Inside the Hokage Building conference room.
The long conference table was filled with representatives from various ninja clans, the atmosphere oppressively suffocating, each face etched with solemnity.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at the head, in the center, wearing the Hokage Hat symbolizing Konoha's Hokage, his head lowered as if in thought. To his left and right were the advisors Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, both looking towards Sarutobi Hiruzen, as they always deferred to him. Danzo's seat was empty.
Further down were the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio clan heads, Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Choza, engaging in various eye exchanges. Their three clans had always been of one mind, with Nara Shikaku taking the lead in handling external matters.
Next were the Uchiha Clan Head, Uchiha Fugaku, and the Hyuga Clan Head, Hyuga Hiashi. Neither showed any inclination to interact with others, each lost in thought.
Further back were representatives from smaller clans like the Aburame, Inuzuka, and Kurama, as well as some representatives from civilian ninja.
In a sense, the seating arrangement of the meeting reflected the current distribution of interests among the various ninja clans within Konoha. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were Sarutobi Hiruzen's classmates and close friends, as well as Hokage advisors, so their positions were naturally secure.
The Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, on the other hand, had aligned themselves since the Fourth Hokage, considered staunch supporters of the Hokage lineage. The Uchiha and Hyuga clans were clearly more focused on their own families. One side was extremely arrogant, with a notorious reputation in Konoha, while the other was a staunch neutral party, emphasizing that it didn't matter who became Hokage, a stance that pleased no one.
As for the other small ninja clans, they were simply too small to unite completely like the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, acting more like individual families.
Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't expected things to turn out this way. He was, of course, aware of Shimura Danzo's ambush on Uchiha Shisui, and he had even personally created the opportunity for the attack today. However, it was clear that a third party was involved in this matter. That explosion, in that instant, illuminated even the entire Konoha.
Could it be the Uchiha?
Sarutobi Hiruzen removed the Hokage Hat from his head and placed it on the table in front of him. Although the movement was small, it made a suitable sound, attracting the attention of everyone present.
With a stern face, he scanned the faces of everyone in the room, finally stopping on Uchiha Fugaku's face, and said, "Fugaku Clan Head, I wonder where Shisui is now?"
"Shisui?" Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but frown. Why ask about Shisui at this time? Could it be that the Third Hokage wanted to suppress the Uchiha at this moment?
Uchiha Fugaku forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and said, "I haven't seen Shisui in the clan today. If the Third Hokage wants to summon Shisui, I can have the clansmen search for him."
Sarutobi Hiruzen also frowned and nodded, saying, "Go look for him. The time of the explosion is not much different from the time Shisui left the Hokage Building, and it happened on the way back..."
As soon as these words came out, everyone present showed surprised expressions, and Uchiha Fugaku's face became even more gloomy. The meaning of these words directly pointed out that the explosion was related to Uchiha Shisui.
"Uchiha Yashiro!" Uchiha Fugaku suddenly said to an Uchiha with short white hair sitting in the back, "You go arrange for people to search and see if you can find Shisui's location."
"Yes!"
Uchiha Yashiro got up and left the conference room directly.
In addition to the clan head, many clan elites from the major ninja clans also attended the meeting, mainly so that arrangements could be made as soon as possible in case of an emergency.
"The rest, let's discuss it after Elder Danzo arrives."
After Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, the scene fell silent again. The main reason was that the people present were not very clear about the current situation. Even the other two advisors did not quite understand the reason. It was estimated that Hiruzen and Danzo had secretly done something big again. They had too little information on hand.
Nara Shikaku vaguely guessed some things. They were previously confidants of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and had some understanding of the discord among the village's higher-ups.
Shimura Danzo, his target may have been Uchiha Shisui's eyes, but before he could act, he was attacked by an unknown person.
However, although he guessed some things, he would not say them. He was a smart man. Since he had accepted the benefits given by the Konoha higher-ups, he had naturally learned to shut up.
...
Shimura Danzo, who was receiving treatment, also woke up and was already on his way to the Hokage conference room.
Although the injury of the severed arm was indeed a bit serious, it was nothing major for a ninja. What really made him faint was that he watched the opportunity to become Hokage disappear before his eyes, and he fainted from anger.
Now that he was awake, he had to inform Sarutobi Hiruzen about the Cat-faced Masked Man as soon as possible. Such a dangerous person was hidden in Konoha Village, and he had to be investigated immediately.
Especially the Uchiha Clan, he had just obtained Uchiha Shisui's eyes when that guy appeared, it must be related to the Uchiha Clan.
More importantly, he had already received intelligence that Uchiha Shisui and Yakushi Nono had disappeared, and at the same time, a member of Root had lost their eyes. What this meant was already very clear, only those who had lost their eyes would need eyes.
In Shimura Danzo's heart, he was already certain that Uchiha Shisui was related to the Cat-faced Masked Man, but similarly, that masked man was also coveting Uchiha Shisui's eyes.
"Bang!"
Arriving at the conference room door, Shimura Danzo didn't bother to knock, kicking the door open directly. After all, both of his hands were unusable now, so kicking with his foot was normal.
Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's extremely dissatisfied gaze, Shimura Danzo quickly walked to his seat in the conference room.
"Hiruzen, the situation is very urgent now!"
"What?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's emotions, who was just about to curse, were blocked by Shimura Danzo's words, and instead, he asked in a daze.
The others also looked at Shimura Danzo curiously.
"The one who attacked me was the Cat-faced Masked Man that Uchiha Shisui encountered."
Shimura Danzo's expression was very serious, and then he added: "That guy not only knows Wood Release, but also a large-scale destructive ninjutsu."
"We must not let such a dangerous person hide in Konoha any longer!"
Shimura Danzo spoke with spittle flying, his expression very serious.
The major Konoha executives present also looked solemn after hearing this. They didn't expect that the large pit with a radius of hundreds of meters was actually caused by a ninjutsu. At least in terms of destructive power, it had far exceeded ordinary Kage-level.
"In other words, that intruder has been staying in Konoha all along?"
"And immediately took action after we lifted our guard."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu said a few words of nonsense appropriately, already preparing to slack off.
"Councilor Danzo, do you know why that guy attacked you?"
Nara Shikaku spoke. If it was that intruder, the target should be a Bloodline Limit, they shouldn't have attacked Shimura Danzo. Could it be because Shimura Danzo had already obtained Uchiha Shisui's eyes at that time?
It's possible, that guy appeared last time for Uchiha Shisui's eyes.
Before Shimura Danzo could speak, Nara Shikaku had already started brainstorming.
Nara Shikaku's words also made the expression on Shimura Danzo's face stiffen slightly. It was this slight stiffness that made the many Konoha executives present all look at Shimura Danzo in unison, with a probing look in their eyes. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen was staring at him with a deep gaze.
Shimura Danzo instantly understood the warning in his old friend's eyes, and quickly thought of an excuse in his heart.
"I suspected that Uchiha Shisui was colluding with that intruder, so I have been secretly monitoring Uchiha Shisui. I just didn't expect that the village's guard had just been lifted today, and that guy couldn't help but take action. Now it seems that this matter is indeed related to Uchiha Shisui."
"I suggest a thorough investigation of the Uchiha Clan!"
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