On the other side.
In Shimura Danzo's home.
Shimura Danzo was still waiting for the Root Ninja to deliver the Sharingan to him, but no one showed up, giving him a subtle feeling that something had gone wrong.
This won't do!
Shimura Danzo touched his eye socket wrapped in bandages, which was actually empty. He was counting on that batch of Sharingan to use Izanagi!
Only this way…
Could he possess greater combat power!
Shimura Danzo felt a bit restless. He quickly grabbed his cane and rushed to the Root Base, worried that something had happened to that batch of Sharingan.
Shimura Danzo's influence was still significant, so entering the Root Base was no problem. However, all the members kept their heads down, not daring to converse with him much…
But as soon as Shimura Danzo entered the Root Base, Akihara Kagura seemed to sense his arrival and personally came to greet him.
"Danzo, you're just in time."
Upon seeing Shimura Danzo, Akihara Kagura immediately waved for the Root Ninja to withdraw and whispered, "I'm going to a meeting at the Hokage Tower tomorrow morning. There's a discrepancy in the number of Sharingan, and I need to ask Danzo about it…"
"You little brat!"
Shimura Danzo's eyes tightened!
Was this brat threatening him?
Akihara Kagura looked troubled as he brought up the matter: "I just checked, and there are only eleven Sharingans left in the Root stock, and this number is odd…"
"No matter what, it doesn't match the number of deaths in the Konoha Police Force. Danzo, did you privately retain a batch…"
"I did not!"
Shimura Danzo gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "I was already one step late when I led the Root there. Uchiha Obito had already stolen a batch of Sharingan from the corpses of the Konoha Police Force…"
This matter…
Shimura Danzo truly felt wronged!
Because it wasn't just him in the Ninja World who needed Sharingan as a consumable for Izanagi; Uchiha Obito was also collecting Sharingan as consumables.
The members of the Konoha Police Force were all killed by Uchiha Obito, and naturally, it was also Uchiha Obito who collected a batch of Sharingan. It was fortunate that Shimura Danzo went there in time, or he wouldn't have gotten any of those Sharingan!
Akihara Kagura looked at Shimura Danzo in surprise, the reasoning seemed very real: "Uchiha Obito has his Mangekyo Sharingan, why would he steal Sharingans?"
"..."
Shimura Danzo felt he couldn't answer.
Did he have to reveal the truth about Izanagi?
That was absolutely impossible!
However…
This burden was not his to bear!
Because no matter how he counted, he couldn't reconcile the deficit of these Sharingan!
"I don't want to explain."
Shimura Danzo stared at Akihara Kagura, speaking in a low voice: "I don't know why Uchiha Obito stole Sharingans, but I can only say that the number of Sharingans the Root collected was only that many…"
"Uchiha Obito cannot prove it for you, Danzo."
Akihara Kagura looked at Shimura Danzo, seriously continuing: "No matter how, the numbers don't match. We must find a way to quickly fill up and destroy them. The Root Ninja only contacted the batch that Danzo ordered to send to the base…"
"..."
Shimura Danzo felt like he was going crazy!
At this moment, where was he supposed to find Sharingans to make up for the deficit?
Why was it on him to make up for it? The Sharingans that Uchiha Obito took, why was it Danzo's responsibility to account for them?
"Everyone believes that our Root obtained plenty of Sharingan."
Akihara Kagura looked at Shimura Danzo, seriously continuing: "Tomorrow, during the meeting at the Hokage Tower, if the Third Hokage asks about it, should I say that the Root only destroyed eleven Sharingans? Doesn't that figure sound too suspicious…?"
"..."
Shimura Danzo felt he was being driven mad.
Even if the number was suspicious, he couldn't align it with reality!
"The Root Ninja can testify for me…"
Shimura Danzo kept looking at Akihara Kagura, finding his advantageous evidence: "They all saw that the Root only got that many Sharingans…"
"But…"
Akihara Kagura looked at Shimura Danzo, and continued: "The Root Ninja can only testify that the Root got that many Sharingans, they can't testify that Danzo received only that many Sharingans. The Third Hokage won't believe it…"
"Tomorrow…"
"When Sarutobi Hiruzen asks…"
Shimura Danzo could only shoulder the blame, speaking in a low voice: "Just say the Root destroyed one hundred and fifty-four Sharingans, a number consistent with the seventy-seven corpses in the Konoha Police Department building. I can pretend that your and Orochimaru's affairs never existed…"
"That many?"
Akihara Kagura frowned and a hint of pleading appeared on his face: "Isn't the deficit in the Sharingan account too large? Danzo, couldn't you hand over another batch…"
"I… have nothing!"
Shimura Danzo was about to be furious.
Clearly, he came to seek the Sharingans from Akihara Kagura, but instead, it seemed like he owed Akihara Kagura a hundred Sharingans!
"The discrepancy in this account is too large."
Akihara Kagura shook his head, unwilling to bear the risk for Shimura Danzo: "I can help Danzo reduce a little. Danzo can personally write an order saying that one hundred and forty Sharingans have been transferred from the Dark Department…"
"..."
Shimura Danzo felt dazed.
He got nothing, and now he had to write an IOU?
"I said it!"
Shimura Danzo stared at Akihara Kagura, angrily: "I can forget about your and Orochimaru's affairs! Don't forget where you came from!"
"You were originally an experiment of Orochimaru, deceiving me and Orochimaru to take away Yakushi Kabuto and Yakushi Nonou from me!"
"Akihara Kagura, don't forget, it was I who brought you back to Konoha."
Shimura Danzo stared at Akihara Kagura, his voice turned sinister again, threateningly: "You better think clearly. If the monkey learns that you stayed in Orochimaru's experimental base until you were ten and then brought back to Konoha, do you think the monkey will still trust you?"
"I don't want the Third Hokage to know this."
Akihara Kagura gazed at Shimura Danzo, continuing: "Similarly, I need Danzo's assurance that you won't disclose this matter. Ensure that the lives of Kabuto, Nonou, and me are undisturbed."
As he said this, Akihara Kagura's expression gradually became sincere: "I know I have troubles, so I won't choose to become Hokage. Instead, I chose to become the leader of the Root."
"..."
Shimura Danzo's expression softened significantly.
If this brat says he doesn't want to be Hokage, Shimura Danzo did feel that Akihara Kagura took a step back. The brat seemed genuine in his intentions…
"We regulate each other to maintain peace."
Akihara Kagura looked at Shimura Danzo, expressing his plan: "As long as you write an order for mobilizing one hundred and forty Sharingans, I won't give this order to the Third Hokage as a peace of mind guarantee."
"Anyway…"
"This matter has already been settled."
Akihara Kagura gazed at Shimura Danzo, whose expression was somewhat ugly, and continued: "Since everyone assumes you obtained that many Sharingans, it doesn't matter if you write one down, right?"
"I'll help you hide this matter. If the Third Hokage asks tomorrow, I'll say that all Sharingans were destroyed and won't reveal that you hid over a hundred Sharingans."
"..."
Shimura Danzo fell silent.
Was this burden destined to stay on him?
"Pen."
Shimura Danzo released his cane and extended his hand towards Akihara Kagura, still trying to maintain the pride he once had as the Root leader.
"..."
Akihara Kagura respectfully handed a pen to Shimura Danzo.
As long as Shimura Danzo was willing to bear the deficit of these Sharingans, in the future, if the Root Ninjas had Sharingans, it could be attributed to Shimura Danzo conducting human experiments.