Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 9 Danzo, I am the Hokage!

"Lord Danzo! The Hokage requests your immediate attendance at an emergency meeting!" Inside the Root base, an Anbu ninja belonging to the Hokage bowed respectfully to Danzo, who was sitting behind his desk.

"I understand, I'll set off now." Danzo replied calmly, half of his face wrapped in bandages.

After the ANBU ninja left, Danzo immediately summoned his trusted confidant, Aburame Ryoma.

"Has the situation last night been investigated thoroughly?" Danzo tapped the armrest lightly with his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages.

This is his arm, where he received a transplant of interstitial cells, and it's throbbing slightly.

"Reporting to Lord Danzo," Ryoma Aburame reported in a deep voice, "Last night, a mysterious masked ninja attacked the Hyuga clan's territory. Hizashi Hyuga was seriously injured and sent to Konoha Hospital, Hiashi Hyuga was also slightly injured, and the Kumogakure envoy has also gone missing."

"The Hyuga clan?" Upon hearing that it was a mysterious ninja wearing a mask, Danzo's left eye narrowed and his brows furrowed slightly.

He couldn't help but think that there seemed to be a mysterious masked person within the Akatsuki organization.

But after that battle four years ago, the Akatsuki went into hiding and stopped recruiting. Danzo's subordinates also had no further information about the Akatsuki.

They could only indirectly obtain some scattered information about the Akatsuki through spies lurking in Amegakure.

"A member of Akatsuki?" A sinister glint flashed in Danzo's eyes. The regret of not being able to seize the Rinnegan still haunted him.

“It’s unlikely,” Ryoma Aburame analyzed. “The spies lurking in Amegakure haven’t sent any information. If Akatsuki wanted revenge, they would target Hanzo of the Salamander first, and there’s no reason for them to attack the Hyuga clan.”

Four years ago, during the siege, Danzo, together with Hanzo of the Salamander, mobilized most of the Root ninjas, forcing Yahiko to his death and also triggering Nagato's Rinnegan to erupt.

The Akatsuki organization is now reduced to a few remnants, who are hiding in Amegakure, gathering strength for revenge.

If the Akatsuki were to seek revenge, their first target would undoubtedly be Hanzo of the Salamander, who is closer to them.

"Let's go, don't keep the Hokage waiting." Danzo slowly stood up and hid his bandaged right arm in his wide robe.

Aburame Ryoma then followed.

------

The atmosphere inside the Hokage Building's conference room was heavy, filled with smoke.

When Shimura Danzo entered the meeting room with a sullen face, all the Konoha high-ranking officials were already present.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the Hokage's robes, sat regally in the head seat at the very top.

On the left are two senior advisors, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.

On the right sat the injured Hyuga Hiashi.

A member of the Anbu wearing a white cat mask stood silently behind the Hokage.

"Danzo, you're a little late." Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses with his right index finger, scrutinizing his old friend behind the lenses.

“The affairs of the Root are complicated.” Danzo simply said, then walked over and sat down next to Hiashi Hyuga.

"Alright, everyone's here." Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the document in his hand, took a puff of his pipe, and said to Kakashi behind him, "Give this document to Danzo for review."

"Yes!" The silver-haired ANBU bowed slightly, picked up the documents from Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk, and walked to Danzo's side.

Danzo's left eye narrowed slightly when he saw the report compiled by the Anbu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "The mysterious person who attacked the Hyuga clan last night killed the Kumogakure envoy and dumped the body on the Hyuga clan's territory, intending to frame the Hyuga clan. Fortunately, Hiashi discovered the anomaly in time and took the initiative to attack, thus avoiding more serious consequences."

"However, the opponent is very strong. Hizashi was seriously injured, and Hiashi also suffered some minor injuries."

“I sent the Anbu to pursue them, but we lost track of them. The enemy seems to know a lot about Konoha’s barrier. This is no small matter. I’ve already had the barrier team and the Anbu investigate.” After saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe and exhaled a puff of smoke.

Of course, Hiashi Hyuga couldn't truthfully report that he killed the Cloud Village envoy himself last night.

Hiashi Hyuga shifted all blame for last night's events to the mysterious man, and the fact that the two Hyuga clan leaders, one seriously injured and the other slightly injured, was enough to give an explanation to Konoha.

Even if the Hidden Cloud Village questions it, the Hokage's higher-ups can't blame the Hyuga clan, otherwise what would the other ninja clans think?

“Third Hokage,” Hiashi Hyuga added, “This morning when I returned to the clan compound, I discovered that the study had been broken into.”

Ok?
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and said in a deep voice, "It seems that he escaped the pursuit of the Anbu ninjas and launched a surprise attack."

"The enemy is very familiar with the terrain of our village..." Hiruzen Sarutobi mused.

The first thing that came to his mind was the rogue ninja who had defected in recent years.

But upon closer examination, he couldn't think of any rogue ninja with such strength, capable of fighting the two Hyuga clan leaders alone. Such a powerful ninja couldn't possibly be unknown.

In the present Konoha, Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha have not yet defected. Among the hundreds of recorded rogue ninja, the strongest should be Hiruko.

"What are the characteristics of the ninjutsu used by the other side?" Danzo asked Hiashi Hyuga after reading the Anbu's report.

Could such a powerful ninja have been enemies with the Hyuga clan during the last war?

Hiashi Hyuga carefully considered his words: "The opponent's taijutsu skills are extremely high, and he has done a good job of studying the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist, but his taijutsu style is unknown."

The Japanese team was too embarrassed to admit that their opponents had defeated the two brothers in just over ten rounds, so they could only fabricate some explanations.

"The ninjutsu he used was one I'd never seen before; it seemed to condense chakra into a sphere, and its destructive power was immense," Hiashi added.

"Chakra condensed into a sphere..." The first thing Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of was the Rasengan invented by the Fourth Hokage.

However, Hiashi Hyuga added, "It is somewhat similar to the Rasengan invented by the Fourth Hokage, but the ninjutsu is much larger. Moreover, compared to the brightness of the Rasengan, the enemy's spherical ninjutsu is dark in color and has an astonishing destructive power. Hizashi was hit by this move and almost lost his life."

"So what exactly is his purpose?" Koharu Utatane asked, somewhat puzzled. "Is it to provoke a war between Kumogakure and Konoha?"

The Cloud Village envoy died in the Hyuga clan's territory. If the Hyuga clan hadn't held off this mysterious person until the Anbu ninjas arrived, they might have been framed for the death.

Hiashi Hyuga said without changing his expression, "Perhaps."

In reality, he himself was unsure of the mysterious person's true purpose. He had discovered and killed the Cloud Village envoy who had kidnapped Hinata. If this mysterious person hadn't been there, the meeting might have turned into a confrontation between the Konoha leadership and the Hyuga clan, questioning their intentions.

"I will have someone inform Jiraiya and the ninjas traveling abroad to inquire about this mysterious person." The meeting ultimately failed to reach a clear conclusion.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could only order increased vigilance and send people to contact Jiraiya and other ninjas outside to gather information.

After everyone else had left, only Danzo remained in the meeting room.

"Hiruzen." Danzo's one eye looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was wearing a divine robe, and suddenly turned cold: "It's only been three years since the Nine-Tails' attack, and the village has been attacked again. Is this the achievement you've made since you returned to this position?"

"The village is currently lacking in high-level combat power, so why not hand Naruto over to Root..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted sharply, "That's Minato's child!"

"Precisely because they are Minato's children, they should be nurtured with great care!"

The Third Hokage declared resolutely: "Enough! Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

"Hiruzen! You'll regret this!" Shimura Danzo said, slamming the door behind him as he left.

Door: Bang!
(End of this chapter)