After Sarutobi Hiruzen gave the order, he continued smoking, eyes fixed on the report in his hand, when a knock sounded on the office door.
"Come in."
Naraku heard the dignified voice from inside and stepped into the office.
"Third Hokage-sama."
"Yes, Naraku. You're here." The Third Hokage nodded, falling into a pensive silence once again.
He was troubled by the recent disappearances of shinobi. While the Uchiha clan had suffered many losses, they were not the only ones. Other clans and civilian ninjas had also gone missing. Still, the Uchiha were among the few with enough strength and motivation to potentially orchestrate something of this scale—or be the prime target of such an act.
Seeing the Third Hokage's detached expression, seemingly lost in thought, Naraku cleared his throat softly.
"Third Hokage-sama, in recent weeks, fifteen of our Uchiha clan's Genin and Chūnin have gone missing. The methods used were ruthless and precise. Does the Hokage have any insight into the matter?"
Hiruzen had expected this. The moment he heard Naraku was coming, he knew this confrontation was inevitable.
But irritation brewed quietly within him. The Uchiha weren't the only ones affected. The disappearance of Konoha shinobi extended beyond any one clan.
"The Konoha Military Police Force hasn't found any leads?" Hiruzen asked calmly, sidestepping the direct question.
"No clues yet," Naraku replied steadily. "But we do have preliminary suspects."
The mention of a suspect caught Hiruzen's attention. His eyes narrowed slightly, a faint smile playing at his lips.
"Hmm… impressive. And who might that be?"
Naraku didn't answer. He simply held the Hokage's gaze.
The Third Hokage waited but grew unsettled under Naraku's silent stare. His thoughts raced—and then the truth struck him.
The slight smile vanished. His expression hardened.
The Uchiha were indeed the primary victims. The pattern of the disappearances—precise, untraceable, surgical—did resemble someone's signature.
Danzō.
"Hiruzen, what did you call me for?"
The door opened, and a middle-aged man entered, his right eye and right arm heavily bandaged. It was Shimura Danzō.
His return from the Third Shinobi World War had left him injured. His right arm was now unusable, hanging in front of him. He walked with the air of a man who had given everything for the village.
Hiruzen had wanted to question him privately, but now that Naraku was present, he couldn't.
Danzō never asked for permission or knocked. He simply entered—like a shadow of authority unto himself.
"You're not with the Police Force right now, Uchiha. So why are you here?" Danzō said coldly, eye narrowing slightly at Naraku, as though he were the Hokage himself.
Despite Danzō's disrespect, Naraku kept his composure.
"Hokage Assistant-sama, there has been a string of disappearances among Konoha's shinobi—especially from my Uchiha clan. I came to inform the Hokage and seek assistance."
Danzō gave him a brief glance, as though evaluating a tool. Pretending not to recognize Naraku's position, he replied:
"Oh? Missing-nin? Then why are you wasting time here instead of out investigating, member of the Police Force?"
Naraku's name and information had long been pinned on Root's internal bulletin board. Danzō knew exactly who he was.
"As a senior officer of the Konoha Military Police Force, I have already deployed squads to investigate. I came here to report findings to the Hokage."
"There's no need to trouble the Hokage over such a minor issue," Danzō replied sharply. "You must capture the criminals, not make excuses."
He spoke with disdain as if he had no idea that the Uchiha were the ones suffering the most.
"There are no clues, and whoever is behind this is not an ordinary rogue. This is the work of an elite ninja or a powerful organization."
"No clues?" Danzō echoed mockingly. "So the mighty Uchiha Police are this incompetent? Hiruzen, perhaps it's time to disband them and stop wasting the village's resources."
He shook his head, visibly disappointed. Hiruzen smoked in silence, lips pressed tight.
Naraku's fists clenched. He restrained himself.
"Over twenty are missing. Fifteen from my clan alone. This isn't the work of one rogue ninja. It has to be an organization."
Danzō tilted his head.
"Which one? Sunagakure? Iwagakure? Or perhaps some mercenaries?"
"I personally led our forces against Suna and Iwa. They've been crushed—neither has the reach nor subtlety for something like this."
"If a wandering band of missing-nin can do this, then frankly, your entire police force should resign."
That last jab broke Naraku's restraint.
"Hmph. The organization I suspect... is Anbu."
The room went dead silent.
After a long pause, Hiruzen's brows creased. "Anbu are under my direct command. They serve to protect Konoha and carry out covert operations. Be careful with your words, Naraku."
Danzō slammed his hand on the desk.
"What nonsense! You're saying the Hokage's personal soldiers are kidnapping our own shinobi? That he's destroying the very village he built? Do you hear yourself?"
Naraku raised his voice to match.
"Then who else has the power to make fifteen trained Uchiha vanish without a trace—right under the noses of our patrols?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen, though stern on the outside, had his suspicions too. But he couldn't afford to show weakness now.
He exhaled smoke slowly, face unreadable.
"You're right. There is a powerful force behind this. Anbu will also investigate, alongside your Police Force. We will uncover the truth."
"Return to your duties, for now, Naraku. I will give you answers when I have them."
Though not yet as power-hungry or desperate as in his later years, Hiruzen still prioritized political control. He understood Naraku's anger and chose to maintain the balance.
Naraku bowed slightly.
"Understood, Third Hokage-sama. The Uchiha and the Police Force will continue our investigation. And if we find the one responsible…"
He paused, then said coldly:
"I'll make sure they don't die easily… or live freely ever again."
His eyes fell on Danzō before turning to leave.
Danzō remained expressionless, bandaged eye hidden, arm limp before him. Once, both arms had been whole. But not anymore. He wore the mask of a war-torn hero—strong, loyal, and broken.
But Naraku saw the shadow behind it.
"Hmph." He snorted coldly and exited the Hokage's office.
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