Hiruzen was clearly not satisfied with the explanation given by Ryuma, and the nonchalant behavior Ryuma displayed stood in stark contrast to the seriousness of his actions. Ryuma looked at Hiruzen, whose face was still clearly showing his displeasure. However, Ryuma simply gave a small shrug as he sheathed his sword, Ketsusu, back into its sheath and said, "Well, whatever happened here is now none of my business. I am leaving here with my parents. You can handle the aftermath."
After saying this, Ryuma paid no mind to Hiruzen's displeasure, Danzo's glare, or the killing intent radiating from the surrounding Root ninjas. He simply walked over to his parents, picked up his mother, and turned to Kakashi. "Carry my father, will you?" Kakashi nodded and lifted Raito onto his back.
The Root ninjas were all ready to strike Ryuma at the slightest opportunity, yet he acted as though their hostility did not even concern him. Without looking back, Ryuma left while carrying his mother on his back, whereas Kakashi carried his father, Raito, on his back.
As Ryuma and Kakashi were at the Root base's opening leaving the Root base, Minato arrived at the Root base at almost the exact moment. He had come here after being informed by one of his personal guards about what had happened.
One of his personal guards, Genma, had been present around Hiruzen when Kakashi went to Hiruzen and reported everything, the fact that Danzo had kidnapped Ryuma's parents and Ryuma is going with a killing intent. Genma had immediately gone to Minato and reported everything to him. Minato, who had already made sure that Kushina and their newly born son, Naruto, were both fine and under the protection of his three elite guards as well as an entire division of Anbu ninjas, immediately appeared at the Root base using FTG.
Minato looked around the Root base, his eyes quickly falling upon Danzo's severed left arm lying there. Many unconscious Root ninjas could also be seen scattered throughout the area, around twenty or so by his quick estimation. His eyes moved across the base for another moment before he turned toward Hiruzen and asked, "Where is Ryuma? I do not see him. And what about his parents? Are they okay?"
After hearing Minato's inquiry, Hiruzen sighed and said, "Well, he has already left with his parents and Kakashi."
As soon as Hiruzen said this, Minato almost instantly asked, "What exactly happened here?" He was genuinely confused about how Ryuma's matter had been resolved in the end. Had everything somehow ended peacefully, or had the situation escalated further? Judging from the sight before him, however, it was obvious that me things had not ended peacefully. After all, Danzo's left arm had been severed, so something had clearly gone very wrong.
Hiruzen looked at Minato, his face tired and weary as he said, "Well, the Anbu ninjas here will tell you everything. I am tired today. I will be leaving."
Minato looked at Hiruzen and was clearly able to see the exhaustion weighing heavily on him, and he understood it without needing any further explanation. After all, Hiruzen was now old. He was no longer in his prime and could not maintain the same stamina he had possessed in his younger years. He had already been holding off against the Nine-Tails before going to his hidden hideout location, all while keeping the entire village under control. Technically, that responsibility should have been Minato's, but Minato had been occupied with taking care of his wife and newborn son while also fighting that mysterious attacker. As a result, those responsibilities had all fallen onto Hiruzen's shoulders. So Minato gave a nod and said, "Well, you have done a lot today, Lord Third. Please, you may go and rest. I will handle everything from here."
Hiruzen gave a nod to Minato, and then he looked towards Danzo one last time and sighed, leaving the fate of Danzo and whatever would happen to him entirely to Minato's discretion. Hiruzen had no intention of interfering any further. He had already done enough today, and he was simply too exhausted to involve himself in another argument. Without saying anything more, Hiruzen left the Root base alone, leaving all the Anbu ninjas behind.
After Hiruzen left, Minato turned towards Danzo. His expression remained calm on the surface, but there was no mistaking the displeasure in his eyes as he looked at Danzo and said, "Go and have your wounds healed. We will have a proper talk later on."
After saying this much, Minato simply looked away from Danzo. He then turned towards the Anbu ninjas and gave them his orders, his voice carrying the authority of the Hokage. "Team Ha and Team Ni, you will guard the Root base, and no Root ninja will be allowed to leave the base without further instructions from me. They will remain under strict surveillance and will be imprisoned here for the time being, until the village calms down. And if they try anything, if they attempt to escape from here, then you can do as you see fit. If the situation goes out of control, immediately inform me."
With Hiruzen, four squads of Anbu had come to the Root base. Minato was allowing two of those Anbu squads to remain here and keep a close eye on the Root ninjas. It was more than enough under normal circumstances. As long as the Root ninjas and Danzo did not intend to rebel, they would follow his orders without much resistance. But if they did rebel, then the situation would become completely different and would immediately go beyond normal measures.
Neither Minato nor Hiruzen truly believed that would ever happen. Although both Hiruzen and Minato, especially Minato, disliked Danzo's methods and the way he operated, Minato knew for a fact that Danzo's love/protectiveness for the village was still there. At the very least, Minato did not believe Danzo would do something that completely went against his own ideals, such as openly rebelling against Konoha. Whatever else could be said about Danzo, his loyalty to the village itself was not something Minato believed he would simply discard.
The members of Team Ha and Team Ni immediately responded in unison, "Yes, Lord Hokage."
Having already given his orders, Minato prepared to leave using the Flying Thunder God Technique. But before disappearing, he turned his head towards Danzo one final time and gave him a dangerous glare. Minato was extremely displeased and angry over what Danzo had done, and although he remained outwardly composed, his thoughts were anything but calm.
Out there, on the battlefield, in Konoha, I and countless other Konoha ninjas were doing our best, fighting for our lives and defending the village from the attack of the Nine-Tails and masked man. And here he was, cooking up some disgusting scheme against a person who acted as a savior for those same ninjas.
Minato's eyes remained cold for another moment before he finally thought, If he is not given a proper punishment... if Danzo is allowed to get away with this, then it will definitely chill the hearts of those ninjas.
With that final thought, Minato finally disappeared from the Root base using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
As ordered by Minato, both Anbu squads immediately spread out according to their respective captains' commands, taking positions around the Root base and beginning their watch over the Root ninjas. They moved with practiced efficiency, leaving little room for anyone to slip through their surveillance. As for the remaining two Anbu teams, they left the Root base. After all, even though the immediate danger posed by the Nine-Tails was now gone, the aftermath still needed to be handled. The destruction, the injured shinobi, the damage to the village, and everything else caused by the attack all still had to be dealt with. The crisis had ended, but the work that came after it had only just begun.
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