281. Danzo's Investigation List

The night was already deep.

But for many, tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.

Not only because the village had suffered severe damage, but more importantly, their keen senses had picked up an unusual tension in the air.

From the Hokage's office, the highest seat of power in Konoha, orders were being issued rapidly, one after another.

This place was like the brain of Konoha, controlling the massive entity's swift response to external provocations.

"Lord Danzo, Elder Koharu Utatane has been placed under house arrest in her residence, guarded by Root shinobi!"

"All those involved have also been brought to Root for interrogation. It shouldn't take long to uncover the intelligence network of Kumogakure hidden within Konoha."

Aburame Ryoma, still shrouded in his black coat, coldly announced the handling of Elder Koharu Utatane.

Hearing his report, a chill ran through the hearts of the high-ranking officials present.

This time, due to Mitarashi Anko's betrayal, Koharu Utatane had plunged into the absolute low point of her political career.

Under Danzo's decisive suppression, all her positions had been suspended.

She herself was now under house arrest in her residence.

Though it was only house arrest, no one could say how long it would last.

After all, Konoha was about to face the dual crises of reconstruction and war with Kumogakure.

Whether anyone would still care to uncover the truth of the matter was hard to say...

Even her last hope for a comeback, her subordinates, had been taken to Root by Danzo under the guise of investigation.

And judging by Danzo's intentions, he seemed prepared to dig deeper along this line.

This matter was far from over. In other words, unless their old friends Hiruzen Sarutobi and Homura Mitokado stepped in to help, Koharu Utatane had little hope left.

Death was unlikely, but her political career was probably over.

Realizing this, Homura Mitokado lowered his head, about to glance at Hiruzen's thoughts beside him.

Unexpectedly, he met Danzo's gaze.

Sitting there, Danzo seemed enveloped in the deepest darkness.

It sent an involuntary shiver down Homura's spine.

"Elder Homura Mitokado, do you have any thoughts?" Danzo asked calmly, his eyes fixed on him.

"Perhaps you wish to speak up for Elder Koharu?"

Faced with Danzo's question, the last bit of camaraderie Homura felt vanished instantly.

A flicker of panic crossed his face as he hurriedly explained:
"No, no! Of course not!"

"Since Koharu failed to recognize the right people, it's only fair she undergoes Root's investigation."

Danzo felt a hint of regret at Homura's response.

The old man had backed down.

Had he dared to stand up and oppose, Danzo wouldn't have minded dealing with him as well.

What a pity. Since the other party had made such a statement, Danzo could only nod slightly in acknowledgment.

Seeing the "Darkness of Shinobi" nod, Homura secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Joking aside, opposing Danzo now would be suicidal.

Koharu Utatane had already been taken down, let alone himself, an 'old friend' who had clashed with Danzo several times before.

Homura didn't believe his own faction was any stronger than Koharu's.

With Danzo's overwhelming power and his status as Konoha's widely recognized hero, standing up now would be nothing but a death wish.

Moreover, the fleeting look of regret in Danzo's eyes had been crystal clear to him...

The task of saving Koharu would have to be left to Hiruzen!

Thinking this, he couldn't help but sneak a glance at Hiruzen Sarutobi beside him.

Only to find the man with his eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought, showing no intention of helping their old friend.

In fact, Hiruzen had initially held a glimmer of hope. But after seeing Homura's cowardly demeanor, he decided to abandon the idea.

For now, it was better to focus on the impending war.

As for Koharu Utatane?

Hiruzen believed Danzo wouldn't go too far with their old friend.

At most, she would be left to retire at home.
Indeed, Danzo didn't dwell too much on the handling of Koharu Utatane.

Instead, he shifted his focus to the entire village.

"With war imminent, we must purge the spies within the village. We cannot afford another incident like Mitarashi Anko's betrayal."

"I propose forming an investigation team to follow the trail of Mitarashi Anko and interrogate all individuals involved."

Danzo's voice was cold, filled with killing intent.

At any time, spies and betrayal were the most infuriating.

Thus, before heading to war, a thorough purge was necessary.

Hokage Minato expressed his agreement with this idea.

"Elder Danzo, who do you think should lead this investigation team?"

The position of team leader was crucial; it had to be someone absolutely loyal to the village.

Otherwise, not only might suspicious individuals be overlooked, but it could also cause significant harm to their own people.

"Yamanaka Inoichi can serve as the team leader, overseeing this investigation."
Danzo offered his suggestion.

As the heir of the Yamanaka clan, Inoichi's mastery of the Yamanaka secret techniques made him the perfect tool for distinguishing friend from foe.

Whether someone was an enemy could be determined by delving into their mind.

What?

You say they have a seal? Then treat them as rogue ninja immediately.

Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty!

What use are ninjas who aren't absolutely loyal?

Lock them all up in Root!

Faced with Danzo's brutal approach, none of the high-ranking officials present opposed.

After all, desperate times called for desperate measures.

There was no time to carefully distinguish between good and bad; anyone suspicious should be captured.

Thus, Danzo's proposal was quickly approved in the high-level meeting.

As Yamanaka Inoichi, who was on standby, was called into the office, Danzo immediately pulled out a slip of paper from his wide sleeve and handed it to him.

"This list contains the names of individuals who had close contact with Mitarashi Mayoi, as recorded by Root. You can use it for the initial investigation."

Inoichi was momentarily stunned, clearly realizing the significance of the list.

He respectfully took the heavy list from Danzo's hands and said:
"Yes, Lord Danzo."

Danzo placed the list in his hands and patted his shoulder.

"Remember, try not to wrong any innocent people, but under no circumstances let a single guilty one escape."

Hearing this, Inoichi felt the weight of the list in his hands grow even heavier.

After bowing and acknowledging, he quickly left the office.

Only after Inoichi's departure did Homura Mitokado, looking at the calm Danzo across from him, feel a wave of fear!

So, the old man had been prepared all along?

Had he stood up to support Koharu earlier, would his name have been on that list too?

Thinking this, Homura couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes showed a hint of wariness.

Could it be that Danzo had secretly gathered dirt on everyone?

Watching this scene, Hokage Minato couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
Is this the true weight of the title "Darkness of Shinobi"?