"Boo-hoo, Lord Hokage, I don't know why either."
"After I took Sister Kushina home, I was walking home alone when a ninja wearing a black pig mask suddenly appeared and tried to kill me."
While Nobuhiko was still sobbing out his story, a squad of masked Anbu ninja arrived at the Hokage Building carrying a corpse.
Upon seeing the Third Hokage, the squad gently laid the corpse on the floor and knelt on one knee. Their captain reported to him in a respectful but somber voice.
"Lord Hokage, we just sensed people fighting. When we arrived, we found only this corpse. After examining it, we identified this corpse as-"
"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough."
Hearing that they were about to expose his old associate if they continued, the Third Hokage hurriedly deployed the art of interruption and began coughing nonstop.
Watching the Third Hokage beside him practically cough his lungs out as he listened to the ninja's report, Nobuhiko had mixed feelings.
Clearly, this squad of Anbu ninja were greenhorns who had only recently joined the Anbu and knew nothing of the shady dealings between the Third Hokage and Danzo.
They had simply discovered the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on the Masked Man and learned that he was a ninja belonging to Root.
And officially, Root had always been subordinate to the Anbu, so Root ninja were their colleagues too.
Now that they had discovered one of their colleagues had been killed in the village, their feelings were easy to imagine.
This was the attitude Konoha ninja ought to have, unlike the Anbu and Root ninja during the original story, for whom purging dissenters, spying on each other, and assassination were everyday occurrences.
But ninja like these would disappear sooner or later. Those who still had some use would probably be brainwashed by the Third Hokage, while those with little use would likely be sent straight to their deaths by him.
Perhaps this was the tragedy of Konoha's ninja and the village.
They were clearly passionate ninja who had inherited the Will of Fire and wanted to serve the Hokage and protect the village, yet they ultimately became sacrifices in struggles for power and profit, either dying or losing themselves and becoming tools.
Konoha should clearly have been the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, yet struggles for power and profit led to White Fang's suicide, the Sannin's departure, the deaths of both the Fourth Hokage and his wife in battle, the Hyuga Clan head using his own younger brother to die in his place, and the Uchiha Clan's extermination.
Those two old bastards, the Third Hokage and Danzo, deserved "enormous credit" for Konoha's eventual decline to that state!
But now that he was here, Konoha's future would definitely change!
How would he change it? By clinging tightly to the Third Hokage's thigh first, of course.
"Lord Hokage, are you all right? Please don't make yourself ill with anger over my little personal problem. I would never forgive myself for the rest of my life!"
Nobuhiko hurriedly rose from the floor, went behind the Third Hokage, and gently patted his back, trying to help him catch his breath.
Seeing Nobuhiko blame himself, the Third Hokage was moved by him yet again.
"Cough, cough. Nobuhiko, good boy, rest assured that I will give you a satisfactory answer on this matter. Go home and rest for now, and come back tomorrow morning. I'll send an Anbu squad to protect you."
"All right, Lord Hokage. I'll head home, then. Please take good care of your health. The village could do without anyone but you!"
"All this time, you have been like a brilliant lighthouse, lighting the village's path forward; whenever the village faces crises and challenges, you always use your outstanding leadership and extraordinary wisdom to make the right decisions, leading the village through its difficulties and toward a bright future!"
After bowing to the Third Hokage in thanks and pouring out his heartfelt "feelings," Nobuhiko turned and left.
Watching Nobuhiko's departing figure, the Third Hokage recalled those eventful years and that glorious history. Thinking of how he had taken command in a crisis, turned the tide, and saved everything from collapse, he moved himself to tears.
Yes, Nobuhiko was right. He was so important to the village that he had to take good care of his health.
What a good boy, remembering to care about his health even at a time like this. Danzo had nearly ruined him.
As the boy had said, there was no need to get angry with Danzo. His health mattered more.
But since Danzo dared to disregard his orders and insist on attacking Nobuhiko, he would dare to take swift, decisive action and teach him a lesson.
"Someone, relay my orders. Seal off Root and throw this corpse at its entrance. Let Root's people take a good look."
"Furthermore, order Danzo to send half of Root's elite forces to reinforce the front line. The Jōnin among them must account for sixty percent of Root's total number of Jōnin."
"If he refuses to do this with dignity, help him do it with dignity."
"Any Root ninja who refuse to obey are to be killed without exception!"
"As for Danzo himself, he is to remain confined and reflect on his actions, effective immediately."
"Have Advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu personally supervise this. If anything goes wrong, the two of them can join Danzo in confinement and reflect on their actions!"
"And tell Danzo that I don't want to see him!"
The Third Hokage issued his orders sternly.
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
An Anbu ninja picked up the corpse and left to carry out his orders.
"I understand what happened now. Go back to your original mission."
The Third Hokage waved a hand, signaling for them to leave.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Hearing the Hokage's orders, they were still somewhat confused, but they now knew this Root ninja had not died fighting for the village. And they had actually felt guilty just now for not reaching him in time. Pah!
At Root's entrance.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who had been woken in their mansions by Anbu ninja in the middle of the night, arrived together.
Seeing the corpse at the entrance and Danzo's livid face, neither said a word.
The three simply stood together, watching the Anbu ninja call out names one by one from a roster they had found in the search. Each person called had their chakra sealed.
Danzo's earlier orders forbidding anyone from going out and requiring everyone to remain silent to avoid suspicion had now made things much easier for the Anbu ninja.
Every name called produced its owner, and before long, the Anbu had finished taking stock of Root's ninja.
Excluding the spies dispatched elsewhere, 113 ninja were supposed to be present. Counting Black Pig lying on the ground, 110 were actually present.
The three absent ninja were all Black Pig's subordinates and were still carrying out a mission outside the village.
"Shimura Danzō, Lord Hokage orders you to send half of Root's elite forces to reinforce the front line. The Jōnin among them must account for sixty percent of Root's total number of Jōnin. Carry out the order immediately!"
Having finished the count, the Anbu leader approached Danzo and announced the Third Hokage's orders.
"Strictly speaking, a ninja of your rank has no authority to order me around!"
"But to let you carry out Hiruzen's orders, I have already allowed you to finish taking stock of Root."
"Now, I want to see Hiruzen!"
Danzo's expression was utterly grim. Clenching his fists, he spoke through gritted teeth.
"Lord Hokage said he does not want to see you right now!"
The words infuriated Danzo so much that his veins bulged. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"I refuse to dispatch them!"
Seeing Danzo refuse, the Anbu leader did not get angry. Instead, he used the roster to call out fifty-five people and ordered them to reinforce the front line.
Danzo sneered inwardly. Without his orders, these people would never go to reinforce the front line. Not even Hiruzen's orders would work.
Seeing that none of the fifty-five people whose names had been called responded, the Anbu leader waved for his subordinates to prepare to act.
"Do it!"