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As Sarutobi Hiruzen collapsed, a group of Anbu, led by Kakashi, quickly surrounded him, guiding the Third Hokage to Konoha's medical department. Shortly after, with the help of skilled medical ninjas, Sarutobi began to stabilize, his pale complexion slowly returning to normal.
"How is Lord Hokage?" Kakashi asked one of the medics.
"He's alright. He just experienced a shock due to stress. He needs rest," the medical ninja replied, letting out a sigh of relief.
Upon hearing this, Kakashi and the rest of the Anbu in the room relaxed. Konoha had just survived a series of catastrophic events, including the destruction of the Uchiha, Sarutobi, and Shimura clans. The loss of Sarutobi Hiruzen at such a fragile moment would have been a massive blow to the village's stability.
Sarutobi slowly opened his eyes and weakly called out, "Kakashi."
"Hokage-sama, are you alright?" Kakashi hurried over to help him sit up, while someone else quickly draped a blanket over the old man.
Sarutobi sighed, his breath shaky. "I'm fine...for now. What's the situation?"
Kakashi hesitated, but seeing the Hokage's frail state, he spoke softly. "Apart from Asuma and Konohamaru, no one else from the Sarutobi clan survived."
Sarutobi clenched his fists but remained calm. "What of the murderer? Have we learned anything?"
Kakashi, after a moment of thought, explained, "The investigative team is still working on it, but the method suggests it was the same person responsible for the death of your son, Shinnosuke."
He continued, "We've also uncovered a hidden barrier around the Sarutobi estate that blocks sound, smell, and even chakra detection. Furthermore, the killer seemed to know about the Uchiha massacre beforehand and struck while our attention was elsewhere."
Kakashi sighed. "Because of this, our Anbu were unable to detect anything happening within the Sarutobi estate. If it hadn't been for Asuma escaping the barrier, we might not have realized what had happened even now."
Kakashi refrained from mentioning another harsh reality. Although the Sarutobi clan wasn't as famous as the Uchiha or Hyuga clans, their close connection to the Third Hokage meant that no one dared to investigate them openly. That was why it took so long for the tragedy to be discovered.
Sarutobi, for the first time, lost his composure in front of his subordinates. "Damn it," he spat. "Find Konohamaru and Asuma. And make sure you retrieve the bodies of two lower-level ninjas from each section of the estate and send them to the analysis team. This crime will not go unpunished."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Kakashi and the others replied as they dispersed to carry out his orders.
As Kakashi left, Shimura Danzo, leaning on his cane, entered the room.
"Hiruzen," Danzo called, his voice low.
Sarutobi glared at him. "What? Have you come to mock me in my moment of failure?"
Danzo's face darkened. "I'm not here to gloat. I've come to share in your grief."
Sarutobi's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"
"My family...the Shimura clan...has been annihilated. Eighty-seven people, wiped out. No survivors." Danzo's crutch cracked in his grip as he spoke, fury evident in his eyes.
Despite his reputation for preaching about the sacrifices that shinobi must make, Danzo was struggling to maintain his composure now that it was his own family that had paid the price. The Shimura clan, once a prominent family in Konoha, was now extinct.
As Sarutobi processed this, a member of Konoha's Analysis Department rushed into the room. "Hokage-sama, we've managed to recover the final moments of Shinnosuke-sama's memory, thanks to Yamanaka Inoichi's efforts."
Moments later, Yamanaka Inoichi, head of the Analysis Department, arrived with the findings.
"Hokage-sama, Danzo-sama," Inoichi began, "there were numerous seals placed on Shinnosuke-sama's brain, so it took some time. Per your instructions, I reviewed only the last five minutes of his memory. Please take a look."
The lights in the room dimmed as a projection of Shinnosuke's final moments began playing. In the scene, Shinnosuke and his team were lying in wait at the entrance to the Uchiha clan's territory. For the first four minutes, everything seemed normal.
At four minutes and fifteen seconds, Shinnosuke ordered his wife to leave the area. Five seconds later, a strange object resembling a human head fell, catching the attention of the Anbu team. At four minutes and twenty-five seconds, one of the Anbu was killed by a swift, unseen attacker.
Then, at four minutes and thirty-five seconds, the killer's identity was revealed. He was a young man wearing an Anbu uniform and a mask that bore a haunting smile.
"Kirito," Sarutobi and Danzo exclaimed at the same time as the image appeared.
Inoichi paused the projection and handed over Kirito's file. "According to the information we have from Kakashi, Kirito should be dead. His mask and weapon were reported missing, and now even his body has been stolen. The man we're dealing with now is far more skilled than the Kirito we once knew."
Sarutobi clenched his teeth. "Continue."
The projection resumed. At four minutes and forty seconds, two more Anbu were swiftly killed by Kirito. At four minutes and forty-five seconds, Shinnosuke's wind-based attack was effortlessly stopped by Kirito, using just one finger.
Five seconds later, Kirito slashed Shinnosuke across the chest, fatally wounding him.
As the scene ended, Danzo's voice trembled with rage. "It was him. Hiruzen, this is the man who took my left arm!"
Sarutobi frowned. "Are you certain?"
Danzo nodded. "Without a doubt. His swordsmanship, his speedāthere's no one else in the shinobi world who moves like that."
Sarutobi shook his head. "But Kirito was only eleven years old when we last saw him. He hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy, let alone learned any advanced techniques. How could he have become so powerful?"
Sarutobi turned to Inoichi. "Has anyone else seen this?"
Inoichi shook his head. "No, Hokage-sama. As per your orders, this information remains confidential."
Sarutobi sighed deeply, his mind racing. Whoever this mysterious killer was, he was more dangerous than anyone could have anticipated.
(End of the Chapter).
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