Aware that the Third Hokage and many powerful ninjas with strong chakra signatures were about to arrive, the clone chose to retreat.
This clone must be preserved!
How could Danzo possibly agree? At this moment, he was overwhelmed with rage, his judgment clouded. He didn't even care about covering up the scene.
The traitor had used this technique to attack Root before, causing immense losses. That incident had directly contributed to Danzo's current predicament.
Now, Danzo was both shocked and furious.
Shocked that someone had been spying on him all along! Furious that Root had been attacked yet again—twice now. Anyone would be enraged if their stronghold was repeatedly invaded.
Swept up in his anger, Danzo failed to notice the Hokage and his party approaching.
The Root ninjas, trained to be emotionless and obedient, did not remind him either. Their duty was only to follow orders, and they refrained from interfering with Danzo's growing rage.
But there was no need to panic.
Escaping was a top priority!
These remaining Root ninjas—weren't they the last of Root's elite Jonin?
Should they all be eliminated?
The idea was tempting.
If every single one of these Root ninjas were killed, would Root collapse entirely?
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time.
Hokage and his squad were nearly here. If he stayed any longer, escape would be impossible.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
The clone turned back, unleashing dozens of air bullets infused with sharp wind chakra, firing them at the pursuing Root ninjas.
Taking advantage of the brief opening, the clone activated the Body Flicker Technique, using it three times in rapid succession to gain distance from the pursuers.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was not used—after all, the main body had relied on it frequently. Anyone familiar with him knew it was an exclusive technique.
However, Body Flicker was sufficient. He only needed to create some distance.
"Earth Release: Earth Submersion Technique!"
The clone sank into the ground.
Going too deep would slow down movement, so he settled at about fifty meters underground, oriented himself, and began his escape.
Underground movement wasn't completely undetectable, but the earth slightly obstructed chakra perception, making tracking more difficult.
Sensing underground activity was challenging. While perception ninjas could detect chakra beneath the surface, the range and clarity were significantly reduced compared to tracking on land.
Still, skilled trackers could sense movement underground.
If someone actively used Sensory Ninjutsu and deliberately searched below the surface, a depth of one or two hundred meters might be difficult to detect, but fifty meters was well within range.
To throw off pursuit, the clone split off a shadow clone, sending it in another direction while deliberately leaving traces.
Then, the main clone burrowed another fifty meters deeper before shifting direction.
By the time the Root ninja realized their mistake in tracking, the clone had already reached the Naka River, where it slipped into the water and transitioned into Water Release: Water Movement Technique.
After swimming a safe distance and ensuring his scent had been washed away, he emerged from the river and quietly made his way back to Uchiha Kiyo's residence—his home.
---
When the clone had appeared to lure the Root ninja, the Hokage and his group had already arrived at the scene.
Seeing the massive Earth Dungeon imprisoning the area, the Third Hokage's expression darkened. He had a terrible premonition.
Danzo, realizing the severity of the situation as he faced so many clan leaders and the Hokage, cursed inwardly.
"Damn it!"
He didn't know who to blame.
"Danzo! Confess your crimes!"
The first to speak was Uchiha Suke, unable to contain his fury.
Though the other clan leaders despised Danzo, the missing members from their clans were not their absolute elites. But Uchiha's case was different.
Uchiha Kiyo was a genius with the Mangekyō Sharingan at just thirteen years old!
Moreover, the Uchiha clan was powerful and not afraid of Danzo, so Uchiha Suke directly confronted him.
For a ninja to disappear within his own village—this was an unforgivable disgrace.
Uchiha Suke was truly furious this time.
Even more, the Senju clan had been weakened by Danzo's schemes, leading to the death of Nawaki Senju. The fallout had been severe, but not explosive.
The situation with Uchiha Kiyo, however, was vastly different.
During the recent war with the Land of Wind, Uchiha had contributed greatly to Konoha's victories.
The name "Blood-Eyed Shura" had spread across the ninja world.
On the battlefield, Uchiha Kiyo and Hatake Sakumo had saved countless Konoha ninjas by eliminating Sand Village's puppet squads!
Uchiha's reputation on the front lines was immense, and unlike before, it was overwhelmingly positive.
Even if some people suspected foul play in Uchiha Kiyo's death, few dared to speak up.
---
"Hmph!"
The Third Hokage sighed, helpless in this situation. Even if he wanted to help, he couldn't.
"What crime have I committed?" Danzo retorted. "I was merely at Root headquarters when an intruder attacked us! Why is the first thing out of your mouth an accusation, Uchiha Suke?"
Danzo feigned ignorance, acting as if he had no idea what Uchiha Suke was implying.
"Furthermore, Patriarch Suke, why is it that the moment you arrive, you are not curious about what happened here but instead immediately blame me? Could it be that you knew something beforehand?"
Danzo was utterly shameless—not only playing dumb but also twisting the situation to attack Uchiha Suke!
Uchiha Suke trembled with anger.
"Ridiculous! How could I possibly know beforehand?!"
Hateful!
At that moment, Nara Teru, the elder of the Nara clan, spoke up.
With the Nara clan's patriarch at the front lines, it was the elder who handled village affairs.
The Uchiha and Nara clans were now aligned in their goals, but Nara Teru couldn't stand by while Uchiha Suke was being cornered.
"Danzo, you've made us curious. What exactly is inside this Earth Dungeon? Isn't Root headquarters over there?"
He subtly glanced at the actual Root base.
The Nara clan's intelligence was invaluable. By this point, Nara Teru was almost certain who the real culprit was.
Danzo's face twisted.
He had set himself up.
Now, the clan leaders were all eager to see what lay within the Earth Dungeon.
And judging by Nara Teru's expression, he might have already guessed!
Damn it! This couldn't be salvaged.
The dungeon wasn't sealed; they didn't even need to break it to see what was inside.
Nara Teru leaped onto the dungeon's peak.
"What the—?!"
Inside, hundreds of people were packed tightly.
This was Root's training ground for new recruits.
But the sheer number of trainees was shocking.
A rough count estimated five to six hundred individuals.
Among them were a handful of trained Root ninjas, but most were recruits.
Was this an urgent replenishment of forces or had it always been this way?
Given the intelligence from the mysterious informant, Nara Teru believed it was the latter.
But if so—what happened to the "eliminated" ones?
---
As the other clan leaders climbed up and beheld the sight, a collective gasp filled the air.
"Danzo, what have you done?!"
Even the Third Hokage could no longer defend him.
Danzo, however, remained unwavering.
"They were sacrificed for Konoha."
The clan leaders exploded in rage.
Even the Hokage fell silent, realizing how deeply the village's power structure was at risk.
This confrontation had only just begun.
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