The Third Hokage was completely stunned upon hearing this series of news.
The Rinnegan was a legendary eye.
Even more unbelievable was that Danzo had also become involved in the struggle for the Rinnegan.
Such bizarre and absurd news, spoken from the calm and expressionless mouth of Itachi Uchiha, inexplicably carried an undeniable persuasiveness.
"Itachi, explain this in detail. What exactly is going on?"
The Third Hokage tried to calm his racing heart; clearly, this news was too shocking for him.
Roy, playing the role of Itachi Uchiha, sighed softly. A flicker of complex emotion passed through his deep eyes, and then he slowly began to speak, revealing the intelligence Roy had carefully selected.
A powerful lineup of nearly ten S-rank missing-nin, a mysterious leader possessing the strength to defeat Orochimaru in a single blow, and the organization's apparent scheme to target the tailed beasts.
Though filled with disbelief, the Third Hokage, as the village leader, remained quite rational at this moment.
He chose to trust Itachi's words, especially since the intelligence was easily verifiable. Regarding the Rinnegan in particular, everything would become clear once they found Danzo.
When Sasuke Uchiha was mentioned, the Third Hokage's brow furrowed even tighter.
Sasuke Uchiha was still in Konoha, serving as the perfect hostage for Itachi, who was known for his devotion to his brother.
This point further convinced the Third Hokage that Itachi had no reason to deceive him. After all, in Itachi's heart, Sasuke's safety and happiness were likely more important than anything else.
"And now, the leader of the Akatsuki organization seems to harbor great animosity towards Konoha. Please be careful, Lord Hokage."
Itachi Uchiha spoke.
The Third Hokage nodded solemnly, feeling as if a heavy weight had been placed upon his heart after hearing so many significant pieces of news at once.
"Also, Lord Third Hokage, Itachi has a request."
"Speak, Itachi."
"I wish to borrow the Forbidden Scroll."
Roy, in the role of Itachi, stated his objective.
Yes, Roy reasoned that this was the only way to obtain Konoha's forbidden techniques, to learn Wood Release and other secret arts.
Relying on Sasuke's status, there was no way he could access such important items.
In the original story, Naruto's ability to steal it was naturally the result of the Third Hokage's deliberate indulgence. After all, how could the most core treasure of Konoha be without ANBU guarding it day and night?
Moreover, back then, the Forbidden Scroll was kept within the Hokage's residence, personally guarded by the Hokage, hidden in the most central place.
Roy had also considered simply seizing it by force.
Although with his own strength, he could directly assault the village and no one in Konoha could stop him, it wasn't necessary just for a forbidden scroll.
And if he forced an infiltration, whether he could find it, and even if he did, whether there would be any self-destruction mechanisms—these were all unknowns.
The safest approach was naturally to transform into Itachi Uchiha and deceive them.
With the intelligence he provided, Hiruzen Sarutobi would surely believe him.
And indeed, now Hiruzen Sarutobi harbored no suspicion whatsoever regarding Itachi Uchiha's request. He had even begun to imagine how difficult Itachi's infiltration must be, working alone in such an organization to gather intelligence.
Thinking this, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt even greater admiration for the young man before him. He should have had a bright future, yet for Konoha's sake, his family had been destroyed.
This love for the village truly made him feel ashamed.
In that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly thought, if only Itachi weren't from the Uchiha clan. Someone like him would be the most suitable to become Hokage.
Mulling over this, Hiruzen Sarutobi scarcely hesitated before giving his affirmative answer to Itachi Uchiha's request to borrow the Forbidden Scroll.
His eyes held complex emotions, a reflection of his guilt towards Itachi.
He gestured lightly for Roy to wait patiently on the spot, then turned and walked into the Hokage's residence.
Before long, Hiruzen Sarutobi reappeared before Roy, holding the heavily sealed Forbidden Scroll.
As he began to undo the complex seals one by one, Roy watched silently from the side, inwardly confirming his judgment—with his abilities, it would have been impossible to touch the secrets within the scroll without breaking the seals.
Recalling how Naruto had managed to steal the scroll undetected, Roy was certain it must have been the result of Hiruzen Sarutobi subtly allowing it.
"Take it, Itachi." Hiruzen Sarutobi handed the scroll to Roy, who carefully accepted it, his gaze quickly scanning the text.
Relying on his exceptional memory, he silently copied the contents into his own mind.
Throughout the process, the Third Hokage simply stood quietly by, expressing his tacit consent.
After a long while, when Roy confirmed everything was correct, he respectfully returned the scroll to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He spoke in a low voice: "Lord Third Hokage, please take care of yourself. Regarding Sasuke…"
"The village will make proper arrangements for Sasuke." Hiruzen Sarutobi promised solemnly.
Roy nodded lightly upon hearing this, then with a flicker, the Transformation Technique was quietly undone. Hiruzen Sarutobi observed this change but showed no sign of suspicion.
Instead, his expression instantly turned stern. He turned and strode swiftly towards a specific direction—the location of Root's secret base, a place even the Hokage found difficult to fully control.
Arriving at the entrance to Root's base with over a dozen ANBU following him, Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to step inside when a figure blocked his path.
Danzo, the leader of Root, stared at him with a gloomy expression, his tone carrying a hint of interrogation: "Hiruzen, why are you here at this late hour?"
"What, is it that I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, cannot enter this Root base?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sneered, his words carrying an undeniable authority that left Danzo momentarily speechless. Anger flashed in his eyes, but he was forced to restrain himself; after all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the rightful Hokage.
Danzo thought to himself, "You will regret this, Hiruzen."
Yet, at the same time, thinking of Orochimaru's impending plan, he couldn't help but feel a secret satisfaction.
Ultimately, Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored Danzo's obstruction and strode resolutely into the interior of the Root base.
Faced with a series of shocking research projects, his brow furrowed deeply, a sense of heaviness welling up within him.
"All of this is for Konoha's future." Danzo spoke coldly from the side, attempting to cloak his actions in a guise of righteousness, but Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze only grew sharper.
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed the others instead of saying much.
He stared coldly at Danzo, who frowned in response. However, Danzo was startled by his next words.
"I heard you once knew about the Rinnegan and personally went to seize it?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke coldly, his eyes fixed on Danzo.
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