themselves for a fierce battle alongside the Uchiha Clan, yet the Uchiha had controlled all the enemies present with a single Genjutsu.

They stared in fear at the Uchiha covering his eyes, unable to understand when the Uchiha Clan's Genjutsu had become so powerful.

"Arrest them!" Uchiha Retsuyō waved his hand, and the Uchiha ninja stepped forward to restrain the Root ninja.

Uchiha Retsuyō walked up to the clansman covering his eyes. "Wada! You've worked hard!"

"Brother Retsuyō, everything is for the young clan head's plan!" Wada said solemnly.

Uchiha Retsuyō nodded and said nothing more.

"Continue forward!"

"Yes!"

"This is bad! Lord Danzo, the Uchiha have led people into our Secret Base Number Fourteen!"

Just as the Hokage Building had fallen into oppressive silence, an Anbu ninja shouted in panic.

"What?!"

Danzo's cry shattered the silence in the Hokage Office.

Sarutobi glared darkly at the Anbu ninja who had rushed in.

"Danzo, look at the mess you've made!" Sarutobi roared.

"Gather all Anbu immediately and come with me!" Sarutobi had no time to deal with Danzo now. He had to reach the scene at once, or this matter would truly become impossible for him to dissociate himself from.

It would be a fatal blow to him. The good reputation he had maintained for years would be destroyed in an instant. That was even more unbearable than killing him.

Danzo's face turned utterly grim. "Uchi... ha..." he ground out through clenched teeth.

But he also knew that his situation had become serious. If he did not find a way to handle it, he would have no place left in the village.

With that thought, Danzo hurried out of the Hokage Building and headed for Root. He had to devise a foolproof solution.

By the time Sarutobi arrived, the Military Police Force was already clearing the bodies from the laboratory. There were roughly a thousand corpses, large and small, laid out neatly in the open by the Uchiha.

Quite a few ninja around them were weeping over the bodies.

When Sarutobi arrived, everyone turned to look at him.

Sarutobi felt a wave of suffocating pressure.

"Lord Hokage, can you tell us what exactly happened here? Why does the village have such a large human experimentation base?" a civilian ninja asked in a restrained, calm voice, cold as ancient ice.

Sarutobi looked at the gazes fixed on him, then at the busy Uchiha.

"I only just arrived as well. I do not know what happened here." Sarutobi answered with a sorrowful expression.

"Who is in charge here?"

"Lord Hokage, I am." Uchiha Retsuyō walked over calmly and answered.

"Why did you bring such a large number of Military Police Force members here and cross the Barrier Team without the village's approval?" Sarutobi looked at Uchiha Retsuyō with an ugly expression.

Uchiha Retsuyō remained calm. "Our Military Police Force submitted an arrest warrant to the Hokage Building, but we received no approval for a long time. To prevent the criminals from clearing the scene, the Military Police Force decided to activate emergency procedures and raid the scene first, then report the investigation process to the Hokage Building afterward."

"That is not a reason for the Uchiha to force their way past the Barrier Team without the Hokage Building's approval! If every Uchiha acted this way, would they also be able to approach the village's Jinchuriki without the Hokage's approval?"

At this moment, Sarutobi only hoped to use an even more dangerous matter to cover up the impact of this incident.

"I believe Lord Hokage has misunderstood. Our Military Police Force did not act recklessly. We had already gathered sufficient evidence, and that evidence was handed over to the Anbu for submission to the Hokage Building.

"But the Hokage refused to approve it for a long time. As Konoha's law enforcement department responsible for maintaining public order, our Military Police Force had reason to act in advance based on the evidence. If the Hokage wishes to hold us accountable afterward, then he can fully review the entire incident, since the evidence is right there."

After hearing Uchiha Retsuyō's words, the surrounding ninja nodded in agreement.

Sarutobi grew anxious, but seeing the ninja's approving attitude, he could find no fault with the Uchiha's actions. The Uchiha had covered every angle too thoroughly.

If he truly pursued the matter, he, the Hokage, would instead end up branded derelict in his duties. Since when had the Uchiha become so troublesome?

"Where is Fugaku?" the Third Hokage could not help asking.

"We are notifying the department head. This matter was entirely a lead uncovered by our Military Police Force's Criminal Investigation Squad. After discovering the lead, the Military Police Force mobilized all its personnel to reexamine the suspects, which led to this breakthrough in Case 414." Uchiha Retsuyō answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

A trace of confusion appeared on Sarutobi's face. "When did the Military Police Force gain a Criminal Investigation Squad?"

"This was an internal reorganization by our Military Police Force. It was filed with Lord Hokage. Perhaps Lord Hokage did not examine it carefully."

At Uchiha Retsuyō's reminder, Sarutobi seemed to recall that such a document from the Military Police Force had indeed been submitted.

But at the time, he had been busy looking for Itachi and had not read it. When he returned, he had thrown the document to the back of his mind while dwelling on Uchiha matters.

Seeing the doubtful looks from the other ninja, Sarutobi showed a trace of embarrassment. "There was such a matter! How is the investigation progressing now? We must give every victim a fair answer."

"Also, suppress this matter for now. Its impact is too great, and it could easily affect the fighting at the front lines!"

"Well, Lord Hokage, once this case was confirmed, our Military Police Force announced the truth. After all, Konoha's people need to know the full truth of this matter. They have that right." Uchiha Retsuyō put on a troubled expression, though inwardly he was already overjoyed.

Sarutobi's face instantly darkened. "Does the Uchiha understand the consequences of doing this?" His voice became stern.

"Consequences? Lord Hokage, what consequences are there? Our Uchiha are investigating a case normally. As long as we catch the criminals and give the people a reasonable truth, would the people truly have any dissatisfaction over this?" Uchiha Retsuyō scratched his head and played dumb.

Sarutobi stared straight at Uchiha Retsuyō. He did not know whether this Uchiha truly did not understand the consequences or was pretending not to.

"Lord Hokage, you still need to give the people an explanation for this matter. Why were Anbu found here? And under interrogation by our Uchiha Genjutsu, these Anbu pointed directly to Konoha's upper ranks."

Sarutobi's expression tightened. "I am not entirely sure about that. Although the Anbu answer directly to me, I cannot control their freedom."

"Uchiha brat, are you questioning Lord Hokage?" Utatane Koharu, standing behind Sarutobi, asked sternly.