Inside the Hokage's Office.
"So it was Danzo's doing!"
The Third Hokage was somewhat surprised. Although he had tacitly allowed Danzo's research, he truly had no prior knowledge of the sixty infants being taken from the village.
The incident had caused a massive uproar in Konoha. It could be considered Orochimaru's greatest crime when he defected, and by fleeing the village, Orochimaru had effectively taken the blame.
He never expected Kawasaki to claim Danzo was the true mastermind. But considering Danzo's actions in recent years, it was highly plausible.
In the end, Danzo had declared the experiment a failure, and the matter was closed. To think that someone had actually survived.
And Danzo had kept Kinoe hidden all this time. His intentions were truly sinister.
"Kinoe, can you use Wood Style?"
Kinoe nodded. He formed a hand seal, and his arm transformed into a wooden staff.
The Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction. "Though your origins are rooted in a conspiracy, nurturing a Wood Style user has always been Konoha's dream. Since you possess this ability, you shouldn't be hiding in Root."
"The Jinchuriki's child is now five years old. Wood Style sealing jutsu are becoming increasingly important for the village. Kinoe, are you willing to join the Konoha Anbu Black Ops?"
Kinoe glanced at Kakashi, who offered an encouraging look. "I'm in the Anbu now, serving Konoha."
Kinoe nodded. "Lord Third, I am willing to join the Anbu. 'Kinoe' was my codename in Root. You can call me..."
Kakashi tilted his head. "Tenzo?"
Kinoe paused for a moment, then broke into a smile. "Yes, my name is Tenzo."
"Very good. From this day forward, you are an official member of the Anbu. For now, stay with Kakashi and practice your Wood Style sealing jutsu."
"Yes, sir!" Tenzo replied, and even his dead-fish eyes seemed to sparkle with new life.
"I will handle things with Danzo. You two are dismissed." The Third Hokage waved his hand, signaling for Kakashi and Tenzo to leave.
"Yes, sir!"
After the two departed, the Third Hokage lit his pipe and took a long drag. "Vice-Patriarch Kawasaki, you should use the main door in the future. It would prevent any misunderstandings."
Kawasaki's head popped in from the window. "Are you satisfied with this gift, Lord Third?"
The Third Hokage fell silent for a moment before asking a different question. "Was it really Danzo who stole those sixty infants?"
Kawasaki smiled and nodded. "Does it matter?"
The Third Hokage nodded slowly. He was thinking that Orochimaru, for all his faults, had principles. That made him more manageable than the utterly unscrupulous Danzo.
Kawasaki shrugged. "Every word of it."
"What do you want?" the Third asked.
Kawasaki's smile vanished. "Lord Third, you know that the Uchiha Clan has no fundamental grudge against Konoha. The problem is Danzo, who is always plotting against us."
"Danzo has been stripped of all his official positions. He's nothing more than a civilian now," the Third Hokage stated.
Kawasaki shook his head. "As long as his Root organization is not disbanded, his ambition will only grow."
The Third Hokage paused. "Even if I publicly ordered Root to be disbanded, it might not be effective."
Kawasaki understood this was not merely an excuse. The composition of Root was vast and complex, and its members had been thoroughly brainwashed by Danzo. Even if the Hokage gave the order, they would continue to operate in the shadows.
"Better to cut our losses now," Kawasaki said with an air of indifference. "After all, that man spends his days obsessing over us Uchiha."
The Third Hokage considered this. He had indeed recently discovered that Danzo's hidden ambitions were far greater than what he showed on the surface. It was time to rein him in.
Although the Uchiha had just caused trouble for Konoha, the village hadn't suffered any real losses. In fact, they had gained significant advantages in the peace talks with Kumogakure. Now, they had delivered a much-needed Wood Style user. To be honest, the Third felt a mixture of admiration and frustration toward this young man, Kawasaki.
Moreover, Kawasaki was simply too powerful. For now, the only option was to keep him placated.
"Very well. I will issue an order in my capacity as Hokage, informing the entire village that Danzo's Root organization is to be disbanded!"
Kawasaki stood up and gave a relaxed bow, bending at the waist but not lowering his head. "Your wisdom is profound, Lord Third. The Uchiha will always support you. I have matters to attend to at home, so I will take my leave."
"Hmph!"
Though he had never seen such a gesture, the Third Hokage guessed it was some form of etiquette. This Kawasaki truly lacked any sense of decorum. He grunted as he watched Kawasaki's departing figure.
In the Land of Water, inside the Village Hidden in the Mist.
Ao, having failed his mission, returned to the village with Zabuza and the other elites.
"Zabuza, if you hadn't been so stubborn, we would have infiltrated Konoha by now!" Ao was annoyed by Zabuza's recklessness.
"Hmph, I take responsibility for my own actions. If the Great Elder wants to assign blame, I'll bear it all myself!" Zabuza replied with a look of impatience, as if Ao believed they could have succeeded if only he hadn't lost his fight.
"You!"
Ao's anger flared at the troublemaker. But Zabuza was a talent, already approaching Jonin level at his young age. Besides, the mission had already failed. There was nothing to be done but await the Great Elder's judgment.
Deciding not to argue further, Ao led the others to report to the Great Elder and accept their punishment.
In recent years, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had found Isobu and become its Jinchuriki. He had gradually gained perfect control over the Tailed Beast and begun implementing sweeping reforms. The Great Elder's power was steadily shrinking, and the village had clearly split into two factions.
One was the Mizukage Faction, represented by Yagura. The other was the Elder Faction, led by the Great Elder. The Great Elder excelled at intelligence gathering and had brought countless opportunities to the Mist. However, he was extremely wary of clans with Kekkei Genkai, advocating for the weakening of their power throughout the Land of Water. The Mizukage, while personally powerful, held more conservative views and favored peaceful relations with the Kekkei Genkai clans.
After Ao finished his report, he knelt on the floor, awaiting the Great Elder's verdict. The elder's expression was cold, as if he had already anticipated their failure.
"In that case, throw Zabuza into the Assassination Unit to temper him."
"As for you, one year of confinement."
"Thank you, Great Elder!"
The punishment was light. Sending Zabuza to the Assassination Unit could even be seen as a reward. Compared to the other forms of punishment in the Mist, a year of confinement was nothing.
Ao and Zabuza were quickly led away.
Behind the Great Elder, space distorted, and a masked Obito appeared.
The Great Elder leaned back slightly. "Lord Madara, Ao has been dealt with."
Obito nodded, his voice a mimicry. "Yagura is becoming more of a threat to us."
"What are your intentions, my lord?"
"My people are almost here. We will lure Yagura out in seven days."
"As you command, Lord Madara."
The Mist had many powerful shinobi, and the Kekkei Genkai clans were all troublesome.
Those who cannot be used by me... will all be eliminated!
...
Seven days later.
Obito arrived at the gates of Kirigakure with Pain's Deva Path and Konan. Seeing them, Yagura immediately drew his weapon. "Who are you?!"
The Kamui in Obito's eye socket spun wildly, and an immense power instantly pinned Yagura in place. In that single moment, Yagura lost consciousness.
...
At the main gate of Konoha.
The white-haired, tall, and sturdy Jiraiya gazed up at the former Uchiha territory, which had since been redeveloped by the Third Hokage. The old Uchiha houses were gone, leaving only a perimeter of walls. The new Uchiha compound had been moved to a more distant location.
"Uchiha Kawasaki, Mangekyo..."
Jiraiya mulled over the name as he stepped into the village.