"Bang—"
The door of the Hokage Office was pushed open roughly, and Danzo strode in.
"Hiruzen, I've heard everything. Aoki Yoru actually dared to contact the Jinchuriki; he must have ill intentions. Hand him over to me, and I will definitely interrogate him to find out his purpose."
Looking at his frantic companion, the Third Hokage put down the documents in his hand and stared straight at him, as if trying to see through him.
"Danzo, they just happened to meet at Ichiraku Ramen; it was just a normal conversation."
"Humph!"
"What do you mean normal? He even paid for the Jinchuriki's meal. He's definitely approaching him on purpose; he absolutely has bad intentions."
Thinking of Aoki Yoru, his teeth itched with rage. Not only did he expose his Wood Release experiments, causing him to be grounded by Hiruzen, but he also killed Aburame Torune, his right-hand man.
He had high hopes for Aburame Torune. Poisonous parasitic insects, if allowed to grow, would be a strategic weapon of mass destruction.
Just look at Hanzou. The reason he's called a Demigod is largely due to his summoning beast filled with salamander poison.
Unfortunately, after being sent to assassinate Aoki Yoru, he never returned. He knew he was likely dead.
"Danzo."
The Third Hokage stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bustling streets and playing children in the distance.
"Yoru acknowledged Naruto's dream, paid for his meal, and encouraged him to pursue it. Isn't that the embodiment of the will of fire?"
Then he showed a gratified smile. "That child Yoru didn't hate Naruto like the other villagers; he even encouraged him. This child has illuminated Naruto's heart. Konoha's future will eventually become better in the hands of such young people."
Hearing the Third Hokage's evaluation, the fingers hidden under Danzo's bandages curled slightly. His face was gloomy, and his voice was kept extremely low:
"The will of fire? Naive thinking. It's because you keep clinging to this set of ideas that Konoha is getting worse year by year."
Hearing this, the Third Hokage turned his head and stared at him intently. "The will of fire has been passed down since the First Hokage; it is the spiritual pillar of Konoha. Danzo, you are being narrow-minded."
"Humph!"
Danzo stood up abruptly and walked toward the door. He paused for a moment at the entrance. "Hiruzen, I will prove that I am right."
Having said that, he lifted his feet and walked out the door.
On the other side, at Tenten's family shop.
"You are a century-old shop; do you not have any channels either?" Aoki Yoru asked unwillingly.
Tenten shook her head. "Sorry, Senior Yoru. It's not just us; even the largest shop in Konoha doesn't have any."
After speaking, she looked at the Ninja sword on the table, its blade already covered in cracks.
"This sword is already the best quality among ordinary blades. Above this would be Chakra metal weapons. However, Senior Yoru, with your Lightning Release nature transformation, I don't think ordinary Chakra metal weapons will last long either."
Thinking of that world-destroying lightning beast on the battlefield, Tenten couldn't help but shiver.
"Is there no other way?" Aoki Yoru pressed, unwilling to give up.
"Then you'll just have to check the Land of Artisans or the Land of Iron. They might have weapons that meet your requirements."
In the end, Aoki Yoru could only buy some highly cost-effective herbs and weapons before heading toward the Forest of Death.
Deep within the Forest of Death.
Aoki Yoru stood gloomily outside a ruin. The former laboratory had long since been completely blown into scorched earth; not even half a complete wall foundation could be found.
His hands hanging at his sides slowly clenched, his knuckles turning white, and the killing intent in his eyes almost overflowed. Who exactly triggered the laboratory's self-destruct mechanism?
Looking at the completely destroyed laboratory, Aoki Yoru bit his pale lips tightly, his heart aching beyond measure.
This was bought with money he had luckily snatched from Gato; there might never be such a good opportunity again.
He patted his face with both hands, took a breath, calmed his angry mood, and muttered to himself:
"There are only a few people who could come to the Forest of Death, pass through the layers of seals, and finally enter the laboratory: Danzo, Zetsu, or Orochimaru."
Aoki Yoru suddenly raised his head, looked toward Konoha, and smiled distortedly with a grin.
"It's Danzo then. In Konoha, no matter what dirty deeds occur, it's never wrong to push them onto him. After all, isn't he Konoha's King of Scapegoats?"
Saying that, he licked his lips. "He should have even more advanced experimental equipment and Hashirama cells over there."
Then he shook his head. "I can't rush; this needs to be planned carefully."
...
Three days later, in front of the Konoha Memorial Stone.
Most of the Ninjas in Konoha had gathered. Everyone stood quietly before the stone, heads bowed, expressions solemn. There was no noise, no conversation, only the wind gently passing over the stone, swirling a few fallen leaves.
Some held their hands together in prayer, some silently clenched their fists, and some had eyes rimmed with red but held back their tears.
Everyone held the same weight and respect, paying silent tribute to those figures who would never return.
Aoki Yoru, wearing black mourning clothes, stood at the front of the group, quietly looking at the densely packed names on the Memorial Stone.
'Is this the fate of a Ninja? People are dead; what is the point of condolences and remembrance?'
Then his expression turned grave, but his eyes became increasingly determined. He had already made a resolution in his heart.
'I won't let others carve my name on that stone so easily.'
He suddenly understood Orochimaru's obsession a bit. The difference was that Orochimaru wanted to study the truths of the world, while he was purely afraid of dying.
As the Third Hokage finished the eulogy at the front, everyone took turns stepping forward to offer flowers.
After the memorial service, as he walked out of the cemetery, he saw Kenta and Yui leaning on crutches and immediately went up to greet them.
"Hey, Kenta, how is your body doing?"
Seeing him, Kenta smiled. "Much better. The doctor told me that I can start recovery training in another week and should be fully healed in about a month."
"Then I wish you a speedy recovery. However, it's better to use the Eight Gates sparingly. Frequently squeezing your body's potential will shorten your life." Aoki Yoru reminded him at the right time; any powerful Ninjutsu comes with a price.
"Don't worry, I know. Guy-sensei also told me to use it less. I won't use it unless it's a life-or-death situation."
Aoki Yoru nodded upon hearing this; it was good that he understood.
Then Yui chimed in and said, "Yoru, what are we going to do while Kenta is recovering? Does Kakashi-sensei have any arrangements?"
Aoki Yoru shook his head. "Not really, but I need to leave the village for a bit. I'm planning to go to the Land of Artisans or the Land of Iron to forge a Ninja sword. Ordinary Ninja swords can no longer withstand my Lightning Release."
After speaking, he drew the Ninja sword from his waist. The blade was covered in dense cracks, looking as if it might shatter at any moment.
"I see. Then it seems our team won't be able to perform missions together for a short while. We'll have to see Kakashi-sensei's arrangements then."
Yui sighed helplessly. She also knew that as their strength grew, the possibility of their team performing missions together became smaller.
"After all, with the three of them plus Kakashi, their combat power could be said to allow them to walk unchallenged in the Ninja World. There were few missions that required the four of them to move out together, unless it involved something like a Tailed Beast."