It wasn't until over half an hour later.
That was when Danzo Shimura finally stepped out of Hiruzen Sarutobi's residence. Aside from the two men themselves, no one knew what had been discussed during that lengthy, closed-door conversation.
All the way back to the Root base, Danzo remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.
Once inside, he finally muttered under his breath,
"Hiruzen… very well. I'll make him a Root that bathes in sunlight."
In Danzo's mind, he had just made what he considered the most brilliant decision of his life:
He would make Veigar Koshima the first Root agent to operate openly under the sun, rather than being buried in the darkness like the rest.
In simple terms?
A spy.
"Send Dove. Veigar must be brought back tonight."
Danzo issued the cold, decisive order.
"Yes, sir," came the immediate response from a shadowed Root ninja, who then vanished from the base.
In Danzo's mind, the Uchiha Clan could not be left unchecked—but neither could Veigar be ignored.
Since obtaining Veigar through Hiruzen had failed, it was time to activate the backup plan he had prepared long ago.
Kidnap Veigar, drag him back to Root's base, brand him with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, and once fully conditioned, send him back to the surface—to continue executing Hiruzen's secret mission alongside Minato Namikaze.
This way, Danzo could uncover Hiruzen's complete plan to deal with the Uchiha, place a mole at Hiruzen's side, and most importantly, create a Root agent who could walk in the light.
To Danzo, it was a perfect play—a victory on every front.
Meanwhile, Dove, the Root operative who had previously been assigned to monitor Veigar, was already stationed near Veigar's residence with two subordinates: Moth and Octospike.
But Dove now found himself facing a headache.
Ever since this afternoon, when Danzo had ordered surveillance on Veigar, the three of them had been staking out the area… yet Veigar hadn't returned home at all.
Unbeknownst to them, Veigar wouldn't be coming home tonight.
Time ticked by.
Still, no sign of Veigar.
But just when they were about to consider alternate strategies, someone unexpected appeared.
A jonin from Kumogakure—Renchi Furuyama.
While the trio had their eyes locked on Veigar's home from various hidden angles, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared atop the rooftop.
"Dove-sama, who is that...?"
Octospike whispered from the darkness.
But before he could finish, Dove coldly cut him off.
"Renchi Furuyama. From the Hidden Cloud."
As one of Danzo's most elite operatives, Dove had memorized the identities of all foreign shinobi currently inside the Hidden Leaf. Recognizing Renchi took him less than a second.
"What do we do?"
Moth asked from Dove's left.
Before they could decide on action, Renchi Furuyama descended straight into Veigar's home.
"Keep watch. We'll report to Lord Danzo shortly."
Dove had no intention of intervening. He knew Veigar wasn't inside, and acting without direct orders was forbidden. Observation came first.
Inside Veigar's home, Renchi swept through every room, finding no trace of his target.
"Still not home? Or… not coming back at all?"
Standing in Veigar's bedroom, Renchi hesitated.
Should he leave? Or wait?
After leaving the assembly earlier that day and confirming Veigar as his son's killer, Renchi had begun a relentless pursuit. Hours of investigation had finally led him to this address.
He had come tonight for one reason only—
To kill Veigar. Fast. Clean. Revenge for his son.
Tonight was also his last chance—by tomorrow, he'd be departing the Hidden Leaf, escorting his employer back to the Land of Lightning.
Miss this window, and hunting Veigar again would demand enormous manpower and resources.
So now… Renchi was stuck.
If Veigar were still due home, waiting might still yield results. But if Veigar wouldn't return tonight, he was wasting time and risking exposure.
What Renchi didn't know was—he had already been discovered.
Dove, determined to learn what Renchi was doing inside, nodded to Moth.
Without knowing Moth's exact origins, Dove could still tell—he was from the Aburame clan.
"Hiden: Insect Sight Jutsu."
A tiny moth, no larger than a mosquito, emerged from Moth's body and flew toward Veigar's home. At the same time, his eyes beneath the mask transformed into the compound eyes of an insect.
His vision now flowed through the moth inside.
As Renchi stood in Veigar's bedroom, everything he did was relayed to Dove and Octospike through Moth's sensory link.
Suddenly—Renchi's instincts flared.
He'd felt it. Someone—or something—was watching him.
"Damn!"
Outside, Moth realized his mistake—he had kept the insect's gaze fixed for too long, making it obvious.
"I've been spotted!"
He immediately severed the jutsu.
"He may have noticed me," Moth whispered to Dove and Octospike, who both tensed, preparing for combat.
Inside, Renchi glanced up at the ceiling… and spotted the moth.
"A moth...?"
Doubt flickered in his mind. But then—recognition hit.
"The Aburame Clan...!"
"I've been exposed!"
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