Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Hmph hmph hmph~"

Having received the funding application form personally signed by Danzo, Nonou couldn't help but hum a cheerful tune.
"Nonou, did you find some money?"

Hearing the sudden hoarse voice, Nono looked up and flashed a big smile at Orochimaru approaching from the opposite direction.

"Orochimaru-senpai, did you forget to take anything when you left?"

"No, I have other business to attend to. Is Lord Danzo in his office?"

Orochimaru gently shook his head, then shifted his gaze to the expressionless white-haired woman beside him. Nono was momentarily stunned, but quickly recognized the woman and politely bowed.

"Greetings, Lady Senju Hisama."

"Ah."

Senju Hisana looked the quiet-looking brown-haired girl up and down, then nodded slightly, a hint of approval in her eyes.
She had heard Curly mention this name before; he was a war orphan with a tragic past, and it was truly remarkable that he had grown up to where he is today.

"Lord Danzo is currently working. May I inform him?"

Seeing a big shot like Senju Hisama arrive secretly, acting all high and mighty, Nono couldn't help but feel a little worried for her cheap boss.

Lord Danzo, please don't fall from your horse!
Even if I'm going to be dismissed, I'll hold out until I've laundered all the embezzled funds.

"No need to bother, go do your own work."

Senju Hisa glanced at the thick stack of documents in Nono's arms, shook her head almost imperceptibly, and walked past the girl with Orochimaru.

"What a classy woman. If I could become a female ninja like Lady Hisa, would Uncle Gin look at me differently?"

Watching the other person's alluring figure disappear into the distance, Nono couldn't help but feel envious. However, when she looked down at her own flat chest, her face was filled with dejection.

Inside the office,

He was extremely frustrated after signing the funding approval application. Ever since the events following Tobirama Senju's return, Root's funding had been repeatedly cut, and now it was already at a point where it was running a deficit, requiring him to use the family's profits to barely keep it afloat.

"Damn it, that monkey is still pretending to be dead. If it weren't for me..."

"Dangdang!"

"Who are you? Don't you know you should knock before entering?"

Danzo, who was already angry, turned cold and reprimanded without looking up.

"What? Keep talking!"

"Uh?"

Upon hearing the familiar, cool voice, Danzo looked up in surprise at Senju Hisa standing at the gate, a fleeting hint of panic crossing his face.

"I was unaware of your arrival, Assistant. I have failed to greet you properly."

In terms of seniority, Danzo and Senju Hisami were equals, but Hisami had a powerful father, a living one at that, so Danzo naturally dared not be negligent and quickly rose to greet him.
"Are you working or slacking off in broad daylight without turning on the lights?"

“Teacher, this is Danzo-sama’s unique style.”

Orochimaru, who was standing next to Senju Hisama, leaned closer, pointed to the dim, flickering light above, and whispered a reminder.
"Your style is quite classy."

Looking with interest at Danzo's embarrassed expression, Senju Hisami nodded sarcastically.
"Isn't the goal to reduce costs and increase efficiency these days? I'm just trying to save electricity."

Snapped!
Danzo chuckled and pressed the switch, bringing long-awaited light to the dimly lit office.

"Zaemon, serve tea!"

Danzo called out towards the door and invited the two to sit down, but after waiting for a long time, the tea that was supposed to be served still hadn't arrived.

"That little brat!"

Knowing that his son had once again run off to slack off, Danzo couldn't help but curse aloud.

"No need. I'm here today to confirm some things with you on behalf of my father."

Senju Hisana raised her hand to interrupt Danzo, who was about to get up and make tea. Her businesslike demeanor made the Root leader's heart tighten.
Does this confirm something?
Feeling guilty, Danzo became restless for a moment, and in just a few seconds, he recalled all the illegal activities he had recently committed.
Could it be that his affair of taking kickbacks from foreign businesses has been exposed?
"Since it is the teacher's order, I will answer without hesitation."

Danzo forced himself to appear composed, putting on an air of innocence, almost as if he were holding a copy of The Will of Fire to his chest.
"Alright, let's start by explaining your instructions to your men to infiltrate other countries."

Upon hearing this, Danzo was initially relieved, realizing that the organization hadn't found any fault with him. However, he quickly realized something was amiss.

"Explain?"

The mere mention of this term implies that he has already been burdened with unfounded accusations.
"That's right, I have both witnesses and physical evidence here, so you'd better confess honestly."

"Miss Hisana, aren't you exaggerating a bit? It's just some ordinary espionage work. Every village does it. There's nothing to make a fuss about."

Fortunately, he was quick-witted and immediately found an excuse to defend himself. However, as he said, espionage is a core indicator that every village cannot avoid.
"If it's just simple intelligence work, is it necessary for me to come here in person?"

Seeing that Danzo was still being stubborn, Senju Hisami frowned, her tone becoming more impatient.
"Quickly tell me every single word of your despicable act of trying to disrupt the peace of the ninja world and incite conflict between nations."

"what???"

When this huge accusation was slapped on Danzo, he was completely dumbfounded. When had he ever done something so outrageous? How come he didn't know?
"Don't play dumb. Orochimaru has already confessed all the tasks you gave them before, and they all have your signature on them."

"Huh? No."

Danzo felt incredibly wronged. He did indeed follow Hiruzen Sarutobi's instructions to issue a series of secret missions to disrupt various countries and incite conflict, but none of the people who carried out the missions had ever succeeded!

"Tell me, was this orchestrated by someone behind the scenes, or was it something you did all by yourself?"

Seeing Danzo's obvious panic, Senju Hisami's gaze sharpened.
She was very disappointed. Danzo was one of her most valued students, but she never expected him to end up becoming a scourge on the ninja world.
"Let me explain first. I did send people to infiltrate Amegakure and Sunagakure, but..."

"But what? War has broken out in Amegakure, key technical personnel from Sunagakure have been assassinated, and a three-way war between the three kingdoms of Kaze, Tochigi, and Amegakure is imminent. All of this must be the work of someone in your group, right?"

"No, I didn't!"

"And what about the recent massacre of the Red-Eyed Massacre in the Land of Rain? Was that a despicable plot by you to have someone impersonate the Uchiha and drag Konoha into the vortex of war?"

"This is slander! This is a completely fabricated frame-up!"

Danzo panicked. He was indeed somewhat involved in sending people to cause trouble, but the accusation of impersonating Uchiha and massacring civilians was a complete smear campaign; whoever was pinned on it would be in deep trouble.
"How could I betray my fellow villagers, and how could I drag the village I love into war?"

"Partners? I doubt it. The Uchiha Meat Processing Plant has always been one step ahead of your Shimura Meat Processing Plant. Tell me, if the Uchiha's reputation is ruined, who will benefit the most?" Senju Hisami gave a cold laugh, her fair fingers rhythmically tapping the table. With each word she spoke, Danzo's heart skipped a beat.

"I"

Danzo is now utterly unable to defend himself. This explanation makes him seem like the prime suspect. His only option now is to betray others to clear his name.

“I confess, everything you just said was what the monkey made me do.”

"Oh?"

Hearing this answer, Senju Hisama didn't show much surprise. She knew Danzo was a short-sighted person who only cared about his own little territory and would never rashly extend his influence to others.

"It all started a few years ago, late one night, when the monkey gently knocked on my door."

Slumped on the sofa, Danzo looked utterly dejected. After detailing his betrayal of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he confessed to all his previous crimes, but shook his head repeatedly when it came to the massacre of civilians in the Land of Rain.

"However, the matter of impersonating an Uchiha and massacring civilians has absolutely nothing to do with me. Root can't even muster a single company right now."

"I know."

"what?"

The simple three words from Senju Hisako completely stunned him. Looking at the white-haired woman who seemed to have figured out the whole plan, Danzo belatedly widened his eyes in disbelief.
"You're bluffing me! You have absolutely no witnesses or evidence!"

"Who says there isn't? Isn't this it?"

Having confirmed her suspicions, Senju Hisami shrugged and glanced at Orochimaru beside her.
"I'm sorry, Lord Danzo, I have no choice but to obey my teacher."

"you!"

Looking at this former outstanding employee of Root, Danzo felt a pang of heartache; the pain of being betrayed by a former employee was like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

"But isn't this for the best? At least you've cleared yourself of suspicion for massacring civilians. In terms of severity, this is far more serious than the previous ones."

Orochimaru chuckled softly, his voice slightly hoarse as he reassured Danzo that the mistake he admitted to wasn't actually that serious. If Konoha hadn't been dragged into the war by those with ulterior motives, he would have been awarded a medal for this.

After collecting all the evidence against Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hisana Senju straightened up, a smug smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips.

Seeing Danzo's face filled with despair, she finally decided to give this disciple a chance to atone for his sins.

"Danzo, the organization can give you a chance to turn over a new leaf. As long as you investigate the mastermind behind framing Konoha, I can let you be a witness against the incriminating evidence."

"I will definitely live up to my teacher's expectations."

He'd confessed everything he needed to, and he'd sold all the monkeys. Now, Danzo just wanted to clear himself of all charges. Since Hisana Senju had given him this opportunity, he would naturally make the most of it.

Who wants some tea?

Senju Hisana and Orochimaru had been gone for almost half an hour when Shinnosuke, carrying a teapot, finally arrived late. Seeing his father's ashen face, he instinctively shrank back.

"Dad?"

"How many times have I said that in the workplace, you should address others by their job titles!"

"Received, Plant Daddy!"

Looking at his glib-tongued son, Danzo covered his face in anguish. His eldest son was already a waste; if Rin turned out the same way, he'd feel like dying.
"Go, find me the people from the intelligence department."

"And this tea?"

"Put the tea down and get out of here."

While waiting for the intelligence personnel, a frustrated Danzo picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup. He nearly choked on his anger when he saw the brown liquid gushing from the spout.
I asked you to make tea, and you made me milk tea?
"Slurp~"

"what?"

With a furrowed brow, he took a small sip, and the rich, fragrant flavor made Danzo's eyes light up.
It tastes pretty good, no wonder young people all have one in their hands.

He used to be a loyal lemonade drinker, never ordering any other drink at Honey Ice Cream for years, but now he can add another option to the menu.

Bang bang bang~
"Come in."

"What are your orders, sir?"

The intelligence officers knelt respectfully on the ground, awaiting their leader's orders.
"Send a message to Xiaolanhua: Investigate the massacre of civilians in the Land of Rain. I need an accurate answer within three days."

"Yes!"

"Teacher, when are you planning to close the net?"

Leaving the Root headquarters and arriving at the bustling West Street, Orochimaru casually dismissed a few men who approached him to ask about prices. He then turned to look at Senju Hisama, who was deep in thought, with a puzzled expression.
"Close the net? Close the net for what?"

Senju Hisama snapped out of her daze upon hearing this and asked in return with a puzzled look,
"Don't we already have evidence of Sarutobi-sensei's crimes?"

Everyone harbors a seed of rebellion within them, and Orochimaru was no exception. He relished the thrill of dragging those who held high above him into the abyss.
"Evidence? That's just something he has to consider as Hokage."

Aside from the disastrous events that dragged Konoha into the vortex of war, everything Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly instructed Danzo to do was what a leader should do.

If it were her, she would definitely have done it even faster and more ruthlessly than them!
"then you?"

Orochimaru frowned slightly. You've gone to so much trouble and wasted so much breath for this evidence. Are you just bored?

"There are some things you can keep hidden, but you can't live without."

Senju Hisana chuckled and shook her head. Danzo's witness testimony, while outwardly incriminating, could also be used as leverage. The Shinobi Alliance had been somewhat restless lately, making it the perfect tool to teach the monkey a lesson.
"How will the massacre of civilians in the Land of Rain be resolved? Public opinion is now pointing directly at Konoha, and the Daimyo of the Land of Rain has also demanded an explanation from the Land of Fire at the recent Daimyo meeting."

The young Orochimaru was engrossed in scientific research and had no interest in political intrigue, which was one of the main reasons why Hiruzen Sarutobi did not choose him as the Fourth Hokage; a village does not need an overly rational leader.

"Some things you can't avoid."

Senju Hisana sighed softly. She had actually foreseen this situation when the battlefield first appeared.
The five great nations are a community of shared destiny; a change in one will have far-reaching consequences. Even if Konoha has no intention of getting involved, it will inevitably be drawn in sooner or later—this is what is meant by the inevitable trend of the times.
Leaving aside whether Sunagakure, allied with Konoha, will request reinforcements, Kumogakure, with its troops stationed on the border, has already begun to show its fangs, and those old fangs seem to be aimed at her.
There's also the Land of Water, which has become known as the "King of Survival." Don't be fooled by their seemingly invisible past few years; according to Senju Hisako's reliable intelligence, the current Mizukage of Kirigakure, Tatsumaki Karatachi, has invested heavily in training a seven-person ninja sword squad. Their strength is not to be underestimated; together they could withstand an army of thousands. Clearly, they have big ambitions.

"Alright, you can go back now. I have some personal matters to attend to, so tonight's class is canceled."

Just as Orochimaru was pondering the meaning of Senju Hijin's words, the person beside him suddenly stopped, a rare and strange glint in their usually cool expression.

Following her gaze, Orochimaru saw a pink neon sign that read "Yuri" (meaning "lesbian love"). Two beautiful women were standing by a second-floor window, constantly winking at them.
"Then I'll take my leave first. Please take care of yourself, teacher!" (End of Chapter)