Maximizing profits, Yakushi Nono's intelligence is now being sold to Orochimaru, clearly for maximum gain. This is something that the Uchiha Elder should not be informed about.
"The Wandering Miko?"
Orochimaru was initially startled upon hearing this intelligence, but then a hoarse smile appeared on his face. "Heh, I didn't expect the Uchiha elder to be so knowledgeable about these things. It seems that the Uchiha are quite familiar with the Root."
However, Orochimaru misunderstood the situation. He thought that the Uchiha Elder, driven by resentment towards the Root, was secretly keeping an eye on them, hence the abundance of intelligence.
There were signs of goodwill from the Uchiha, such as the Wood Release ninja "Kinoe," and now the mention of the "Wandering Miko." These were the deepest secrets of the Root. Who would believe that the Uchiha elder had no knowledge of them?
Instead of correcting the misunderstanding, Uchiha Yoru smiled and shook his head, saying, "Orochimaru-sensei, the clan head said he will fully support your path to becoming Hokage."
This statement held a lot of information. Orochimaru instantly revealed a smile, realizing that the Uchiha clan was not united. The elder had his information network, while the clan head had another. However, this didn't concern Orochimaru much.
"Heh heh, Yoru-kun, tidy up here. We don't need this place anymore. Let's go to the next base."
After turning around, Orochimaru gave a chilling hoarse smile. But Uchiha Yoru remained at ease. As long as he was still useful, he could do as he pleased under Orochimaru. This was perhaps a sign of Orochimaru's magnanimity and personal charm.
Meanwhile, in the dimly lit secret room of Konoha's Root, Danzo, with bandages covering his eyes, had a terrifyingly gloomy expression as he looked at the two individuals kneeling in front of him. In a voice devoid of emotion, he asked, "Have you not found out yet?"
The two Root ninjas, kneeling on one knee and wearing masks, replied in unison with no trace of emotion, "We apologize, Danzo-sama. The Root has been thoroughly searched three times, but we have found no trace of any infiltrators."
Danzo's anger surged upon hearing this response. He slammed the table hard and shouted furiously, "No infiltrators? Then how did the information about Kinoe being a Wood Release ninja leak out? Tell me! The deepest secrets of the Root, infiltrated and leaked, and you still can't find any leads! You're all useless! A bunch of worthless people!"
Danzo couldn't believe that Orochimaru had somehow discovered the information about Kinoe, the Wood Release ninja, which he had kept a secret even from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The news from Orochimaru infuriated Danzo, not because of the so-called precious information and flesh and blood samples, or the leaked information about Kinoe, but because he knew there was a problem within the Root, yet he couldn't uncover it. That was the real reason for his anger.
"Worthless!"
Danzo cursed angrily, and the two Root ninjas lowered their heads in silence. They dared not show any dissatisfaction. They were even fearful themselves, knowing that the Root had been infiltrated. It was a terrifying situation.
Danzo's anger turned towards his old comrade, the Third Hokage. "Is it you, Hiruzen?" he asked with narrowed eyes. He believed that only Hiruzen had the ability and influence to secretly arrange people within the Root, making it impossible for him to find any traces.
"Danzo-sama, all Root ninjas have the 'Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal' technique, making it nearly impossible to leak information," one of his subordinates confidently stated.
Danzo sneered in response, "Nearly impossible? There is no perfect ninja technique. Since it's a sealing technique, naturally, it can be undone, and it can also be sealed with another layer."
Danzo was convinced that Hiruzen Sarutobi was behind this. After all, only the Third Hokage had the ability to seal with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal technique, reveal the Root's information, and then undo the sealing technique.
Danzo felt like he had been played like a monkey. He had been so proud, thinking that the other party was unaware. Now he seethed with anger, his face turning almost green. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Hiruzen! Fine! Fine! You've been playing me like a monkey all these years!"
He could already imagine that everything about the Root was under Hiruzen's watchful eye. Everything he had secretly planned was nothing more than a clown's performance.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage sat exhausted, sucking on his pipe. He frowned as he looked at the intelligence coming in from the border.
"Ah, fortunately, the shadow of the Third Great Ninja War hasn't dissipated yet, and the smaller nations are trying to provoke the major ones. I hope things can stabilize soon."
Hiruzen faced immense pressure as he suddenly had to take on heavy responsibilities. Within the village, the Uchiha clan, known as the number one noble family in the shinobi world, added to the challenges. The border area was being stirred up by smaller nations, aiming to consume the major ones. Spies from various countries were constantly probing Konoha's defenses.
Having just suffered the loss of its youngest and shortest-serving Fourth Hokage and a large number of elite shinobi, Konoha faced a troublesome period.
As he thought about the situation, Hiruzen couldn't help but look at the pictures of the previous Hokages hanging on the wall. When he saw the last picture with a young, sunny smile, he sighed, "Minato, you've left me with quite a mess."
The loss of so many elite shinobi meant many departments were understaffed. The major clans, including his own Sarutobi clan, had to step in and fill the gaps. Additionally, there was unrest within the clan, as some people were reluctant to let go of their desired power.
Internal troubles and external threats—this was the current situation in Konoha.
An ANBU member entered the office, delivering information on Uchiha Yoru. A stack of intelligence appeared on Hiruzen's desk, causing him to wear a grave expression.
In this troubled time, Orochimaru had taken in an Uchiha disciple. What was going on?
Muttering to himself, Hiruzen opened Uchiha Yoru's file, which detailed everything from his birth to his time at the ninja academy, even recording his conflicts and quarrels with others at school. It was a thorough report.
As he read through the entire file, Hiruzen's brow furrowed even deeper. The pipe in his mouth continued to sputter.
"The night of the Nine-Tails' attack triggered the Sharingan? Was it out of fear or anger? An orphan, driven by the immense losses suffered by Konoha, was it anger that awakened his Sharingan?"
Hiruzen, as a disciple of the Second Hokage, had a clear understanding of the Uchiha clan. He mused to himself about the situation. Finally, his narrowed eyes landed on an inconspicuous piece of information.
On a blank page, it stated that there was an ambiguous relationship between Uchiha Yoru and the late elite jonin Shinku's daughter, Kurenai Yuhi.
Huh? Greedy for Money?