In Konoha, my ninja cat is invincible!

"Hokage-sama."

Kakashi hesitated to speak.

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned.

"Kakashi, if you have anything, just say it directly. Why are you so hesitant and hesitant?"

"Hokage-sama, after we conducted a large-scale search, we did find some traces, but they are very weak and cannot be used as direct evidence."

"And more importantly, these evidences point to us Konoha ninjas."

Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted Kakashi.

"Where's Shinnosuke?"

"Back to Hokage-sama, judging from those traces, Senior Shinnosuke has most likely encountered an accident. It is very likely that several of them have been killed."

Kakashi said: "Those traces are somewhat similar to the traces of our ANBU ninja battles, but they are more secretive and more like the style of those people."

Sarutobi Hiruzen had a gloomy face and his pupils shrank.

"Kakashi, you mean, Gen?"

Kakashi nodded.

"yes."

Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.

Kakashi didn't dare to continue talking.

The entire Hokage's office fell into silence.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes were flickering and flickering.

Before this, Sarutobi Hiruzen had not thought about this possibility.

However, at that time, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought it was unlikely.

After all, that was his former partner.

The two have worked together to manage Konoha for decades.

Moreover, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't think that he had done anything to feel sorry for the other party.

In this case, it is unjustifiable for the other party to target Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

But now, after Kakashi personally investigated, he said that those traces were related to the roots.

Two possibilities emerged in Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind.

One is that Kakashi is lying.

Kakashi did this deliberately because he wanted to provoke a fight between himself and Danzo.

It could be, for revenge.

When it came to Konoha White Fang, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't think he had done anything wrong. However, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't guarantee that others thought the same way.

If Kakashi had a grudge against him because of that incident, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that it was not impossible.

Therefore, Sarutobi Hiruzen is not 100% assured of Kakashi.

However, for Danzo, the current Sarutobi Hiruzen cannot be 100% convinced.

"Can those things be returned to Konoha?"

Kakashi replied.

"I have arranged for ANBU ninja to be transported back to Konoha. You will be able to see it soon, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi Hiruzen fell into silence again.

After a long time.

"Kakashi, if something unexpected happened to Shinnosuke, do you think that person was behind it?"

"Hokage-sama, I don't know."

Kakashi shook his head.

This question is not something Kakashi can answer, nor is it something Kakashi wants to answer.

"Kakashi, thank you for your hard work. You should go back and rest first."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

After Kakashi left, Sarutobi Hiruzen returned to his seat and sat down.

"well!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed deeply.

His whole aura seemed to have aged a lot in an instant.

When Kakashi came back with this news, Sarutobi Hiruzen was basically sure.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke has been killed.

There is only a very small probability that he is still alive.

But that was just a little bit of a fluke.

This dealt a huge blow to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The young man lost his father.

Wife lost in old age.

And now, his biological son is walking in front of him again.

The white-haired man gives the black-haired man a gift.

Put aside all the family stuff, the political stuff.

From a purely family perspective, this was something that made Sarutobi Hiruzen very sad.

And coupled with family and politics.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's mood would only get worse.

The longevity of the Sarutobi clan.

The continuation of the Hokage position.

Control over Konoha.

These all have to start with Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

Generation after generation, the strength of the Sarutobi clan is continuously improved, and the control of Konoha is continuously strengthened. Sarutobi Hiruzen is confident that after Sarutobi Shinnosuke, even if the successor is not that talented, he can still sit safely. Ascend to the position of Hokage.

However, the key lies in Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

Only when Sarutobi Shinnosuke takes over can he buy so much time to build the Sarutobi clan into what it is.

After all, Asuma's abilities were a bit lacking.

Supporting Asuma and Hiruzen Sarutobi will require much more effort than Shinnosuke.

"Is the news Kakashi brought back true?"

"Not Kumogakure, not Kirigakure, not Iwagakure, not Sunagakure, not Uchiha...but the one I have trusted for so many years and given so many privileges, Danzo?"

"Danzo, is it really you?"

"If so, why?"

"How am I sorry for you?"

"Compared with Yan and Xiaochun, don't you get less?"

"In the entire Konoha, the status is second only to me."

"It's not that I don't want to give you the position of Hokage, but that you don't have the ability."

"Could it be that you have a grudge against me just because of this?"

"But it's you who are wrong, not me."

"Even if you have a grudge against me, why don't you dare to target me directly? Instead of targeting Shinnosuke?"

"Shinnosuke grew up watching you."

"If it were you, Danzo, I would never forgive you."

"Absolutely not!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen clenched his fists, and his nails dug deeply into his flesh.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that there was actually a high probability and it was already certain that it was all Danzo's plan.

It's just that the evidence isn't enough.

In addition, taking revenge on Danzo is not a simple matter.

You must be cautious and more cautious.

In addition, Sarutobi Hiruzen's character is relatively indecisive.

This is both the advantage and disadvantage of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Violet returned to Shiraishi.

"grown ups."

"Violet, how are you investigating the situation at the Konoha Orphanage?"

"Back to my lord, there is no child around the same age as that toddler in the Konoha orphanage."

Shiraishi frowned slightly.

If there was no one who was just about the same age, and it was not an exchange, but an increase, stuffing Konohamaru into the Konoha Orphanage might not be so smooth.

"But, sir, I saw a few newborn babies among the Shimura clan, and one of them looked somewhat similar to that baby."

Shiraishi raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Whose child?"

"Shimura Makoto is the illegitimate son of Shimura Danzo."

"Does it have any characteristics? Or is it a mark?"

"No."

Shiraishi's eyes lit up.

"Violet, please carefully investigate the situation of the Shimura clan. When there is a suitable opportunity, we will exchange the two of them, but we must not make any mistakes."

"Yes, sir."