Hiruzen frowned but said nothing.
Soon, the security team had thirty-plus "intruders" bound tightly and brought before Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo.
"Lord Hokage, the threat has been neutralized. These are the intruders. Please decide their fate."
"Hmm..." Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully, aware of the many eyes watching. He had to maintain the appearance of treating them as genuine intruders. With a stern expression, he asked, "Speak! Who sent you to infiltrate Konoha? What is your purpose here?"
The lead, Captain Terai, snarled, "Enough talk! Kill me if you must, but I won't betray my lea...—mmph! Argh..."
Before he could utter "leader," Terai's mouth and body suddenly stiffened, as if frozen in place.
Both Danzo and Hiruzen broke into a cold sweat at this sight. Hiruzen shot another covert glare at Danzo, while Danzo cursed inwardly:
"This fool! Such a loose tongue! How could I have misjudged so badly and picked such an idiot as a subordinate!"
The surrounding Konoha jonin quickly sensed something amiss. Kakashi Hatake approached Terai, inspecting his body, and muttered, "He seems to be under some kind of advanced sealing technique. As soon as he tries to reveal any secrets, the seal activates. Hmm... Their leader must be formidable."
Though he spoke these words, Kakashi already suspected Danzo. His childhood experiences with Root members had familiarized him with Danzo's methods. However, due to Danzo's high rank, Kakashi couldn't voice his suspicions without solid proof.
Morino Ibiki remarked, "If what you say is true, our interrogation unit won't be able to do much."
Yamanaka Inoichi stepped forward, "No problem. Leave them to my analysis unit. Even if they're corpses, I can uncover everything about them."
Danzo felt a pang of panic at this and looked desperately at Hiruzen again.
"Damn it, Hiruzen, say something! If Inoichi gets involved, I'm doomed!"
Beneath his bandages, Danzo's right eye flashed with a blood-red light. If things reached their worst, he would use the ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, on Hiruzen.
Danzo's right eye was the Sharingan he had taken from Shisui Uchiha two years prior. With Hashirama's cells now incorporated into his body, he considered this eye his last resort.
Recently, he had thought more than once about using Kotoamatsukami to force Hiruzen to step down and pass the Hokage position to him publicly. Yet, he hesitated.
Part of his reluctance stemmed from pride and confidence. After all, Hiruzen had been his friend since childhood. Danzo wanted to earn the Hokage position through his own schemes and skills, making Hiruzen truly acknowledge him.
The main reason, however, was his fear of the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, particularly the clan leader, Hiashi Hyuga. Hiashi, being an experienced ninja, would recognize the unique chakra signature of Shisui's eye. If Danzo used Kotoamatsukami, Hiashi would likely expose him as Shisui's murderer. This scandal could not be made public. Even if Danzo became Hokage, he would never gain the people's trust. He couldn't afford to cleanse the village of the Hyuga Clan like he did the Uchiha Clan, as that would leave Konoha severely weakened.
"Hiruzen, don't force my hand! Say something already!" Danzo's anxiety grew.
Just as Inoichi was about to take the "intruders" away, Hiruzen finally spoke, "Wait!"
Everyone halted, respectfully asking, "Lord Hokage, do you have further instructions?"
Hiruzen coughed lightly, pausing before saying, "Leave them to my Anbu."
"What??" The crowd was stunned, not understanding the Hokage's intent.
Inoichi protested, "Lord Hokage! With all due respect, you know my capabilities. If you leave them to me, I can uncover everything within a day! If the Anbu handle it, they won't be as efficient as my analysis team!"
Hiruzen, holding his pipe, spoke slowly, "Inoichi, I trust your abilities. However, my years of experience suggest these intruders are likely foreign ninjas sent to disrupt Konoha. Finding out the truth will only breed more hatred..."
"The peace among the Five Great Nations is fragile. There's no need to stir up conflict. Tomorrow, I will announce that we have easily captured all intruders, showcasing Konoha's strength. This will deter their leaders from further actions."
"When their leaders come to claim them, we can release them, showing our magnanimity and disdain for conflict. This will likely make them reconsider such futile efforts."
"Inoichi, everyone, understand this: Identifying the mastermind is not as important as maintaining peace. Knowing their identity won't change anything. Retaliating would only drag Konoha's citizens into unnecessary strife."
"A gesture of goodwill and peaceful coexistence is the best solution. So, that's what we'll do."
After hearing Hiruzen's lengthy and "noble" reasoning, everyone was bewildered.
Danzo quickly seized the opportunity, praising, "Hiruzen, as expected of our village leader, always thinking ahead for the people's welfare. I pale in comparison."
Turning to the Anbu, Danzo ordered, "What are you waiting for? Take them away!"
The Anbu hesitated briefly but began taking over from the security team upon seeing Hiruzen's nod.
Hiashi Hyuga, his fists clenched tightly within his sleeves, couldn't hold back anymore, "Lord Hokage! You can't be so lenient! If this continues, other nations will only become more audacious!"
The emphasis on "continues" was telling.
To Hiashi, Hiruzen's current approach was reminiscent of how he handled the Cloud Village's kidnapping of his daughter, Hinata, five years ago.
His strategy focused on self-sacrifice for the sake of peace.
Inoichi also disagreed, stepping forward with frustration, "Lord Hokage, this approach is deeply flawed. While peace is crucial, this betrays our own people!"
Hiruzen sighed softly, "Sigh... You can't understand the depth of my decisions because you're not in my position. Stand down. My decision is final."
"But...!"
Inoichi wanted to argue further, but Shikaku Nara placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head meaningfully to signal him to stop.
"Shikaku..."
Inoichi had no choice but to relent.
As the crowd began to disperse, Natsuhane, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up.
"Hey! Are you all ignoring me? I've said it multiple times, these guys weren't here to wreak havoc in Konoha. They were targeting me!"
"Oh?" Danzo sneered, "Natsuhane, don't joke around. What makes you think you're important enough for over thirty elite ninjas to attack you? Know your limits."
"You think I'm lying? Ask the nurses at Konoha Hospital. That idiot who almost revealed your name attacked me in the hospital! My wives can testify!"
Seeing Terai's sudden halt after attempting to say "Danzo," Natsuhane had every reason to suspect him. Watching Naruto so many times, he knew Danzo's modus operandi well.
Hearing Natsuhane implicate Danzo, everyone turned their gaze to him.
Danzo, enraged, shouted, "You insolent brat! Just because you're one of the last surviving Uchiha, you think you can accuse me without evidence? If you keep spreading lies, I'll deal with you myself!"
A powerful killing intent emanated from Danzo, and everyone could feel his seriousness.
Unfazed, Natsuhane straightened and walked up to Danzo, retorting angrily, "It's easy to find out if I'm lying! As the victim here, I demand justice. If this matter is buried, I'll have to live in constant fear of your assassination attempts! Lord Hokage, please investigate this thoroughly!"
Hiruzen's mouth twitched, but he remained silent.
Danzo, furious, dropped his cane and assumed a hand sign stance, "You won't let this go, will you? As a high-ranking advisor of Konoha, I won't tolerate your baseless accusations any longer! Today, I will end you!"
"You, a cancer in Konoha, will be eliminated!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Danzo seized the chance to silence Natsuhane, launching a sharp wind blade from his mouth.
"Hmph! Do you think I'm still the useless fool from before?" Natsuhane swiftly dodged the wind blade.
"Danzo! Times have changed! I'll show you that the Uchiha clan is not to be trifled with!!"
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