Sarutobi sighed. "Of course I haven't forgotten, but yesterday's incident was serious."
Looking at Danzo's disbelieving face, Sarutobi explained awkwardly, "The Anbu killed yesterday were responsible for guarding the village's Scrolls of Seals."
"What?!"
Danzo cried out in shock. "You mean all those scrolls were stolen?!"
Sarutobi nodded with difficulty.
"Sarutobi, you should just step down."
"If I were Hokage, something this absurd would never happen!"
Danzo sneered. "You were in your own headquarters, and someone still managed to rob you blind!"
"You're certainly doing a fine job as Hokage."
Sarutobi's aged face reddened slightly as he argued in a low voice, "I never expected anyone to dare strike directly within Konoha!"
"Besides, I was only gone for a few minutes. An entire Anbu squad and the barrier couldn't even hold the thief off."
Sarutobi had mentioned the deaths of several Anbu at the Root Base yesterday, but Danzo hadn't expected this to be the reason.
And that person had even disguised himself as Tenzo...
"This was clearly that person's attempt to frame me! First stealing the scrolls, then leading you and your men to Root!"
"Such a petty trick, and it had you running in circles!"
Danzo continued coldly, "I never thought you could be stupid enough to throw me straight into prison."
After everything that happened yesterday, Sarutobi had carefully reviewed the entire sequence of events.
All the evidence pointed straight at Danzo!
Although Danzo certainly had the motive to do these things, and might even have entertained such ideas.
The timing was wrong, however, and the trail left behind was far too obvious.
A Root uniform, Kage Level strength, yet deliberately leaving a survivor.
It was simply too much of a coincidence!
The biggest question was, would someone with Kage Level strength really serve under Danzo willingly?
Sarutobi rubbed his temples with a headache. "Whether you staged this yourself or it was someone else's scheme..."
"Word has gotten out. Someone has to take responsibility."
"Who knows how many people in the village are waiting to see how I handle this."
"Heh!"
Danzo chuckled sinisterly. "Then why don't you explain to the clans that someone is manipulating all this from behind the scenes, and let me out to help you find them!"
"You should understand why." Sarutobi shook his head. "All the evidence points to you now. They won't believe an explanation based on nothing but speculation."
"Besides, after those human experiments you and Orochimaru conducted, their trust in the leadership is no longer what it once was."
"Now this has happened too. If I don't deal with you, it'll provoke public outrage."
"Hypocrite." Danzo shook his head with a sneer.
"Stay here and behave yourself for now."
As Sarutobi spoke, a trace of killing intent showed in his eyes. "I'll find a way to drag out the person behind this myself! Once the truth comes to light, I'll find a way to release you."
With that, Sarutobi turned to leave.
"Will you really let me out again?"
Danzo said darkly, "Or will you simply transfer all the Root ninja into your Anbu, then pin everything on me like you did with Orochimaru?"
Sarutobi stopped in his tracks. Without turning around, he replied flatly, "I won't."
"If I really wanted to do that, I wouldn't have deliberately let Yamanaka Fū and Aburame Torune escape yesterday."
In yesterday's battle, which had destroyed this Root Base, aside from a few people injured by the aftershocks, not a single person had died.
And Sarutobi had intentionally allowed Danzo's two most trusted confidants to escape.
Danzo gave a chilling smile. "Sparing me and letting them escape was simply because you feared I'd expose all the dirty business you took part in during the fight."
Sarutobi frowned deeply. "Not everyone is as dark as you imagine. Danzo, stay here and reflect on yourself."
With that, Sarutobi strode away without further hesitation.
After Sarutobi left, the guards who hurried over immediately shut the door tight.
Outside the prison, an entire Anbu squad even stood guard in secret.
It was to prevent Root loyalists from attempting a jailbreak.
The dark, damp cell held not a sliver of light.
Danzo sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, narrowing his eyes as he murmured with a sneer, "Sarutobi, you'll regret this."
Although he wasn't certain what Sarutobi truly thought.
Danzo firmly believed that Sarutobi sparing him, even letting his confidants escape and coming to the cell to placate him-
It was all simply because he feared a fight to the death, feared I'd make all the dark deeds he'd once committed public.
In fact, after reviewing the whole affair, Danzo did feel a tiny bit of regret over his reckless remark outside the secret chamber earlier.
Although the current situation was largely the work of whoever had framed him from behind the scenes.
Dragging Sarutobi into it with his reckless talk had undoubtedly handed the mastermind another assist.
Even if only to prove his own innocence, Sarutobi would definitely deal with this matter seriously.
But who was Danzo!
A man so stubborn he'd still refuse to admit fault even if the Shinobi World exploded!
How could he ever admit it aloud...
At the edge of Konoha's barrier.
Itachi wore combat attire, with a horizontal slash across the Konoha forehead protector on his head.
Just as he was about to leave the village, Itachi stopped and looked toward the large tree behind him.
"Leaving in such a hurry? I was planning to have your father travel with you for part of the way."
Dressed in the same outfit as Obito, Haruma leaned against the treetop, his tone leisurely.
"Father is leaving the village too?" Itachi asked in confusion.
Knowing that the mysterious man possessed Space-Time Ninjutsu, Itachi wasn't surprised by his sudden appearance.
"Yes." Haruma nodded lightly. "Your father has a mission that'll take him away for a while soon too."
"He's still busy right now, so I came to see you off for him."
Meanwhile, Fugaku, who was frantically copying books at home with three young clansmen, muttered a curse with a dark expression. "Damn it!"
Itachi showed no reaction to his parents not coming to see him off.
He merely looked at Haruma and asked with a frown, "Were you behind Danzo's imprisonment?"
Still unaware that Danzo had handed him an assist, Haruma scratched his head awkwardly. "I suppose you could say that..."
"I understand." Itachi nodded without asking any more questions.
Itachi, who had originally wanted to ask Haruma to take extra care of Sasuke, opened his mouth and ultimately said it anyway.
After all, Haruma had yet to fully earn Itachi's trust.
Seeing Itachi hesitate, Haruma chuckled and spoke directly. "Don't worry. I'll help keep an eye on Sasuke."
Itachi's gaze sharpened. This again!
This man's sources of information were strange. He seemed to know far too many secrets.
He hadn't even mentioned his parents, yet had brought up Sasuke directly. It was truly strange.
"Oh, right."
Haruma pulled a golden ring from inside his clothes and tossed it down from the tree to Itachi.
Itachi caught it casually, looking at the gleaming golden ring in his hand with some confusion.
Didn't he already have that marked shuriken?
"The ring was made with Yin–Yang Release chakra. It isn't a marked object."
Haruma explained, "It's a medium for performing the Magic Lantern Body Technique."
"Sit cross-legged on the ground and channel chakra into it, and you can form a phantom to exchange intelligence regardless of distance."
Itachi put away the ring, growing somewhat accustomed to this man's wonders.
"Oh, right."
Haruma reminded him, "Don't wear the ring when you're not using it. After you join the Akatsuki, someone will give you another ring."
"They normally use this technique to assign missions and exchange intelligence."
Itachi frowned and looked up at Haruma, who was still wearing the black robe with red clouds. "So you're actually a member of the Akatsuki?"
"Or... are you the true mastermind controlling the Akatsuki from behind the scenes?"