Night fell, and the moon shone brightly amidst a sparse scattering of stars.
In the backyard of the Hyūga clan estate in the Hidden Leaf Village, an old wooden house stood quietly. A lantern swayed gently in the wind at the corner of the eaves, casting flickering shadows. Under the dim light, two figures stood side by side, speaking in hushed tones.
"You still refuse to tell me?" Hyūga Raiyō asked calmly. "Are you really that afraid of being implicated?"
"You will know when the time is right," Danzō replied indifferently. "Doesn't your Hyūga clan have people in the covert operations unit? You still can't find out?"
"Hmph." Raiyō snorted lightly.
If he could find out, he wouldn't need to ask Danzō.
The discipline in the covert operations unit was strict—on par with the Anbu. It wasn't that the information was completely unattainable, but even reaching out to his informants was nearly impossible. Only those within the unit knew their movements.
Hyūga Raiyō was determined to find out where Haruto Saito had established his hidden village.
This was a top-tier secret within the Leaf Village.
Besides the stationed covert operatives and Anbu in the Land of Whirlpools, only the five high-ranking elders of the village knew the exact location. Of course, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were also aware, as well as the old seal masters sent to assist in the village's development—but those were special cases.
Raiyō had asked Danzō about the location more than once.
Danzō never revealed it.
But Raiyō knew that Danzō wasn't keeping quiet out of concern for Haruto Saito's safety. If anything, Danzō wanted Haruto dead—he would love for all four of Sarutobi Hiruzen's direct disciples to disappear, giving him a clear path to become the next Hokage.
Danzō refused to disclose the location because he feared being held accountable for any leaks.
The only possible sources of a leak were the Anbu, the covert operations unit, or the five high-ranking elders. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were out of the question; they would never betray the village.
If the Anbu leaked the information, it would indicate a serious issue within their ranks.
If the covert operations unit leaked it, then they, too, would be in trouble.
And if neither the Anbu nor the covert operations unit was found guilty of leaking, then suspicion would fall on the five elders. And everyone knew Danzō had always been hostile toward Haruto Saito—he constantly tried to undermine him in every way possible.
"We have to wait for Haruto's response," Danzō said in a masked, slightly distorted voice. "Hiruzen is also worried that his village might be exposed. If the Mist Village learns its exact location, the consequences would be catastrophic. That's why the decision is in Haruto's hands."
"What choice does he have?" Raiyō asked.
"He can choose to accept the Special Operations Squad—or refuse," Danzō replied. "If he accepts, the team will be stationed at his village, which means all the major clans in the Leaf will know its location. If anyone leaks the information… the risk will be unavoidable. But if he refuses reinforcement, then for now, he has to fight the Mist Village's two military divisions on his own. The military order still stands."
Haruto Saito was essentially alone.
While the Fourth Division of the Leaf Village had been sent to aid him, it was a mercenary force—paid for out of his own pocket.
Other Leaf ninjas in the Land of Whirlpools were either Anbu or covert operatives, who had been stationed there long before Haruto's arrival. They were not meant for front-line combat.
So in reality, Haruto was relying on his own financial resources and the non-Leaf warriors he had recruited to resist the Mist Village.
"He won't refuse," Raiyō sneered. "Why would he?"
"Because he still has money," Danzō said flatly.
Although Haruto refusing was just a possibility, Danzō knew it was a real one.
Haruto still had funds—he could continue to post high-paying assassination bounties on the underground market. As long as he was willing to spend, he could temporarily stall the Mist forces. But only for the short term.
Raiyō didn't seem convinced.
"Haruto has been secretly producing an enormous quantity of sealing explosive tags in his village," Danzō suddenly said.
"Hmm?" Raiyō narrowed his eyes at Danzō.
"Why else would he spend billions in a short period on 'weapons and equipment'?" Danzō continued.
"Is he planning to use the same tactic again? Blowing up the Mist's main camp?" Raiyō asked directly.
"Maybe. Who knows?" Danzō replied nonchalantly.
"Heh!" Raiyō let out a sinister chuckle.
Danzō glanced at him, a faint smirk curling his lips.
Raiyō never truly understood Danzō.
Danzō saw Haruto Saito as a greater threat than Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru combined. But his loyalty to the Leaf outweighed his hostility toward Haruto.
The question of the future—who would be the Fourth Hokage—was a long-term concern.
Right now, the Leaf needed to win the war.
So, despite wanting Haruto Saito to disappear, Danzō never revealed the connection between Haruto and his hidden village. The village was Haruto's lifeline—but also a fragile one. If it was destroyed, Haruto would lose everything, and his careful plans would fall apart. An unstable Haruto meant an unpredictable battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools.
Danzō didn't want the situation to spiral out of control.
But Haruto's intent to use explosive tags to cripple the Mist forces was something Danzō couldn't allow. He didn't want Haruto to rack up another massive military achievement.
If Haruto succeeded again, his personal war record in the Second Great Ninja War would make him the undisputed top performer.
That would be another major milestone in his rise to power.
Danzō had to stop it. The victory had to belong to the village, not just Haruto Saito.
That's why he revealed the information about the explosive tags to Raiyō.
What Raiyō decided to do with that information was not Danzō's concern.
One thing was certain—no one in the Leaf wanted Haruto dead more than Raiyō did.
Three days later, the Leaf received Haruto Saito's reply.
He rejected the Special Operations Squad.
It was exactly the kind of unexpected decision only Haruto would make, yet somehow, it felt entirely in character.
However, Haruto didn't outright refuse their deployment to the Land of Whirlpools or his village. Instead, he told them to wait for his signal—he would call for reinforcements when he needed them.
On that same day, the Mist Village's Third Military Division crossed the sea and officially landed on the eastern shores of the Land of Whirlpools.