Hidden Leaf Village, the Root.
In a dark environment, the Root, as its name suggests, has its base established deep underground, with massive pits interconnected by bridges, resembling the roots of a giant tree spreading through the earth.
"Lord Danzo, there were no relevant clues found during the Anbu's discreet investigation of the Uchiha clan," Kakashi reported.
Hearing Kakashi's report, Danzo, leaning on his wooden cane, nodded lightly. His lone eye revealed a hint of displeasure as he spoke in a deep voice, "Kakashi, if there's nothing substantial, you should maintain covert communication with the Root. We must avoid detection."
Danzo felt some frustration too. He thought, "Kakashi, if you didn't find anything in Root, what's the use of you being there?"
However, at that moment, Kakashi's left Sharingan briefly flashed with a crimson light. He lowered his head and said in a solemn tone, "However, the Third Hokage instructed me to secretly investigate some Uchiha members"
As Kakashi mentioned the three names, a sinister expression crossed Danzo's face. He tightened his grip on the wooden cane and, suppressing his anxiety, asked, "Why does the Third Hokage want to investigate these three individuals?"
Though Kakashi couldn't see Danzo's expression, he noticed the tightened grip on the wooden cane when mentioning those names. At that moment, Kakashi seemed to have found an answer.
Kakashi continued, "The Third Hokage is concerned about the deaths of these three Uchiha clan members. They all died during missions, but their Sharingan eyes were missing. Though it appeared they destroyed their eyes before dying, there are many doubts surrounding their deaths."
Upon hearing Kakashi's report, Danzo's eyes filled with burning fury. He thought, "Hiruzen, you still claim there are no spies in Root! Damn it, you're as despicable as ever, Hiruzen Sarutobi! No wonder my Wood Release shinobi in Root were discovered. You even managed to trace my secret acquisition of Sharingan. How can I believe there are no spies from you in Root?"
Danzo was now furious and wanted to return to Root immediately to clean up. He thought, "Hiruzen has gone too far! But I must restrain myself."
"Kakashi, the Uchiha clan is inherently evil... Their Sharingan has the power to control the Nine-Tails. That's why I need you!" Danzo's voice turned darker and he tried to manipulate Kakashi, who was still kneeling, into closely monitoring the "evil" Uchiha clan.
Normally, after the Nine-Tails attack, Kakashi would have been easily swayed, but this time, he seemed more resistant.
Kakashi had a troubling thought. If the higher-ups in Konoha had indeed stolen Sharingan, would that mean controlling the Nine-Tails wasn't exclusive to the Uchiha clan?
"Kakashi, because of the Uchiha clan's evil nature... I need you to keep a close eye on this evil clan," Danzo continued, trying to persuade Kakashi with his hoarse voice.
Under Danzo's persuasive influence, Kakashi, still on one knee, appeared more and more brainwashed. Danzo felt satisfied with the scene before him. He thought, "Hiruzen, you have your spy in Root, and I have mine next to you."
Leaving Root, Kakashi's mind was filled with complex emotions as he looked towards the direction of the Hokage's office. He seemed torn between wanting to know the truth and being afraid. Finally, he resolved to head to the Third Hokage's office with a determined look in his eyes.
In the Hokage's office, Kakashi reported, "Hokage-sama, the other day, Root elder Danzo... recently persuaded me to secretly investigate the Uchiha clan's Three Tomoe Sharingan ninja."
Kakashi then narrated how Danzo had convinced him to join Root and secretly investigate the movements of the elite Uchiha with Three Tomoe Sharingan.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, showed a rare moment of silence upon hearing Kakashi's report. The oppressive atmosphere in the office was only broken by the sound of the Hokage puffing on his pipe.
The strong tobacco scent lingered in the office until the pipe's embers died down. Hiruzen let out a sigh filled with emotions. He looked at Kakashi before him, his eyes revealing a sense of comfort. Kakashi was even more capable and loyal than he had imagined.
"Kakashi, do you know that at the beginning of Konoha, we possessed two bloodlines capable of controlling tailed beasts?"
As Kakashi fell silent, Hiruzen sighed again and began recounting the past with a touch of sadness in his voice.
"In the beginning, Konoha had the First Hokage's Wood Release and the Uchiha clan's Sharingan. Both were considered as the two bloodlines that could control tailed beasts. After the First Hokage passed away, we lost Wood Release. Later, due to the pressure of war, the village had to take the risk of conducting secret experiments on Wood Release... It resulted in significant losses, and the village eventually banned the experiments."
Hiruzen's words carried a captivating charm, making Kakashi feel as if he were immersed in the dangerous era of war. The village had to make sacrifices for peace, and sometimes sacrificing a small part could save the majority, such as when Kakashi killed Rin!
Kakashi had always had a political spirit of sacrifice since he was young, and this was innate, unrelated to strength.
Seeing Kakashi's silent expression, Hiruzen felt relieved. He initially planned to put a lot of effort into bringing Kakashi back on track, but now it seemed unnecessary. Kakashi's fiery determination and understanding of sacrifice were beyond his expectations.
"Kakashi, perhaps the Wood Release experiment failed, and then the Nine-Tails disaster happened. Danzo wanted to take the risk to gain control of the Sharingan, all for the sake of Konoha."
Hiruzen's eyes were filled with dedication, but also anger. Danzo, how dare you! Conducting secret research on the Sharingan without informing him, do you not realize the potential consequences?
However, Kakashi's conviction was now shaken, and he began to feel terrified and suffocated by the darkness of Konoha. Hiruzen didn't explicitly oppose Danzo's actions; instead, he justified them as necessary sacrifices for Konoha. This implied that both Hiruzen and Danzo were aware of the Sharingan research.
Kakashi couldn't understand why Hiruzen would say that. Researching Wood Release might be understandable, as it concerned a deceased person, but the Sharingan? No bloodline clan in the entire shinobi world would allow others to research their bloodline.