The Uchiha Clan's Sun

"Heh, do you not know what to do in the future, or how to face Shimura Danzo?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, being an old and shrewd man, saw through Tenzo's confusion at a glance and pointed out his current predicament.

Tenzo was taken aback upon hearing this and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with surprise.

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled and said, "You're wondering why I knew you were sent by Danzo Shimura? Heh, it's not hard to guess!"

"The Wood Release technique is a unique secret technique of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Even in the thousands of years of the Senju clan's history, no one else has possessed it!"

"If we want to use Wood Release, we definitely have to start with Hashirama-sama's cells!"

"The Wood Release experiment began as early as the time of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. I had previously supported this experiment, but due to the excessive losses and minimal results, I had no choice but to stop it in the end!"

"Later, I heard that Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru restarted the experiment. All sixty test subjects in the first batch died. After I discovered this, the experiment was stopped!"

After a pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over Tenzo before he said, "But it seems that Danzo Shimura lied to me back then. Their experiments weren't entirely without results!"

Tenzo remained silent, which was tantamount to acknowledging Hiruzen Sarutobi's guess.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled and shook his head, saying, "To be honest, your personality is really unlike that of a Root ninja under Danzo Shimura. You... aren't as cold-blooded as them!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi had actually discovered Tenzo's 'uniqueness' long ago. He had neither rich experience nor had his humanity been eroded. If it weren't for the fact that his Wood Release technique was so distinctive, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never have associated him with Danzo Shimura!

It's only natural that Tenzo isn't like those Root ninjas.

Tenzo was not one of the ordinary orphans collected by Shimura Danzo, but the only experimental subject to survive those experiments. He was the only ninja in the current ninja world who could use the Wood Release secret technique. Naturally, Shimura Danzo could not train Tenzo like he would train ordinary Root ninjas!

Although Shimura Danzo was still very strict with Tenzo in training him in various skills such as ninjutsu and taijutsu, he rarely let Tenzo experience life-or-death situations!

In order to conceal Tenzo's existence, Shimura Danzo rarely let Tenzo go out to carry out missions, which is why Tenzo behaved differently from those Root ninjas!

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "It's understandable that you're confused right now. After all, given Danzo Shimura's personality, if this mission fails, he'll definitely kill you to cover his tracks!"

"Especially since it's a mission to assassinate the Hokage!"

"So if you want to live, firstly you can't go back to Root, and secondly you need to find a powerful backer who can protect you under Danzo Shimura!"

After a pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and looked at Tenzo earnestly, saying, "Join the Anbu. A ninja like you shouldn't stay in Root. I'll help you deal with the trouble with Danzo Shimura!"

Tenzo was taken aback upon hearing this, then asked with some doubt, "Third Hokage, don't you hate me? I just participated in the ambush of you, causing you so much trouble!"

Upon hearing this, a fierce glint flashed deep in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, but his expression remained unchanged. He shook his head and said, "It would be a lie to say I don't hate or get angry. After all, although I survived this time, my son and daughter-in-law died there!"

"But hatred and anger must be directed at the right person!"

"That rogue ninja named Kakuzu was just doing things for money, while those Cloud Village ninjas were involved in a deeper collusion of interests, and you were just following orders! These are different in nature!"

"You are a ninja of Konoha, but you have been deceived by Shimura Danzo. So if you want to find me, you should go to Shimura Danzo, not you!"

"It's inevitable for young people to make mistakes, but it's never too late for them to turn back!"

"Besides, if it weren't for your Tree Sea Descent technique holding back most of the enemies today, I might already be dead there!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke sincerely, but he didn't mention the main reason!

Tenzo was a talent worth cultivating, and the Wood Release technique, as the secret technique used by the First Hokage Hashirama Senju to quell the chaos, has a very special significance in Konoha!

Simply put, Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the value in Tenzo, which is why he was willing to give Tenzo a chance!

If it were an ordinary ninja, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have been lucky to escape killing him, let alone save him!

After a long silence, Tenzo finally nodded and accepted Hiruzen Sarutobi's offer to recruit him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was delighted to see this, and then asked, "Could you tell me about Danzo Shimura's specific plans this time?"

Another important reason why Hiruzen Sarutobi recruited Tenzo was to find a breakthrough through Tenzo and collect evidence of Danzo Shimura's crimes from him!

If used properly, this Tenzo could be a sharp knife that could punish Danzo!

But Tenzo shook his head, pointed to his mouth, and said, "No, I was cursed by Lord Danzo, and I can't say anything related to him!"

As he spoke, Tenzo stuck out his tongue, revealing a cursed rune on his tongue to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Is it the mark of eradicating the root of calamity through the tongue?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes upon seeing this.

The situation is a bit complicated, but it's not entirely hopeless!

Chapter 180 We can afford to lose!

Meanwhile, in Konoha Village, inside the inn where the Cloud Village delegation was staying.

"The operation failed!"

Shimura Danzo stared at Tsuchidai and Samui across from him with a gloomy expression, his tone icy cold.

Tu Tai frowned slightly, then said calmly, "I know!"

Shortly after Hiruzen Sarutobi escaped with Tenzo, Danzo Shimura and Tsuchidai both received the news through their own means and gained a general understanding of what had happened. Both of them were furious!

Danzo Shimura spoke up, "Shouldn't Lord Tsuchida give me an explanation? As far as I know, if it weren't for the sudden attack on my people by your Kumogakure people, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have been able to escape at all!"

"Now look what's happened. Not only is Hiruzen Sarutobi still alive, but your Kumogakure members have also had their identities exposed. How are you going to clean this up now?"

Upon hearing this, Tu Tai was also furious.

He was aware of what Shimura Danzo had said, and he also disagreed with the rash decision made by the leader of the Cloud Village ninja!

Tsuchikage also admitted that the Wood Release: Bloodstained Secret Technique was indeed very important, but under those circumstances, the leader of the Cloud Village ninja could have cooperated with Tenzo and waited until after killing Hiruzen Sarutobi before capturing Tenzo!

The leader of the Cloud Village ninja was completely blinded by pride, and made a wrong decision because he thought he had complete control of the situation!

Moreover, the leader of the Cloud Village ninjas revealed his identity in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, completely disregarding the safety of their delegation!

If news of Hiruzen Sarutobi's ambush by the Cloud Ninja reaches Konoha, the Cloud Ninja delegation in Konoha and Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki who is still imprisoned, will be in great danger!

The leader of the Cloud Village ninjas must bear full responsibility for the failure of this operation!

But no matter what, the leader of the Cloud Village ninja was one of their own, so Tsuchida would never admit his mistake in front of Shimura Danzo.

Tsuchidai said, "With Danzo as his advisor, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi is, after all, the Kage of a village, and his strength is formidable. It is normal for unexpected events to happen!"

"Besides, now is not the time to assign blame; let's think about how to clean this up!"

"Clean up? Heh," Shimura Danzo glanced at the already packed luggage in the corner of the room and sneered, "What you're thinking about now isn't how to clean up, but how to escape!"

Danzo Shimura was sulking at the Root base when he received news that the Cloud Village delegation was packing their bags, so he rushed over.

If it had been any later, the Yunyin delegation would probably have already been working on how to escape Konoha!

Tsuchidae smiled and shook his head, saying, "Danzo's assistant misunderstands. We did this simply to lure you here. After all, our every move is under Konoha's surveillance, so we can't go to you directly. We had no other choice but to resort to this!"

On this point, Tsuchidai was not lying; he did indeed do this to lure Shimura Danzo over, but they were also prepared to leave.

As for why we brought Danzo Shimura here, there was no other way!

After all, they are currently in Konoha Village, and it is basically impossible for them to break out by force. However, they cannot leave Konoha Village overnight without a legitimate reason, so they can only place their hopes on Shimura Danzo!

Shimura Danzo narrowed his eyes and said, "I wonder what Your Excellency Tsuchida means by that?"

Tsuchida shook his head and said, "It doesn't mean anything. I just want Elder Danzo to keep his promise and find an opportunity to release Killer Bee, and at the same time send us away from Konoha Village!"

"Heh," Shimura Danzo laughed angrily, "You want me to keep my promise? Have you fulfilled the agreement between us?"

Tsuchida, however, failed to notice Shimura Danzo's suppressed emotions and answered irrelevantly, "Elder Danzo, do you know that we are now in the same boat? If we fall into Konoha's hands, do you think you can escape?"

"Moreover, Elder Danzo should understand that even if we fall into the hands of Konoha, Konoha will not kill us easily."

"Once the new Hokage of Konoha takes office, if we, the Hidden Cloud Village, bow our heads, admit our mistakes, and pay some compensation, will Konoha still kill us?"

"But Elder Danzo, you're different. If word gets out that you colluded with our Kumogakure to attack your own village's Kage, forget about becoming the new Hokage. Will you even have a place in Konoha anymore?"

Tsuchitai's actions were utterly shameless. Not only did he ruin the cooperation, but he also pushed all the trouble onto Shimura Danzo and ran away with his bucket!

However, this is typical of Kumogakure, so it's not surprising that Tsuchida would do something like this.

Danzo Shimura gritted his teeth and said, "Are you threatening me?"

Tu Tai calmly replied, "No, I'm just stating a fact! We can afford to lose, but only you know whether you can afford to lose!"

"As long as Danzo helps us leave, he can push all the blame onto Kumogakure. Once Kumogakure has no more scruples, he can also publicly claim responsibility for this matter!"

"In this way, as long as Danzo helps you deal with your subordinate who was taken away by Hiruzen Sarutobi, then even if Hiruzen Sarutobi knows the truth, he will have no evidence to accuse you!"

"At that time, Danzo can still assist you in running for the Fourth Hokage, and we'll all be happy!"

"Impossible! Wouldn't that mean handing my fate over to the control of Kumogakure?" Shimura Danzo immediately denied, "I will never be controlled by anyone!"

Upon hearing this, Tsuchikage shook his head and said, "Advisor Danzo is joking. It will take us some time to return to Kumogakure, and by the time we return, the Hokage election in Konoha will be over!"

"If Danzo helps you successfully become the Fourth Hokage, then as you said before, it's just a few rumors. You don't need this little bit of mud on your head!"

"And if Danzo's assistance doesn't make you the Fourth Hokage... heh, that's your own business, Shimura Danzo!"

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo's expression shifted between light and dark. Although he was still very angry, he could not deny that he was swayed by Tsuchidai's words!

Seeing this, Tsuchida added fuel to the fire, saying, "Actually, there's no need to worry too much about Danzo as your advisor. Compared to Minato Namikaze, our Hidden Cloud Village actually hopes that Danzo can help you successfully rise to power!"

"For this reason, our Hidden Cloud Village can even allocate some resources to support Danzo in helping you ascend to power!"

After a pause, Tsuchida took out a storage scroll that he had prepared beforehand from his robes and handed it to Shimura Danzo, saying, "The contents are few, but they show our sincerity!"

"The resources here are enough to help Danzo assist you in winning over several small clans in Konoha!"

After a long silence, Shimura Danzo finally reached out and took the storage scroll from Tsuchida's hand.

Chapter 181 Shocking change!

That night, flames suddenly lit up the peaceful village of Konoha, and explosions could be heard everywhere.

The entire Hidden Leaf Village was thrown into chaos.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Inside the Uchiha clan compound, one by one, the Uchiha ninjas awoke from their sleep. In less than three minutes, hundreds of Uchiha ninjas, dressed in their clothes and equipment, spontaneously left their homes and gathered on the street.

When Uchiha Jin appeared on the street, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Tetsuka immediately approached.

"Chieftain, do you know what happened?"

With a solemn expression, Fugaku Uchiha couldn't wait to ask as soon as he got close.

Regardless of the reason for the attack on Konoha Village, the Konoha Guard Department, responsible for protecting the village, cannot escape blame!

If not handled properly, this could become an excuse to attack the Uchiha clan and the Konoha Police Department!

Furthermore, what Fugaku Uchiha was even more worried about was that tonight's attack might be a trap set for his Uchiha clan!

Uchiha Jin shook his head and said, "It's Uncle Yasaka's shift at the security department tonight. He should be on his way. Let's wait and see."

As soon as Uchiha Jin finished speaking, Uchiha Yatsuhoku appeared in front of everyone in an instant.

Before anyone could ask, Uchiha Yatsuhoku spoke first, saying, "Clan leader, the Hokage Building, Konoha Hospital, Konoha Prison, Konoha Warehouse, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's residence, and the Konoha Orphanage, among many other important departments in the village, have all been attacked by a group of enemies of unknown origin."

"This group of enemies isn't very strong. The ninjas from the guard department on duty tonight have already held them off, but they seem to be trying to create confusion. We still don't know what their true purpose is!"

Konoha Orphanage...

When Uchiha Jin heard Uchiha Yasuo mention the location, his eyes flickered for a moment, but he quickly calmed down.

The Konoha Orphanage may seem to have no security at present, but in reality, a Kage-level expert is stationed there long-term, and in an even more secretive way, another Kage-level expert is guarding that Kage-level expert in secret, so safety is not an issue.

Uchiha Jin asked, "Did the enemy come from inside the village or from outside?"

Uchiha Jin's question may seem redundant, but it actually has extraordinary significance!

If the enemy comes from outside the village, then the problem is very serious!

The existence of the Konoha Barrier Team is not for show. If the enemy can invade from outside the village so easily and the Konoha Barrier Team has not reacted at all, allowing them to wreak havoc in Konoha, then there must be a big problem with the Konoha Barrier Team. The many defenses that Konoha has set up are just for show!

If the enemy comes from within Konoha Village, then the problem is even more serious!

Konoha Village has a very strict vetting system, with multiple layers of vetting by the Konoha Guard, the Anbu, and the Root. If a large number of enemies have infiltrated this area, then there must be a problem within Konoha itself!

The Eighth Hokage spoke up, "The Konoha Barrier Team hasn't detected any signs of intrusion. These enemies must be coming from within! Also..."

Uchiha Jin pressed on, "What else?"

Uchiha Yatsuho hesitated for a moment, then said in a somewhat strange tone, "Up to now, the Konoha Reconnaissance Team, Communications Team, Anbu, Root, and other departments have not taken any actual action, and our Konoha Police Department has not received any assistance communications!"

"It's as if only our Konoha Guard is fighting against those invaders in the entire Hidden Leaf Village!"

"I see!" Uchiha Jin sneered upon hearing this, saying, "That old bastard Shimura Danzo has actually become so depraved!"