Everyone looked suspiciously at Danzo, waiting for his explanation.
He furrowed his brow, squinting his left eye slightly as he glanced at the calm-faced Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He spoke in a low voice, "I went there to eliminate a ninja organization that could potentially threaten Konohagakure."
"I will compile a report on the specific mission details and submit it to all of you."
His secret meeting with Hanzo had to be completely concealed.
The true purpose of this trip was to win over Hanzo, eliminate Shinji and Fugaku, and pave the way for his own bid for the Hokage position. Such matters could naturally not be made public.
He intended to take advantage of the time gap before Shinji and Fugaku returned to the village, pinning the crime of defection on them, and then use that opportunity to eradicate the entire Uchiha Clan.
Once things reached that point, there would be no turning back in the conflict between Konohagakure and the Uchiha.
"The mission has nothing to do with this matter," Danzo leaned forward, his tone sounding somewhat urgent. "The fact that they both awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan—isn't that enough to prove the problem?"
He raised his empty right arm, emphasizing his point, "And my arm being severed is an undeniable fact."
The office fell into silence once again. Danzo's words were not without reason.
Everyone present was well aware of the terrifying power of the Mangekyo Sharingan. If Fugaku and Shinji harbored ill intentions toward Konohagakure, it would bring catastrophic disaster to the village.
However, seeing Danzo evade the core issue and deliberately avoid the main point, Tsunade suddenly felt a stirring in her heart.
She couldn't shake the feeling that Danzo was hiding the true purpose of his trip to Amegakure Village, even using Shinji's situation to divert everyone's attention.
Danzo was definitely scheming something in his mind!
She despised Danzo's unscrupulous methods, and now she sensed an undercurrent of provocation.
Behind the desk, Sarutobi Hiruzen placed his pipe back on the table. Then, his gaze briefly met those of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, and the three of them nodded imperceptibly.
Having known each other for many years, they could tell exactly what Danzo was up to just by his demeanor.
Danzo was definitely concealing a crucial truth.
Thus, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu all calmed down simultaneously. They immediately understood that the situation was likely far less dire than Danzo made it out to be.
At that moment, Tsunade took a deep breath, unwilling to continue this meaningless guessing game. She looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and the advisors, her tone exceptionally firm:
"I will lead a team to the Land of Rain and bring Shinji and Fugaku back to Konohagakure."
"I will handle it personally and have them explain everything face-to-face."
She paused briefly before adding, "If necessary, I will personally oversee their Mangekyo."
As a descendant of the Senju Clan, her understanding of the Sharingan far surpassed that of ordinary people.
The clan's extensive archives, particularly the many notes left by her grandfather, contained detailed records of information about the Sharingan and the Uchiha Clan.
She had long since reviewed this information. Moreover, she believed that with her involvement, an irreparable conflict with Shinji could be avoided.
Fugaku would surely give her and Shinji some face as well.
"What more is there to clarify?" Danzo immediately retorted in dissatisfaction.
He absolutely could not allow Shinji and Fugaku to return to the village. Once they came back, his entire plan would be completely ruined.
Shinji and Fugaku should immediately be declared rogue ninjas of Konohagakure, and the Uchiha Clan should be placed under comprehensive surveillance and control. If necessary, direct and forceful measures should be taken.
Danzo refused to yield an inch, stubbornly pushing forward with his own agenda.
But the next moment.
Boom!
The desk in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly exploded, documents scattering everywhere and wood splinters flying.
The room instantly fell into dead silence.
Tsunade slowly stood up, retracting her fist, her icy gaze glaring fiercely at Danzo.
"Enough! Bring them back first, then we'll talk!"
A sharp, imposing aura erupted from her entire body, carrying an indescribable sense of authority.
She was truly angry. She could see it now—Danzo was determined to put Shinji to death, and it was utterly disgusting.
"Tsunade, calm down!" Mitokado Homura quickly stepped forward to hold her back, afraid that another punch might land directly on Danzo.
No one could withstand Tsunade's Monstrous Strength. If she were truly pushed to the edge, there was no telling if she would take action right then and there.
Danzo's face stiffened, and the words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had hurriedly stood up the moment the fist came down, secretly relieved. For a moment, he had thought the punch was aimed at him, but fortunately, it had only destroyed the desk.
Looking at the shattered desk and the mess on the floor, he felt a headache coming on and quickly beckoned two Anbu members to clean up the aftermath.
Seeing the atmosphere had reached an extreme level of tension, he could only step forward to mediate.
"In that case, Tsunade, you will lead a team to bring Shinji and Fugaku back to Konohagakure.
"Danzo, you are not to say another word!"
"Fine." Tsunade nodded in agreement. This was exactly the result she wanted.
With that, she prepared to leave with Shizune.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly called out to stop her.
"Wait." He looked at Tsunade. "Take Team Minato along. This mission will be led by Minato Namikaze, and you will assist from the side."
Tsunade immediately showed displeasure, feeling that the old man didn't trust her.
"I can handle it with just Shizune!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen helplessly spread his hands.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Tsunade, but her Hemophobia had been exposed during the battle at the Fire Temple, and Shinji was well aware of this.
He certainly trusted Shinji, but Shinji was accompanied by Fugaku. Comparatively, his wariness of Fugaku far exceeded that of Shinji.
What if Shinji was being coerced by Fugaku?
As the Hokage, he had to ensure there were no mistakes.
With Minato's cooperation, the mission would undoubtedly proceed without any issues.
"It's settled. Minato must take the lead in this operation. If you object, then you won't go." Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone was equally firm.
Tsunade snorted in annoyance, irritably motioning to Shizune, and left the Hokage's Office with a sullen expression.
Watching Tsunade's departing figure, Danzo, standing in the corner, turned completely grim.
Since Hiruzen couldn't make the tough decision, he would do it himself.
He gave Sarutobi Hiruzen a deep, cold look, snorted disdainfully, showing no hint of goodwill, and stormed off.
Half a day later, at the gates of Konohagakure.
Kakashi was the last to arrive. Before setting off, he had first gone to the Memorial Stone to pay his respects to Obito, which was why he was late.
But when he arrived, he noticed that besides his teacher Minato and Rin, Lady Tsunade and Shizune were also present.
A mission with Lady Tsunade? Kakashi wondered to himself.
Soon, he sensed something was amiss.
Tsunade and Shizune stood to the side with grim expressions, silent.
Minato-sensei stood quietly nearby.
But the most unusual was Rin.
Her face was pale, her eyes somewhat vacant, as if she had just heard devastating news.
Kakashi's heart sank, a sense of foreboding rising within him.
He quickly stepped forward, bowed to Minato and Tsunade, and urgently asked, "Minato-sensei, what's going on? What mission are we undertaking this time?"
Minato gave a slight nod.
He had already been to the Hokage's Office and learned the full story from the Third Hokage.
With a helpless sigh, he slowly explained to Kakashi:
"For this mission, we must go to the Land of Rain to capture... Shinji and Fugaku."
Upon hearing the words "capture Shinji," Nohara Rin, standing nearby, pressed her lips together, her face growing even paler.
Kakashi's pupils contracted sharply.
"Capture who? Shinji? What exactly happened?!"
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