The sky was faintly lit, and the morning sun was about to rise.
The figure, completely shrouded in a black cloak, peered through the gap between his hood and collar, looking at the distant, receding small figure.
He habitually adjusted his heavy spectacles, and a slow smile spread across his face.
The enemy, no matter how much they rack their brains, cannot compare to a fool's sudden inspiration.
An ancient saying goes, "Thinking without learning is perilous, and learning without thinking is futile."
Even with excellent innate intelligence, finishing six years of curriculum in just one year still only amounts to an elementary school level of knowledge.
Moreover, most of the teaching in those six years consisted of practical courses necessary for ninjas.
Critical thinking? Politics? Dialectics?
They simply didn't exist.
With such a narrow scope of knowledge, trying to uncover the truth of how the world operates would, at best, lead to mental exhaustion and no gain.
More likely, it would lead to gradually straying onto the wrong path and eventually becoming a dangerous individual.
"Let me see, Itachi-kun."
"What kind of storm will you stir up?"
Sosuke Aizen murmured in a low voice, the smile on his face gradually fading.
He suddenly swung the blade in his hand, stabbing it into the chest of a Root ninja lying supine at the edge of a tree root nearby.
The intense pain made the ninja's eyes widen abruptly; through the mask, his vision vaguely caught sight of an abnormally shaped, continuous tomoe—it was not the shape of a normal three-tomoe Sharingan.
Behind him were several other Root ninjas, lying in various states of death throughout the forest.
Even before Itachi Uchiha infiltrated Root, this scene had already unfolded.
Yet, no one had noticed it, not once.
It wasn't until the last survivor, whose heart was on the right side, gradually drew his last breath that Aizen flicked the blood from his blade and slowly departed.
Soon, the scent of blood in the vicinity attracted an investigation, followed immediately by a commotion.
The curtain rose... Amidst a throng of Root ninjas, a tall, elderly man, blind in one eye and missing an arm, slowly stepped into the forest.
The man was Danzo Shimura.
At this moment, he lowered his single eye, looking at the silent battlefield before him, and the bodies that had been completely wiped out without any sign of resistance.
The last surviving Root ninja had now been moved onto a stretcher, with two medical ninjas maintaining his last vestiges of life.
Noticing Danzo Shimura's footsteps behind him, one of the medical ninjas immediately stood up and bowed respectfully:
"Lord Danzo."
"It's fine, is there still hope to save Badger?"
Danzo Shimura's voice was cold, going straight to the point.
A few beads of cold sweat immediately appeared on the medical ninja's temples, but he still quickly replied:
"I apologize, Lord Danzo."
"Badger's left lung and main artery were almost simultaneously pierced. By the time we found him, it was already too late. If his heart hadn't been on the other side, he would probably have died with the first stab, so…"
He was only halfway through his sentence when Danzo stopped listening, stepping past his respectfully bowing figure and moving to Badger's side on the stretcher, leaning over to examine his injuries.
Noticing the two almost fierce stab wounds, Danzo immediately recognized that this was a different kind of swordsmanship, distinct from the Konoha style.
Only a few prominent families in the entire village were known for their sword styles, such as the Uchiha, Gekko, and Hatake styles, which significantly narrowed down the possibilities.
Moreover, Root had only recently begun comprehensive surveillance of the Uchiha clan... In an instant, Danzo had his answer.
Nevertheless, he knelt down and grasped Badger's hand, asking in a cold voice:
"Badger, this is your last mission."
"Tell this old man, who killed you all."
Badger's blurry vision reflected the familiar figure, and almost instinctively, his body erupted with its last burst of vitality.
He gripped Danzo's wrist with his backhand, gritting his teeth and struggling to speak:
"Shar-Sharingan…"
"Different tomoe, shape."
"Didn't see, the appearance."
"Sorry, sorry… Lord Danzo, I… couldn't…"
Badger's voice was almost trembling, and with the heavy blood loss and severe injuries, his voice grew weaker and weaker, making it difficult to utter a complete sentence. He continuously coughed up blood, even splattering it onto Danzo.
However, Danzo Shimura showed no intention of avoiding it, letting the blood stain his expensive long coat. He still held Badger's hand tightly, quietly listening to his last words.
"A Sharingan with a different shape, killed everyone in an instant?"
The moment he summarized this information, Danzo Shimura couldn't help but feel a chill.
This was a Root guard unit of twelve people, led by three Jonin.
Yet, apart from Badger in front of him, not a single complete body was left.
Almost instinctively, he thought of his old teammate from back then—Kagami Uchiha.
This is… the power of a Mangekyo Sharingan.
Danzo Shimura thought to himself, his single eye still fixed on Badger. Under the gaze of those around him, he said in a deep voice:
"You did very well, Badger."
"Konoha will remember your sacrifice."
As his words fell, he straightened his body.
Badger, having expended his last ounce of strength, finally gave out. He silently watched Danzo's retreating back, and peacefully closed his eyes.
The surrounding Root ninjas watched the scene in silence. Although their expressions were as rigid as machines, a faint, inexplicable emotion flickered in the depths of their eyes.
To be able to restrain these Root members, who could only live in the shadows, with such harsh conditions, Danzo naturally possessed more than just a ruthless and decisive side.
However, after standing up, his thoughts had already completely erased Badger's image, and he turned to consider what to do next.
'—This is a good opportunity.'
This was the first thing Danzo realized.
Since last year, although the Uchiha clan had postponed their coup plan for unknown reasons, this action had ultimately bought them a glimmer of hope in the hearts of the Konoha elders. Danzo's proposal to strike first had met with widespread opposition.
Even his request for surveillance on the Uchiha clan had not received Hiruzen's approval; everything he was doing now was almost entirely his own initiative.
However, if the Uchiha clan struck first, the nature of the situation would be completely different.
'I've finally caught them red-handed… these scourges of Konoha!'
Danzo Shimura struggled to suppress the excitement in his heart, striding into the Hokage's office.
"Bang!"
He pushed open the door.
Hearing the noise from outside, Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose expression was already downcast, first frowned. Noticing the figure of the person who entered, he instinctively sighed.
Orochimaru's defection had already exhausted him, and the generational gap in Konoha's strength worried him endlessly. Jiraiya and Tsunade had been gone for a long time, and now Danzo kept causing him trouble every day.
This was truly… "Ah."
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long sigh.
Of course.
If you asked him where all those young talented individuals from before had gone?
That was then!
"What's wrong now?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his old friend.
"What's wrong?"
Danzo Shimura was always the type to be unforgiving even when he had no reason, let alone now that he was in the right. He immediately launched into an angry offensive: "Hiruzen! How much longer are you going to delay with the Uchiha matter?!"
"Uchiha?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned.
Before he could ask further, Danzo slammed a casualty report onto his desk with a thud, pointing at the list of deceased and sharply raising his voice, spewing words like a machine gun:
"Look!"
"Root's surveillance operation had only just begun a few days ago, and in just one night, twelve Root ninjas are dead! Including three Jonin!"
"All of them combined couldn't even withstand a single exchange!"
"Do you know the gravity of this situation?"
"This is a full-blown rebellion! A coup d'état!"
"They've already started attacking us!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression, which had been somewhat confused, instantly became grave. He reached out and began to flip through the file on his desk.
Not just him.
Itachi Uchiha, who was hidden to the side, still working after an all-nighter, also froze at the words, his gaze astonished as he looked at the documents on the table.
Last night? Uchiha? Killed twelve people?
Could Shisui-kun's offer to help him clean up have meant this?
But… that's impossible, isn't it?
That was Shisui.
Just as his thoughts were in turmoil, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression grew even more serious, as he keenly picked up on the testimony left by the sole survivor:
"An unfamiliar Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured in a low voice, his peripheral vision cautiously glancing at Itachi's position, then he spoke with a solemn expression:
"To condemn them with such a serious charge based on just one person's testimony? Danzo, you are too hasty!"
"This matter requires further investigation."
"How about this, you send the Root bodies here to me first. The subsequent investigation will be handled by the Anbu."
Danzo Shimura's expression, however, grew even more indignant: "Hiruzen, we've been attacked right on our doorstep! What more is there to investigate?"
"Moreover, how can the secrets in the minds of Root ninjas be exposed to others?"
"We must retaliate immediately!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi countered sharply: "If Konoha were to engage in conflict now, do you know how serious the consequences would be? Can the actions of a small group of people represent the entire Uchiha clan?"
"This incident can only be resolved peacefully!"
"Impossible! We in Root will never sit idly by!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression suddenly turned stern, and he spoke in a cold, increasingly severe tone: "Danzo, those are Root members who dedicated everything to Konoha! They are not your private department! And they certainly cannot do something so outrageous!"
Danzo's voice faltered, but his imposing manner remained undiminished, refusing to yield an inch:
"Hiruzen, you will regret this!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi met his gaze, speaking each word distinctly:
"Danzo, I am the Hokage."
Just that one sentence made Danzo's heart feel as if it had been fiercely squeezed. He gritted his teeth, unable to utter a single word.
Ultimately, he rose in anger, slamming the door shut as he left.