Chapter 60: Danzo is moved
In the early morning.
Hatake Kakashi and Akihara Kagura left the Konoha Archives.
One lifted his head towards the direction of the Hokage's office, while the other lowered his head towards the direction of the Root base.
Inside the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen started work very early.
He believed that something might happen today.
The evidence in the Konoha Archives regarding Shimura Danzo's support of Orochimaru's illegal human experimentation was placed there by Sarutobi Hiruzen himself.
Sarutobi Hiruzen guessed that Akihara Kagura might confront Shimura Danzo, but he didn't expect that Hatake Kakashi's report would also involve Yakushi Nono.
This child, Akihara Kagura...
Was he actually threatened because of Yakushi Nono?
"Yakushi Nono"
"I remember she is a member of the village's intelligence department"
Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled this woman, Yakushi Nono.
Yakushi Nono, who always moved around the ninja world under the guise of a 'The Wandering Miko', had provided Konoha with much valuable intelligence, but she never liked being a spy.
Shimura Danzo blackmailed Yakushi Nono with the funding of Konoha's orphanage to continue her espionage, providing intelligence on other ninja villages.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was very aware of this.
This is the darkness of the village.
This is what Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't bring himself to do, leaving it to Shimura Danzo to act. Konoha couldn't just have the warmth of the sun; it also inevitably had dark shadows.
"For now, let's not deal with this matter."
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't let Shimura Danzo's work come to a halt.
He knew that assigning Akihara Kagura to the Anbu had already angered Shimura Danzo, and doing anything more would inevitably displease him.
If he could extract Yakushi Nono from the Root, it would indeed free Akihara Kagura from Shimura Danzo's clutches, but that petty-minded Shimura would probably go mad...
Of course.
There's one more thing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't told Hatake Kakashi.
Since there was already a conflict between Shimura Danzo and Akihara Kagura, according to Sarutobi Hiruzen's understanding of his old friend, he didn't need to do much; they would eventually fall apart.
Shimura Danzo noted that his future work priority was to pursue the traitor Uchiha Obito, who was living outside the village, and to recover the Mangekyo Sharingan. Only then did he turn his attention back to Akihara Kagura: "Continue, what does Hiruzen have to say about this?"
"Yes."
Akihara Kagura nodded, continuing, "The Third Hokage ordered me and Hatake Kakashi to investigate the whereabouts of Uchiha Obito. First, he asked us to check the Konoha Village's archives for information about Wood Release, to see if we could find any traces of Uchiha Obito's appearance..."
"And the result..."
"I found these."
Akihara Kagura took out the evidence he had obtained from the Konoha Village's archives, speaking softly, "I suspect that the Third Hokage deliberately let me see this evidence..."
"The Third Hokage has always believed that I was sent by Lord Danzo for the human experiments involving Hashirama cell transplantation, wanting to make me hate Lord Danzo..."
"Hmph, that Monkey is always doing such foolish things!"
Shimura Danzo glanced at the scrolls of evidence, indifferently storing them away in a drawer: "It seems Orochimaru left something behind when he left the Konoha Village, but it doesn't matter anymore. As long as we have recovered this evidence, it's fine..."
Shimura Danzo, squinting his eyes, rarely offered praise: "Kagura, well done. Report any information to me immediately."
Shimura Danzo looked at Akihara Kagura with some satisfaction, not minding that the kid had been transferred to the Anbu. He even felt a bit of pride in Kagura's loyalty to him: "Hiruzen will never understand why you couldn't possibly betray me..."
"So, what shall we do about this matter?"
Akihara Kagura scratched his head, seemingly troubled: "I am worried that this might arouse their suspicions. They all think that I was sent by Lord Danzo from the orphanage to be used as an experimental subject. To betray Lord Danzo for such a reason, I still remain utterly loyal to Lord Danzo"
"Hmph!"
Shimura Danzo coldly cursed: "The fools in the Anbu have already been led astray by Hiruzen. They have forgotten that a ninja who walks in the darkness only needs to execute the tasks assigned by their superiors. They absolutely do not need useless things like emotions!"
"Yes, but I have already aroused suspicion"
Akihara Kagura glanced at Shimura Danzo, who seemed somewhat displeased, and continued to bluff: "I can only temporarily claim that I come from the Konoha Orphanage, and the director of the orphanage, Yakushi Nono, instructed me to be loyal to Lord Danzo. This barely dispelled their suspicions about me"
"That method works too."
Shimura Danzo nodded in satisfaction to Akihara Kagura, continuing: "I will find a way to confirm this story By the way, I just heard you say that Hiruzen has instructed you and Kakashi to continue investigating the whereabouts of Uchiha Obito?"
"Yes."
Akihara Kagura nodded, continuing: "Hatake Kakashi has requested the Third Hokage to leave the village to scout for traces of Uchiha Obito in the Mist Village. Hatake Kakashi suspects that Uchiha Obito might have defected to the Mist Village overseas"
"Just right."
Shimura Danzo's eyes sharpened immediately, and he commanded coldly: "Then you continue to investigate Uchiha Obito's whereabouts with Kakashi. Inform me immediately if you find any trace of him. I will arrange for the Root members to assist you in passing on the information"
"Once his trace is found!"
"I will personally rush over to support you!"
[System Prompt]: [New work task: Assist Hatake Kakashi in gathering intelligence on Uchiha Obito and inform Shimura Danzo of the findings.]
