BOOM.
A bright light appeared in the distance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced toward it, confirmed the direction, and turned to Zenshu.
It shouldn't be him?
He couldn't be certain.
"Zenshu, you... rest for now."
His gaze fell on the three Ino-Shika-Cho clan heads. An idea formed immediately.
"Shikaku, the three of you protect Advisor Zenshu and return to the village now. We must prevent the enemy from luring the tiger away from the mountain."
Shikaku Nara subconsciously glanced at Hiruzen. A hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes, but he still accepted the order.
"Yes."
Hiruzen nodded internally. With those three, even if Zenshu in this state was truly the mastermind, he couldn't possibly act.
"Everyone else, come with me to support the Fourth Hokage!"
Hiruzen leaped up, dashing toward the distance.
The vast majority of ninjas present followed, vanishing into the jungle within a few bounds.
Shikaku withdrew his gaze, looking at Zenshu with complex thoughts.
Why would Lord Third suspect Advisor Zenshu? He clearly contributed the most just now.
Is it because he just joined?
No.
If that scene couldn't dispel Lord Third's concerns, there must be a reason I don't know about.
Zenshu wiped the bloodstains from his face. He bent down and picked up a wooden stick nearby—sized just right to serve as a cane.
His cloudy eyes looked almost blind as he turned toward the village.
"Let's go back. We must rescue the suffering villagers as soon as possible and comfort the others."
"Yes, Lord Advisor." Shikaku spoke respectfully.
No matter how suspicious he was, Zenshu remained an advisor. He couldn't show the slightest disrespect.
Returning to the village through the gap, the injured ninjas from earlier were doing their utmost to conduct search and rescue.
A ninja with a wounded arm struggled to lift a large piece of rubble with his remaining limb.
Beneath the ruins, a villager groaned in pain. The clothes on his shoulder and chest were dyed red with blood. His lower leg was twisted.
"Hold on! I'll get you out!"
There were many ninjas like him. But there were even more injured residents beneath the ruins.
"This is too slow." Shikaku frowned deeply, forming a seal. His shadow stretched out like claws in all directions.
Inoichi Yamanaka's face was serious. They simply didn't have enough time to rescue everyone.
"Let me."
Zenshu spoke softly.
He wouldn't pass up such a good opportunity to cultivate prestige.
An invisible force field radiated from his body. The cane in his hand tapped the ground lightly.
A layer of ripples spread in all directions.
All the ruins above ground began to tremble. Pieces of stone, wood, and tiles began floating upward.
The entire process looked like heavy rain falling from the ground to the sky.
"A mi... miracle!" Some weaker ninjas said with faces full of astonishment.
Several large logs floated up, revealing a bloodied ninja.
"Dad!" A sorrowful voice rang out.
"Terayu, are you okay?"
"Ono! Ono, open your eyes!"
"Thank goodness—Chiko, you're still alive!"
Voices rang out all around—some relieved, some sorrowful—as villagers were rescued. Some heavily injured. Some with lighter wounds.
Zenshu forced blood to well up in his mouth, slowly trickling from the corner of his lips.
This scene was immediately noticed by Shikaku Nara. It shook his inner guesses and made him somewhat doubt the Third Hokage's judgment.
"Hurry up, everyone! Lord Advisor is already heavily injured!" Shikaku immediately shouted to the crowd.
Seeing Zenshu bleeding from the corner of his mouth, some ninjas sped up their actions.
"Don't worry about me. Send the heavily injured to the hospital immediately. The rest, continue rescuing others with me."
Zenshu spoke while leaning on his cane.
He took the lead, guiding the others forward along the ruins.
This was a path of destruction leading toward Hokage Rock—a very wide, straight corridor.
Caused by the aftermath of the first Tailed Beast Bomb.
Lord Third's guess is probably wrong.
Shikaku thought with some emotion as he looked at Zenshu's back.
Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi's gazes toward Zenshu also changed.
Let alone those who'd been saved and the other injured ninjas.
The crowd silently followed Zenshu, quickly rescuing the injured as surrounding ruins floated up.
The team's numbers gradually increased. Some people trapped in the rubble likely had only minor injuries.
But not long after, the entire group came to a halt.
A group of masked Root ninjas had surrounded the exit of a ruined section.
Zenshu's eyes flickered slightly upon seeing them. He knew very well what had happened on Zenji's side.
"What are you doing?" His eerie voice rang out.
"ANBU operation. No one is allowed to approach." A ninja wearing an animal mask stepped forward.
This was one of the few Root ninjas who wore an animal mask. Zenshu strongly suspected it was specifically for impersonating ANBU at times like this.
"ANBU ninjas? The ANBU all followed the Third to support the Fourth Hokage. Where did you come from?"
Zenshu's voice was cold.
"That is not something you need to know." The ninja's answer was equally cold and hard.
The atmosphere instantly solidified.
Shikaku Nara could identify this group at a glance.
And though this place was now a pile of ruins, it had originally been the Uchiha clan compound.
They definitely weren't here to rescue Uchiha clan members. They were probably here to monitor them.
The Uchiha, unable to leave, were likely forced to conduct search and rescue operations within their own compound.
"Advisor Zenshu, they are indeed ANBU members—just the Root division responsible for training and special missions." Shikaku stepped forward.
"Their leader is the Hokage Assistant, Lord Danzo Shimura."
Zenshu cast a glance at the people behind him from the corner of his eye. Most didn't understand the situation and just looked at these Root ninjas with angry eyes.
Some ninjas who knew the truth revealed hints of fear, averting their gazes—not daring to look directly at this group.
This is an opportunity.
"Regardless of what ANBU or what special mission, I only know that the village is made up of villagers."
Zenshu's somewhat cold voice was very loud.
"The prosperity of the village relies on the villagers. The clothes we wear are produced by villagers. The delicious food that fills our stomachs is made by villagers. A portion of mission bounties also comes from villagers."
"Even ninjas themselves are born from among the villagers."
"If you don't even have the will to protect the villagers when encountering such a disaster, you don't deserve to be called ninjas."
"Let alone Konoha ninjas under the Will of Fire."
"I am going to search and rescue the villagers in the ruins now. If you block me again..."
Zenshu paused here. Then spoke with killing intent.
"I will, in my capacity as Advisor, directly declare you rogue ninjas and take you down immediately."
As soon as these words fell, the atmosphere instantly shifted.
The Root ninjas didn't panic. Their eyes merely grew colder as they all placed hands on swords or drew kunai.
"That's right! It's one thing for you not to save us—but now you're stopping us from saving others!"
"I don't think you're Lord Hokage's ANBU at all. Speak! Who exactly are you?"
"Get lost quickly, you demons who killed the villagers!"
"Traitors! Traitors!"
The crowd behind shouted fiercely—mostly villagers who didn't understand who these people were.
Once they started gossiping, they didn't care who you were.
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on : patreon.com/Kaizo247
~ Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]