Chapter 212: If They Won’t Listen, Then Keep Them Put

Words : 1756 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

“This... That damn Orochimaru. I knew he had his eyes on Grandfather’s cells, but I didn’t expect Danzo was in on it too. No wonder he had access to those records!” Tsunade was furious. Even though Orochimaru was one of the Sannin and held a high status, under Konoha’s system, he had practically zero access to Hashirama’s cells. So— While she had long suspected Orochimaru had an interest in Senju cells, it never crossed her mind that he had already run a slew of failed experiments and had now shifted his attention toward the Senju descendants themselves. Unforgivable! If Orochimaru weren’t already... She’d have killed him herself! Of course— The most loathsome of all was Danzo. The filth he’d done. Manipulating Orochimaru into conducting experiments and, when one finally succeeded, hiding the test subject from everyone. If it hadn’t been for Kyoichi’s recent research into Wood Release... They might never have uncovered it. “We absolutely cannot let Danzo off the hook. Who knows what he’s still doing in the shadows? That man has no limits—he’s even more dangerous than Orochimaru!” Tsunade’s face darkened. She had once thought Danzo simply had a different opinion from hers but still acted in Konoha’s best interests. But— After reading this report, she realized how naïve she had been. For the village? That was just an excuse! He was only ever working for himself. Tsunade took a deep breath, forcing down her fury. Anger at a time like this was useless—it would only cloud her judgment. After calming herself, she carefully ran through everything again in her mind. Kyoichi stood quietly at her side, not rushing her. He needed her to make a decision—not just offer vague words. Because— Taking Danzo down was no small matter. He had plenty of supporters. Even though the Aburame and Yamanaka clans had pulled out from the Root organization, several other families were still secretly backing him— According to Kyoichi’s Anbu investigations, the Shimura clan had, ironically, distanced themselves from Danzo the most. Truly bizarre... After some thought, Tsunade said, “This can’t be rushed. I’ll go speak to the old man right away. You need to act too—send someone to secure the test subject immediately. And the orphanage... I trust you’ve already taken steps?” “Yes, I’ve already dispatched someone to investigate. Someone Danzo would never suspect, so they won’t be on alert. The main focus now is the test subject.” Kyoichi responded. Root’s base wasn’t located inside Konoha. Especially the current “Alpha,” who had been hidden exceedingly well—it had taken an immense amount of effort to track him down. However— Once they moved, it meant directly confronting Danzo. They had to strike decisively and with precision. Otherwise— Failing to kill the snake only leads to being bitten. History had proven that again and again. “No matter. Mobilize everyone. I’m giving you full authorization. I’ll handle the old man. If he won’t listen, then let him stay home. I’m the Hokage of Konoha now—not him.” Tsunade declared with firm finality. On certain matters, she could compromise—offer respect to her teacher and the older generation. But on this, there would be no negotiation. Danzo must die. And she and Kyoichi were now completely aligned on this front. “Good. Then I can proceed without concern.” It wasn’t that Kyoichi wanted to push responsibility onto Tsunade—but for someone like Danzo, without the Hokage’s official backing, the move would be easily questioned. Proper procedures had to be followed. Now, they’d move on both fronts. Kyoichi left the Hokage’s office and returned to the Anbu base. “Tora-sama, what’s the word?” “We move.” “Yes!” Everyone was visibly excited. They’d wanted to eliminate Root for a long time. Technically, Root operated under Anbu, but it had always treated itself as superior and refused to cooperate with them. Worse still— Root's actions often crossed so many lines that even hardened Anbu members found them unacceptable. With one order— Every Anbu unit except the Interrogation Division mobilized. Their stated mission— To investigate who was really behind the Uchiha internal conflict. Given the current chaos, many would believe it. Especially since some clans had access to partial insider information. It would lull Danzo’s people into complacency, at least for now. As for later— Once Danzo was captured, the truth or falsehood wouldn’t matter. ... The Anbu left Konoha in unison. At the same time— A merchant caravan happened to arrive at Nonō’s orphanage. They were negotiating a sponsorship deal, offering funding in exchange for one thing— When the orphans grew up, if they didn’t have work, they should consider joining the merchant group. Nonō hesitated. She really did need money. Konoha’s support could be cut off at any moment. Danzo had already threatened her with that, and he wanted her children for Root—but... She was uneasy. What if this man was working for Danzo? If he was sent to test her, and she agreed... wouldn’t she be handing her children to Root all over again? “Don’t worry. We’re honest traders, mostly operating between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. It’s hard work, but not life-threatening.” “Please allow me some time to consider.” “If you’re in a difficult position, I happen to have some connections with a certain important figure in Konoha.” The merchant leader smiled. Nonō paused. “An important figure?” “Indeed. I won’t hide it. My business is tied to this person.” He produced a token. Two characters on it: Kanda... At first, it didn’t register—but then it hit her. She recalled someone from the village with that surname. Kanda Kyoichi! Relative of Tsunade, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha. Currently said to be the head of the Anbu. And the kicker—he was barely in his teens. So young, yet already so powerful... She was tempted. If she could make contact with Kyoichi, maybe the orphanage could be saved. That thought brought her a glimmer of hope, but then— In the distance, she spotted Kabuto waving to her. She hesitated briefly, then turned to the merchant: “Morita-san, one of the children is calling for me. May I step away for a moment?” “Of course. Please feel free. I know how difficult it is to run an orphanage. Think of me as a humble guest, not some important figure.” Morita Shin was gentle. He knew well— He was merely the face of Kyoichi’s merchant front. In reality, he was no big shot. Konoha had given him power, and could take it away just as easily. So— Helping Konoha came first. But more importantly, if he did well, maybe his children could enter Konoha and become shinobi. That was a dream for many civilians in the Land of Fire. Outside, Nonō approached Kabuto, who whispered in her ear: “Sister, I don’t think he’s one of Danzo’s people. In fact, I suspect he might be here to investigate the one who came before him.” “You mean...?” Nonō had once been an outstanding intelligence ninja. Though she hadn’t been on a mission in years, Kabuto’s warning quickly reactivated her instincts. A flood of details flashed through her mind. And suddenly— Everything clicked. Yes! The most telling detail was how Morita Shin kept mentioning this “important figure.” The Anbu commander. But Danzo... she remembered clearly—had already been dismissed from that post. And Root, strictly speaking, wasn’t even a real organization—it was just a sub-unit within Anbu. Yet— In Danzo’s hands, Root had far exceeded any standard limits for a squad. Was this what they were here for? She turned to Kabuto, stunned. Kabuto... He was brilliant. Incredibly sharp. He’d noticed something was off and seen through Morita’s real motive. That was no small feat. This boy had real talent for espionage. No wonder Danzo had his eye on the orphanage. Some of the children weren’t even born in Konoha. In Danzo’s cold, militaristic worldview, they weren’t even “Konoha people.” They were just tools. As long as one of them proved useful, he’d never stop eyeing this place. But Konoha... She took a deep breath and made her decision. There was no other choice! If she didn’t want these kids to become Root tools, she’d have to take a risk. Not only trust the man in front of her—but also sneak into Konoha in secret. She had to see Tsunade-hime. Returning inside, she resumed her conversation with Morita Shin. Now that she had a sense of his real purpose, she began subtly probing for more information. As she suspected, he had come about Danzo. After careful thought, she told him everything about Danzo’s recent behavior. Morita Shin recorded every detail. Originally, she had planned to visit Konoha later. But— “Director Nonō, I suggest you head to Konoha today and report everything to the village. This is no longer Danzo’s era. His dark methods have no place in the new generation.” Morita Shin spoke with solemnity. Nonō was taken aback. This wasn’t what she expected. Could it be... The village was finally ready to move against Danzo? Her heart stirred. “What about the children?” “I recommend you bring them. If Danzo learns you’ve gone to report him, they could be in danger. Besides, the children are also key witnesses.” “You’re right.” She stood up and went to find Kabuto, instructing him to gather everyone. They would enter the village immediately! She could feel the urgency from Konoha. It was obvious... They were about to strike at Danzo. They couldn’t miss this chance. In truth— There were still a few Root members stationed nearby, but they had already been quietly dealt with by Mukai and the others. There was no longer any risk of them alerting Danzo. The reason for relocating Nonō and the kids was simple: fear that Danzo, cornered, might lash out violently. Meanwhile, Kyoichi was already heading toward Yamato’s base. Yamato’s lab was outside the village, so it took time to reach it. But— Since both operations were moving in parallel, Danzo hadn’t yet received word. By the time he did, it was already far too late— “My lord, after the Anbu detained those Uchiha, all their units mobilized this morning. Reports say they’re investigating an unknown party behind the internal conflict.” “Good. We’ve taken advantage of the chaos to reorganize our side. Now we lie low and wait for the moment to strike. Don’t worry about where they’re going.” “Yes, sir!” However— The intelligence Danzo received was entirely fabricated.

Chapter 212: If They Won’t Listen, Then Keep Them Put

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