"The matter isn't settled. Don't jump to conclusions, Danzo!"
The Third Hokage was also feeling somewhat irritated, but he didn't believe Naruto was responsible.
Leaving aside whether Naruto possessed the strength, Naruto had only entered the hospital yesterday afternoon, and the Third Hokage had personally confirmed his injuries.
"You're too naive, Hiruzen!" Danzo said coldly. "At this point, are you still trying to protect Uzumaki Naruto? Only if you hand him over to me can we ensure nothing goes wrong."
The Third Hokage knew his old friend's character well.
It would've been better if Danzo hadn't said the last sentence. The moment the words left his mouth, the Third Hokage immediately suspected that Danzo might have orchestrated this himself, with the goal of controlling the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Had he not reflected at all during his years of seclusion? He was still the same!
"You are not to act on your own, this is an order!"
The Third Hokage barked, his voice stern. "I will investigate this matter, and you are not to interfere."
"Don't forget, you are no longer the Hokage's assistant, and the restrictions on you have not been lifted. Furthermore, Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Danzo's face instantly contorted, as if he had eaten something foul. This was always the way; the Third Hokage used 'I am the Hokage' to shut him down, which was why Danzo was so fixated on the Hokage position.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this!"
In the end, Danzo thumped his cane on the ground and, with a dark expression, left the Hokage's office.
He wouldn't give up just like that. He no longer held any official position, so he had nothing to lose.
Even if he was discovered, the Third Hokage could only extend his house arrest at most. Could he truly kill him?
Everything he did was for Konoha!
"Nine-Tails chakra… a suspected Rasengan-like attack…"
After Danzo left, the Third Hokage couldn't help but fall into thought.
He hadn't suspected Naruto, but currently, only Naruto possessed the Nine-Tails chakra.
Thinking about it wouldn't solve anything. He should first go to the altar where the Four Purple Flames Formation was located to inspect.
He found it was mostly the same as what Danzo had said. There were no signs of tampering.
Afterward, he went to Naruto under the guise of checking on him to probe.
Naruto naturally knew the Third Hokage's intentions and played dumb, managing to muddle through.
Anyway, he was just a ninja academy student who had just gotten rid of the "tail-end" title, and he was still injured, his body weak.
What was the Rasengan? He'd never even heard of it!
"Well then, rest up. Get your body back in shape as soon as possible. The graduation exam is coming up soon, don't miss it. I won't pull any strings for you."
The Third Hokage left these words, and then asked Yugao to take care of Naruto before leaving.
"What did the Third Hokage mean by that?" Yugao frowned in thought, feeling that the Third Hokage seemed to be testing something.
"Don't worry about the old man, Yugao-neechan." Naruto pulled Yugao's hand and said, "Let's continue talking about what we were just talking about, your missions in ANBU."
He couldn't do much with his weak body, and he still needed to work on his relationship with Yugao.
By learning about Yugao's past, Naruto also learned more about the current ninja system and the ANBU system.
Seeing Naruto was interested in her, Yugao naturally didn't hide anything, and was basically forthcoming, except for some things that had to be kept secret.
After giving up on Hayate Gekko, Yugao had far fewer concerns, and her relationship with Naruto improved rapidly.
Now, even if Naruto openly took advantage of her, she didn't care too much.
Meanwhile, Danzo, after conducting a series of investigations into Naruto's recent situation, actually found a breakthrough.
Hayate Gekko!
The Third Hokage might not have seen it clearly because he was in the middle of it, but Danzo, only looking at the information, felt that Naruto's serious injury was very unreasonable, so he brought Hayate Gekko in for a detailed explanation.
At this time, Hayate Gekko looked very dispirited. Losing Yugao's trust had been a huge blow to him, and his life had already gone downhill.
Facing Danzo's questions, Hayate Gekko didn't hide anything, including Naruto's attitude and what he had said at the time.
Thus, Danzo was even more certain that Naruto was the one who had destroyed the Four Purple Flames Formation.
And he was definitely harboring malicious intentions, secretly plotting something.
"I never expected that everyone would be deceived by that little brat. Truly worthy of being the son of the Yellow Flash, to have such cunning at such a young age." Cold light flickered in Danzo's eyes.
"Does Lord Danzo mean..." Hayate Gekko was slightly taken aback.
Only now did he realize that this former high-ranking official seemed to have a great deal of displeasure towards the Nine-Tails brat, and actually completely believed what he had said.
In this case, could he use Danzo to vent his anger and get Yugao back?
Danzo had long mastered the art of understanding the darkness within others.
Just a glance was enough for him to understand Hayate Gekko's thoughts.
He explained the matter of the Four Purple Flames Formation in detail, then said, "I can now be one hundred percent certain that the person who destroyed the Four Purple Flames Formation is undoubtedly Naruto. His hidden power far exceeds our imagination."
"It's a pity that Sarutobi was deceived. Even if he discovered the truth, his indecisiveness would prevent him from believing it. Therefore, this matter must be resolved by me."
After speaking, he looked at Hayate Gekko and said, "Currently, you are under the Third Hokage's house arrest, and you can't do anything. But if you come under my command, I will give you a chance to personally take revenge. How about it, do you want to consider it?"
Hayate Gekko didn't consider it at all. When he heard Danzo say he wanted to deal with Naruto, he wanted to join in.
He immediately knelt on one knee and said, "As long as I can clear my name and get Yugao back by my side, Hayate Gekko's life is yours, Danzo-sama!"
"Very good, I will make your wish come true!" Danzo smiled with satisfaction.
Since the Uchiha clan's annihilation, the subordinates he had previously trained were all disbanded by the Third Hokage.
Although he had secretly cultivated another batch over the years, they were still in the growth phase and lacked any capable leaders.
Hayate Gekko didn't have any special abilities, but he was quite strong. As a graduate of the Third Hokage's direct ANBU, he was definitely qualified to be cultivated as a trusted confidant.
"So, Danzo-sama, what should we do next?" A glint of coldness flashed in Hayate Gekko's eyes.
Because of the unfair treatment he'd received this time, the darkness within him had expanded.
Now that he was following Danzo, he would likely fall completely.
After all, not everyone was Kakashi.
"Don't be hasty." Danzo chuckled. "First, find someone to probe Naruto's capabilities. I believe he won't disappoint me."
His long-standing goal had been to control the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He hadn't had the chance before, but he wouldn't miss it this time.
However, he still needed to get a clear understanding of Naruto's background, to determine what kind of power he currently possessed before deciding how to deal with him.
....
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