Hiruzen frowned and said nothing.
Soon, the Military Police Force trussed up the thirty-odd "intruders" and marched them before Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō.
"Lord Hokage, the crisis has been resolved. These are the intruders. Please decide their punishment."
"Hmm..."
Hiruzen nodded for show. With so many eyes watching, he had to display his usual attitude toward genuine intruders. His expression stern, he asked:
"Speak. Who sent you to cause trouble in Konoha? What was your purpose in coming here?"
Captain Terai, who led them, shouted viciously, "Cut the crap! Kill us or torture us, do whatever you want! I will never reveal Dan-mmph! Abba, abba..."
Before he could finish saying "Danzo," Terai's mouth and body suddenly went rigid, as though he had been frozen in place.
The sight of Terai sent Hiruzen and Danzo into a cold sweat. Hiruzen secretly glared at Danzo again, while Danzo, still shaken, cursed furiously inside:
This idiot! Such a loose tongue! To think even I could misjudge someone this badly. How did I pick this dumbass as a subordinate?!
The surrounding Konoha Jonin immediately noticed something was wrong. Kakashi Hatake walked up to Terai, examined his body, and murmured:
"This man appears to have had some kind of advanced sealing jutsu placed on him. The moment he divulges a secret, it activates automatically. Hmm... their leader is no ordinary person."
Although he said that, Kakashi had already begun suspecting Danzo. He had had some dealings with Root members as a child and knew this was Danzo's usual method of handling his subordinates.
But since Danzo was an important member of Konoha's leadership, Kakashi could not say so openly without sufficient evidence.
Ibiki Morino said, "If that's really the case, our Interrogation Squad won't be able to do much with them."
Inoichi Yamanaka stepped forward. "That's all right. Leave them to my Analysis Squad. Even if they're corpses, I can uncover everything about them!"
Danzo's heart tightened at those words, and his eyes once again fixed intently on the Third Hokage.
Damn you, Hiruzen, say something! If Inoichi Yamanaka really takes over, I'm finished!
Hidden beneath his bandages, Danzo's right eye already flashed with a vicious scarlet light. If things took a turn for the worst, he would forcibly use the strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, on Hiruzen!
The Sharingan in Danzo's right eye socket had been torn from Shisui's face by his own hand two years ago.
Now that he possessed Hashirama cells, he had always kept this eye as his final trump card.
In fact, lately, he had considered using the genjutsu Kotoamatsukami on Hiruzen Sarutobi more than once, controlling Hiruzen into publicly stepping down in his favor and handing him the Hokage position.
But after thinking it over and over, he had not done so.
Part of the reason was pride or confidence.
After all, Hiruzen was his old friend from childhood. Danzo wanted to seize the Hokage position through his own abilities and methods, making Hiruzen acknowledge him from the bottom of his heart.
But the main reason was actually his fear that the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan would uncover the secret that he possessed Shisui's Sharingan-especially the clan head, Hyuga Hiashi.
As a powerful ninja of the village's older generation, Hiashi must have seen the color of the chakra in Shisui's eyes.
If he activated Kotoamatsukami and Hiashi's Byakugan happened to detect it, everyone would surely believe that he, Shimura Danzō, had killed Shisui Uchiha.
That was a scandal that absolutely could not be made public.
Otherwise, even if he became Hokage, he would be unable to win everyone's support.
Surely he couldn't massacre the Hyuga Clan after taking power, just as they had massacred the Uchiha Clan!
Then Konoha really would have little strength left...
Hiruzen, don't force my hand! Hurry up and say something!
Danzo was frantic.
Just as Inoichi Yamanaka was about to take these "intruders" away, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke. "Wait!"
Everyone stopped and asked respectfully, "Lord Hokage, do you have anything else to add?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly, paused, and said, "Leave them to my Anbu."
"Huh??"
Everyone froze at his words, unable to understand what the Third Generation Lord Hokage meant.
Inoichi Yamanaka said urgently, "Lord Hokage! Forgive my frankness, but you know me. Leave them to me, and I guarantee I'll uncover everything within a day! If you hand them to the Anbu, I'm afraid they won't be as efficient as my Analysis Squad!"
Holding his pipe, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly said:
"Inoichi, of course I trust your abilities. But judging from my years of experience, their clothing makes it easy to see that these intruders are likely ninja from another country attempting to sabotage Konoha. Even if we uncover the truth, it will only breed more hatred..."
"Peace among the Five Great Nations is hard-won. There is no need to create conflict. Tomorrow, I will announce to the world that we easily captured all the intruders alive. I believe that once their mastermind hears the news, they will surely be intimidated by Konoha's strength."
"Later, when the mastermind comes to collect them, I will do them a convenient favor and return these intruders..."
"Our great Konoha... by doing this, we will first demonstrate the bearing of a great nation, while also conveying a measure of deterrence and our disdain for conflict. I believe the mastermind will see the error of their ways and stop making such futile attempts."
"Inoichi, and all you other children here, you must understand that finding out who the mastermind is isn't actually important. Peace is what matters most. What would knowing accomplish? Would we strike back? That would be no different from plunging Konoha's people into misery..."
"Doing a convenient favor and coexisting peacefully is the best solution. Hmm... that's what we'll do."
After hearing the Third Hokage's lengthy barrage of "noble" talk jutsu, everyone was dumbfounded.
Danzo hurriedly seized the opening. "Hiruzen, you truly deserve to lead our village. You care for the people and look further ahead than anyone else. I cannot compare."
Then Danzo turned to the Anbu beside him and ordered, "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and take them away!"
The Anbu members hesitated briefly. After seeing the Third Hokage nod, they immediately began taking custody from the Military Police Force.
Hyuga Hiashi clenched his fists inside his sleeves. He truly could not endure it any longer:
"Lord Hokage! You cannot be so merciful! If this continues, the other great nations will only become more outrageous!"
That word "continues" was particularly telling.
To Hyuga Hiashi, the Third's actions now were exactly the same as his handling of Kumogakure's forcible abduction of her daughter Hinata five years ago.
The guiding principle was simple: sacrifice their own in exchange for peace!
Inoichi also disagreed with the Hokage's proposal. Stepping forward indignantly, he held back his anger and said, "Lord Hokage, this really isn't appropriate. Peace is important, but this truly hurts our own people!"
Hiruzen sighed softly. "Ah... you aren't in my position, so you cannot understand the deeper meaning behind my actions. All of you, stand down. My decision is final."
"But...!"
Inoichi wanted to keep persuading him, but Shikaku Nara, standing behind him, immediately reached out and pressed down on his shoulder. With a meaningful look, he shook his head, signaling Inoichi to stop talking.
"Shikaku..."
Helpless, Inoichi could only give up.
Seeing that everyone was about to disperse, Xia Yu, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke.
"Hey! Are you all pretending I don't exist?! How many times have I said it? These people weren't here to sabotage Konoha at all. They came after me!!"
"Oh?"
Danzo sneered and asked a question he already knew the answer to. "Xia Yu, stop joking. What makes you worthy of having more than thirty powerful ninja attack you at once? There should be a limit even to lying..."
"You're calling me a liar? If you don't believe me, ask the nurses at Konoha Hospital. That dumbass who nearly gave away your name just now, Danzo, attacked me at the hospital! My wives can testify for me too!"
Just now, the way Terai's body had suddenly frozen after saying "Dan" had given Xia Yu, who had watched it all, ample reason to suspect that Danzo was the mastermind.
Having watched Naruto ten thousand times, he knew perfectly well that this was how Danzo handled his subordinates.
Hearing Xia Yu name Danzo as the mastermind, everyone present froze, then turned their eyes toward Danzo in unison.
Danzo snapped angrily, "Boy, don't slander me! Don't think that being one of the Uchiha's only two survivors gives you license to do whatever you want! If you dare spread more rumors and unsettle people, don't blame me for showing you no mercy!"
A powerful wave of murderous intent erupted from Danzo. Everyone could feel that he was serious.
Faced with this, Xia Yu showed no panic at all. He straightened his back, walked up to Danzo, and shot back angrily:
"Whether it's a rumor or not, an investigation will tell! As today's victim, I must demand justice. If this matter is allowed to die down just like that, won't I have to spend every day on edge, guarding against you trying to assassinate me? Lord Hokage, please investigate thoroughly!"
The Third Hokage's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.
Enraged, Danzo immediately dropped his cane and readied his hands to form hand seals:
"You just won't stop, will you? As a senior adviser to Konoha, how can I tolerate trash like you slandering me again and again?! Today, I will kill you!"
"You're a cancer on Konoha. I'll be ridding the people of a scourge!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Danzo wanted to use this opportunity to silence Xia Yu.
A sharp blade of air, shaped like a sickle weasel, shot from Danzo's mouth.
"Hmph! Do you really think I'm still the same useless trash I used to be?!" Xia Yu swiftly bent his body, dodging the wind blade.
"Danzo! Times have changed! I'll show you that my Uchiha Clan isn't so easy to bully!!"
Before you continue