Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

The seals inside Sora's body weren't particularly challenging for Natsuro to unravel, nor did the unclaimed Nine-Tails chakra affect him.

At this point, even a complete Nine-Tails would hardly trouble Natsuro, let alone a fraction of its chakra.

In truth, if left unattended, the seals binding the chakra would eventually degrade over time. Without his intervention, the chakra would cause Sora to go berserk again before dissipating completely.

If that occurred, the rampant chakra might be fully consumed in the rampage, bringing an end to this matter. However, the damage inflicted on Sora's body by the Nine-Tails' chakra would be irreversible.

Sora's constitution was no more than that of an ordinary person. Unlike Naruto, his body wasn't equipped to handle the immense power of the Nine-Tails. Without the seals, the chakra would have long since faded.

But now, the lingering chakra was a boon for Natsuro.

He glanced at the transparent orb in his hand, now brimming with an eerie crimson light that shimmered with a mesmerizing glow.

This orb contained the Nine-Tails' chakra extracted from Sora.

Natsuro had no intention of using it on himself; doing so would only bring side effects. Instead, he felt it might prove useful in the future.

With that thought, he stored the orb in his sealed space, made some arrangements for Sora's care at the hospital, and once again headed toward the Hokage's office.

As Natsuro entered, Tsunade looked up and remarked, "You're here. How's the boy?"

"Handled, as expected." Natsuro shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze falling on Kakashi, who was also present.

Stepping over to Kakashi, Natsuro asked with a serious tone, "So, what's the result of the investigation?"

"Kakashi, go ahead," Tsunade instructed, nodding at the silver-haired ninja.

Kakashi sighed, rolling his visible eye. "Alright."

He explained that with the Hokage's official credentials, his investigation had been unhindered.

Had obstacles arisen, Tsunade's overt escalation of the investigation into Danzo had neutralized them. The increased scrutiny gave the impression that Tsunade was making a final desperate push, which likely encouraged Danzo to lie low and become complacent.

Unbeknownst to Danzo, Natsuro had managed to establish contact with Orochimaru, a twist Danzo had never anticipated.

Kakashi detailed the findings:

Many of the resources listed in the intelligence were fake, replaced with counterfeit items. Some were accounted for through official records of requisitions under various pretexts.

Kakashi spent considerable time verifying these requisitions, and his conclusion was damning:

The pretexts were entirely fabricated. None of the locations listed had actually received the resources.

This corroborated the validity of 90% of the information Natsuro had obtained.

"Impressive work," Natsuro commended, genuinely impressed.

Many would have stopped investigating after uncovering the first layer of deception, but Kakashi had persisted, ensuring the evidence was irrefutable.

"Honestly," Natsuro admitted, "I was prepared for the possibility that nothing substantial would be uncovered."

Danzo had operated in the shadows for years, likely leaving few traces. However, the sheer volume of resources demanded by Orochimaru had left gaps that couldn't be fully concealed.

Danzo likely believed that Natsuro's death during his mission would secure his path to power. Following Natsuro's supposed demise, Tsunade's grief might even lead her to make mistakes, giving Danzo an opening.

"So, was this Danzo's last gamble?" Natsuro mused, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Even if Kakashi's investigation had yielded nothing, he had no intention of letting Danzo off the hook.

"Hmm," Kakashi commented with a rare smile. "Given the clarity of the intelligence, getting solid results wasn't too difficult."

Tsunade added, "We also followed up on Yamato's memory. The findings were significant."

She elaborated on Yamato's retrieved memories:

Yamato recalled scenes of Danzo and Orochimaru together in the laboratory. His early memories also included being captured as an infant by Root operatives.

Natsuro was pleasantly surprised. He had expected this evidence to be supplementary but found it held considerable weight.

With this, even the elder advisors who favored Danzo would struggle to defend him.

Turning to Tsunade, Natsuro then said something that left everyone in the room wide-eyed.

After leaving the Hokage's office, Kakashi was still in a state of shock. He hadn't expected Natsuro to make such a decisive move at this moment.

Could it be…

Kakashi's thoughts raced, and he took a deep breath, realizing just how determined Natsuro was to deal with Danzo.

A smile crept onto Kakashi's face. This was a development he was more than happy to see. Now, he had one more task: inviting the two elder advisors.

As for the Third Hokage, Natsuro would personally extend the invitation.

Kakashi found himself eagerly anticipating the outcome of what was to come.

At the Third Hokage's residence.

Natsuro stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi, explaining the purpose of his visit.

The Third Hokage listened in silence, his expression somber. After a moment, he nodded slightly. He had a good idea why he'd had come to him.

There was a pained and powerless look on Hiruzen's face, but he still chose to follow Natsuro.

In a meeting room at the Hokage's office.

Kakashi stood guard at the door, acting as a gatekeeper.

The fact that Kakashi was serving as a guard showed the importance of this meeting and the high rank of the attendees.

Inside the room were five people: Tsunade, Natsuro, the Third Hokage, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. These individuals were among the most influential figures in Konoha.

"So, why exactly have you called us here so urgently?" Koharu asked, glancing at the sealing barriers surrounding the room.

"It's about Danzo," Natsuro replied with a calm smile. "Don't worry, let the Third Hokage finish reviewing everything first."

Koharu and Homura exchanged glances. They noticed Hiruzen trembling as he read through the evidence Natsuro and Kakashi had prepared.

They were growing increasingly curious. What kind of evidence could make the Third Hokage react like this?

Hiruzen finally finished reviewing the scrolls, his hands trembling. Without a word, he passed the documents to Koharu and Homura before closing his eyes in pain, leaning back in exhaustion.

Koharu and Homura, unsettled by Hiruzen's reaction, opened the scrolls and began to read.

What they saw first shocked them: evidence of Danzo's betrayal involving Natsuro.

The evidence of the resources Danzo had embezzled caused their faces to darken.

"That Danzo! How dare he steal so many resources!" Koharu exclaimed angrily, slamming her hand on the table.

Those resources weren't just Konoha's, some of them directly affected their personal benefits.

Both Koharu and Homura had engaged in minor corruption themselves, though they were careful to only take what could be justified and ensure there was always some surplus in the village's stores.

Danzo's actions, however, were reckless, leaving Konoha's resource reserves critically strained. How were they supposed to maintain their schemes now?

Initially, they doubted the authenticity of the evidence. After all, they were well aware of the tension between Tsunade and Danzo. But as they reviewed the detailed proofs, they fell silent.

As for the secret Wood Release experiments, that revelation barely surprised them. It was exactly the kind of thing Danzo would do. The difference was that this time, there was irrefutable evidence.

At that moment, Koharu and Homura both glanced at Natsuro and Tsunade.

Just when had they prepared such an overwhelming case against Danzo?

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Currently on Chapter 282 - Something Unusual?