Root Buried Deep Underground

The dim underground base was brightly lit by candlelight.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived with his personal ANBU, he saw a one-eyed old man standing alone in the empty base.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help frowning. He turned to the ANBU behind him and instructed, "Wait for me here."

When Hiruzen Sarutobi reached the one-eyed old man, he found him staring thoughtfully at a map of the ninja world. He spoke, interrupting his thoughts. "Danzo, peace in the ninja world did not come easily. What scheme are you plotting now?"

"The peace you believe in is nothing more than a castle in the air..."

Shimura Danzō slowly turned his gloomy gaze toward him. Seeing the anger on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, he said in a low voice, "Monkey, did you come here to place me under house arrest again?"

"The last time you secretly lured Itachi Uchiha into taking action and destroyed the Uchiha Clan, I did not pursue your wrongdoing too harshly. I thought you would stay quietly in the village..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly slammed a stack of mission records down in front of Shimura Danzō and said coldly, "This time, you actually dared to collude with your former subordinates in secret and attack the village's ninja without authorization. Danzo, you have overstepped your bounds."

"..."

Shimura Danzō raised his head and studied his expression, not denying what he had done. "I merely wanted to test the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, to prevent the Nine-Tails Rebellion from happening again..."

"That is not your concern."

"Monkey, have you taken any precautions at all?"

Shimura Danzō slowly took a scroll from his robes and handed it to the Third Hokage. "A jonin was easily killed by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Do you know what that means..."

"Release!"

One bloody corpse after another fell from the scroll onto the ground.

Shimura Danzō pointed at the ninja corpses. "Look. Every one of them was a jonin, and every one of them was killed with a single blow... This is the peace you thought you had!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the wounds on the bodies. The savage aura of Tailed Beast Chakra still lingered on them, and every corpse wore an expression of terror.

Ever since Naruto was young, he had been checking Naruto Uzumaki's seal to ensure that Nine-Tails Chakra would not leak out. He was extremely familiar with the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression gradually turned to shock. He abruptly raised his head. "When... did this happen? Where is Team Seven now?"

"Their whereabouts cannot be confirmed."

Shimura Danzō closed his eyes and gently shook his head. "I originally wanted to send people to protect the village's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, so they would not encounter danger..."

"Danzo!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off, saying coldly, "There is no need for lies between us. I know exactly what you are thinking!"

At least put some effort into making up a lie...

How could this one-eyed old man possibly be that kindhearted...

Besides, even if he wanted to do that, it was not his place to interfere!

Hiruzen Sarutobi had personally appointed Kakashi as Team Seven's jonin instructor because Kakashi was among the top three jonin in the entire Hidden Leaf Village and possessed more than enough strength to protect Naruto Uzumaki.

"My initial target was not the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki..."

Shimura Danzō nodded and said in a deep voice, "It was simply that Shisui's Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan had gone missing. I believed it might have fallen into Itachi Uchiha's hands, so I wanted to test whether controlling Sasuke Uchiha could force Itachi Uchiha to show himself..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.

That reason was quite consistent with Danzo's character.

The loss of the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan had left even him unable to eat or sleep peacefully. Hiruzen Sarutobi had recently considered asking Itachi Uchiha to contact him and see whether he could obtain any information.

However, ever since joining the Akatsuki Organization, Itachi Uchiha's movements had become elusive. Let alone contacting him, even finding traces of him was exceedingly difficult.

No matter whose hands those Kotoamatsukami eyes, capable of altering another person's will, had fallen into, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not accept it.

"You have put me in a very difficult position!"

After pondering for a moment, the Third Hokage shook his head and sighed. "The whereabouts of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami are indeed extremely important. But if Sasuke Uchiha is harmed, it would mean breaking my promise to Itachi..."

"More importantly, you acted recklessly this time and defied my orders! After Root was disbanded, those people became ANBU ninja. They are no longer your private troops!"

"..."

"Monkey!"

Shimura Danzō suddenly interrupted him and opened his eyes. "Everything I have done was for Konoha... You do not want to find yourself silently placed under Kotoamatsukami genjutsu someday either, do you?"

Shimura Danzō stepped forward. Seeing his old friend's expression suddenly change, he spoke darkly. "If Kotoamatsukami truly is in Itachi Uchiha's hands, it will be difficult for us to determine what someone with his mind might do..."

"Itachi's Will of Fire is firmer than that of most people in the village!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi rebuked him and glanced at Danzo. "You are not permitted to interfere in this matter again. I will handle the rest myself! Call those who betrayed the ANBU back to the village. You are forbidden from having even the slightest contact with them again!"

"Monkey, can you truly handle it?"

Shimura Danzō tightened his grip on his ninja blade and continued in a low voice, "You are the leaves basking in sunlight. I am the root buried deep beneath the tree..."

"If people discover that the Hokage still has ties to Rogue Ninja, it will inevitably stir dissatisfaction among the village's other ninja..."

"And as Hokage, you have always been too softhearted. Itachi Uchiha will certainly exploit that weakness..."

"He is Itachi of the Sharingan, feared throughout the ninja world! The darkness he has witnessed may be even deeper than ours!"

"Do you think an Itachi Uchiha who could mercilessly slaughter his entire clan at thirteen would hand over the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan just because you ordered him to?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.

Danzo was right. No matter who it was, once they knew the effects of the Kotoamatsukami Sharingan's ocular technique, they would never willingly hand it over.

And if the one who possessed Kotoamatsukami was Itachi Uchiha, someone who had been skilled at independent thought since childhood and had his own views on everything, he would never surrender Kotoamatsukami without resistance. The ability of those Mangekyō Sharingan was simply too terrifying...

Moreover, those Mangekyō Sharingan were Shisui's eyes...

Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha had been like brothers since childhood. He would never easily hand over the Mangekyō Sharingan!

If he handled this matter himself, there would indeed be many inconveniences no matter how he proceeded... If he even caused Itachi Uchiha to turn against him, it would truly be more loss than gain.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at Shimura Danzō. If Danzo handled these matters, then provided it was done properly, he could fully order him to hand over Kotoamatsukami.

Unless something unexpected happened, Danzo would not dare defy him either.

If he made a mistake and Itachi Uchiha did not possess the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan, then he could simply deal with Danzo directly and imprison him here afterward...

"I can order you to stop this at any time."

Hiruzen Sarutobi clenched his fists and commanded in a low voice, "I will suppress this matter for now. Your actions may only target Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi..."

"If you obtain the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan, immediately bring the Uchiha brothers and those eyes to me..."

"If anything goes wrong, or you develop any thoughts you should not have..."

"Monkey!"

Shimura Danzō ignored his threat and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Everything I do is for Konoha."

Second update.

Shimura Danzō: What do you want?

Hiruzen Sarutobi: Kotoamatsukami, Itachi Uchiha, and Sasuke Uchiha must all be kept safe!

Shimura Danzō: That is quite a lot to ask. What can you give me?

Hiruzen Sarutobi: I will not pursue your wrongdoing.

Shimura Danzō: Trying to get something for nothing?

Hiruzen Sarutobi: Hmm? Did you not say everything was for Konoha?

Shimura Danzō: Fine, I understand. But if I obtain Kotoamatsukami and control Itachi Uchiha, can you let me become Hokage?

Hiruzen Sarutobi: You are still young...

Shimura Danzō: I am almost seventy! By the time I am seventy-one, seventy-two, seventy-three, I will probably be damned well buried!

Hiruzen Sarutobi: You are still young! Go bring Kotoamatsukami back to me first!