"No..."
Hozuki Mangetsu looked at the scene with some surprise and asked, "Is that Shimura Danzo still going back to Konoha? Won't he defect?"
This kind of thing...
Is really hard to understand!
Shimura Danzo, leading his subordinates, intended to assassinate the village's advisory elders, yet he still wouldn't defect, still wanted to return to Konoha? Did he think returning to Konoha would end it?
"Impossible."
"Danzo would never defect..."
Mitokado Homura shook his head, deeply convinced of this.
Even though Shimura Danzo wanted to kill Mitokado Homura, Mitokado Homura never thought that Shimura Danzo would betray Konoha. He believed Shimura Danzo would definitely return to Konoha.
It's just that...
Perhaps Konoha would face a power struggle.
However...
Mitokado Homura was quickly proven wrong.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen personally led the Anbu to welcome and even appease them, he began searching for Shimura Danzo, wanting to confront him.
The result...
There was no trace of Shimura Danzo.
Instead, rumors of Danzo's defection gradually emerged in the Ninja World.
Inside the Hokage Tower.
When the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, heard the news, his first thought was disbelief. He looked at the Anbu who came to report with disbelief.
"You're saying Danzo defected?"
"Yes."
The Anbu Ninja had to inform Sarutobi Hiruzen of this news: "Rumors of Shimura Danzo's defection have appeared in the Ninja World, and there's even talk of Danzo contacting other enemy ninja villages..."
"..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind was struck as if by lightning.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were also struggling to accept this matter.
As old friends for many years, with sixty years of friendship, they thought Shimura Danzo might commit various crimes but never believed Shimura Danzo would defect Konoha.
However...
The rumors in the Ninja World were detailed and vivid.
Some even claimed Shimura Danzo founded a new ninja village, that Shimura Danzo allied with Orochimaru, and that Shimura Danzo defected to The Hidden Cloud Village.
Sarutobi Hiruzen held a pipe in his hand, finding it hard to believe, yet Konoha hadn't received any communication from Shimura Danzo himself during this time.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's emotions were particularly complex; he always thought Jiraiya wanted to capture Orochimaru, and Kakashi Hatake wanted to track Uchiha Obito, which was naive and pitiful.
However...
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt this emotion himself.
He was just doing his job as Hokage, nearing retirement age...
Almost seventy...
And his companion defected...
The feeling of a companion betraying Konoha and taking the wrong path was indeed painful, making one wish to bring him back immediately.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, without saying a word, wanted to don his armor. His aged face showed a touch of determination as he coldly spoke to the two Hokage Advisors: "During this time, you and Kagura handle the village's affairs; I'm going to bring back Danzo!"
"Hiruzen, don't be impulsive!"
"Monkey, don't be impulsive!"
The two Hokage Advisors hurriedly stopped Sarutobi Hiruzen.
If Jiraiya were to track Orochimaru, it might be understandable; however, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the Hokage of the village, and it made no sense for the Hokage to abandon his duties to chase Danzo!
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the two advisors and said in a deep voice, "You should know the severe consequences if Danzo becomes a traitorous ninja..."
Yes!
The consequences would be extremely serious.
Shimura Danzo had too many secrets in his hands!
The list of Konoha's intelligence personnel, information on Konoha's Anbu personnel, information on all of Konoha's ninjas, information on various major ninja clans in Konoha, Shimura Danzo knew almost all of it without exception.
To put it bluntly...
If Shimura Danzo did defect, the blow to Konoha would be unprecedentedly severe. If he casually sold some of Konoha's information, Konoha would suffer significant losses; if he sold all of Konoha's intelligence, Konoha would experience unprecedented decline!
Shimura Danzo was no small figure!
Shimura Danzo had once held the position of Hokage Assistant, and Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't hide many things from Danzo; he had participated in many past high-level meetings in Konoha!
"Hiruzen, you are the Hokage of Konoha."
Utatane Koharu was fully aware of the consequences of Shimura Danzo's defection, yet she still had to persuade, "A village's shadow cannot be frivolously moved. Even in the most difficult times of the Ninja World Wars, weren't you left to sit in the village?"
"Indeed..."
Mitokado Homura also began to persuade and offered, "However, with Danzo's nature, he wouldn't be subordinate to others, and neither would he rely on other ninja villages..."
Though Shimura Danzo often acted despicably, his ambition was high, even once being only a step away from becoming Hokage of Konoha!
Utatane Koharu, seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen a bit swayed, continued to persuade, "Your age has advanced, your strength can't keep up, how can you chase Danzo?"
"..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was suddenly silent.
Yes!
He no longer had the strength to catch up to Danzo...
Shimura Danzo was old too, so why would he defect?
"Let the Anbu track down Danzo's whereabouts first."
Utatane Koharu quickly seized the opportunity to offer a feasible suggestion: "Once Danzo's location is found, gather a large force to encircle him and bring him back..."
"Root can also participate."
Akihara Kagura shook her head, also offering her suggestion: "Root, although it only has Karin and three squads of ninjas, Karin has powerful perception ability..."
"Agreed!"
Mitokado Homura eagerly nodded and also considered Danzo's character: "Even if Danzo defected at this time, in the future, he is likely to want to return to Konoha. We should be careful to prevent any scheme by Danzo..."
"Should a warrant be issued?"
Utatane Koharu brought up a crucial question.
"Should we issue it?"
Mitokado Homura furrowed his brow, raised his question: "If, by chance, a village ninja encounters him, how should they deal with him? Last time, Danzo fooled me and Kagura; we thought he would immediately lead the team back to the village..."
"Issue it."
Sarutobi Hiruzen gradually calmed, sitting at his desk with a grim expression: "If Danzo indeed chooses to defect, we must quickly find his location and kill him immediately, never allowing him to harm Konoha!"
"If he did not defect..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at the time, continuing coldly: "According to the village's rules, leaving the village without notifying the Hokage and not returning in time is tantamount to defection, and it should be listed as a traitor warrant..."
"Furthermore..."
"Whether or not we issue a warrant, the Ninja World already views Danzo as a Konoha traitor, and delaying the issuance might invite ridicule from enemy nations."
"So, issue it as is!"
"Shimura Danzo, to be listed on the highest S-Class Traitorous Ninja Warrant list, anyone who sees Danzo should kill him without hesitation. Anbu and Root are to prioritize hunting him down!"
"We can only do this..."
Mitokado Homura sighed deeply.
"..."
Akihara Kagura furrowed her brow, seemingly unhappy: "Back then, it was Lord Danzo who rescued me from Orochimaru's lab, brought me into Root, guiding me to protect the village's Root Will in darkness. Who would have thought today we would issue a warrant for Lord Danzo..."
Truly unexpected...
Perhaps it is the unpredictability of things?
Shimura Danzo, who personally brought Akihara Kagura into Konoha, was actually expelled from Konoha Village, even driven out by Akihara Kagura whom he had personally brought into Konoha.
"Kagura!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know Akihara Kagura's true thoughts, thinking the young Kagura might still care about Danzo, immediately scolding Kagura harshly and educating her.
"The next time you see Danzo, be sure not to show any mercy. Kill him immediately, in the fastest way possible!"