"Someone has infiltrated the secret prison holding Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and others?"
In the Hokage's office, the acting Fifth Hokage widened his eyes, looking incredulously at the intelligence officer who had just barged in.
"Yes, Lord Hokage, this is the transmission we just received."
"And the identity of the intruder?"
Akimichi Torifu pressed for more details. Follow current novels on novel·fıre·net
"That's still unclear. The intruder was highly skilled, using explosive tags to break through from the weakest points in the defenses. They also caused chaos with water clones. The guards still haven't identified them, but given their familiarity with the secret prison, it seems like an insider, likely someone from the ANBU or Root."
The intelligence division not only gathers information but also analyzes it.
Akimichi Torifu, now calm, wasn't surprised.
This outcome was already expected. The only ones who would be interested in Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura at this time—and capable of acting on that interest—were from within the village. Whether they wanted to kill or rescue them, it wasn't that surprising.
"Mobilize the ANBU. I'll go and check it out myself."
Akimichi Torifu gave the order.
He wanted to see who this audacious intruder was. Could it be someone from the Uchiha? The Hyuga? The Aburame? Or perhaps some remnants from Root that weren't accounted for? With the war with the Mist approaching, the village couldn't afford internal chaos right now.
The ANBU stationed at the Hokage building sprang into action.
Before long, a large contingent of ANBU left the Hokage building, heading quickly towards the secret prison in the village's northwest corner, following Akimichi Torifu.
It wasn't only the acting Hokage who received the information about the prison break. The guards of the prison came from trusted subordinates handpicked by the clan heads of the Uchiha, Hyuga, Aburame, and others. As soon as the intruder appeared, the various clans were alerted by their respective methods.
"Is the intruder Kakashi Hatake?"
Hiashi Hyuga narrowed his eyes.
He had received this intel even earlier than the acting Hokage, and his information was more detailed.
Kakashi Hatake... the son of the legendary Konoha White Fang, Sakumo Hatake. He was a student of the late Fourth Hokage and was injured during the Third Great Ninja War, after which he received a Sharingan transplant from the Uchiha. The Uchiha never reclaimed that Sharingan, allowing Kakashi to keep it. Currently, he's serving in the ANBU.
Various details about Kakashi ran through Hiashi's mind.
As the head of the Hyuga clan, he had to keep an eye on the entire village, not just his family.
A special individual like Kakashi Hatake wouldn't go unnoticed.
"The son of Sakumo Hatake... Could it be?"
After contemplating for a few seconds, Hiashi Hyuga had an uncertain guess. He immediately ordered the Hyuga clan guards at the prison to withhold any reports about Kakashi's involvement, instructing them to say they didn't get a clear look, and to avoid interfering with Kakashi's actions as much as possible.
Then, Hiashi Hyuga also set off for the secret prison.
This was definitely going to be a big deal!
The Hyuga clan couldn't afford to sit this one out!
The son of the Konoha White Fang, the genius Jonin Kakashi Hatake, seeking revenge for his father by killing the notorious Danzo Shimura, the former Hokage advisor—that would be far more interesting than a public execution! After all, beheading a man in his sixties wasn't exactly a sight anyone would enjoy.
Some people, untouched by Danzo's actions, might even feel a sense of pity.
"... Someone infiltrated the secret prison?"
Sougen, who was still in the Police Force headquarters, was startled by the news. He instinctively looked down at the floor, where Zabuza Momochi was still asleep in a secret cell deep underground.
"What the... Who's stealing my job?"
He had just been planning to make his move, and someone beat him to it.
"Ranzan, what exactly is going on? Tell me in detail."
Sougen fixed his gaze on Uchiha Ranzan, questioning him.
"There's not much intel yet. All we know is that the intruder used Earth Release to tunnel underground, then used explosive tags to break through the barrier around the secret prison. They seem to be heading straight for Danzo's location. The guards are trying to surround and intercept them, but they haven't encountered the intruder yet, so their identity remains unknown."
"Danzo, huh? Hmm… wait a minute! This might be an opportunity!"
Sougen's eyes lit up.
No matter who was targeting Danzo, this was an excellent chance. With everyone's attention focused on Danzo, fewer eyes would be on Hiruzen Sarutobi, clearing a lot of obstacles for him.
"Ranzan, contact our clan members guarding the prison. Tell them to hold back and prioritize their own safety. If they encounter the enemy, don't fight head-on. Also, have the clan members stationed elsewhere in the prison go support them."
Uchiha Ranzan frowned deeply at these strange orders.
"Minister, what are you planning?"
His eyes asked the question—who were they planning to trap?
"Less talking, more acting. Get the message to them quickly. Tell them to put on a show if needed, but don't go rushing in foolishly."
After finishing, Sougen used a Body Flicker Technique to vanish, leaving Uchiha Ranzan to sigh in resignation as he carried out the orders, while wondering what Sougen was up to. Danzo had already been sentenced to death and was just waiting for the execution. There was no way Sougen was targeting him...
Recalling the last part of Sougen's instructions, Ranzan suddenly had a guess.
If they could really get rid of that "cancer," it would be a major victory for the clan.
At that moment, Sougen arrived at the secret underground cell in the Police Force headquarters. He formed a shadow clone, which used a simple transformation jutsu for disguise, and then picked up the still-unconscious Zabuza. The clone used a secret tunnel to leave the building, avoiding the attention of the clan members on the surface, and surfaced in the forest not far from the Police Force headquarters, heading swiftly toward the secret prison.
Once the clone left, Sougen leisurely returned to the Police Force, gathered a team, and took a different route toward the prison.