Konoha, Southern Army Headquarters, deep underground, in Danzo's private chamber.
The lighting was dimmer than usual. A lone lamp cast a yellowish circle over the heavy solid-wood desk, barely illuminating the half of Danzo's face hidden in shadow, now so dark it seemed water might drip from it.
His single eye stared fixedly at the latest briefing on the Northern Army's movements, which Sai had just presented. Yet his gaze seemed focused not on the densely packed words, but somewhere beyond the paper, on something that troubled him far more.
The atmosphere in the chamber was so heavy it almost solidified. Besides Sai, who stood respectfully below with his hands at his sides, two core Root operatives with icy presences stood at the edge of the shadows like lifeless statues.
They all sensed the rare unease radiating from Lord Danzo, along with... a deeply concealed trace of agitation.
After a long silence, Danzo set down the briefing. His fingers unconsciously tapped the smooth desktop with dull, oppressive knocks. He raised his single eye, slowly sweeping his sinister gaze over his three confidants, and asked in a hoarse voice a question that seemed to come out of nowhere, yet made all three inwardly tense:
"Tell me-if Tobirama Senju wakes up and asks me about... 'synthetic meat'... how should I answer?"
He said "synthetic meat" very slowly, almost forcing the words through his teeth, with an indescribable chill and humiliation. It was the insulting term the Evil God had used upon descending at the Abandoned Shrine in the Land of Rain and exposing the secret of the Senju and Uchiha bloodlines, among others, mixed within his body! And the Tobirama Senju summoned through Impure World Reincarnation had been right beside him, hearing every word! Although the Evil God had subsequently grievously injured