Land of Grass.
Konoha Camp.
Inside a tent, Danzo was draped in a black cloak, quietly seated on a chair, receiving treatment from a Medical Ninja.
After administering medicine to Danzo, the Medical Ninja said with a smile:
"Lord Danzo, at your current rate of recovery, you should be able to move on your own in a week."
Danzo gave a slight nod, his face revealing no hint of emotion.
No one understood his own physical condition better than Danzo himself.
Although the injuries inflicted by Gentle Fist had mostly healed, they still left unfavorable aftereffects on his body, and his physical responsiveness had declined a lot.
Not only that, but he had also lost an arm. His strength was probably no more than seventy percent of his peak.
Still, counting his Summoning Beast—Baku, he could barely serve as a high-level combatant for Konoha and participate in the upcoming war.
Although he longed for the position of Hokage, now was not the time to care about such matters.
Given the situation Konoha faced, he could not afford to engage in a power struggle with Hokage Hiruzen and allow outsiders to exploit the chaos.
After the Medical Ninja left, a Root Ninja entered.
Dressed in a black cloak and wearing dark sunglasses, he gave off an aura of profound mystery, making one feel his strength was extraordinary.
This man's name was Aburame Ryuma, one of the top figures of Konoha's insect-controlling Aburame Family.
He belonged to the same generation as the Sannin, and his power was enough to spar with them, able to hold his own against them for a decent time as a Konoha Elite Jonin.
As the deputy leader of the Root Organization, during Danzo's inability to command, he was the one directing Root's operations.
Moreover, given his militant and radical thoughts, Danzo placed great trust in his character and abilities.
Even while Danzo was unconscious, he could fulfill the duties of Root, an outstanding Konoha Ninja.
"You're here, Ryuma."
"Yes, Lord Danzo. Congratulations on your recovery."
Ryuma's tone was flat, as if nothing could ruffle him.
Danzo didn't mind Ryuma's indifferent manner. In fact, he was long used to this detached, inscrutable attitude of Ryuma's—it always felt like he was orchestrating some formidable strategy.
Wearing those sunglasses, it became even more impossible to read his thoughts from his face.
"During my time unconscious, what events have taken place in the Ninja Realm and the village? Tell me everything, in detail. I need to decide our next course of action."
"Understood."
In truth, Danzo had awoken a week earlier, but given his poor mental and physical state after regaining consciousness, he chose to focus on recovery and did not involve himself with Root or outside affairs.
Ryuma began to recount all major developments during Danzo's convalescence, going into detail on the important ones and skimming through the less significant events.
Having followed Danzo for years, Ryuma knew how to present things to quickly bring Danzo up to speed on the current situation and Konoha's position, for better or worse.
When Ryuma brought up that Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had secretly violated the Hokage's orders and conducted a covert investigation into the Byakugan incident targeting the Hyuga Clan, Danzo's calm expression instantly darkened, a flash of anger in his eyes.
"Those two idiots—after all these years as Advisors, they're not getting wiser, only worse! Is now the time to pursue responsibility for the Hyuga Clan?"
Moreover, this matter didn't have much to do with the Hyuga Clan in the first place.
Though it was a blow to his own pride to admit it, Danzo believed that dealing with the Hyuga Clan's relations should be handled personally by Hokage Hiruzen for the best result.
The Hyuga Clan was not a militant faction within the village, and their importance was nothing like that of the Uchiha Clan.
This situation could only be soothed by the Hokage himself, not managed by the Advisors, much less by Root's hand.
Handling it otherwise would only alienate the Hyuga Clan from the higher-ups, pushing them out of the village's core. If, because of this, the Hyuga Clan drew closer to the Uchiha Clan, then things would truly become a mess.
"It seems I need to return to the village as soon as possible."
After a moment's contemplation, Danzo made up his mind to go back to Konoha.
At this stage, calming the Hyuga Clan was more important than fighting external enemies—not increasing the pressure further.
He knew all too well Hiruzen's philosophy: a peacemaker always prudent and soft. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, as Advisors, would not face any harsh punishment for what they'd done—at most, they'd receive a warning.
This flaw, though it had enabled Root to develop during times of peace, was now, in this situation, likely to become the very thing that would upset the village's balance as a result of leaving the Advisors unchecked.
"That's not necessary, Lord Danzo."
It was then that Aburame Ryuma spoke up.
Despite his own dissatisfaction with the Advisors' behavior—knowing the Hyuga Clan was already in turmoil after the defection incident—their actions would only add fuel to the fire and estrange the village from the Hyuga Clan.
"What is it? Is there a problem?"
"The Hokage himself has already visited to apologize, and at the Jonin meeting, he sharply criticized the Advisors. He's assigned Anbu to keep them under twenty-four-hour surveillance until the war ends. Also, on several issues, concessions will be made to the Hyuga Clan."