Chapter 48. Flyer

Root headquarters.

"What have you done, you fool!?"

Danzo angrily criticized Kazuya, who knelt before him.

"Didn't I warn you not to allow yourself to be used? Now, several of your subordinates have been dismissed."

"What significant achievements could anyone else have made!?"

Kazuya wore an ugly expression. "My subordinate intended to cause trouble for Hyuga, but unexpectedly, Uchiha Natsuki suddenly intervened."

"My subordinates believe that Uchiha Natsuki orchestrated this incident."

Danzo slammed his cane onto the ground in frustration.

"Do you even need to tell me? In all of Konoha Village, no one disputes that Jiraiya is a voyeur."

"Even Sarutobi's reputation has taken a hit. People are saying the upper beam is not straight, and the lower beam is crooked."

Danzo let out a sigh, reluctantly admitting that Natsuki often took unconventional approaches in his actions.

Nevertheless, the outcomes were surprisingly favorable. This time, the Third Hokage returned with Jiraiya only to cast him aside as a scapegoat.

As a result, even before Jiraiya's façade could be established, it was already marred by stigma.

Jiraiya's reputation had plummeted so severely that he could no longer serve as a frontman, at least not for the time being.

Danzo, in his fit of anger, felt a twinge in his right eye. He couldn't find a spare Sharingan, and he didn't know how long the one he possessed would last.

Ever since the Uchiha clan gave birth to the anomaly Natsuki, they had faced consecutive setbacks, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had suffered disgrace after disgrace.

There were still individuals in the security team who knew how to operate it before, but now there was only chaos.

Danzo exhaled deeply. "Select a capable individual from the remaining members of the security team to serve as a temporary replacement."

"The roots need to lie low for a while. Once we accumulate enough resources, we will undoubtedly emerge again!"

Nakamura Kazuya nodded resolutely. "Understood!"

Danzo felt a sense of restlessness.

The Third Hokage had issued several directives, demanding the evacuation of this place within the next three days.

Although the roots were officially disbanded, they still held loyalty to Danzo.

However, the losses he incurred were substantial. Funding, equipment, and the support of certain ninja clans had all been severed.

After all, the roots had been openly dismantled by the Hokage.

Danzo gazed at the skylight, where the white light streamed in, casting an even darker shadow over his face. "I will return..."

...

Despite his intense disdain for Natsuki, the Third Hokage kept his promise to him and disbanded the roots.

When the Third Hokage officially announced the decree, he and Danzo had a public falling out.

Danzo accused the Third Hokage of secretly taking away his Root members.

The Third Hokage, in turn, condemned Danzo for his malicious intentions, including the idea of killing Kakashi for his Sharingan.

The Third Hokage deemed Danzo insane and ordered the removal of all Root members.

With no official position and the Shimura family forced to shrink and act meekly under the Third Hokage's power, Danzo found himself isolated.

No ninja clan supported him, and he had little popularity among the general public.

Caught in a situation where the Third Hokage's influence prevailed, Danzo could only watch helplessly as the entire Root organization was dismantled by the ANBU.

Even some valuable equipment that couldn't be moved was seized by the ANBU.

With an issue in his right eye and facing such a significant setback, Danzo gritted his teeth and bid farewell to his roots, hoping to make a comeback in the future.

…

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for significantly changing Shimura Danzo's life trajectory. ]

Congratulations to the host for obtaining: The Art of Izanagi X1

It seemed that the disbandment of the Root organization was a major turning point for Danzo.

Although many supporters still stood by him, this heavy blow forced Danzo to take a moment of reflection.

This respite would provide enough time for the Uchiha clan to navigate through their challenging circumstances.

Now, only one person remained to be dealt with—Jiraiya.

...

During the tumultuous half-month in Konoha, Jiraiya found himself behind bars, and the roots of Danzo's influence were uprooted.

Concerning the Hyuga incident, the Third Hokage sent a diplomatic message to Kirigakure.

However, Kirigakure remained unresponsive, even sealing off the entire Land of Water.

Due to historical tensions, the relationship between Konoha and Kirigakure was strained, and the matter eventually fizzled out.

...

As time passed and public opinion settled, Jiraiya was eventually released from the police detention room.

Hizashi, representing the Hyuga clan, personally oversaw Jiraiya's release with a professional demeanor.

"Jiraiya-sama, the police force is now under our control. We, the Hyuga clan, would face significant challenges if an incident like this were to occur again," Hizashi conveyed, maintaining a certain distance.

Jiraiya, somewhat embarrassed, assured, "Don't worry, Hizashi, it won't happen again."

With that, Hizashi allowed Jiraiya to leave the guard team, stepping out into the sunlight after days of confinement.

However, the lingering odor from not having bathed in more than ten days was a reminder of his recent ordeal.

Determined to freshen up, Jiraiya strolled toward Konoha's commercial street.

Yet, people still vividly remember the scandal from half a month ago.

Covered in the same attire, with his trademark red clothes and white hair, Jiraiya was easily recognized, the word "grey" hovering over his head.

The women screamed and scattered, while the men huddled and whispered among themselves.

"Look, that's Jiraiya."

"He's the pervert who enjoys peeping into baths every day."

"I heard he even spied on Tsunade-hime and almost got beaten to death."

"This is one of the legendary three ninjas, tsk tsk tsk."

"Hey, not only that, he's also the apprentice of the Third Hokage."

"I heard Jiraiya has been lustful since he was a child. Similar incidents happened before, but due to the Third Hokage's influence, they were always settled."

"I wonder why he was never caught peeping before. It seems he has powerful connections."

The surrounding murmurs weren't loud, but with Jiraiya's enhanced senses, he couldn't ignore them.

People were comparing him to a flyer that detailed his identity and various exploits.

Jiraiya, feeling uneasy, snatched a flyer. It documented his identity, and past actions, and speculated about other questionable deeds that were previously ignored, along with conspiracies about those who protected him.

To his dismay, the flyer also depicted the objects of his affection in his little adult books.

The females in the village were terrified, and the males used this as an opportunity to vent their frustration.

Fuming with anger, Jiraiya used the teleportation technique to escape. On the way, he encountered Hyuga Yuto distributing leaflets everywhere.

Jiraiya, seething with anger, demanded, "You brat! Who asked you to post this!?"

Hyuga Yuto, however, was unfazed. With the backing of Natsuki-sama and a reward from Hizashi-sama, he stood his ground.

In Konoha, Jiraiya found himself powerless to retaliate.

Hyuga Yuto proudly puffed up his chest and declared, "Greetings, Jiraiya-sama! Natsuki-sama instructed us to distribute these flyers today to ensure the safety of the women in Konoha. It's to remind everyone of your actions and to advise against any further interactions with you."

"Avoid victimization!? Specially made!? Distributed today!?" Jiraiya erupted in anger. Was Uchiha Natsuki trying to tarnish his reputation completely?

Although Hyuga Yuto felt a bit guilty, he stood his ground, noticing the villagers observing the scene.

"Jiraiya-sama, please don't disrupt my work." With that, Hyuga Yuto moved past Jiraiya, continuing to distribute the flyers at a distance.

"Uchiha Natsuki!"

Jiraiya grabbed one of the flyers, let out a furious roar, and charged towards the Uchiha clan.