Crunch! Hiruzen Sarutobi clenched his fists. By rights, someone who had suddenly disappeared for a time could not work in the Finance Department without at least passing a Political Review.
Yet someone like that had gotten in. Whoever had arranged it was not from one of the major clans, but from Hiruzen's own inner circle.
Hiruzen's thoughts went straight to Shimura Danzō. That unexplained disappearance made him think of Danzō's Root.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura might also have been able to arrange it, but Hiruzen did not suspect them. Homura had spent all these years fighting on the front lines. He might dare skim a little money, but he would never dare take this much.
Koharu was no cause for concern either. Hiruzen knew her. She had secured some benefits for her Family, but she would never cross a line like this. Besides, she was skilled at business—as was her entire Family.
The Tōn Family had not been particularly powerful before joining Konoha, but they were excellent at business and managing money. They had no need for this sum. When the war began, Koharu had even made a private donation to Konoha.
That left only Shimura Danzō.
Damn you, Shimura Danzō. How dare you!
Hiruzen recalled that Konoha had not increased Root's funding when the war began. He had also paid for only part of the Wood Release research; Danzō had covered the rest himself.
But that was not the most important point.
Hiruzen suspected Danzō was plotting something. Root's membership was supposed to be limited, and Hiruzen had always tried to restrict its growth and size through funding.
Yet Danzō seemed to have slipped beyond his control. Root was expanding wildly, and Hiruzen had no idea how large it had become.
"You can make sense of these accounts,