"Come in. We were just discussing you. I didn't expect you to arrive already."
Danzo followed Homura into the room. Koharu was the only one inside.
Danzo paused. "You two are still discussing business this late?"
"ANBU Ninja returning from a mission were ambushed and killed in the Land of Fire. It may have been a provocation by Ninja from another country.
"Of course we needed to discuss it. Hiruzen is probably still at the Intelligence Department. But what brings you here?"
"I heard about it too and wanted to discuss what to do. I've already assigned someone to watch the Intelligence Department. He'll notify me as soon as they identify the attackers," Danzo said.
Just as Danzo finished speaking, a Root Ninja appeared outside the courtyard.
"Come in."
The Root Ninja entered the room.
Danzo glanced at him. "What has the Intelligence Department found?"
"Nothing. Yamanaka Keichi reported only to the Hokage. No one else, including the Ninja in the Intelligence Department, knows what Yamanaka Keichi saw.
"The Hokage has ordered everyone to keep quiet about what happened today."
Homura and Koharu were puzzled. They couldn't understand what the Third Hokage intended. Danzo's heart sank, and his sense of foreboding grew stronger.
"Where is the Hokage now?"
"He's inspecting the construction work in the village."
"Go back and rest."
"Yes."
"Let's go see him too," Homura said. "The four of us can use this chance to talk properly and clear up our misunderstandings."
"Yes. It's time we set aside our prejudices and had an honest talk," Koharu said.
The three rose together and headed into the village.
The moon hung high over the Land of Fire. Fugaku continued moving through the Forest, unaware of how far matters in the village had progressed.
The Intelligence Department should have searched the