Inside the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still working overtime on paperwork.
Seeing Danzo enter, Hiruzen asked, "Root lost two people?"
"Yes. With the culprit's strength, they could have easily destroyed the bodies, but they deliberately left them for me to find, trying to pressure me."
Danzo placed a scroll in front of Hiruzen.
Hiruzen glanced at it—it was a notebook belonging to the Second Hokage. Inside were his evaluations of the Uzumaki clan's secret technique: Tongue Curse Seal of Absolute Silence.
He didn't understand why Danzo had brought this, but continued reading patiently:
"This is the sealing jutsu most compatible with the ANBU. With it, there's no need to worry about loyalty. One can control a batch of puppets who only know obedience.
Due to its cruel ability to erase emotion, the Uzumaki clan labeled it a forbidden technique.
Only those with a truly righteous purpose should wield such a dark method. After much thought, I refrained from asking the Uzumaki clan head for it.
Konoha is rapidly growing; there is no need for such extremes.
ANBU are shinobi who bring light through darkness. Their ideals are enough to drive their actions—there's no need for the Tongue Curse Seal."
After reading, Hiruzen looked up and asked, "What, you want this sealing jutsu?"
Danzo nodded.
"Subordinates who are absolutely loyal take years to cultivate.
I've suffered repeated losses, and I can't replenish Root's full strength in time. I need to restore the full ten-member unit as soon as possible.
I need access to the Uzumaki clan's sealing scrolls—to obtain this forbidden jutsu."
C—Ryoma—was such a fine subordinate, now dead in the Land of Whirlpools.
T, his nephew Shimura Kude, had died beyond the border of the Land of Fire.
These were all people Danzo had spent years cultivating—now all gone.
"The Uzumaki sealing scrolls? Impossible," said Hiruzen.
"I asked Senju Hanaki last time. The sealing scrolls of the Senju and Uzumaki clans are both held by Tsunade.
Though Hanaki is nominally the clan head, she only handles miscellaneous affairs.
The real authority lies with Tsunade, the strongest of the Senju.
Even I can't get the sealing scrolls from her."
"Tsunade is a spoiled, stubborn fool. Of course we can't get them the easy way—we'll need other methods."
Hiruzen warned, "Danzo, don't go too far. Tsunade is different from the others."
Danzo acted like he hadn't heard and left the office.
He hadn't come to ask permission. He had only come to inform.
Returning to Root, Danzo summoned H: "H, any results from monitoring the Senju clan, Sakumo's faction, or the Uchiha?"
"Apologies, sir. So far, nothing. All three have airtight alibis."
"You think I keep you around to apologize?! It's one of them—keep digging!"
Then he summoned J, D, N, and F.
"You four—set a trap. We're fishing out this killer. And this time, I want them dead."
"Yes, sir!"
Danzo had never been angrier.
Someone was targeting his people. If it weren't for the death of Sarutobi Yuu, Danzo would've even suspected Hiruzen himself.
Meanwhile, Yako entered ANBU headquarters and again reflected on how peaceful it was.
Danzo still hasn't traced this back to me? So much for "The Shadow of the Shinobi World."
Later that night, Yako, wearing his mask, moved through Konoha under cover of darkness.
A drunken villager staggered out of a bar, wobbling toward a quiet alley to relieve himself.
Please don't let the Uchiha Patrol catch me, he thought. Public urination is a fine now...
As he let loose, enjoying the deep relief known only to men, suddenly—
A pair of Sharingan flashed in the dark!
He recoiled in terror, bladder instantly clenching, and sprinted off.
After turning a corner, he saw two villagers walking his way and sighed in relief.
"Did you hear?" one said. "White Fang went to the Land of Lightning and fought a Jinchūriki! He slashed through a Tailed Beast Bomb with his short sword!"
"Nah," said the other. "I heard he stood atop the walls of Lightning Country's capital and cut down three Tailed Beast Bombs!"
"Come on, that's nonsense. A single Tailed Beast Bomb could destroy half a village. You expect me to believe he cut three in one go?"
Still tipsy, the urinator tried to catch up and ask about it—but by the time he turned, the two villagers had vanished down another alley.
He gave up and went to a second bar to continue drinking.
There, he began bragging:
"You guys know what I heard? White Fang went to the capital of the Land of Lightning and cut down five Tailed Beast Bombs with a single swing!
You know what a Tailed Beast Bomb is? Just one could flatten all of Konoha!"
"No way," someone scoffed. "So you're saying White Fang can defend five villages at once now? Get real."
—
In the shadows, Yako quietly deactivated his Sharingan.
For planting rumors, the two-tomoe Sharingan was more than enough for manipulating ordinary villagers.
Every night, he brainwashed at least five people to spread tales of Hatake Shumao.
It was working well. These fantastical and pride-boosting rumors were popular among villagers.
As a member of ANBU, he could appear anywhere without question. All actions were justified by "gathering intel for the Hokage."
Ten days later, the village was flooded with legends of White Fang.
The only regret? Some drunken fools had taken the stories too far.
Eventually, it ballooned into rumors that White Fang had cleaved dozens of Tailed Beast Bombs in one swing.
Too much inflation.
If I had known it would snowball like this, Yako thought, I would've started with more modest rumors…
One morning, Yako was summoned by the Third Hokage.
Upon entering the office, he saw the usual trio: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru, and Danzo.
Hiruzen sat behind his desk.
Orochimaru stood beside him, eyes always lingering on the scrolls upon the desk.
Word was he stood there for hours every day—only returning to his lab at night.
Power was the best stimulant. Orochimaru never felt tired.
Anyone stepping into this office would know: Hiruzen is grooming Orochimaru as his successor.
Danzo sat silently on the couch, deep in thought.
Hiruzen asked directly: "Fox, rumors about Hatake Shumao have spread through the village. What do you think?"
Right to the point.
It sounded like he was accusing Yako of participating...
Good thing Yako had trained himself to remain emotionally detached. His face betrayed nothing.
He replied:
"Hokage-sama, the rumor-mongers are amateurs. The stories are getting more absurd by the day—any real shinobi would know they're fake.
Slashing through dozens of Tailed Beast Bombs in one swing? Impossible."