Danzo was truly a cockroach that refused to die. Almost everyone present held a grudge against him. They all wished him dead, yet someone had intervened to save him.
The Third Hokage's earlier attitude had clearly been to nail Danzo to a pillar of shame. Now, Danzo's prison break was a direct slap in the Third's face. It also rendered the Third Hokage's promises to Kabuto, Konan, the Uchiha, and Tsunade completely void.
No wonder the Third Hokage was like an ant on a hot pan, likely burning with anxiety. He would probably dispatch Jiraiya to pursue Danzo immediately.
The only question was whether Zetsu was acting alone or with Obito.
Perfect. Danzo's escape provided the perfect opportunity to revisit the topic of "Uchiha dissatisfaction with Konoha." To Kawasaki, while Danzo was a mortal enemy, his escape also served to undermine the Third's authority. If the Third could recapture Danzo, that would be for the best.
Of course, Kawasaki was also worried that Obito might launch a surprise attack on the clan. However, he could just send a Shadow Clone to scout the situation.
Kawasaki brought his hands together. Poof! A Shadow Clone appeared.
"Yuto, I'm going to watch the show. How does your Hyuga clan's tracking technique work? The markings?"
Yuto quickly explained the Hyuga's tracking methods and the markers they used to Kawasaki.
...
In the forest outside Konoha, Danzo fled swiftly into the distance. He felt waves of power surging into him, filling his nearly seventy-year-old body with vigor.
Zetsu periodically emerged from tree trunks or the ground. "If you don't speed up, the Hyuga pursuers behind you are going to catch up."
Danzo glanced back, but the dense trees completely obstructed his view. He couldn't see a thing.
Far off in the forest, three Hyuga clan members were in pursuit: Daisuke, Kaizaki, and Hayato. It was their turn for guard duty today. They never expected to encounter Danzo's prison break. Worse, it had already cost the lives of two of their clansmen. For the Hyuga clan, this was a great humiliation.
When the guards had gone to inspect the cell, they found a massive hole dug through the wall. Thankfully, the Hyuga's Byakugan had locked onto Danzo's escape route. Prison personnel immediately sealed the passage and blocked the hole to prevent other inmates from taking advantage of the chaos, while another team was sent to inform the Third Hokage and Hiashi.
The three of them only needed to stall Danzo until reinforcements arrived. Logically, a man of Danzo's advanced age should not have such stamina. Yet they had been chasing him for an hour, and Danzo showed no signs of slowing down. This baffled the Hyuga. How could Danzo's stamina be so good?
Furthermore, their Byakugan revealed another figure by Danzo's side—a man with a two-toned face. This was the same person who had abducted Naruto. The team was exceptionally cautious, fearing that Obito might also be lurking nearby.
"Kaizaki, there's something in the sky," Daisuke noted during the chase, spotting another person above Danzo's head. He activated his Byakugan and saw a youth riding a large bird, though the bird was not a living creature.
Kaizaki replied, "I saw him a while ago. Just a kid. Not sure which faction he belongs to, but he's tailing Danzo too. Ignore him for now. We just need to wait for reinforcements."
"Got it!" Daisuke acknowledged, reactivating his Byakugan. "Careful, Danzo's stopped."
"Should we engage?" Daisuke asked.
Kaizaki was uncertain. Danzo had used Wood Release to break out of prison. What if he had left a Wood Clone behind as a decoy and slipped away? They would be held responsible.
"Let's go take a look!" Kaizaki decided to advance. Danzo's escape was already a massive headache for the Hyuga clan. If they lost him now, they couldn't bear the responsibility.
Just as they were about to move forward, Zetsu emerged from the ground. "Well, well, this road is closed."
"Watch out! This one uses Wood Release!"
The three Hyuga tensed instantly. Zetsu looked at Kaizaki and Daisuke, murmuring, "Quite a few of them."
With a raise of his hand, Zetsu sent massive tree roots hurtling toward Hayato. The roots grew thicker and harder as they left his hand, shooting forward with incredible speed. The three Hyuga quickly scattered.
Suddenly, white mist erupted from Kaizaki's and Daisuke's bodies. A wave of weakness washed over them.
"What is this stuff?!"
Their chakra was being rapidly drained by white spores. The spores gradually took the shape of White Zetsu clones.
"Kaizaki! Daisuke!" Hayato cried out, not knowing when his comrades had been hit. He rushed to help them.
"Hehehehe..." Zetsu let out a low laugh. The Spore Technique had absorbed a massive amount of their chakra. Six White Zetsu clones formed on their bodies before detaching themselves. Kaizaki and Daisuke had already been drained into unconsciousness.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Hayato compressed the air and struck out with his palm!
Bang! Two White Zetsu were sent flying by the impact. The other clones leaped onto Zetsu, transferring the stolen chakra to him. Zetsu stomped his foot on the ground.
Suddenly, countless roots shot out from the earth. Hayato spread his arms, shattering the roots one after another with his Gentle Fist.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Hayato continuously struck the roots, but they were numerous, seemingly endless. His arms faltered for a moment, and the roots pierced through his hands, plunging deep into his body. Zetsu formed a hand seal.
Splurch! The roots blossomed from Hayato's chest.
"Ugh..." Hayato didn't even have time to scream as blood erupted from his chest. He collapsed to the ground.
Zetsu glanced over at the unconscious Daisuke and Kaizaki. Two more roots shot out from the ground beside them, impaling their bodies. Daisuke and Kaizaki groaned once in their stupor. Zetsu formed another hand seal.
Branches burst from within their bodies, splattering blood and organs across the ground. Zetsu watched the scene with cold indifference before sinking back into the earth with the other White Zetsu clones. His Mayfly Technique was incredibly fast.
In an instant, he reappeared beside Danzo. "It's done."
Danzo's heart tightened. The Hyuga pursuers had been killed in such a short time?
A vortex suddenly materialized in mid-air. Obito stepped out, his mask off, his face fully revealed. Seeing this bizarre entrance, Danzo felt not alarm, but immense greed.
So this was Obito! Such a strange and powerful Mangekyo Sharingan. If only I had those eyes...
Obito's gaze shifted.
Boom! A thunderclap seemed to strike Danzo's mind. A massive spiritual shockwave slammed into his consciousness, and he instantly lost awareness, standing blankly to the side.
"Why did you enter Konoha without my permission?" Obito asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Zetsu's voice was low. "I made some investments in Danzo. It would be a waste if he died just like that. This old man is still useful."
Obito glanced at Danzo's right arm and shook his head. "Boring." Then, he looked up toward the distant sky.
High above, Sai was shocked. He can sense me from this far away? He quickly urged his ink bird to climb higher.
Obito narrowed his eyes. At that altitude... fine, I'll let you go this time.
Zetsu had really stirred up a hornet's nest this time. By abducting Danzo, he had guaranteed the Third Hokage would be in hot pursuit. With Jiraiya and Tsunade both in the village, now was not the time for a direct confrontation.
The vortex appeared again, and Obito vanished from the ground, taking Zetsu and Danzo with him.
...
In the forest, Jiraiya led the way, followed by ten ANBU and two Hyuga clan members. They followed the trail markers left by the first Hyuga team, searching outside the village. The two Hyuga took turns activating their Byakugan, constantly correcting their course.
"They're just ahead!"
"It's Kaizaki and the others!"
The group rushed forward, only to find the three Hyuga lying in pools of blood. Their bodies were riddled with branches, like pincushions. Blood flowed from their ruptured organs, staining the ground.
"Damn it!" one of the Hyuga clansmen clenched his fist tightly.
Jiraiya frowned and stepped forward to inspect the bodies. Wood Release again. All three Hyuga were from the branch family. Upon their deaths, the Caged Bird seal would have destroyed their brains. The trail had gone cold.
Jiraiya waved his hand. "Conduct a grid search! Three Hyuga died here. The enemy must have left some trace!"
The ten ANBU members spread out and began searching the area. A moment later...
"Who's there?!"
After a short shout, an ANBU agent appeared, dragging a young boy with him. "Lord Jiraiya, we found this person up ahead."
Sai's face was pale. He had been tracking Danzo, not daring to stop or get too close. Maintaining the ink bird had pushed his stamina and spirit to their limits. After seeing the figures on the ground disappear, he had landed to investigate but found no traces at all. Then, the ANBU arrived. As an exhausted Root trainee, how could he possibly fight back? He was instantly subdued.
"Who are you?"
Sai remained silent. He recognized the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. He was a former member of Root, which had since been purged, with many of its members killed. He hadn't found his brother yet; he couldn't die here.
.....
Kawasaki's Shadow Clone followed the Hyuga clan's trail markers all the way to the scene of their deaths.
"Who goes there?!" an ANBU searching for clues shouted.
Kawasaki stepped out into the open.
Jiraiya frowned. "Kawasaki, what are you doing here?"
Kawasaki's clone appeared and said, "Danzo escaped. I came to see what's going on."
With a huge hole in the prison and five Hyuga dead, the news couldn't be contained. It was only natural for Kawasaki to come, probably to gather intelligence. Jiraiya guessed it was a Shadow Clone, since the Uchiha clan was supposed to be celebrating.
Jiraiya closed his eyes impatiently and waved for the ANBU to continue their search. So much time had passed, and all they had was one captured boy and no other leads. Jiraiya was at a loss. Just as they were about to question the boy, he had suddenly gone completely numb. The ANBU then discovered the Tongue-Cursing Seal in his mouth. For now, all they could do was take him back.
Kawasaki walked forward and looked at the boy. He felt like he'd seen him somewhere before but couldn't place him. Seeing his half-torn clothes, his exposed midsection, and the ink brush he carried, Kawasaki had a flash of realization. Could this be Sai? What was he doing here?
Kawasaki approached Jiraiya. "Where did Danzo go? Any leads?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "No leads at the moment. All five Hyuga were killed by Wood Release. All we have is this boy, but he's under the Tongue-Cursing Seal, so we can't get anything out of him."
...
Tongue-Cursing Seal?
"Hey, don't you have any interrogation experts? Just bypass the thing."
Jiraiya was momentarily stunned. "How do you bypass it?"
Kawasaki sighed with a hint of exasperation. "Looks like you really don't know much about interrogating prisoners. Move aside, let me."
Jiraiya didn't mind Kawasaki's attitude. He was actually curious. While there were techniques to read minds or even torture souls, he had little knowledge of them and had never bothered to learn. So, Kawasaki knew interrogation techniques?
Kawasaki, of course, knew nothing about torture. But he had once discussed countermeasures for seals that prevented a person from speaking about specific topics with a friend. He wanted to see if he could bypass it with logic.
Kawasaki addressed Sai. "I know which organization you're from. Right now, you can't mention any words related to it. So, I'll ask you in a different way."
Sai hadn't been tortured. He had simply triggered the Tongue-Cursing Seal during the initial questioning, and after a brief period of paralysis, he had recovered. He was curious to see how Kawasaki would question him.
"How's the weather today?" Before Sai could answer, Kawasaki continued. "If you saw the person who shall not be named here, stay silent. If you didn't, say the weather is good."
As expected, Sai said nothing.
Kawasaki turned to Jiraiya. "See? Just like that. The Tongue-Cursing Seal can stop someone from speaking, but it can't force them to speak when they shouldn't."
Jiraiya was completely flabbergasted. He had bypassed the problem with such a simple method. Kawasaki had long thought the seal was a flimsy tool. It only restricted speech, so changing the condition to silence was an easy workaround. In truth, this world had many interrogation methods, but everyone focused on jutsu-based solutions, neglecting logical approaches. In Kawasaki's original world, this was a simple logic puzzle for elementary school students.
Here, everyone focused on breaking the jutsu itself, never thinking of how to bypass it—to exploit its loopholes. Well, one person had: Orochimaru. His method for releasing the Impure World Reincarnation was found by exploiting a logical flaw. It wasn't profound, just a different way of thinking.
With Kawasaki's demonstration, the rest was easy. The ANBU could now design their own questions for Sai.
For example: "What were you doing here? If you were specifically tracking the person who cannot be named, don't say anything. If not, say it will rain today."
Or: "There are several numbers in front of you. Say the number I point to. For the numbers corresponding to how many people you saw at the scene, don't say them."
In less than ten minutes, they had their answers: besides Danzo, two other people had been here. One was the two-toned man who attacked Naruto, and the other was a man with a Sharingan who appeared suddenly.
It was Obito, without a doubt. Only his Space-Time Ninjutsu allowed for such brazen teleportation.
And Sai was here looking for someone. He was following Danzo to find them.
Kawasaki rubbed his chin. Shin isn't dead yet? Based on the timeline, Shin should still be alive, but likely in critical condition.
"Is your brother's name Shin?" Kawasaki asked.
This was a question Sai could answer. "Yes, my brother's name is Shin."
"Jiraiya, when you raided Root, did you capture any kids his age?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "There were no children that age during the raid. However, in the rest area on the right, there was a collapsed hidden passage behind a cabinet. Someone probably escaped through it."
Jiraiya patted Sai's shoulder. "Don't worry. The person who can't be named probably didn't take your brother. He didn't have the time or opportunity. He never even knew he was going to be captured."
Sai said stubbornly, "I have to find my brother."
Jiraiya spread his hands. "Your brother likely escaped on his own. You were just a trainee in Root. If you want to search for your brother openly, you'll have to come back with me for an investigation first."
"Don't worry, trainees like you won't be mistreated," Kawasaki interjected. Even the future Sai was eventually recruited into the ANBU, let alone the current, younger version.
There was nothing else of value to be found here. Besides, knowing Obito was involved, finding any more clues would be nearly impossible against his Space-Time Ninjutsu.
The Hyuga clan collected the bodies, the ANBU took Sai, and the groups dispersed. Jiraiya and Kawasaki brought up the rear.
Kawasaki asked with a blank expression, "How does the Third Hokage plan to give us an explanation?"
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Don't ask me. I hate this stuff. I don't know what the old man is thinking. Go ask him yourself."
Kawasaki nodded and vanished with a pop.
.....
Uchiha Clan Compound.
[Ding... Become the leader of the Uchiha clan. Mission complete.]
[Congratulations, Host: Faction Template has been upgraded.]
[Congratulations, Host: Rewrite Destiny rewards have been optimized.]
[Congratulations, Host: Recruitment threshold raised, rewards optimized.]
[Congratulations, Host: Dream Simulator has been upgraded.]
[Congratulations, Host: Talent Development Mission unlocked.]
[Ding... New mission: Become the Strongest Faction.]
After sending out his Shadow Clone, Kawasaki's main body had remained hidden within the clan compound, studying the new functions unlocked by the system after his mission completion.
The Rewrite Destiny reward had been optimized. Now he could choose between a new skill or upgrading an already mastered skill of the same type by +1