Danzo remained indifferent, as if he truly knew nothing.
"I don't care what you're thinking, Danzo, this is my final reminder. Don't forget the teachings of the First and Second. Let this matter rest, but I don't want to see anything like this happen again. This is the Hokage's order, Danzo!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi calmly looked at Danzo, his words gradually unfolding, most notably the last sentence, which he emphasized deliberately.
This finally caused Danzo's expression to change slightly.
Before Danzo could say anything,
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned and left the dimly lit room, listening to the footsteps fading into the distance.
Danzo's expression gradually turned extremely cold.
That right hand, slowly clenching.
Look at that shadowy corner on the right.
"Explain!"
Those words fell in a low, somber tone.
"Yes, Danzo, the mission failed! Kun and Bing's squads were intercepted by the Lord Hokage's direct Anbu, and Han's squad..."
The person in the shadows clearly hesitated for a moment.
"Um!?"
"It seems they've all been killed in action!"
These were the words that followed.
"What!?"
This made Danzo's expression grow even colder.
The mission failed, that's alright. From the moment he made this arrangement, Danzo had already considered both failure and success. For this Darkness of Konoha, there are many ways to achieve his goals, and there's no need to limit himself to just one point!
That's a problem only mediocre people would have!
Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrival did not really cause Danzo's mentality to fluctuate in any way. The impact of the failure of this mission was far less than the impact of Hiruzen Sarutobi's last sentence!
But now, this Darkness of Konoha has suffered another blow.
The annihilation of a Root squad!
Although Danzo would hardly feel any heartache, he would feel humiliated that Hiruzen would not harm his own Root!
Danzo had this confidence.
That means the Root he sent out died at the hands of those 'targets,' which would make Danzo feel uneasy!
"Investigate! Find out exactly who it is! At all costs, understand?"
Danzo looked at the Root member on his left with a chilling expression and said in a sinister tone.
This Darkness of Konoha disliked the feeling of being humiliated, and even more so, disliked the feeling of being out of control!
"Yes!"
The visitor immediately knelt on one knee, responded sharply, and then darted away from the dimly lit room.
" The Hokage's orders? Hmph, Hiruzen, don't think this ends here. The teachings of the First and Second? I know far more than you do! I will prove you wrong!"
Danzo clenched his fists tightly, and the chilling look on his face was so intense and terrifying!
What was supposed to be a huge uproar has now seemingly subsided into nothingness. Sensitive and intelligent people may have noticed a hint of it, but for almost everyone, this night remains a peaceful one.
Everything was the same as before, without any difference.
If we didn't know before, and we don't know now, then we certainly won't know in the future either.
These people will never know that tonight, history almost stood still!
But let's not mention the infighting and backstabbing within the Konoha F4.
On the other side.
After Chunin returning to the village with the Konoha, the three of them, including Kei, were relieved that they hadn't encountered any unexpected incidents along the way. Kei's tense expression eased slightly; at least for now, the situation seemed to be under control.
Of course, this is not the definitive truth, but merely Qi's most heartfelt expectation!
He certainly didn't want to be walking into the lion's den!
"Teacher Qing! I have urgent information to report to you!"
The three of them returned to their hotel.
They went directly to the room where their teacher lived, just as they sensed that their three subordinates had returned so early and in such a hurry.
Qing's expression was very solemn.
This was followed by Qi's gradual reporting.
Qing's expression also turned incredibly gloomy and terrifying.
" Goro, Otokaze!"
He immediately got up and went to Jonin the other two Kirigakure from Konohagakure this time. After briefly telling them the information that Kei had reported, he left them with a message.
Goro and Otokaze, the two Jonin from Kirigakure, also had very cold expressions.
"Disguising himself as Cloud Ninja? He actually went and did it!"
"The current situation is that we've been 'exposed,' and it's very likely that Konoha will take even more drastic actions. Ao, I think it's necessary to take some special measures! We must ensure that the village and the Mizukage receive accurate, firsthand intelligence!"
As Jonin assigned to Konohagakure by Karatachi Yagura, Goro and Otokaze may not be the most outstanding Jonin in Kirigakure.
But he is definitely a trustworthy and reliable person.
The two of them naturally wouldn't doubt the authenticity of the information provided by Qi and the other two, because there was absolutely no need to!
When the authenticity of the information can be determined with 100% certainty.
Making the most accurate judgment in the shortest amount of time is the wisest approach!
It is clear that Goro and Otokaze, the two Jonin Kirigakure, are prepared to fight and even sacrifice themselves!
In their view, the most important thing now is to get the intelligence back!
Even if it means sacrificing everything, I would do it!
Kei, Mei Terumi, Kisame could naturally understand the deeper meaning behind these words. At that moment, their expressions changed slightly, and their hands clenched unconsciously.
It has nothing to do with awareness or not.
In this situation, especially at this age, this is a very normal reaction.
"Yes, that's for sure. I'll handle that aspect of the communication. But we also need to prepare for the worst. Kei, Mei Terumi, Kisame, I'm giving you a mission in my capacity Jonin! The three of you are to report everything that happens in Konoha to the Mizukage!"
After hearing the words of his two colleagues, Qing's expression did not change at all. After nodding slightly, he turned to look at Qi and the other two and said in a deep voice.
This surprised Qi and the other two.
"Teacher Qing, this..."
The three of them instinctively wanted to say something.
"This is an order. You three must complete it, even if it means death. Do you understand?!"
But Qing interrupted him directly.
Goro and Otokaze, the two Jonin nearby, were not at all surprised by Ao's words.
"Qing is right, this is the most important mission. Qing and I will provide you with as much cover as possible. The three of you must bring the intelligence back, understand?!"
Goro looked at the three of them, his expression very serious, and said...