Chapter 126: Taking a Step Back

'Even though I was planning to let you play for some more time, your actions are now putting the integrity of Konoha at risk. Looks like the time for us old-timers to retire is coming soon,' Hiruzen thought, then called for an Anbu ninja.

"Summon Danzo. Tell him I want him here within 15 minutes."

The Anbu ninja nodded and left to call Danzo. When Danzo received the news, he was already aware that one of his ninjas had died. A seal in the brains of Root ninjas sent a signal to him when it activated. However, he didn't yet know which of his subordinates had died, as many were out of the village on various missions.

But being summoned by Hiruzen right after receiving that signal, he had a good idea of why.

Fifteen minutes later, Danzo was sitting in front of Hiruzen.

"What happened? I was swamped," Danzo said in a frustrated tone.

"Huh! I know you're acting, Danzo, so drop the charade," Hiruzen said, seeing through Danzo's expression.

Hearing this, Danzo's face became neutral as he looked toward Hiruzen.

"Are you getting old, my friend?" Hiruzen asked somberly.

"Don't beat around the bush. I don't have time to waste," Danzo replied.

"I specifically told you not to target Kaida and to stop your plans against the Uchiha clan. But not only did you continue, you also sent someone to spy on Kaida," Hiruzen said.

"That boy was meddling in my affairs. I had to check if it was intentional or not," Danzo said, his expression unchanged.

"Do you think I don't know you? Every talent you've spied on has either ended up in Root or died during training. More than 30% of them don't survive your harsh methods. The ones who do are turned into emotionless tools," Hiruzen said.

"Don't forget that those tools are the reason Konoha is still standing," Danzo replied arrogantly.

"I know, my friend. That's why I've turned a blind eye to so many of your deeds. But now, you're going too far. This is affecting Konoha internally, leaving us vulnerable to external threats," Hiruzen said.

"Evil deeds? Everything I did was for Konoha," Danzo retorted.

"How is killing village ninjas and using their bodies for experimentation good for Konoha?" Hiruzen shouted angrily.

Danzo thought to himself, 'Just that? What will you do when you find out what I did with Orochimaru to strengthen my Root ninjas?'

(A.N: Even though it's unclear exactly when Orochimaru left the village, by rough estimation, it was when Naruto was 3–4 years old, which is around now in the story.)

"That was a necessary sacrifice," Danzo said as if it were nothing.

*sigh*

"From now on, you're prohibited from using Root ninjas to spy on anyone in Konoha. Your right to vote in the elder meetings is also revoked for six months. If I find out you've done something unacceptable again, I'll disband Root for good. This is your last warning. You can leave," Hiruzen said.

Danzo stared at Hiruzen, anger boiling inside him, but being the crafty old man he was, he knew it wasn't the right time to act.

So, he stood up to leave, but before exiting, he added, "The Uchiha can't be left alone. They will destroy the village one day," and then left the office.

Hiruzen sighed and looked at another report on his desk. It was about another group of children missing from slums and small villages around Konoha.

Hiruzen sighed again and muttered, "Looks like I can't overlook this anymore."

---

**At Root Headquarters**

"Call back all the ninjas who were sent to spy in the village," Danzo ordered.

"Even from the Uchiha clan?" one of Danzo's subordinates asked in shock. Since they'd started targeting the Uchiha clan, more than 20 highly skilled spies had been deployed to monitor them, with reports being analyzed daily. But now, Danzo was ordering a retreat, which confused the subordinate.

"Yes. We need to lay low for a while. Hiruzen will act soon, and I don't want his attention on us. Cut all ties with Orochimaru, remove all evidence of our cooperation, and make sure no clues link us," Danzo instructed.

The Root ninja quickly bowed and left to carry out the orders, leaving Danzo alone in his office.

'I wonder what kind of face you'll make when you discover what your favorite student has been up to,' Danzo thought, taking a sip of alcohol.

---

Unaware of the undercurrents at play, Kaida was peacefully sleeping in his room. Even if he knew about the recent events, there was little he could do to benefit from them. He was nowhere near Orochimaru's level, so he had no intention of interfering, even though he knew it was coming.

(Event: Hiruzen and Orochimaru confrontation.)

Kaida woke up at 5:00 AM, feeling fully refreshed. After completing his morning routine, he headed to the training area—not to train, but to see if he was still being watched.

After confirming that he was safe, Kaida sighed.

'Looks like I can move more freely now. I can finally focus on gaining real-life experience with different jutsu,' Kaida thought, then headed back home.

After enjoying tea and breakfast with his family, Kaida went to the hospital with Shisui. Naturally, they didn't talk about yesterday's events in front of Yomi and Hae.

Outside, Shisui said, "You don't have to worry about being spied on anymore, but stay vigilant for a little while longer. If you ever feel like someone's watching or following you, come to me immediately. If I'm not in the village, go to the clan headquarters and report to the clan head."

"Even the clan head knows about this?" Kaida asked.

(A.N: I hope you guys are enjoying this arc ^~^)