"What the hell are you good for!?"
Danzō roared angrily at Nakamura Kazuya, who was kneeling before him.
"Didn't I tell you not to give them any handle to use against us? And now, several of you have been dismissed. Do you think the rest are capable of doing anything great!?"
Nakamura Kazuya's face looked grim. "I only intended to cause some trouble for the Hyūga, but I didn't expect an Uchiha named Natsuki to suddenly interfere. This time, I believe Uchiha Natsuki had everything premeditated."
Danzō struck his cane hard against the ground.
"Do you need to state the obvious? Now, the whole of Konoha is abuzz, saying that Jiraiya is nothing but a lecherous peeper. Sarutobi's reputation has also taken a hit—'when the beam above is crooked, those below are bound to be slanted.'"
Danzō exhaled heavily. He had to admit, Natsuki's methods were unorthodox, but the results were always unexpectedly effective. This time, the Third Hokage had recalled Jiraiya only to make him a figurehead. Yet, before the image could even be propped up, it was already smeared with filth.
With Jiraiya's name ruined, he was no longer fit to serve as the "front." At least, not for now.
As Danzō grew angrier, a sharp pain pulsed through his right eye. Without finding a replacement Sharingan, he wasn't sure how much longer this one could last.
Ever since the appearance of that freak, Uchiha Natsuki, he had been suffering setback after setback. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi had been made to look utterly disgraced.
Once, he could still maneuver within the Police Force. Now, what was left was nothing but scattered sand.
Danzō let out another sigh. "Choose someone capable from the remaining Police Force to temporarily take your position. Root must stay hidden for now. Once it absorbs enough nourishment, it will rise again!"
Nakamura Kazuya nodded firmly. "Yes!"
But irritation weighed on Danzō.
The Third Hokage had already issued several orders, demanding that Root's base be cleared within three days.
Though Root was officially disbanded, its members still remained loyal to him alone. Still, the losses were devastating—funding, equipment, and the support of certain clans, all severed.
After all, Root had been publicly abolished by the Hokage.
Danzō looked up at the skylight. Sunlight poured in, casting shadows across his darkened face. "I will return…"
Though he seethed with hatred for Natsuki, the Third had indeed honored his promise to dissolve Root.
When the public notice was announced, his rift with Hiruzen became open and irreversible.
Danzō accused the Hokage of stealing his Root operatives. The Third condemned Danzō for his obsession with Kakashi's Sharingan, calling it sheer madness, and ordered Root's dissolution.
Now stripped of all rank, the Shimura clan could only cower under the Third's pressure.
No clans supported Danzō. He had no popularity among the villagers.
With circumstances pressing against him, he could only watch as the ANBU completely dismantled Root, even seizing the costly equipment that could not be moved.
Clenching his teeth, his right eye failing him, Danzō dispersed Root, biding his time for a comeback.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for drastically altering Shimura Danzō's life trajectory.]
Reward: Izanagi (one-time use).
It seemed the disbandment of Root had truly dealt Danzō a crippling blow. Although many loyal subordinates remained, such a heavy strike would keep him quiet for a while. Long enough for the Uchiha to weather this dangerous period.
Now, only one man remained to be dealt with—Jiraiya.
In just half a month of turmoil, Jiraiya had been imprisoned, and Root had been dissolved.
As for the Hyūga incident, the Third Hokage had issued a diplomatic letter to Kirigakure.
Yet Kirigakure gave no response. The entire Land of Water sealed itself off.
With relations already poor and the distance vast, the matter was left unresolved.
Time passed, and as public uproar settled, Jiraiya was released from the Police Force's detention cells.
He was even released personally by Hiashi. "Jiraiya-sama, your detention time is up."
Jiraiya scratched his head sheepishly. "Ahaha, Hiashi, why'd you come yourself?"
Hiashi's demeanor was cold, strictly businesslike. "Jiraiya-sama, the Police Force is under Hyūga authority now. If such incidents occur again, our clan will be greatly troubled."
Jiraiya's old face flushed red, and he laughed awkwardly. "Don't worry, Hiashi. Never again. Absolutely never again."
Hiashi said no more. He simply escorted Jiraiya out and left.
Jiraiya stepped outside. The sunlight bathed him, filling him with comfort. How long had it been since he last felt the sun?
But his body stank—over ten days without a bath. He decided to relax and head to a bathhouse. That one he had visited last time wasn't bad.
Determined, he headed toward Konoha's commercial district.
Yet people still remembered well what had happened half a month ago.
He hadn't even bothered to change his clothes. That red cloak, white hair, and forehead protector with the oil kanji made him instantly recognizable.
Women screamed and fled in panic. Men stood aside, whispering.
"Look, that's Jiraiya."
"Isn't he the pervert who spies on bathhouses for fun?"
"I heard he even peeped on Lady Tsunade and almost got killed."
"And that's supposed to be one of the Legendary Sannin? Tch tch."
"Not just that—he's also the Third Hokage's student."
"They say Jiraiya's been lecherous since he was young. Stuff like this has happened before, but thanks to the Third's influence, nothing ever came of it."
"So that's why he never got caught peeping—he had protection from the top."
The whispers weren't loud, but with his strength, Jiraiya heard every word.
Many held flyers in their hands, comparing them with Jiraiya as they looked back and forth.
A chill ran through him. He quickly snatched one. The flyer detailed his identity, his romantic escapades, and past incidents that were swept under the rug, hinting at who had shielded him.
It even emphasized how he liked sketching women he peeped on into his erotic books.
Who would want their wife, sister, or daughter drawn into a smut book? Naturally, women feared him, while men spat at the sight of him.
Fuming with rage, Jiraiya flashed away with Body Flicker, only to run into Hyūga Yūjin, who was distributing the flyers.
His anger boiled over. These flyers were nonsense! When had he ever drawn women he peeped on? He was just collecting material—collecting material!
He wasn't some pervert from childhood either. He only grew into one as he got older!
"You little brat! Who told you to hand these out!?" Jiraiya's voice thundered, his mane of white hair flaring.
But Hyūga Yūjin wasn't afraid. Not only did Lord Natsuki back him, even Hiashi had rewarded him.
This was Konoha. There was nothing Jiraiya could do.
Hyūga Yūjin puffed out his chest. "Greetings, Jiraiya-sama! Lord Natsuki said, to protect the women of Konoha from future harm, these flyers were specially made and are being distributed today, to ensure your deeds are not forgotten and that people know to avoid you."
"Avoid harm!? Specially made!? Distributed today!?" Jiraiya's fury exploded. That damned Uchiha Natsuki—was he trying to utterly ruin him!?
Though Yūjin felt nervous inside, he noticed many villagers watching, so he stood his ground.
"Please don't interfere with my work, Jiraiya-sama." With that, Yūjin stepped around him, handing out more flyers.
"Uchiha Natsukiiiiii!"
Clutching a flyer, Jiraiya roared and stormed off toward the Uchiha compound.
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