Kaede Kitahara dropped a revelation so explosive that both of his teammates nearly jumped out of their skin.
What kind of nightmare information was this? That man called Shimura Danzo had once been the head of the Anbu. And someone like that had even tried to assassinate a Hokage?
What was worse was that a man who had attempted to kill the Hokage wasn't executed. He was still allowed to run Root.
Hyuga Keiko stared at Kaede as if she were seeing a ghost. Even members of major clans didn't know secrets of this level. How did a civilian kid like Kaede Kitahara know something so classified?
Was there seriously something wrong with him?
"That… that… no way. There's no way." Amakusa Ryuji could barely form a sentence.
Now he finally understood the kind of danger they might be dealing with. Someone who dared target the Hokage, yet walked free and held high authority in Konoha, wasn't just terrifying. He was untouchable.
"What's so impossible about it? Why else do you think he went from Anbu Commander to… this?" Kaede said.
Shimura Danzo had been stripped of his command over the Anbu, reduced to overseeing only Root. It all stemmed from that incident years ago.
Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't had the heart to kill his old comrade, but punishment still had to be delivered.
Danzo lost his grip on the Anbu and was pushed into the shadows. Root's leader. Nothing more.
That also destroyed his path to becoming Hokage. A man who hid underground with no visible merit or public achievements couldn't realistically get the support required for the title. Not under normal circumstances.
The Third Hokage's move had been ruthless. It cut off Danzo's hope of redemption and slammed shut the door to the Hokage seat.
And because Danzo had committed such a treasonous act, he didn't have the standing to rebel against Hiruzen's decision. All he could do was accept his role and become a root buried in the darkness.
"But don't go repeating any of this," Kaede said. "If either Shimura Danzo or the Third Hokage hears you spread it, you'll both be dead before you know it."
He didn't bother showing respect anymore. Shimura Danzo was famous for taking the blame like a walking Root Commander Danzo, and Kaede never held any admiration for him. Especially not now, when it was clear Danzo might already be targeting him.
Still, he didn't intend to drag his teammates down with him.
"Got it, got it!" Ryuji nodded so fast he nearly broke his neck.
His worldview felt like it had exploded. In just a few minutes, he had learned things that shattered everything he thought he knew.
If he heard any more, he was pretty sure his heart would give out.
He was already regretting asking so many questions. Every ninja learned early that sometimes knowing too much was a curse.
"Move out," Kaede said.
The three didn't waste another moment and changed course, sprinting across the trees.
Behind them, the Root squad pursuing them immediately picked up the change in direction and halted.
Their captain, wearing a monkey mask, crouched on a branch. A single Kikaichu crawled over his finger, identifying him as a member of the Aburame Clan.
"They changed direction. Did they sense us?" the monkey-masked ninja murmured.
The message from the beetle was enough for him to judge.
"Most likely. Their team has a branch member from the Hyuga Clan. It's normal she'd detect us," said a goat-masked ninja behind him.
"It doesn't matter. They're just a few regular Chunin. Even if they noticed, so what?" an eagle-masked ninja said.
"We'll catch up anyway. It's only a matter of time," a fox-masked ninja added.
The monkey mask nodded. "After we kill them, we leave evidence that makes it look like Suzuki Ryuto did it."
Unlike the others, he knew exactly why they were sent.
This Chunin named Kaede Kitahara had gotten suspiciously close to the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki yesterday. That made him a potential threat. So Danzo changed Kaede's mission at the last minute to draw him out of the village and have him eliminated.
Even if the Third Hokage noticed something was wrong later, it would be too late.
As a Root operative, he was loyal only to Shimura Danzo. If Danzo ordered him to assassinate the Hokage right now, he would do it without hesitation.
"Move out."
The Root squad surged forward, speeding after Kaede's team.
"They're chasing us. Definitely after us," Hyuga Keiko said. She kept her Byakugan open long enough to confirm they were following, then deactivated it.
Like the Sharingan, maintaining Byakugan burned chakra. With a battle inevitable, she needed to conserve as much as possible.
"Looks like we'll have to fight," Kaede sighed.
But inside, something flickered with excitement.
When a blade rests in someone's hands, the urge to use it eventually rises.
With how much his strength had grown thanks to the diary system, Kaede felt the same hunger.
By his own estimation, his chakra reserves were already at elite Jonin level. Combined with a one-tomoe Sharingan, he'd have no trouble taking down a normal Tokubetsu Jonin.
He thought it through. Standard Anbu squads usually had a Tokubetsu Jonin captain and elite Chunin as subordinates. Root followed similar patterns… but Root was unpredictable.
Kaede himself was strong enough. But Hyuga Keiko and Amakusa Ryuji were only regular Chunin. Against Anbu or Root elites, they'd be wiped out instantly.
He had only one viable plan. Kill the enemy captain as fast as possible. Then he could deal with the remaining Root operatives before they overwhelmed his teammates.
He reached into his vest and took out a small box. Inside were a pair of colored contacts.
He'd prepared them ever since awakening the Sharingan. They hid its color and could catch enemies off guard.
The Uchiha Clan had been gone for a long time. There was no reason for Root to suspect they'd run into a Sharingan.
He hadn't expected Danzo's cleanup to come this fast, though. The man was bold, almost suicidal.
Kaede also realized something else. This entire mission to track down Suzuki Ryuto was probably created specifically to lure him out.
No wonder Uzumaki Naruto had never had any friends growing up. Anyone who got close probably ended up "cleaned up" just like this.