Naturally Great-Loving Uchiha

Uchiha Minamoto spoke casually.

"First, cooperate with the Konoha Military Police Force's criminal investigation.

"Second, tell us all the dirt you know about Shimura Danzō.

"Finally, I want you to publicly admit that you received orders from Shimura Danzō to deliberately disrupt the village's peace and order."

He was a Jonin, after all.

Subduing him and turning him into a point-farming machine counted as putting trash to good use.

Shimura Ryo's face was pale.

"Are you trying to get me killed?"

"No, I'm trying to keep you alive."

Uchiha Minamoto leaned back tactically.

"Senior Shimura Ryo, what do you think?"

Shimura Ryo fell silent.

He said nothing for a long while.

But sometimes.

Silence was also an answer.

"Ah, Senior Shimura Ryo..."

Uchiha Minamoto sighed, stood up, walked around the interrogation table, and came to Shimura Ryo's side.

"You won't confess, and you won't surrender. You're really making this difficult for me!"

Shimura Ryo remained silent.

Uchiha Minamoto drew [Electric Light Pill] and asked one last time.

"Senior Shimura Ryo, what is your choice?"

Shimura Ryo remained silent.

"All right."

Uchiha Minamoto shook his head regretfully.

"Hold my sword for me."

Uchiha Rai was about to step forward, only to see Uchiha Minamoto stuff [Electric Light Pill] into Shimura Ryo's hand.

"Huh?"

Uchiha Rai was dumbfounded.

Shimura Ryo was equally stunned, sitting frozen in his chair with [Electric Light Pill]'s hilt in his hand.

"It has been confirmed that, during interrogation, the suspect seized an interrogator's weapon and attempted to launch a lethal attack."

Uchiha Minamoto unhurriedly took [Electric Light Pill] back.

"The interrogator acted in lawful self-defense to protect himself."

Shimura Ryo only managed to utter one word.

"I-"

Shhk-

A blade flashed through the air.

The edge swept across his throat, sending crimson blood spraying.

Disbelief filled Shimura Ryo's eyes. His mouth opened and closed several times, but all he could produce was a leaking, rasping sound.

Finally, his head drooped limply, and the light in his eyes faded little by little.

Shimura Ryo was dead!

Uchiha Minamoto sheathed his sword, its blade unstained by a single drop of blood.

He had never intended to let a diehard loyalist of Shimura Danzō's leave alive.

Wouldn't that be letting a tiger return to the mountains?

Uchiha Minamoto would never do something as stupid as strengthening his enemy.

"Clean up the body and send it to the Analysis Division. Have them extract the intelligence from Shimura Ryo's brain."

A ninja's corpse also held a great deal of intelligence.

Personnel skilled in intelligence interrogation could even extract information from a corpse's brain.

As for whether Shimura Danzō's dirt could be extracted from Shimura Ryo's brain...

If the Konoha Military Police Force said it could, then it could!

Uchiha Rai answered loudly.

"Yes! Group Leader!"

Uchiha Minamoto left the Interrogation Room.

The Great Love Panel suddenly popped up.

[You personally executed the dark ninja Shimura Ryo, removing a cancer from Konoha!]

[You completed a Great Love Action!]

[You gained 30,000 Great Love Points!]

[You obtained the B-rank ninjutsu [Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere]!]

Oh! An unexpected bonus!

Uchiha Minamoto was in a good mood.

Then he ran into Uchiha Itachi, who had come to ask for the prisoner's release.

"So Shimura Ryo really is dead?"

Inside the Hokage's office, Shimura Danzō flew into a rage, no longer caring that Uchiha Itachi was standing nearby.

"Hiruzen! Those people in the Konoha Military Police Force! Casually killing a village Jonin! They have absolutely no regard for the law!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed deeply. "Enough, Danzo. Calm down."

"I can't possibly calm down!"

Shimura Danzō was furious.

He felt that the anger he had endured today exceeded everything he had endured in the rest of his life combined!

He had barely left the Konoha Military Police Force when Uchiha Minamoto slaughtered Shimura Ryo.

What was Uchiha Minamoto hinting at?

What was he insinuating?

Who had instructed him to do this?

What exactly was the Uchiha Clan after?

"Rebellion! Rebellion!"

Shimura Danzō opened and closed his right eye, and his brilliant intellect seized the high ground in his brain.

"The Uchiha Clan is finally going to rebel!"

"Shut up, Danzo!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi snapped.

"Don't say things like that in front of Itachi!

"Besides, if we wage a civil war against the Uchiha Clan, the village will suffer regardless of whether we win!"

Shimura Danzō didn't care about any of that!

"As long as you join forces with me and the Anbu and Root act together, we can end everything immediately!"

"Danzo! The Uchiha Clan are still our comrades in the village!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe and knocked it hard against the desk before him several times.

"I told you! I'll find a way to handle the Uchiha!"

Shimura Danzō's chest heaved violently several times.

"Hiruzen! You'll regret this!"

"Danzo! I am the Hokage!"

Shimura Danzō was just about to slam the door on his way out.

Uchiha Itachi suddenly spoke up to stop him.

"Um... Elder Danzo."

Shimura Danzō immediately turned his single eye toward Uchiha Itachi.

His gaze was as sharp as a pitchfork, wanting to skewer this equally evil Uchiha brat to death.

Uchiha Itachi forced himself to speak.

"...Senior Minamoto asked me to pass along a few words."

Shimura Danzō ground his teeth.

"...Speak!"

"Senior Minamoto asked you to collect Shimura Ryo's body from the Konoha Military Police Force!"

Uchiha Itachi spoke quickly.

"He said that, as the head of the Shimura Clan, you have a duty to collect your clansman's body, even if he was a criminal."

People could not all be judged by the same standard.

An Uchiha might awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in a state of extreme rage.

But when Shimura Danzō was extremely angry... all he could do was be angry.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze stayed firmly fixed on Shimura Danzō's back.

Shimura Danzō muttered inwardly.

Hiruzen... just keep holding me back like this... otherwise... I won't be able to stop myself from killing Uchiha Itachi...

Shimura Danzō's anger broke past its limit, and he entered a strangely calm state.

"Anything else?"

Uchiha Itachi dared not hesitate and immediately added.

"Senior Minamoto said he's sending Shimura Ryo to the Analysis Division for a final physical examination, so please wait a few more days before collecting the body, Elder Danzo. He'll notify you of the exact time."

"Anything else?"

"The Konoha Military Police Force is fast-tracking the procedures. Senior Minamoto will buy the former Shueisha and rename it the Love Newspaper Office."

Uchiha Itachi delivered the final message.

"Senior Minamoto said it could open as soon as tomorrow. When the time comes, he'll personally come to invite Lord Third Hokage and you to attend the Love Newspaper Office's opening ceremony."

"Anything else?"

Shimura Danzō stared at Uchiha Itachi as though he would kill him on the spot if he said another word.

"..."

Uchiha Itachi shook his head.

Shimura Danzō left.

He planned to take Root out of the village overnight and head to the northern battlefield.