Uchiha Hikaru chuckled lightly at the question.
"Of course not. I just have a suspect in mind."
Mito Uzumaki paused to think, then suddenly seemed to realize something.
"You're saying… this has something to do with someone close to Hiruzen?"
Uchiha Hikaru wasn't surprised that Mito Uzumaki had figured it out.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi's behavior had been questionable. It was easy to suspect him.
As the Hokage, he had no reason to harm children. It would only hurt him, and benefit him in no way.
If it wasn't Hiruzen Sarutobi himself, yet he was still acting suspiciously…
Then it meant he already had a candidate in mind for the person behind the scenes.
That person had to be someone connected to Hiruzen—otherwise, Hiruzen would have already acted.
So Hikaru nodded and didn't beat around the bush. He spoke directly to Mito Uzumaki:
"I suspect Elder Danzo. He's the only one in the village who fits the profile."
"I also heard he's created a new department called Root, and that the recent war dealt a heavy blow to his forces."
"Danzo has a motive—he'd want to kidnap children to raise and replenish his own unit."
Upon hearing this, Mito Uzumaki's confusion immediately cleared.
She suddenly regretted seeking out Hiruzen in the first place to avoid alarming the suspect—her move had been unnecessary.
Even though Uchiha Hikaru had told her the truth right away, it was likely that some children had already been taken.
And now, her actions might've only pushed more of them into danger.
Seeing Mito Uzumaki's troubled expression, Hikaru tried to reassure her.
"Grandma Mito, don't worry—we still have time."
"If it really was Elder Danzo, then upon hearing the news, his first move would be to destroy the evidence."
"There's a window of opportunity. We can use this time gap to our advantage—send someone to keep an eye on Elder Danzo. That way, we can save those children."
Mito Uzumaki stared carefully at Hikaru, then spoke with a hint of emotion:
"Sometimes, you really don't feel like a child at all… you're far too mature."
Her admiration was quickly replaced by worry. The Senju Clan was severely understaffed right now.
And Danzo wasn't someone a Chūnin or Genin could tail successfully.
All the elite Senju were holding the front lines. She couldn't pull them back now.
And if she went herself, it would draw too much attention. Even using a Transformation Technique might raise suspicion.
With that in mind, she turned her gaze to Uchiha Hikaru, hoping he would offer a solution.
Hikaru had expected this.
He pointed to the crest on his clothing, and upon seeing Mito Uzumaki's look of realization, he said:
"There aren't many people left in the village who can keep an eye on Danzo—but the Uchiha definitely can."
"Only a small number of them have been allowed on the battlefield. Most of the capable ones were ordered to stay in the village to 'guard' it… so—"
Hikaru was about to continue, but Mito Uzumaki couldn't wait any longer.
She feared that every second wasted might cost lives.
Without hesitation, she grabbed Hikaru and pulled him along.
They moved swiftly using Body Flicker, carefully remaining hidden from view.
It didn't take long before they arrived at Uchiha Ang's residence.
At the moment, Uchiha Ang was gripping what little hair he had left, buried in paperwork.
As the Uchiha's second elder and the head of the internal factions, he was especially busy lately due to the ongoing Sharingan experiments.
The ever-increasing pile of duties gave him a constant headache.
Just as he tore out another handful of hair and muttered darkly under his breath, he suddenly heard a knock on the window glass.
His senses sharpened immediately, and he activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, turning toward the source of the sound.
When he saw who it was, he finally exhaled in relief.
He recognized Mito Uzumaki.
And once he saw the change in Hikaru's eyes, he lowered his guard entirely.
Anyone who could activate the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and stand beside Mito Uzumaki clearly had credibility.
He didn't know why they'd come to find him, but it clearly wasn't to harm him.
Uchiha Ang opened the window and let them in.
Mito Uzumaki didn't even bother fixing her hair, which was tousled from the journey. She jumped straight to the point:
"There's a serious matter in the village right now, and we need the Uchiha's help."
"I need you to assemble a team of elites to monitor Danzo, as well as Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. Can you do it?"
This was a matter of life and death for the children, and Mito took on a no-nonsense tone befitting a strong leader.
To be thorough, she even included Hiruzen Sarutobi's other two closest friends in the surveillance.
Uchiha Ang was stunned. The three people Mito wanted him to monitor were all senior leaders of Konoha.
He hesitated—but after a glance at Uchiha Hikaru, he nodded.
"Lady Mito, leave it to the Uchiha."
Still uneasy, Mito added:
"Time is of the essence. Make arrangements immediately. This is about the lives of many children. You must act fast."
At the mention of children, Uchiha Ang began to understand.
Of course—a matter urgent enough to drive Mito Uzumaki into action couldn't be trivial.
To think someone dared to lay a hand on the village's children… utterly reckless.
Then he felt a jolt of excitement.
The Uchiha had been deliberately sidelined within the village, unable to gain merit or recognition on the battlefield.
None of the high-level officials spoke on their behalf. Without merit or fame, none of the Uchiha could rise to the upper ranks.
They were being held back by the system, stuck in limbo.
But if they could successfully resolve this case—if they could save the children—
The fame and credit would far surpass even battlefield achievements.
After a quick goodbye, he hurried off, visibly more motivated than even Mito Uzumaki.
Hikaru and Mito exchanged a glance—and burst into quiet laughter.
Finally, Mito was able to breathe a little easier.
She knew the level of the Uchiha well—she was a survivor of the Warring States Era, after all.
Aside from the Senju, the Uchiha could steamroll through the other clans.
With this matter now in Uchiha hands, she could finally calm down and think clearly.
What had once been uncertain had now taken a solid form thanks to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His words and behavior had accidentally revealed more than he realized.
The worst-case scenario… had already happened.
As the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi had failed to take the right path. Instead, he'd shielded the criminal.
Even if they couldn't be 100% sure it was Danzo, everything pointed in that direction.
And if Danzo really did choose to silence the children…
Then Hiruzen would be guilty too.
So Mito began to consider—if the Hokage were to be dismissed, who could take his place?
Or more importantly…
Who would become the Fourth Hokage?