Strangled by Law, the Remnants' Last Days

"Arrest him."

Sasuke took the numbered entry without even lifting his eyelids.

Kakashi closed the roster. "His name is Morita Osamu. ANBU Logistics Team. He maintains the underground shelter level beneath the Hokage Building."

The Third Hokage stood at the entrance to the Old Well, his expression grim. "An internal ANBU member should not be arrested directly by the Konoha Military Police Force."

Sasuke handed the Copper Key to Neji. "Lord Hokage, a sketch map was just sent out through the Old Well, and an ANBU Insignia was found at the bottom. You still want to keep him in the Hokage Building for questioning?"

The Third Hokage looked at Kakashi. "Go bring him in."

Kakashi did not move. "Under the new law, the Konoha Military Police Force leads investigations into treason, with ANBU assisting. Lord Hokage, I can accompany them and keep a record."

Sasuke turned. "Yamada Naoto."

"Here!"

"Take two squads to the ANBU dormitory. If Morita Osamu is there, dislocate his jaw and bring him back. If not, seal his room, arrest his roommate, and search his belongings."

Yamada Naoto left with his men immediately.

The Third Hokage said gravely, "Arresting ANBU in the Hokage Building will alienate them."

Sasuke stopped beside the well. "Alienate ANBU, or the traitors?"

No one answered.

Hiashi said, "The Byakugan Team will accompany the Konoha Military Police Force to stop him escaping through underground passages."

Shikaku leafed through the half-list. "Morita Osamu is only a lead. We need to move against the logistics officers, the Barrier Team, and the Intelligence Transfer Office members on this list simultaneously."

The Third Hokage's expression darkened. "How much chaos do you intend to cause in Konoha?"

Shikaku looked up. "If we don't act, the Western Territory patrol could die tonight."

Sasuke picked up the list and handed it to Fugaku. "Arrest everyone named. Start with the high-ranking ones so they can't warn each other."

Fugaku took it. "Uchiha elites, follow me."

The Third Hokage stepped forward. "Fugaku, don't forget that you were once chief of the Konoha Military Police Force."

Fugaku looked back. "That's why I know whom the Konoha Military Police Force should arrest."

Running footsteps already rang out outside the Hokage Building.

Morita Osamu was not in the dormitory.

When Yamada Naoto returned, he was dragging a young ANBU member. The man's mask was cracked, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Clan leader, Morita Osamu fled. His roommate said that after the live broadcast in the square began, Morita Osamu entered the Internal Affairs Storehouse, claiming he needed a Maintenance Scroll."

Kakashi's expression changed. "The Internal Affairs Storehouse was just sealed."

Sasuke looked at the Third Hokage. "Who has the keys?"

The Third Hokage said nothing.

Kakashi said, "Lord Hokage has the Primary Key. He gave me the Duplicate Key just now. There's also an Old Key that, according to the records, should be sealed away with the logistics team."

Sasuke's gaze settled on the ANBU member they had dragged in. "Where's the Old Key?"

The young ANBU member kept his mouth shut.

Yamada Naoto raised his hand to dislocate his jaw.

"Stop!" the Third Hokage snapped.

Sasuke raised two fingers, and Yamada Naoto stopped halfway.

"Lord Hokage can ask him himself."

The muscles in the Third Hokage's face tightened. "Aota, where's the Old Key?"

The young ANBU member's eyes flickered. "I don't know."

Inoichi approached from behind the crowd. "Let me read his mind."

Aota began struggling. "I'm ANBU! Without the Hokage's orders, the Yamanaka Clan can't touch me!"

Sasuke slapped the Pursuit Warrant Copy against his chest. "Mind-Reading Evidence Collection has already been authorized in Danzo's treason case. Refuse, and you're an accomplice."

Aota looked at the Third Hokage. "Lord Hokage!"

The Third Hokage closed his eyes. After a moment, he said, "Read him."

Inoichi pressed his hand against the top of Aota's head.

Every trace of color drained from Aota's face.

A few breaths later, Inoichi opened his eyes. "Morita Osamu took the Old Key and went to the Western Sealed Storage Room in the Internal Affairs Storehouse. It holds Root's old personnel files, along with a batch of unregistered Ninja Hawk Insignia Tags."

Kakashi turned and left. "I'll lead the way."

Sasuke followed. "Fugaku, seal every exit from the Hokage Building. Hiashi, have the Byakugan Team watch underground. Shikaku, send people to the Ninja Hawk Coop. Stop every Ninja Hawk leaving the village today."

Watching everyone pass him, the Third Hokage finally growled, "Sasuke, just how many people do you intend to arrest?"

Sasuke looked back. "Until no one dares deliver messages for Danzo."

The door to the Western Sealed Storage Room in the Internal Affairs Storehouse stood open.

The wooden cabinets had been ransacked, and burned scraps of paper littered the floor. Morita Osamu lay beside the window, his tongue black, still clutching a blank Ninja Hawk Insignia Tag.

Yamada Naoto stepped forward to check his breathing. "Dead."

Kakashi crouched to examine him. "Poison hidden in a back molar. He burned the files before killing himself."

Sasuke looked out the window. "Where are the Ninja Hawks?"

Neji swept the area with his Byakugan. "Three. They just took off from the coop, heading northwest."

Shikaku immediately called to his men. "Intercept them!"

Sasuke raised a hand. "Too late. Kakashi, how many can you catch?"

Kakashi pushed up his Forehead Protector. "Two."

"Leave the third to the Hyuga."

Hiashi nodded. "Neji."

Neji had already leaped out the window and reached the rooftops in a few bounds.

Kakashi blurred as he raced west. Hyuga ninja spread out along the walls, their Byakugan locking onto the black specks in the sky.

Sasuke remained in the Sealed Storage Room.

He crouched beside the ashes and used his Short Blade to sift through the scraps. One fragment bore half a character: "storage."

Fugaku stood behind him. "Another Cultivation Pod."

"Morita Osamu wasn't destroying the list." Sasuke slipped the fragment into an Evidence Bag. "He was destroying location records."

Inoichi walked in. "The body's still warm. I can read a portion of his memories."

The Third Hokage followed them to the doorway. "Reading a dead man's soul is too dangerous."

Inoichi glanced at him. "Lord Hokage, the dead can't speak up for themselves."

The Third Hokage's lips moved, but he did not stop him again.

When the fragments of Morita Osamu's memories were extracted, the images were disjointed.

The Old Well Beneath the Hokage Building, Root's Message Channel, a Ninja Hawk wearing a black ring, Morita Osamu tucking Sealing Wax into the hawk's claws. The final image showed a folded map, with four characters written along its edge.

Northwestern Old Mine.

Yamada Naoto cursed. "He really did send out the location!"

Sasuke raised a hand, signaling them to keep watching.

In the image, Morita Osamu knelt before a figure in the shadows. The figure never showed his face, only extending a hand to place an Old Hokage Building Seal on the table.

Sweat beaded on Inoichi's forehead. "His memories were sealed. This is as far as I can go."

Shikaku stared at the image. "This person knows where the Old Hokage Building Seals are stored."

Kakashi vaulted back through the window, holding two Ninja Hawks. "Caught two. Both messages were burned, but the Sealing Wax survived."

Neji returned right behind him, blood on his shoulder and the third Ninja Hawk in his hand. "The third had a poisoned needle. I cut its wing."

Hiashi examined the hawk's claws. "The sealed message tube is still there."

Sasuke took the tube.

The seal on it was not Root's.

It was the Hokage Building Logistics Administration Seal.

The Third Hokage's face darkened completely.

Yamada Naoto burned with anger at the sight. "Someone in the Hokage Building is still delivering messages for Danzo!"

Sasuke handed the tube to Shikaku. "Open it. Record the image."

Shikaku opened the tube. Inside was only a small slip of paper.

It read: The old mine has been exposed. Move the Cultivation Pod to the Second Vault. The bookkeeper knows the route.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes. "The bookkeeper?"

Shikaku pulled out the recent arrest list. "Root has three key bookkeepers. Two are already in the dungeon. One is missing."

Sasuke asked, "Name."

"Takehara Shin."

Kakashi leafed through the ANBU Old Records. "Takehara Shin. Handles Root's fund transfers. His cover identity is the proprietor of Konoha's West Street Rice Shop."

Yamada Naoto immediately volunteered. "I'll arrest him."

"Alive."

Sasuke slipped the paper back into the tube. "He knows where the Second Vault is."

The Third Hokage spoke. "The rice shop is on a civilian street. Don't cause too much of a disturbance."

Sasuke looked at him. "Danzo wasn't afraid of causing a disturbance when he sold out our defenses."

When the Konoha Military Police Force reached the West Street Rice Shop, it was still open.

The proprietor's wife trembled as she clutched a ledger. "My husband left before dawn. He said he was going to collect a shipment."

Yamada Naoto overturned the counter, exposing a hidden compartment beneath it. Inside were Gold Notes, a Root stamp, and a bottle of poison labeled "Mind-Sealing Poison."

Might Guy hauled up a shop assistant. "Where did Takehara Shin go?"

The assistant was so terrified that his trouser legs grew wet. "North! The Old Granary to the north! He told us to burn the ledgers this afternoon!"

Yamada Naoto dislocated the assistant's jaw on the spot. "Lead the way."

When they cornered Takehara Shin outside the Old Granary, he was pushing a Sealed Box into an underground passage.

The moment he saw the Konoha Military Police Force, his first reaction was to bite down.

Might Guy kicked his jaw loose.

Yamada Naoto lunged forward and pinned him down, cursing. "Still trying to die? Can't you Root bastards come up with anything new?"

Takehara Shin writhed on the ground in pain, but his eyes remained fixed on the Sealed Box.

Sasuke arrived shortly afterward and glanced at the box. "Open it."

An indistinct sound emerged from Takehara Shin's throat.

Inoichi pressed down on his head. "He's thinking that the box mustn't be opened."

"Why?"

"There's a route inside, along with a Self-Destruct Talisman."

Sasuke stepped half a pace back. "Neji, trace the talisman's circuitry. Shikaku, bind the shadow. Fugaku, cut the outer lock without touching the core."

They worked together to open the box.

At the bottom lay a stack of gold bars, several Transfer Ledgers, and a Black Iron Plaque.

The location of the Second Vault was engraved on the back of the plaque.

Northwest Abandoned Mine, Underground Waterway, Old Wood Release Sealed Storage Room.

At the very bottom was another diagram.

It depicted a dormant apparatus, with a note beside it: Final Cultivation Pod. Requires high-concentration Hashirama cells culture medium for maintenance.

Fugaku's breathing grew heavier for a beat. "If Danzo gets this back..."

Sasuke rolled up the diagram. "He won't."

Pinned to the ground, Takehara Shin made broken sounds through his mouth.

Inoichi's expression changed. "There's something else in his memories."

Sasuke looked at him.

Inoichi pressed his hand down firmly. After a moment, he spoke. "Danzo said that if Konoha seized the Cultivation Pod, they were to activate the Backup Seal and burn whatever was inside."

Takehara Shin suddenly laughed, bloody foam spilling from his mouth.

A Root Black Mark surfaced on the inside of his wrist.

Neji's expression changed. "The seal is pulsing!"