52.Exploration and Discovery

Thank you for being my patron:

The List of "ANBU" Member:

-Victor Gonzalez

-Linh Q Tra

-Umar Jawed

-Joseph Stan

-OutlawPinky

-Crepusculum

-Miguel razo

-Davis Nguyen

-Korron Hightower

-AJ

You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.

P@TREON - p@treon.com/lessaservantofcosmos

(just replace the "@" with "a")

ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you guys okay? Kakashi, Guy." Tsunade quickly inquired about their condition, having seen the owl suddenly emit a golden light and worried that the two might have been affected by some special dojutsu.

"It's nothing, just a blast of intense light." Kakashi, covering his eyes with his hand, said calmly, "I should recover quickly."

"Absolutely fine!" Might Guy, forcibly keeping his eyes open despite uncontrollable tears streaming down, flashed a bright smile and gave his usual thumbs up.

Tsunade looked up at the owl now a mere speck in the sky, clenched her fist, turned around, and faced the surrounding Leaf ninjas.

After taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she began issuing orders directly.

"Guy, notify Kurenai's Team 8 and your Team 3 to track them down together. Find their base, remember to keep your distance, and try to avoid combat!"

"Yes!"

"Kakashi, notify Anbu Team 1 and Team 2. You will lead and command them to investigate the ROOT base, take care of any surviving ROOT members, and collect all documents."

"Yes."

"You two can go ahead."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

Kakashi and Might Guy bowed and then vanished from the spot.

"Shikaku, notify all active Jonin and clan heads. There will be a meeting at the Hokage building at 7 PM tonight!"

"Yes!"

"Shun, lead your patrol team to the Uchiha residential area to search for any clues they might have left behind."

"Yes!"

"That's it, everyone move out. The rest follow me."

After finishing her instructions, Tsunade walked towards the Hokage building.

Once everyone had dispersed with clear objectives, the forest returned to tranquility.

"Heh, found it."

A figure, White Zetsu, emerged from the trunk of a nearby tree, cracked a smile, and then twisted back into the soil.

"As expected." High above, Kaito also chuckled, "The last journey through the dream realm must have truly awakened White Zetsu's vigilance and murderous intent. It looks like someone will come to assassinate us soon."

Chiri adjusted her wind-tousled hair and said, "We have all the intelligence on the members of the Akatsuki organization, but we just don't know who will show up when the time comes."

"The most likely scenario is that they will deploy the Rinnegan, especially since you easily defeated Itachi Uchiha before," Izuna caressed his long blade, "but they probably don't expect that we've also got the information about the Rinnegan through our brother."

"Are stronger enemies going to appear?" Gurē's voice was still somewhat excited, "I want to show off this time too!"

"Who knows? Let's just get ready and wait," Kaito replied.

Kaito then took off the small paper figure pinned to his lapel and crunched it in his hand, his laugh turning sinister, "Heh, almost forgot about this guy."

Izuna glanced at it with distaste, "You should just send that thing back to the pure land quickly!"

"No, I have a better idea."

Kaito placed the small paper figure into his pocket, quickly folded a piece of paper into an origami crane, and then pinned the paper figure to it.

With a series of hand seals, the origami crane carrying the small paper figure took flight.

"I'll let Danzo quietly return to the Leaf." His face showed clear malice, "That way he can see for himself how his reputation falls apart after his death."

Without concerning himself with how the soul trapped in the paper figure might react, he sent the origami crane flying.

"What a pointless trick," Izuna said of Kaito's actions, much like an adult watching a child's mischief.

"Alright, Kaito." Chiri spoke up, "We better choose our next battlefield and make some strategic preparations."

"I understand, Chiri-senpai."

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Kakashi arrived at the Hokage's office.

He placed the sealed scroll on Tsunade's desk and reported, "Lady Tsunade, all documents from the ROOT organization have been collected, and the surviving members have been handed over to the interrogation department."

"Thank you, Kakashi." Tsunade took the sealed scroll into her hands, "How were the casualties within ROOT?"

"Most were administrative personnel, medical ninjas, and security staff left at the base, totaling 37 people," Kakashi reported accurately, "Including Advisor Danzo and his two guards, Torune Aburame and Fū Yamanaka."

"I understand, go rest now. Come back at six for the meeting," Tsunade looked down at the scroll in her hands and waved Kakashi off.

"I'll take my leave then," Kakashi turned to walk towards the door.

Just then, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and a young man with a dog entered.

"Lady Hokage, Shun Inuzuka reporting!"

"Shun is here," Tsunade looked up, placing the scroll she was holding back on the desk, "Did you find anything?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage!" Shun nodded affirmatively.

"Kakashi, don't leave yet, stay and listen." Tsunade tapped her finger on the desk, "Go ahead, Shun. What did you find?"

Shun glanced at Kakashi, who had turned around to stand beside him, and began to report, "Lady Hokage, Kakashi-senpai, our team found two anomalies. One is a destroyed underground chamber in the Naka Shrine, and the other is the Uchiha clan cemetery, which has been sealed off by a barrier preventing entry."

"Tsk." Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, "The Naka Shrine has always belonged to the Uchiha clan; the sudden appearance of an underground chamber must be hiding some secrets. And should I be thankful they didn't relocate all the graves?"

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune suddenly pushed the door open and came in.

She was slightly out of breath as she spoke, "All the Uchiha clan's archives in the library have been irreparably destroyed!"

"Were only the Uchiha clan's archives damaged?" Tsunade tapped the desk again, "What about the other archives?"

"The other archives appear to have been touched, but they are still intact," Shizune replied.

"Those guys!" Tsunade's expression was complex as she turned her gaze to Kakashi, asking, "Kakashi, what do you think?"

"On one hand, they completely separate the Uchiha from the Leaf, and on the other, they don't wish to become outright enemies with the Leaf," Kakashi said, "Kaito must have considered the future."

"Is that so, I understand," Tsunade said, "It seems that in his plans for the future, the Uchiha clan will not join any village."

Kakashi nodded, "That's what I think, too, but I wonder how he plans to ensure the clan's survival and development."

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, "The destroyed archives were the property of the Uchiha clan, so consider it returning to its rightful owner. As for the other archives..."

"Damn." Tsunade slapped the table, still somewhat unwilling to let it go.

She could not let other villages know that they had a large number of archives, and she must secretly warn Kaito to prevent him from trading those archives with other villages.

"Alright, you all can go now," she said, visibly tired, waving her hand dismissively.