Black Naruto: Shadow Moon

"Hokage-sama." Yingyue said in a deep voice, holding a thick stack of documents in his hand and placing them directly on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk.

Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head and glanced at Yingyue, with a trace of fatigue in his eyes. "Yingyue, what are you doing here?" he asked. Although he knew the purpose of Yingyue's visit, he still hoped that it was just an ordinary report.

Yingyue didn't say much, just opened the file and spread out the evidence.

The document lists in detail how the Root used various means to incite public opinion in the village and how they pushed Hatake Sakumo to the brink of suicide. There is even a part that implicitly suggests that Danzo may have tampered with the mission intelligence and deliberately put Sakumo into a dilemma.

"This is all the evidence I have collected during my time in the police department." Yingyue's voice was calm and steady. "Although due to the restrictions of the 'Tongue Root Seal of Absolute Disaster', I cannot get more direct evidence from those Root ninjas, but this is enough to prove that the Root played an important role in Hatake Sakumo's suicide."

As Sarutobi Hiruzen listened and flipped through the documents, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Every piece of evidence was extremely clear, including the Root's action trajectory, the specific means by which it participated in inciting public opinion, and even several anonymous reports related to the Root, all pointing to Danzo's secret operations.

"What do you want me to do?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was a little heavy. He raised his head and looked at Yingyue with deep eyes.

Yingyue's eyes were firm, without the slightest hesitation. "Hokage-sama, the death of Hatake Sakumo has plunged the village into unprecedented turmoil. As a village Kage-level strongman, his death not only dealt a blow to Konoha's strength, but also caused the entire ninja world to question us. Danzo must be held responsible for this incident. No matter how powerful he and the Root are, if he is not punished, this matter will never be settled, and the ninjas and people in the village will not get a reasonable explanation."

Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent, his heart in deep conflict.

He and Danzo have been working together for many years, with one in the open and the other in the dark. He is the leaf of the big tree of Konoha, while Danzo is the root buried deep in the soil.

Danzo solved many dark issues that Sarutobi Hiruzen could not handle, and preserved Konoha's superficial glory and peace.

However, this time things were different.

The death of Hatake Sakumo was not just a victim of a power struggle, it caused great turmoil within Konoha.

The morale of the village's ninjas was low due to Sakumo's death, and the villagers began to distrust the management ability of the top management.

More importantly, the evidence presented by Shadow Moon made it impossible for Sarutobi Hiruzen to continue pretending to ignore Danzo's behavior.

"Danzo has gone too far this time." Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly.

He knew that Danzo was always ruthless and never considered the consequences when solving problems, but this time, things were beyond their control.

"You asked me to punish him, but you know, he is not only my old friend, but also an important part of the operation of Konoha Village." Sarutobi Hiruzen said slowly, with complex emotions in his eyes.

Shadow Moon responded calmly: "Hokage-sama, Danzo's actions this time have touched the bottom line. No matter how many shady things he has done for Konoha in the past, this time, he pushed Hatake Sakumo to commit suicide. The ninjas and people in the village need an explanation. If this matter is not dealt with, Konoha Village will fall into deeper chaos."

Sarutobi Hiruzen fell into deep thought for a long time.

He knew that what Yingyue said was right. The death of Hatake Sakumo had shaken the order of the entire village. If he continued to protect Danzo, the chain of trust within the village would be completely broken.

Sakumo is not only a hero of Konoha, but also a role model in the hearts of many ninjas. If his death is not given a reasonable explanation, the will of fire in the hearts of the ninjas will collapse.

"You've given me a difficult problem." Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, with a hint of helplessness and pain in his eyes.

He had worked with Danzo for so many years, and Danzo had always dealt with the dark side of Konoha and ensured the prosperity and stability of the village.

However, this time, he had to make a choice.

Finally, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the Konoha Village in the distance.

After a moment of silence, he slowly said: "Danzo did go too far... I will take care of this matter."

Yingyue's eyes lit up slightly when he heard this, but he didn't show any emotion.

He knew the fight was far from over.

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned around and looked at Kagezuki with a heavy gaze: "However, Kagezuki, I also hope that you understand that dealing with Danzo does not mean that Konoha Village will become brighter. Sometimes, we must face the darkness and accept its existence."

Yingyue nodded slightly, but her heart remained firm.

He knew that he had successfully forced Sarutobi Hiruzen to express his position, and this was only the first step.

Next, how to deal with Danzo will determine the future of Konoha.

Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his head, picked up the documents on the table, and took a deep breath.

He understood that everything that happened next would have a profound impact on Konoha Village.

And he, as the Third Hokage, had to make a difficult decision.

In the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was heavy and tense.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mito Kado En were sitting around the table. Spread out in the middle of the table was the evidence document provided by Uchiha Kagezuki that showed the Root was involved in Hatake Sakumo's suicide.

All three of them knew that this was not just a personal attack on Hatake Sakumo, but also a conspiracy to plunge Konoha Village into turmoil, and the mastermind behind the scenes was none other than their longtime friend Danzo Shimura.

"The evidence is conclusive. We can't pretend not to see it this time." Sarutobi Hiruzen broke the silence with a hint of fatigue in his tone.

He had long been aware of the complexity of this struggle, but now, the evidence presented by Shadow Moon forced him to face up to the problem of Danzo.

Utane Koharu and Mitokado En looked at each other, with helpless expressions on their faces.

As high-ranking officials of Konoha, the two of them had a long-standing cooperative relationship with Danzo, and they had long been aware of many of Danzo's actions.

However, although Danzo's actions over the past few years were somewhat extreme, they always prioritized the interests of Konoha, and they chose to turn a blind eye.

But this time is different. The death of Hatake Sakumo has put the village into crisis. The ninjas in the village are full of doubts, and Yingyue's evidence makes it impossible for them to avoid this matter anymore.

Utane Koharu sighed and said slowly: "The nature of this matter is different from the previous ones. The Root did participate in the incitement of public opinion, which led to Hatake Sakumo's suicide. Although the three of us have been friends with Danzo for many years, this time... we can't protect him."

Mitomon En nodded, his tone full of helplessness: "If we continue to protect Danzo, those loyal ninjas in the village will lose trust in the Konoha high-level officials, and even let the village fall into greater chaos. Besides, many ninjas from big families already know the inside story of Hatake Sakumo's death. If we don't do something, the foundation of Konoha will be shaken."