"What's happening?"

"Why is the sky so bright?"

"Are they attacking us?"

Despite being a remote area, the forest still formed part of the village's borders. The residents who had not yet gone to sleep saw the fire in the northeast part of the forest. The inhabitants of the remote area themselves also realized what was happening, so some people could no longer pretend that nothing was going on.

In the center of the village, beneath the Hokage Rock.

In the Hokage Building.

"Hiruzen, what does the entry of the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki into the Uchiha clan mean?"

Elders Homura and Koharu entered the Hokage's office with great determination.

"Just a coincidence."

"Coincidence?"

"Yes, a small and insignificant coincidence. Friendship between children, that's all." Seated behind a large office desk, a sixty-year-old man with gray hair and wearing casual white attire smoked his pipe.

This man was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Coincidence? I see..."

Homura adjusted his glasses. Due to years of friendship and knowledge about his friend and colleague, he pretended to believe that everything happening at the moment was just a 'coincidence'.

Not pressing the issue further, he asked, "Hiruzen, what do you plan to do this time? Will you use this opportunity to continue suppressing the Uchiha?"

Looking at his two old friends, Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe. "I've already said, it was just a coincidence. We can't deny the danger of the Uchiha clan, but they haven't done anything wrong this time. Besides, using a child to target the Uchiha is not something that should be allowed. As long as the Uchiha don't betray the village, they are still Konoha's Uchiha."

Hiruzen firmly rejected his colleague Homura's suggestion.

"So, the forest in the northeast... was it Danzo's doing?" Koharu picked up on more details in Hiruzen's words. It seemed that this incident was very similar to previous ones, with Hiruzen planning the operation and Danzo executing the details.

"No... those causing such disturbance are spies from other villages."

The Third Hokage corrected Koharu's misconception.

"Spies from other villages..." Koharu looked at her old friend, who was now the Third Hokage, and quickly corrected herself: "So, could you explain why these spies from other villages would attack the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki? Do they think they have a chance to capture him?"

"For that matter, it's best to ask the parties involved directly."

The Third Hokage set his pipe aside, covered a crystal ball that was in a box with a soft silk cloth, and then stood up.

He pulled off his loose white casual clothing, revealing a black, tight-fitting combat outfit underneath.

"Hiruzen, will you go personally? Wouldn't it be better to stay here and command the situation? Besides, we still don't have enough information about what's happening in the northeast forest..." Koharu expressed her objection.

"This is related to Naruto and the Uchiha clan; I need to go!"

Stolen novel; please report.

The Third Hokage sighed.

Homura looked at the combat attire his old friend was wearing, thinking that he was already prepared for this. And there was that crystal ball too... Maybe he really knew more about what was happening in the forest.

"Let's go with you," he suddenly said.

"All right."

Hiruzen considered for a few seconds and nodded. "Danzo can go too. Don't let him lose control."

"Leave it to us!"

Homura agreed, and Koharu nodded slightly in agreement.

Only then did the Third Hokage open the window and leaped out with an agile jump that didn't match the age of a man over sixty.

The two elders, who still didn't need canes, quickly followed him. They had already changed into more suitable combat attire, anticipating that they might go to the scene of the incident.

Near them, a large number of ANBU members followed closely.

The Third Hokage moved very quickly. As he ran, he said, "I believe what's happening in the forest is due to the revenge of these villages. Uchiha Kazuya killed hundreds of ninja from other villages. So it's likely that these spies were instructed to kill him when they had the opportunity. Unfortunately, Naruto got involved by mistake."

"Indeed... it just shows that the Uchiha clan wasn't careful enough, knowing they had problems and still contacting the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki..."

Homura reflected for a moment and couldn't help but internally admire Hiruzen's cunning. Instead of directly accusing the Uchiha of having malicious intentions in approaching the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki, it would be better to hold them responsible for not protecting him properly. It seemed like a lighter accusation but would also reduce the possibility of a defensive reaction from the Uchiha.

Gradually, slowly and steadily, like a knife cutting through butter, they continued to weaken the Uchiha.

This was the grand strategy they had decided on when Hiruzen became the Third Hokage.

Indeed, Danzo was never as cunning as Hiruzen, relying solely on violence, even going so far as to coerce ninjas from his own clan to join the "Root." How could he compare to Hiruzen?

"We'll have a proper discussion later," Hiruzen interrupted Homura's criticism. "Our priority is to rescue Naruto. His safety is the most important thing. All other issues can wait." Hiruzen's worried and anxious expression could move anyone.

The news of the Hokage heading to the site of the fire in the northeast corner of the village quickly reached the ears of all the village's residents.

The quiet and peaceful night was completely disrupted, with figures leaping across rooftops, terraces, electricity poles, and treetops. And due to these figures, the security team quickly emerged.

Even the drunks in the streets realized that something big was happening and dared not continue wandering. They quickly rushed back to their homes, stumbling and rolling.

A crowd converged on the forest in the northeast corner of the village.

...

"It seems only you're left..."

Kazuya's blade sliced through, and the attacker, who was under the control of an illusion, had his body cut in two. Kazuya shook the long sword in his hand and then sheathed it at his waist.

Naruto, trapped under his left arm, was still unconscious.

Being hit by the Yamanaka clan's secret mental technique and remaining unconscious for a while was normal. In fact, if it were anyone else, their brains might have already fried, but Naruto, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki, suffered no brain damage.

"So many elites came after me... I must say, those who want me dead have invested considerably in this attack." Kazuya crouched next to a fallen body on the ground and without ceremony, opened the mouth of a dead attacker.

And just as he expected, he saw a black seal on the man's tongue.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the Cursed Tongue Eradication Technique... So, all of this was Danzo's doing. For him to dare make a move within Konoha, it's likely that the Third Hokage approved it."

The seal on the tongue was fading as time passed, and the man's brain had already been destroyed by the seal's power at the moment of death. Not to mention, the 'Root's security techniques were really good, destroying not only the brain but also the body.

Although he knew it was impossible to use these bodies as evidence against Danzo, he really wanted to see the look on Danzo's face when he saw the bodies of those he had cultivated so diligently lying dead on the ground. It was a pity that capturing them alive was impossible; otherwise, Kazuya would have taken immense pleasure in exposing everything to the public.

However, Kazuya had to admit that the seal Danzo used was impressive. He didn't know if it was an inheritance from the Second Hokage, a master of forbidden techniques, or if it came from the Uzumaki clan's legacy, or perhaps Danzo had developed it on his own... Regardless of its origin, this technique was very powerful and intrigued Kazuya.

Sealing techniques are extremely valuable.

They can not only be used to control subordinates but are also very useful in combat when properly applied.

"When I have the opportunity, I'll start some experiments..."

Raising his head to look at the bright moon, Kazuya realized that the problems were far from over. The one who was watching him from the shadows seemed to be getting closer to him. Since he approached the forest, Kazuya had already felt the sensation of being watched, and there was only one person in Konoha with that kind of surveillance ability.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen... let's see how you intend to incriminate my clan..."