Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 252: Sarutobi Hiruzen’s Shock and Suspicion

Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Sarutobi Hiruzen’s Shock and Suspicion

Sarutobi Hiruzen put down his pipe and took out another scroll from the drawer.

This was the mission report submitted not long ago by the Anbu squad leader "Night Owl", who was responsible for escorting the medical unit.

It detailed the incident where the medical unit was attacked by an "Iwagakure" elite squad within the Land of Fire, resulting in over ten medical ninja being captured.

This included Yumi and Ayumi from the orphanage.

When he saw this report before, although angry, he felt more of a helpless resignation, treating it as a "normal part of war".

Iwagakure was known for its deceitful methods, and attacking logistical medical units was not uncommon.

After all, even Tsunade had been attacked before.

He only briefly noted the list of captured personnel. When he saw the names Yumi and Ayumi, a thought flashed through his mind. Sora would probably be very upset when he found out.

After all, these two girls were among the few "bonds" he had in Konoha.

However, now, placing this report alongside the battle report from the front line against Kumo, Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyebrows furrowed tightly.

Sora’s strength had already reached Kage level...

He had been hiding his strength all along...

Yumi and Ayumi were close to him...

The timing of the attack on the medical unit coincided closely with the decisive battle against Kumo...

Several seemingly unrelated pieces of information collided in his mind, casting a shadow over Sarutobi Hiruzen’s heart.

He forced himself to stop certain overly "dark" associations.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Sora had been fighting bravely on the front lines, achieving great merits. He shouldn’t be suspected without cause.

But... as Hokage, he had to consider the worst-case scenario.

A powerful, infinitely potential young strong individual, who lacked a sense of belonging to Konoha, and whose few "bonds" within the village had been captured by the enemy...

This was like an uncontrollable nuclear bomb. No one could predict his future direction.

"Ah..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and rubbed the space between his eyebrows.

Regardless, the news that Yumi and Ayumi had been captured by "Iwagakure" must be told to Sora.

This matter could not be hidden. Rather than letting him find out through other channels, it was better for the Hokage’s office to formally notify him. This could also provide some comfort and demonstrate the village’s care.

Thinking this, Sarutobi Hiruzen extinguished his pipe and was about to call the Anbu guard at the door to send the message to Sora at the front line.

However, just as he was about to speak...

Bang!

The office door was violently pushed open, interrupting Sarutobi Hiruzen’s train of thought.

Danzo walked in with a dark expression and slammed a document heavily onto the desk.

"Hiruzen. Look at this."

Danzo’s voice carried suppressed anger and a hint of deeply hidden excitement.

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s frown deepened. He was used to Danzo’s rude behavior but still found it displeasing.

"Danzo, what is so urgent?"

"What is it?"

Danzo snorted coldly, pointing at the document on the desk. "This is the detailed report I submitted earlier about the Root squad being attacked by an unidentified strong individual within the Land of Fire. At that time, we lost three excellent members. The only clues were the ’blue scales’ reported by Tenzo and the huge claw marks at the scene."

Sarutobi Hiruzen remembered. There was such an incident.

At that time, Danzo suspected it was the work of a secret weapon or a rogue ninja from another major village. They investigated for a while but found no results.

"So? Have you found the culprit now?" Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up the report and asked casually.

"Exactly."

Danzo stared fixedly at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Look at the combat descriptions about that Sora sent back from the front line. Semi-dragon transformation form. Blue dragon scales covering the body. And that immense power and speed." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

His voice suddenly rose. "The one who attacked my Root squad and captured my Root member was Sora. It was definitely him."

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s hand, flipping through the report, suddenly stopped.

The report was attached with a drawing of the scale pattern described by "Tenzō" and an imprint of the claw mark.

Although the imprint was somewhat blurry, its ferocious outline was strikingly similar to the dragon claw form of Sora’s semi-beast transformation as described in Akimichi Torifu’s battle report.

Combined with the unique blue dragon scales...

All clues seemed to point to one person. Sora.

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s heart sank heavily.

If what Danzo said was true, then Sora was not only hiding his strength but also secretly targeting "Root".

Why would he do this?

What secret did the captured Root member hold?

Or, did he harbor dissatisfaction towards Konoha, towards the higher-ups, from long ago?

Connecting this to his earlier vague suspicions about the medical unit attack incident, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a chill run down his spine.

Sora... this seemingly steady and low-key young man whom he had personally brought into the Anbu... just how many secrets were hidden behind him?

His strength, his actions, his motives...

All seemed shrouded in a layer of mist.

Danzo watched the changing expressions on Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face and knew his words had an effect. He said sinisterly,

"Hiruzen, this boy’s strength has grown too rapidly. He is deep and scheming, and his loyalty to the village is questionable. Now he has achieved great merits on the front line and his reputation is soaring. If we do not control him early, I fear he will become a serious threat."

Control? How to control?

A Kage-level powerhouse who can contend head-on with the Third Raikage, is he so easy to control?

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not respond to Danzo. He slowly sat back in his chair.

His gaze fell on the desk again. On the left was the report of Sora’s glorious battle achievements. On the right was the suspicious evidence accusing him of attacking his comrades.

Sarutobi Hiruzen fell into deep thought.

...

Time passed second by second. The air in the Hokage’s office seemed to have solidified.

After a long time, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke.

"Danzo, judging it as Sora’s doing based solely on the similarity of scale patterns and claw mark outlines is insufficient evidence."

"The ninja world is vast. Bloodline Limits and secret techniques emerge endlessly. The appearance of abilities with similar forms is not impossible. Perhaps someone deliberately disguised themselves, intending to frame him and stir up internal conflict."

Danzo’s face instantly darkened. His hand slapped the desktop heavily.

"Hiruzen. You are shielding him. With such clear evidence right before your eyes, you still choose to turn a blind eye. Those scales and those claw marks are definitely not something an ordinary bloodline can imitate."

Danzo took a step closer, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"More importantly."

"This boy’s strength has grown so bizarrely fast. Now he has achieved great merit and his reputation is flourishing. If he harbors treacherous intentions, what kind of disaster would that be for Konoha? We must take advantage of him not yet being completely out of control to find out the truth. When necessary... take decisive measures."

"Decisive measures?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen lifted his eyelids, looking sharply at Danzo.

"What measures? Taking action against a hero who just achieved great merits for the village and repelled Kumo? Danzo, what do you think the ninja fighting desperately on the front lines will think? How do you want all of Konoha to view their Hokage?"

His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

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