Chapter 146: I, Danzo, Am the Scapegoat Again and Again
"Hmm?"
At the moment Sasuke attempted to destroy the action figure, far away in the Valley of the Resting Wind in the Land of Fire, Tonbo Tobitake—who was still researching further possibilities for his Hurricane Phenomenon—suddenly felt a trigger.
"This sensation."
He formed a hand seal, and within the mental space deep in his mind, several points of light appeared. All were concentrated in the direction of Konoha. One of those points was flashing.
"The action figure I made for Sasuke is being violently destroyed?"
He had placed a tracking ninjutsu on every ninja tool he created that was infused with his chakra. He could sense whenever there was an unusual disturbance. As for why he even gave one to Sasuke, it was simply a precaution.
From the details of the Third War, the Nine-Tails Incident, and the identity of the creator of the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, he knew that while major events were happening, many details differed from the anime he remembered. He knew that things in this ninja world wouldn't be exactly the same as the story he had watched.
Just like the recent incident with the Hagoromo clan and Gato; before reading their memories, he never would have imagined that Gato—a man whom Zabuza managed to kill despite his severe injuries in the original story—would have the guts to wipe out a major clan of the Land of Fire. Therefore, he speculated that many other aspects would also be different.
In his past life, he knew the Naruto timeline was a mess, so he had left many backup plans in place. Now that he was facing a real world, the timeline and trajectories would surely have shifted.
"Destroying the Itachi figure I cast for him means the Uchiha Massacre happened last night."
Tonbo walked to the edge of the Valley of the Resting Wind, checked the time, and made a judgment in his heart. As he expected, the timeline and trajectory of events had changed. In his past life, Sasuke awakened his eyes at seven and Itachi massacred the clan at thirteen, but the actual ages here had a gap of about six months to a year. Now Itachi was thirteen and Sasuke was eight. Itachi still carried out the massacre at thirteen, meaning Sasuke's "prodigy status" was delayed by a year.
"It's here."
Screech!
Just as he was thinking, a messenger hawk streaked across the sky, eventually circling above him. After Tonbo whistled a code, the hawk descended. He retrieved the letter, decrypted it using his code-breaking skills, and read it carefully.
Indeed. It was intelligence sent by Sarutobi Hiruzen: Itachi Uchiha had massacred the clan and defected last night; his current whereabouts were unknown. The message was to notify him to return and handle certain matters, and to attend the memorial for the fallen Uchiha comrades.
"It seems I'm still not part of the true inner circle of Konoha high-command," Tonbo chuckled.
Logically, for an event of this magnitude, he should have known before it happened. Even if the Uchiha lived in a remote part of the village, as the Head of the Analysis Division, he shouldn't have been completely without news. Despite knowing the general plot, he still didn't know the exact timing of the high-command's move. Or perhaps Danzo and the others feared his "surging Will of Fire" would disrupt their plans?
But he didn't care. His Will of Fire wasn't like that of the Third Hokage or Jiraiya; it was very flexible. His goal in this world had always been to live well and follow his own ideas. Occasionally teasing cats, walking the dog, being a working man who clocks in and out, and staying out of high-level politics wasn't a bad thing. As long as they didn't plot against the safety of him or his family, the most he would do was mock them in his heart.
"Does this count as fulfilling my original dream from when I first crossed over? Well, almost. I only have two children so far."
Tonbo pulled out a hawk action figure, used his Eye of the Creator technique to transform it, and jumped on.
Konoha Council Meeting.
A massive roar erupted.
"Absurd! Utterly absurd! How could you let a junior wipe out the Uchiha clan right under Konoha's nose without anyone noticing? It's as absurd as if Uchiha Madara himself returned from the Pure Land just to slaughter his own family. Has Konoha been at peace for too long? Even if you didn't discover it beforehand, you shouldn't have only found out after they were all dead! Doesn't this mean Konoha's defenses are like an open field for our enemies?"
Tonbo Tobitake stood up, reprimanding the inaction of the leadership, including Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo.
Kakashi, Guy, and his other classmates twitched their eyebrows when they heard his roar. Publicly roaring at the Konoha high-command in a meeting—you are one brave man!
The other high-ranking officials, including the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, also had subtle expressions. Only Shikaku looked like he had expected this. However, they all agreed with Tonbo's words. Being wiped out on one's own doorstep was inexcusable and a cause for concern. The annual investment into the Barrier Sensory Division was a massive expense. The massacre of the Uchiha was no small matter, yet there hadn't been a single sound.
"Teacher is so cool. As expected of someone with a steadfast Will of Fire," Togetake Tetusen looked at his teacher questioning the Hokage with admiration. He also felt the incident was too big. Being hit by such a major event silently was even more serious than the Nine-Tails Incident. That could be called an act of god, but this was a failure of human responsibility.
"Indeed, Lord Hokage. Division Head Tonbo is right. Konoha's defenses shouldn't be breached so easily."
"This is a massive loophole; we must respond."
"At the same time, we must dispatch elite squads to pursue the traitor Itachi Uchiha, otherwise the residents of Konoha will lose their sense of security."
Forget the residents—the officials didn't feel secure either! That's why they didn't speak out against Tonbo's outburst. Everyone looked toward Sarutobi Hiruzen and the elders.
Koharu Utatane spoke: "The enemy was very familiar with Konoha's situation. Before Itachi Uchiha carried out the massacre, he used genjutsu to control the Barrier Sensory Division, so we lost surveillance over the entire village."
Homura Mitokado added: "Danzo, you were the one arranging the various missions Itachi performed in the ANBU. Since the weaknesses of the barrier were exposed, you cannot escape responsibility, can you?"
"No, this responsibility is mine. I placed too much trust in Uchiha Shisui and Itachi. As our teacher said, they are a clan that cannot control their emotions. I suggest that the remaining Sasuke Uchiha be handed over to me for management," Danzo said expressionlessly.
Faced with Tonbo's questioning, the high-command made no attempt to dodge. They took the blame entirely—or rather, Danzo took the blame. He even tried to take Sasuke back with him as a bonus.
"Enough, Danzo. Sasuke Uchiha will not be handed over to you. Furthermore, this was a major failure on your part. I hereby announce that the ANBU training department led by Danzo is disbanded as of today. Members of the 'Root' will return to the regular shinobi force to contribute to Konoha. Danzo, do you have any objections?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen expressed his approval of Tonbo's stance and then addressed Danzo.
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