Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The Hokage's Emergency Meeting
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"Lord Danzo! The Hokage requests your immediate attendance at an emergency meeting!"
Inside the Root Organization base, an Anbu ninja under the Hokage's command bowed respectfully to Danzo, who sat behind his desk.
"I understand. I'll head out right away."
Danzo, half his face wrapped in bandages, responded with his usual composure.
Once the Anbu ninja had left, Danzo immediately summoned his trusted subordinate, Aburame Ryoma.
"Have you investigated last night's incident thoroughly?"
Danzo's right hand—fully wrapped in bandages from the Hashirama cells transplant—tapped lightly on the armrest, aching faintly.
"Reporting to Lord Danzo," Aburame Ryoma said gravely. "Last night, a masked mysterious ninja attacked the Hyuga clan's compound. Hyuga Hizashi was severely injured and rushed to Konoha Hospital. Hyuga Hiashi also sustained minor injuries, and the Hidden Cloud Village envoy has gone missing."
"The Hyuga clan?"
Hearing it was a masked mysterious ninja, Danzo's left eye narrowed, his brows furrowing slightly.
He couldn't help but think of the masked figure within the current Akatsuki organization.
But after that battle four years ago, Akatsuki had gone into hiding and stopped recruiting. Danzo's subordinates had no further intelligence on them.
He could only obtain scattered bits of information on Akatsuki indirectly through spies embedded in Hidden Rain Village.
"Someone from Akatsuki?"
A glint of malice flashed in Danzo's eyes. The regret of failing to seize the Rinnegan still haunted him.
"Unlikely," Aburame Ryoma analyzed. "The spies in Hidden Rain Village haven't reported anything unusual. If Akatsuki sought revenge, Hanzo of the Salamander would be the first target, and there's no reason for them to attack the Hyuga clan."
Four years ago, in that encirclement operation, Danzo had allied with Hanzo of the Salamander, mobilizing most of Root's ninja force. They had forced Yahiko to his death and triggered Nagato's Rinnegan awakening.
The remnants of Akatsuki were now holed up in Hidden Rain Village, gathering strength for revenge.
If Akatsuki wanted vengeance, their primary target would surely be the closer Hanzo of the Salamander.
"Let's go. Don't keep the Hokage waiting."
Danzo rose slowly, concealing his bandaged right arm within his wide robe sleeve.
Aburame Ryoma followed behind.
In the Hokage Building conference room, the atmosphere was tense, thick with curling smoke.
When Danzo entered with a grim expression, the Konoha leadership was already assembled.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, clad in his Hokage robes, sat at the head of the table.
To his left were the senior advisors Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
To his right sat the injured Hyuga Hiashi.
An Anbu ninja wearing a white cat mask stood silently behind the Hokage.
"Danzo, you're a bit late."
Utatane Koharu adjusted her glasses with her right index finger, her gaze scrutinizing her old comrade through the lenses.
"Root affairs are complicated."
Danzo offered only a curt reply before taking a seat beside Hyuga Hiashi.
"Alright, everyone's here now."
Sarutobi Hiruzen set aside the document in his hand, took a puff from his pipe, and said to Kakashi behind him, "Give this document to Advisor Danzo for review."
"Yes!"
The silver-haired Anbu bowed slightly, picked up the document from Hiruzen's desk, and approached Danzo.
Upon seeing the Anbu-compiled report, Danzo's left eye narrowed slightly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "The mysterious assailant who attacked the Hyuga clan last night killed the Hidden Cloud Village envoy and dumped the body in the Hyuga compound, clearly intending to frame the Hyuga clan. Fortunately, Hiashi spotted the anomaly in time and took decisive action, preventing graver consequences."
"But the enemy was extremely powerful. Hizashi was badly wounded, and Hiashi took some minor injuries as well."
"I dispatched Anbu to pursue, but we lost the trail. The intruder seems intimately familiar with Konoha's barriers. This is no trivial matter—I've already ordered the Barrier Team and Anbu to conduct a full sweep."