Shimura Clan Estate.
Danzo sat with a darkened expression in one of the few houses that hadn't been leveled. Around him sat several elders of the Shimura clan, their faces a mixture of soot-stained fury and anxiety.
"Danzo, has your Root still not found the culprit?" the First Elder asked, his voice trembling with suppressed rage.
Danzo replied coldly, "No. The enemy was cunning, leaving behind not a single shred of evidence."
"Who exactly is targeting our Shimura clan?" the Second Elder demanded.
"Could it be Hiruzen Sarutobi's doing?" the Third Elder suggested darkly.
Danzo shook his head. "I know Hiruzen. He wouldn't do something like this. He still needs me to handle the village's dirty work; he wouldn't blow the bridge until he's ready to cross it. Unless pushed to an absolute corner, he won't strike so brazenly."
"Then who?" the First Elder wondered aloud.
Danzo's gaze turned icy. "I've questioned the Konoha patrol squads. That night, no suspicious outsiders were found entering the village. The highest probability is that the enemy is hidden right here within Konoha."
"I will have my men dig three feet deep into this village if I have to. I will unearth whoever did this."
The meeting ended, and the elders departed. Danzo sat alone, his mind racing.
Uchiha Raizen... could it be you?
He stared at Raizen's official file.
He obtained his Genin rank years ago. Given his wit, it's impossible for his strength to have remained at that level for five years.
The night before, I sent men to ambush him. The very next night, my clan estate is bombed. Is he retaliating against me?
But Itachi shouldn't have leaked the secrets. Raizen has been away for years; there's no reason for him to know the specifics of the grudge between me and the Uchiha. Aside from the four of us at the top, no one knows the truth of the massacre.
Did Hiruzen leak it? Homura? Koharu?
Danzo's expression grew even more grim. Hiruzen wants to reclaim Raizen for the village; as a co-conspirator in the massacre, he'd never tell him the truth. Homura has his own grudge against Raizen because of his son, and Koharu is always in lockstep with Homura. They wouldn't leak it.
Then... did he find a clue from the Root ninjas that night?
The assassins I sent were orphans recruited from other lands. No one in the village recognizes them except me. Even if they failed, the trail shouldn't have led to me.
Where did the chain break?
Wait... Danzo's eyes widened. The curse mark!
My Cursed Tongue Seal is only known to me, Hiruzen, and the other two. However... I can't rule out the possibility that the Uchiha secretly gathered intelligence on my seals.
Is it you, Uchiha Raizen?
Through a process of elimination, Danzo now placed Raizen as his primary suspect.
Hiruzen has two squads guarding Tsukihime at the Uchiha house, plus Kakashi and Guy. Attacking him again would require a massive force, which would be impossible to hide. And since the last attack, Hiruzen has me under surveillance.
However, I can send someone else. A certain individual who has asked me more than once for my...
A cold sneer appeared on Danzo's face. Uchiha Raizen, let's see how deep your waters truly run.
He immediately summoned a Root ninja and dispatched him with a message.
At the Uchiha Compound
Tsukihime was staring at Raizen with puffed-out cheeks.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Raizen asked, looking puzzled.
"I'm saying," Tsukihime huffed, "do you not intend to give a bottle of that Papaya Nutritious Juice to this Princess? I am your fiancée, after all!"
She stood with her hands on her hips, thrusting her modest chest forward defiantly.
Raizen let out a helpless laugh. "You've been staring at me all day for that? I thought you were still mad at me for forgetting to pick you up at the Capital."
Tsukihime extended her hand. "This Princess is giving you a chance to curry favor. Hand over all the juice you have hidden, and I might consider forgiving you."
"I don't have any," Raizen said. He wasn't about to spoil her; if he cave in too easily now, this "little mother pig" would be impossible to manage later.
"You—?!" Tsukihime's eyes nearly bulged out.
"Raizen-kun, just give the Princess a bottle," Kurenai said from the side, trying to mediate. "She is going to be your wife soon, after all."
Raizen shot Kurenai a look that said 'Are you serious?' Didn't she notice Anko was currently pressed against the door outside, eavesdropping? If he gave it to the Princess, Anko would tear the house down.
"I really don't have any right now," Raizen said, softening his tone. "Wait a while. I'll get more eventually."
"How long?" Tsukihime asked urgently.
"Maybe a year or two. Perhaps longer," Raizen said slowly, before adding meaningfully, "It depends on whether Kurenai and the others 'work hard' or not."
"Whether we work hard?" Kurenai asked, confused. "What does that mean?"
"Once you give birth, there might be a new supply," Raizen laughed.
"The juice is related to childbirth?" Kurenai asked skeptically.
"Yes! Deeply related!" Raizen shouted.
Technically, he wasn't lying. The juice was a system reward. If they didn't have children, there were no rewards. No rewards meant no juice. They were very much "deeply related."
Outside the door, Anko's eyes widened. The juice is related to having kids? A bizarre thought crossed her mind: If I have a kid with Raizen, will I get the juice immediately?
Wait, wait, wait!!!
What am I thinking?! Anko's face burned. Uchiha Raizen belongs to Little Kurenai! How can I think about having kids with him?!
Forgive me, Buddha, I didn't mean to think such lewd thoughts! Anko's mind descended into a chaotic, rambling mess of internal excuses.