Seeing how unfriendly the two Anbu were becoming, Toji Lee stayed calm on the surface. Deep down, though, he was prepared to use his blackened points if things took a turn. Even if the chances of them attacking him were slim, he wasn't about to take any risks.
Just then, another masked Anbu walked out of the Hokage Building.
This one came up behind the two and asked, "What's going on here?"
The two Anbu quickly explained the situation. From the way they spoke to him, it was obvious this guy outranked them. And even though his face was covered, Toji instantly recognized him.
White hair. Black mask.
It had to be Hatake Kakashi.
Even if half his face was hidden, Toji could still tell it was him. But Kakashi didn't seem like his old self. His voice was cold and distant. Probably still shaken from all the things he'd gone through recently.
Especially after Shimura Danzo sent Yamato to steal his Sharingan multiple times, only for Sarutobi Hiruzen to brush it off like it was nothing. No punishment, no consequences. It was easy to see why Kakashi had lost faith.
After listening, Kakashi turned to Toji and said, "Just tell me what you came here to say. If not, go home. You're not getting inside."
His tone made it clear—he wasn't open to discussion.
"If it's you," Toji said, "then I'll talk."
"Oh? You know me?"
"No. But I can tell you outrank them. You don't seem like someone who would betray the Hokage."
"Alright then. Let's hear it."
"I overheard something. Someone's planning to target Konoha's ninjas in the next couple of days. I thought I should report it."
The mood instantly changed.
Kakashi waved his hand.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
In two quick flickers, the two Anbu at the gate vanished.
Kakashi nodded. "Come with me. I'll take you to the Hokage."
Toji followed him through winding corridors and stairs until they reached the Hokage's office.
Kakashi leaned in and whispered to Sarutobi Hiruzen, giving him the rundown. After that, at Hiruzen's signal, he disappeared again—off to dig into Toji Lee's background.
Now it was just Toji and the Hokage.
At first, Hiruzen looked serious. But after a puff of his pipe, his expression softened.
"You said… someone plans to attack the Konoha ninja? Where did you hear this?"
"At my shop," Toji replied. "Two customers got a bit drunk and let it slip."
He sounded completely sincere. Not a hint of a lie.
"I see," Hiruzen nodded. "Tell me everything. Who are these people?"
"One's a regular customer named Koichi—he sells vegetables. The other's Yuya Miyata, a Genin. I heard them talking about doing something in two days, but they didn't go into detail. They were drunk. I don't know if they meant it, but I didn't want to take any chances."
As he spoke, Toji showed a bit of nervousness, like a concerned civilian just trying to do the right thing.
Soon after, Kakashi reappeared beside Hiruzen, quietly reporting what he'd found on Toji's background.
Hiruzen listened closely.
Once he was satisfied, he said, "Alright. Good job reporting this. We'll keep a close eye on them. You may go."
Toji smiled politely, looking every bit the humble civilian.
"Of course. It's the least I could do. Without you ninja protecting the village, people like me couldn't even live peacefully."
After Toji left, Hiruzen told Kakashi, "Send someone to check on that vegetable vendor Koichi and the Genin, Miyata Yuya."
Kakashi didn't say a word, but just as he was about to leave, Hiruzen added, "And watch the one who just reported it too. Let's see if anything unusual pops up."
"Yes."
…
After leaving the Hokage's office, Toji acted like nothing had happened. He went back to his shop, opened up, and served customers like any other day.
He knew someone was watching him for hiruzen
Neither Koichi nor Miyata Yuya came by, just like they'd planned the night before—to avoid suspicion. They had agreed not to meet or make contact in public.
Because of this, the Konoha ninjas watching them didn't find anything unusual. Their daily routines seemed perfectly normal.
But when they looked into the three men's backgrounds, something stood out: all of them had lost their families in ninja crossfire incidents. Now, each of them lived alone.
This common thread made Toji's information seem more credible. But the investigation team didn't completely clear Toji as a suspect.
After all, his story matched theirs too well.
They reported their findings to Sarutobi Hiruzen. But he didn't seem overly concerned. From his point of view, it was just a Genin and a couple of civilians. Even if Toji was in on it, as long as they stayed on guard, nothing serious would happen.
So, he ordered continued surveillance—nothing more.
As for using the Yamanaka clan to read their minds?
Too risky.
Even if they uncovered malicious intent, what then? Arrest them for their thoughts?
Impossible.
They hadn't taken any action, and their identities checked out. If Konoha cracked down without proof, how would the village look? It would only spread fear among the people.
Hiruzen understood that.
So, no matter what Koichi, Miyata, or even Toji Lee were thinking, Konoha would wait. As long as they didn't make a move, they'd be left alone—just quietly monitored from the shadows.