That afternoon.
After finishing their meeting, Qingming and Sano Nobuhisa each wrote a report and urgently sent it to Nara Kiko.
In the report, Qingming thoroughly described the events, including the actions of the Root organization.
However, he did not directly reveal the identities of the individuals involved, merely mentioning that an unidentified group had attacked him.
Furthermore, he did not specify how he had discovered their identities.
Nonetheless, his words implied that these individuals were from his side, and that there had been a serious intelligence leak in the operation.
In doing so, Qingming applied pressure. If Nara Kiko intended to continue commanding others, he would need to provide an explanation.
Otherwise, if this matter got out, who would dare take on any more missions?
Clearly, Qingming's intention was to pressure him.
With Nara Kiko's intellect, it would not take long for him to deduce that this incident was the work of Danzo and his Root organization.
After all, Danzo had already sensed something was off before this mission even started. It made no sense that, after more clues emerged, nothing could be figured out.
Even if Danzo had cut off the leads and there was no evidence, he would still be able to guess the details of the situation.
At this point, whether to give Qingming an explanation or to appease others, Nara Kiko would have to exert pressure on the village.
Of course, Qingming knew that his actions would not be enough to bring Danzo down, but as long as he could restrict his movements, it would suffice.
Time was on his side. After this war ended, he would find the right moment to eliminate him and settle things once and for all.
In addition, this subtle display of dissatisfaction would also help to lower Danzo's guard, making him think that Qingming was still working within the rules.
That way, when Qingming eventually made his move, it would catch him off guard.
With these thoughts in mind, Qingming submitted the report and stopped concerning himself with the matter.
In the ninja world, it ultimately came down to strength. Instead of wasting time on such matters, he would rather focus on improving his skills.
Since traveling and fighting earlier had consumed much of his time, it was now the perfect moment to make up for it.
With that thought, Qingming immediately flew out of the Blackstone Base and headed to the familiar dense forest to the west. There, he used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to begin his training.
Meanwhile, upon receiving the reports from Qingming and Sano Nobuhisa, Nara Kiko quickly read through them. After finishing, his face turned as dark as a pot.
As Qingming had predicted, combining the information in the report with some inconsistencies in the intelligence, Nara Kiko swiftly deduced the truth behind the incident.
"Here we go again..."
He muttered in frustration.
With Nara Kiko's intelligence, he quickly realized that this was yet another operation by Danzo targeting the Uchiha clan.
He recalled that five months ago, when Qingming and the others were on their way to provide support, they had been ambushed by the Mist Ninja due to Danzo's intentional leaking of information.
At the time, Nara Kiko had even written to the Third Hokage, urging him to rein in Danzo.
Now, just a few months later, Danzo was at it again, and this irked Nara Kiko greatly.
However, his dissatisfaction wasn't because he was defending Qingming or the Uchiha clan. Rather, it was because Danzo's actions were disrupting his plans and creating vulnerabilities in the defenses.
If the Mist Ninja took advantage of the situation and caused further chaos, it would be him who had to clean up the mess.
Moreover, repeated leaks of sensitive information would subtly undermine his authority, and in the future, his subordinates might not take his orders seriously.
Nara Kiko could not allow this to happen.
With the war nearing its end, if something went wrong now, he would be held accountable.
"Damn it!"
He cursed under his breath before putting the report down and writing another letter to the Third Hokage, urging him to manage Danzo more strictly.
The following day.
Afternoon.
Konoha.
At the headquarters of the Root organization.
Danzo walked into his office with a grim expression.
Sitting behind his desk, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the two individuals below him, speaking in a cold tone: "Now, tell me, why did the mission fail?"
Though his voice was calm, anyone in the room could hear the underlying anger.
He had every reason to be furious.
Not long ago, Sarutobi Hiruzen had summoned him to the Hokage's office to interrogate him about the events at the Mist battlefront. He was severely reprimanded and warned not to target the Uchiha clan, especially that Uchiha brat.
Hiruzen even claimed that the pressure on the frontlines was mounting, and if Danzo continued his actions, it could lead to dissatisfaction among the higher-ranking ninjas.
This only fueled Danzo's anger further.
What was he doing all this for?
Wasn't it all for the village?
The Uchiha clan was inherently evil, and if they were allowed to grow, the village would eventually be destroyed.
If he didn't act now to eliminate the young Uchiha with potential, what would happen when they became a threat to the village in the future?
Everything he did was for the sake of the village.
Yet, Hiruzen had the audacity to repeatedly warn him.
"Damn it!"
The more Danzo thought about it, the angrier he became.
Luckily, just then, one of the Root ninjas spoke up, pulling him back to his senses.
"Lord Danzo, according to the intelligence provided by 'Kusou,' as well as our subsequent investigation, we can confirm that the mission failed because Uchiha Qingming discovered our plans in advance and took the initiative to strike. As a result, most of our preparations were rendered useless, leading to the failure."
'Kusou' was the name of the summoning beast of the Root ninja who was proficient in Water Style techniques, the sloth-like creature.
Recently, Root had reestablished a contract with it through a scroll, allowing them to obtain some intelligence about the battle.
However, Danzo was not satisfied with this answer and asked, "Even if it was a direct confrontation, with the 'Four Command Seal Formation,' how did that brat manage to escape?"
"Lord Danzo, according to the intelligence from 'Kusou,' Uchiha Qingming did not escape from the 'Four Command Seal Formation.' He was simply biding his time until the life force of the Crane and others was drained, and only then did he begin his counterattack."
Another Root ninja responded.
"What?"
Danzo was taken aback.
He was very familiar with the effects of the 'Four Command Seal Formation.' Frankly speaking, even if he were trapped in it and faced with the siege of several Root ninjas, he would not have been able to hold out for that long.
At this moment, Danzo became fully alert.
He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. After calming himself, he spoke, "Kai, immediately tell me everything, in detail."
Previously, he had only listened to the outcome, but now he needed to understand the entire process.
Only then could he make the most accurate judgment.
"Yes, Lord Danzo!"
Kai responded, then began recounting the entire investigation, leaving out no detail.
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