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Konoha.
"What did you say? Has Sarutobi Shinzō disappeared? Are you kidding me?"
In the Konoha F4 meeting room, when the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen solemnly announced this news, Danzō was instantly dumbfounded, and beside him, Koharu Utatane's expression was one of disbelief as she blurted out in shock.
Mitokado Homura frowned deeply and said, "Hiruzen, have you investigated properly? Shinzō is an elite jōnin, always guarded by the Anbu. Even if you were to take action yourself, it wouldn't be without any trace, right?"
That was the crux of the matter. If Sarutobi Shinzō was to become Hokage, he might not be qualified, but as an elite jōnin, he was certainly exceptional, and he was protected around the clock. How could he just disappear?
Looking at his three old friends, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen was also extremely heavy-hearted. After all, the one who had disappeared was his own son, and what father wouldn't be concerned about his son?
"This is the report from the front lines: three hours after Sarutobi Shinzō went on patrol at the base, the Anbu who came to relieve him suddenly couldn't contact him, as if he had evaporated from the camp. And at the site of his disappearance, only minor traces of a battle were found."
"Judging from the evidence, Shinzō was taken away almost without resistance."
After Hiruzen relayed the frontline report, Danzō looked at him suspiciously, wondering if this was some sort of scheme, but he still voiced his doubts.
"Could someone have leaked his whereabouts?" Danzō speculated darkly.
To this suspicion, Hiruzen shook his head: "According to the Anbu, Shinzō decided to patrol the camp on a whim. There was no leak of information or any ambush set up in advance."
Hearing this, Danzō frowned and with a sinister look in his eye, coldly said, "Then there are only two possibilities."
"One is that there is a traitor at the front line who, under the guise of an ally, approached Shinzō without his guard up and dealt with the guarding Anbu."
As Danzō shared his speculation, Homura and Koharu Utatane frowned, seeming to want to say something, but Danzō coldly continued: "Poison, genjutsu, or even some unknown sinister ninjutsu could all be possible."
"The second possibility is that an enemy happened to scout the camp and coincidentally encountered Sarutobi Shinzō. There are too many coincidences here, and moreover! The combat power of Sarutobi Shinzō and his group, to easily control them, is difficult! Extremely difficult!"
After laying out his two theories, Danzō looked grimly at the three men, finally resting his gaze on Hiruzen.
"Sarutobi, among the personnel at the front, the only one who has the power to control Sarutobi Shinzō and his group without a sound is that brat Uchiha Yoru. I suggest a thorough investigation by the root."
"A thorough investigation!" Looking at Danzō, Hiruzen's face darkened as he said coldly, "Danzō! There are also missing elite members of the root from the Land of Whirlpools and Sarutobi Umeko, and the news I received was with your agreement."
Facing Sarutobi's questioning, Shimura Danzo did not shrink back, but confronted him directly, squinting one eye and snorting coldly: "How dare I not give face to the command of the future Hokage's wife."
Facing Shimura Danzo's retort, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned ugly as he said coldly: "On the day of the incident, Uchiha Yoru and Tsunade were together, and the next night, the location of the hidden disturbances by the Cloud ninja was found."
"The person leading the Cloud ninja this time is the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."
With what Sarutobi Hiruzen said, Tsunade and Uchiha Yoru had a complete alibi, and even the timing did not match up.
"The disappearance of the front-line commander is a serious matter, and since the deputy commander is on a covert mission, I have ordered Kakashi to stabilize morale as the acting commander at the front, while publicly stating that Sarutobi Shinzo is on a confidential mission."
Between his son and the village, Sarutobi Hiruzen chose to be the Third Hokage first, then a father.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's decision made the other three nod in agreement, and his clear-headedness despite his anger also earned the silent approval of Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, who, as high-ranking officials of Konoha, could no longer act on whims.
"Shinzo, as the mainstay of the village's younger generation, must be safeguarded at all costs. I suggest that the Root division and the Anbu work together to investigate and ensure his rescue."
Sarutobi Hiruzen fulfilled his duty as the Hokage, and as advisors, both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado also made their choices.
The village's interests were maximally preserved; privately, they naturally wanted to help their friend as much as possible. Publicly, Sarutobi Shinzo's rise to power was the stabilizing factor in their plans for Konoha.
And for Shimura Danzo, the disappearance of Sarutobi Shinzo was a source of anger and, at the same time, a dark pleasure.
He had prepared a series of countermeasures against this junior, but before he could make a move, the junior had fallen due to his own incompetence.
Is that all?
He was angry that someone dared to provoke Konoha, and he was secretly pleased that this incident was a boost, completely denying the other party the chance to become the Hokage.
Disappearance means still alive. A captured prisoner becoming Hokage upon return? Who would accept that? Even if it was put off for years, it would always be a thorn in the side.
"Danzo! I need the elite forces of the Root. Shinzo, as the front-line commander, has disappeared without a trace, and I suspect this may be a premeditated conspiracy."
Facing his steadfast son, Sarutobi Hiruzen unleashed his full firepower, intimidating Shimura Danzo with a naked warning in his eyes, as if to say, put aside the crooked paths in your heart, or I will not be lenient with you.
"Danzo, keep a close watch on the Land of Wind abroad and the Uchiha clan at home, and coordinate two of your Root division squads with the Anbu to thoroughly investigate this matter."
Good grief, he started by saying he needed the power of the Root, and it turned out to be this!
How ruthless!
Shimura Danzo's eyes widened in anger, and he slammed the table furiously: "Monkey, you don't trust me!"
"Danzo! I am the Hokage!"
The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who carried an aura of authority without anger, did not indulge his old friend this time. Without compromising the village's interests, he confronted the issue head-on, all for the sake of his own child.
If Danzo were put in charge of this matter, there might be some mishaps, such as spreading rumors.
But this was exactly what Hiruzen did not want to see. Privately or publicly, no father wants to witness their child being embarrassed, especially when he believes that the person in question is the most suitable candidate at the moment.
"Sarutobi! You will regret this!"
Danzo, feeling as if his hidden agenda had been exposed by Hiruzen's warning and disbelief, was frustrated and slammed his hand on the table in anger.
With a bang, Danzo fiercely slammed the meeting room door. Hiruzen's expression turned extremely grim, while Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, who acted as mediators between the two, shook their heads and tried to offer comfort.
"Hiruzen, since Shinzo is missing, it can be proved that there is definitely no danger."
"That's right, Hiruzen, don't worry too much. Danzo has always been like this, we will go and have a good talk with him later."
…
Outsiders are still unaware of everything that happened in Konoha, while far away on an island in the Land of Whirlpools.
After receiving an urgent signal from Shisui, Uchiha Yoru became anxious. What had happened to warrant such an emergency signal?
Following the signal's directions, Uchiha Yoru arrived at an abandoned mine on the coast.
He carefully observed his surroundings to confirm there were no traps. But when he saw a familiar figure, he anxiously asked, "What has happened that you used such an urgent signal? And why are all of you here?"
He saw Uchiha Shisui, Hatake Kakashi, and Hyuga Hizashi, all gathered there.
Facing Uchiha Yoru's tense expression, Uchiha Shisui said gravely, "Big brother Yoru, don't panic. Kakashi and Hizashi are using Shadow Clones, not their real bodies."
"Now all three of you are here, and I haven't heard of any major battles in the town. What has happened?"
With his repeated questions, Uchiha Yoru was filled with anxiety. He was already overwhelmed.
Previously, faced with the choice between the members of the Root and two potential future Hokage, he had chosen the two future Hokage, also revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan in the process. He was certain that after the Root members returned, the old folks in the village would definitely be aware of it.
Therefore, he decided to stay outside, leveraging the influence and prestige of the two future Hokage to develop his own power before returning to the Uchiha clan, taking up a high position to challenge the village elders.
Tsunade's influence was especially huge. Little did he expect another urgent matter would arise, forcing him to secretly dodge it.
"Big brother Yoru! That, uh..."
Uchiha Shisui hesitated, but seeing the anxious look on Uchiha Yoru's face, he bit the bullet and said with a heavy tone, "Big brother Yoru, Sarutobi Shinzo is missing."
"What!"
Hearing this news, Uchiha Yoru was shocked. He looked at the three before him in disbelief and pointed at them.
"It wasn't you who did it, was it?"
Faced with Uchiha Yoru's disbelief, Kakashi was even more downcast, not knowing what to say, while Hizashi with a stern face continued to report, "Not only Shinzo, but also Sarutobi Umeko!"
With a thump, as soon as Hizashi finished speaking, a sudden hook punch hit Shisui in the abdomen. Shisui did not dodge, and the powerful blow made him retch.
Before he could explain, Uchiha Yoru, somewhat angrily, grabbed Shisui's collar and shouted furiously, "I know about the side effects of activating the Mangekyō Sharingan, but it's been so long. You're a genius of the Uchiha clan, a genius, Shisui. How could you act recklessly!"
"Sarutobi Shinzo and his spouse are the eldest son and daughter-in-law of the Third Hokage. Have you gone mad? I said reform requires bloodshed, but with your rash actions, you will bring suffering to many."
Facing Uchiha Yoru's loud rebuke, Uchiha Shisui showed a smile.
Uchiha Yoru was mistaken; he thought it was Shisui's doing.
Just then, two people beside them quickly stepped forward. Among them, Hatake Kakashi, with a deathly hoarse voice, said, "Yoru, it was both Shisui and I who acted."
"You? You both!"
Seeing Kakashi taking the lead, and Hinata Hizashi nodding his head next to him, admitting, "I provided cover for the two of them in the camp."
Looking at the three of them, Uchiha Yoru was somewhat at a loss, and finally looked at Hatake Kakashi in astonishment, the calmest among them.
"Kakashi, you are always the most level-headed. Tell me, what exactly is going on? I don't believe that you would attack Sarutobi Shinzo without reason."
However, what Kakashi said next left Uchiha Yoru deeply shocked.
"It was us who acted, and I killed Sarutobi Umeko."
"What?" Uchiha Yoru always thought himself unflustered in danger, but this time he was truly confused. He hadn't been gone long; how had everyone changed so much?
The most level-headed, and also the most troubled Kakashi, had killed the daughter-in-law of the Third Hokage? And they had joined hands to attack Sarutobi Shinzo.
Hinata Hizashi was responsible for creating alibis for them in the camp.
"Cough cough, big brother Yoru, listen to us first."
Although wrongfully punched, Uchiha Shisui still showed a smile on his face, happy for his elder brother's reform efforts.
"Big brother Yoru, here's what happened…"
After Shisui slowly explained the whole story, Uchiha Yoru was truly stunned, looking at the three of them who were nodding together.
"So, you are saying, Kakashi accidentally killed Sarutobi Umeko, and then you made a decisive move to wipe out the people from the Root division. At the same time, you ambushed Sarutobi Shinzo."
All of this seems like a dream, as if the secret of awakening the kaleidoscope was coincidentally resolved?
Uchiha Shisui is still unaware of this coincidence. Instead, he firmly and solemnly said, "big brother Yoru, you once said that bloodshed in reform is inevitable, but we must do our utmost to control the extent of the bloodshed, not affecting the entire village."
"The Root is completely a training base devoid of humanity. Once a single piece of information leaks, Kakashi will be exposed."
Kakashi Hatake, standing nearby, lowers his head in self-blame and solemnly says, "Yoru, I'm sorry."
Secret abduction is one thing, but killing is another.
"You guys, where is Sarutobi Shinzo now?"
Uchiha Yoru, realizing all this, rubs his forehead and looks at the three, seemingly accidentally resolving the issue for him.
He risked death to save the two Fifth Hokages. Could this be the legendary fortune favoring him?
Otherwise, it's hard to explain. A coincidence? That's too coincidental.
"Sarutobi Shinzo is in the cell inside, with his chakra sealed and currently in a coma."
Uchiha Yoru walks to the cell window, looks through the gap, and sees Sarutobi Shinzo with his eyes closed and in a comatose state, frowning immediately.
"You guys! You were too impulsive."
Uchiha Yoru, turning to the three, pretends to look worried and says,
"Sarutobi Shinzo is not only the eldest son of the Third but also chosen by the entire high-level forces and the Ino-Shika-Cho clans."
"You should know that only with Sarutobi Shinzo in charge can the village maintain its status quo and their interests remain unaffected. But you! You kidnapped him. Once a bit of this news leaks, we will face the pressure of the entire Konoha upper echelons."
Alarming words? No, he is stating facts.