The Konoha Ninja Squad leader immediately recognized Kakashi and swiftly brought the three members of the Seventh Squad back to the camp for emergency treatment. Watching them safely return, White Fang silently turned and left the scene.
Although all ninjas participated in the war, it didn't mean they had to remain constantly on the battlefield. Treating the wounded was also a crucial part of war efforts. Only a handful could be retrieved and treated in time.
White Fang's actions were executed flawlessly. During the brief inspection, the squad leader noticed no abnormalities. All three members of the Seventh Squad were unconscious, and the details of the encounter were determined based on the report of the rescue team.
In other words, according to official accounts, the Seventh Squad had successfully counter-killed a special jōnin and two elite chūnin without losing a single member!
As for Ma Jia—
"Palm Sage Jutsu."
Holding the root ninja's broken body, Ma Jia appeared silently in a secluded area, immediately casting Palm Sage Jutsu to preserve the ninja's life.
However, the enemy was severed in two at the waist. Even Ma Jia's skills couldn't fully heal him—unless he chose to use Edo Tensei to revive him after death. For now, though, he could prolong the ninja's life just long enough for interrogation.
"Is this the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal?"
Sensing the sinister curse placed on the ninja's soul, Ma Jia frowned.
Ruthless—it even involved the soul itself.
"But... it doesn't seem offensive."
Ma Jia quickly realized that the curse didn't carry direct offensive power. Rather, it served to detect betrayal: if the ninja tried to reveal Root's secrets, the curse on their tongue would activate, paralyzing and silencing them instantly.
On deeper inspection, Ma Jia found the soul imprint surprisingly rough. It was evident that the full integration into the soul required time and conditioning, suggesting that extensive brainwashing was also part of the Root's protocol.
The core function of the seal was simple: during brainwashing, a mental 'trigger' was installed—speaking secrets equals paralysis.
Without such mental conditioning, the curse alone would not be effective.
"Convenient. The soul imprint is rough and not well-defended. With my skills, I can temporarily sever its connection."
Ma Jia intensified his Palm Sage Jutsu, stabilizing the root ninja's lifeforce even as the ninja hovered on the brink of death.
"This guy is already halfway into the afterlife. Without my intervention, his soul would've detached entirely. That works in my favor—easier to suppress the curse."
Satisfied, Ma Jia halted his healing jutsu. His hands blurred into seals, weaving chakra into an improvised technique.
Soon, a cluster of sealing runes shimmered in the air, connecting to form a makeshift suppression array.
This wasn't a traditional seal but a complex technique woven from multiple jutsu effects, specifically designed to block the curse's perception trigger and temporarily isolate the soul.
"Done."
With the preparations complete, Ma Jia turned toward the recovering ninja.
Earlier, Ma Jia had focused on healing the ninja's mouth, which had been shredded by his own jutsu, because torture would be impossible otherwise.
"Speak. Why did Root target the Seventh Squad?"
The Root ninja's pupils shrank in shock.
He had been recognized!
Staring at Ma Jia carefully, the ninja's lips parted in disbelief.
"You're—!"
Ma Jia scowled, cutting off the ninja before he could finish.
"I'm not here to listen to your nonsense. I'm asking questions, and you're answering. Understand? I've blocked your curse seal temporarily. And you, of all people, should know what interrogation methods Root uses."
Root operatives were trained ruthlessly but mainly in interrogation techniques rather than resistance. They relied heavily on the cursed seal for secrecy, leaving their resistance training relatively weak.
Ma Jia could already see the ninja trembling.
Good.
Root members, so used to being interrogators, were rarely prepared for the other side of the table. And this fear showed vividly.
"I'll ask. You'll answer. Cooperate and I'll grant you a quick death. Resist, and I'll keep you alive for three days of nonstop interrogation. You know what that means."
Even without words, the ninja's eyes filled with terror, signaling his submission.
"Tsk, Root ninja afraid of torture—what a sight."
"Who ordered the attack on the Seventh Squad? Who leaked their position?"
Ma Jia chuckled.
"Never mind. I can guess. Danzo, obviously. Just tell me—why?"
Root operatives operated without personal agendas, functioning like soulless machines. Yet even among them, intelligence operatives often retained fragments of emotion—a liability Ma Jia could exploit.
Knowing this, Ma Jia pressed harder.
The Root ninja, lips trembling, struggled to speak.
"F-F-Four Brilliance…"
Though his teeth hadn't fully regenerated and his words leaked air, Ma Jia understood.
Hui.
Danzo's attack was because of Hui.
But... that hardly made sense.
"Hui and Namikaze Minato are both Kage-level…"
The Root ninja attempted to continue, but his words deteriorated into incoherence. Still, Ma Jia caught the key points.
Hui and Minato, both Kage-level threats, were Danzo's real targets.
"Because they're reaching shadow-level strength... Danzo panicked."
It made sense. Two powerful figures emerging from among Konoha's younger generation, both connected to the Sannin—Hui tied to Orochimaru, Minato to Jiraiya—posed a direct threat to Danzo's ambition to become Hokage.
Danzo could tolerate one rising star, but two?
Impossible.
Thus, he resorted to this underhanded attack.
Danzo's goal was never simply to kill. It was to hinder, to intimidate, to cause enough disruption to lower their standing—or eliminate future threats early.
"This explains the timing, the 'Sand Ninja' disguise, everything…"
Having pieced together the truth, Ma Jia summoned a chakra blade and swiftly ended the Root ninja's life.
The information he extracted was likely the limit. Anything deeper—such as Danzo's full strategic considerations—was probably beyond a mere operative's clearance.
"Twilight and Minato both becoming Kage-level so early... it affects Danzo's ambitions."
Ma Jia's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Danzo's focus had always been twofold: protect Konoha by any means necessary—and become Hokage.
If Hui and Minato gained prestige on the battlefield, Sannin-backed or not, Danzo's political chances would dwindle.
Even though Jiraiya wasn't particularly interested in politics, his influence would still elevate Minato's chances by association. And if Orochimaru had Hui under his wing, Danzo's road to Hokage would be blocked completely.
Thus, his desperation.
"But attacking the Seventh Squad was just a side plot…"
Ma Jia's deduction solidified.
The real targets were Hui and Minato.
The Seventh Squad was merely a convenient way to either bait them out—or indirectly cause emotional turmoil.
"If that's the case, then Danzo must have other arrangements underway."
Ma Jia's hands clenched tightly.
Danzo's behavior wasn't just despicable—it was treacherous.
Especially during wartime.
To attack fellow Konoha shinobi amidst a global conflict was beyond disgusting.
And worst of all? Because Root operated in the shadows under the Anbu Training Division, they had semi-official status.
This meant Danzo's operatives could assassinate allies—but retaliation would be forbidden.
It was a sickening abuse of authority.
Unlike under Hiruzen's leadership, where Anbu were restricted by moral guidelines, Root under Danzo operated with twisted freedom, wearing the facade of loyalty while rotting from within.
Having uncovered the truth, Ma Jia's anger only deepened.
Danzo had crossed a line.
Targeting Hui was one thing.
But to endanger innocent comrades, to manipulate war for personal ambition…
Unforgivable.
Especially considering Hui's connection with Rin.
This wasn't just political anymore.
It was personal.