But here comes the problem.
Rei Hyuga and Kushina.
Both were looking at Simu eagerly. Which one should he carry back?
If he carried the former, he might be beaten to death by Kushina's monstrous strength.
If he carried Rei, he wouldn't be able to withstand her tearful pleading.
Fortunately, ninjutsu was the ultimate solution to all problems.
To avoid jealousy and ensure fairness, Simu decided to treat them equally.
He simply sealed his hands and summoned two Shadow Clones to carry them.
Problem solved. He could now relax.
After all, his Chakra reserves were abundant, and this was one of the few times they were put to good use.
To be honest, this was the first time Simu had ever felt that ninjutsu was actually useful since arriving in this world.
For the next few days, Simu stayed with the two in the hospital.
Meanwhile, Konoha's higher-ups were extremely busy.
Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage was receiving an Anbu report.
"Lord Hokage, we suffered a total of 21 casualties in this battle."
"Thirteen were Genin, and eight were Chūnin."
"On the battlefield, we eliminated 24 Cloud Shinobi. During the pursuit, Hanyu Simu killed three Cloud Shinobi Jōnin and two Chūnin."
"Additionally, we have apprehended the Konoha traitor Tayura, the former head of the Anbu branch."
This was an astonishing achievement!
Not only did Simu discover and confirm Cloud Shinobi's presence in a short period, but he also took down five enemy shinobi single-handedly and personally retrieved the Jinchūriki from enemy hands.
And finally, he even held his own against the future Raikage, Ai.
Any one of these feats alone was enough to warrant a special commendation!
By comparison, Konoha's loss of 21 shinobi seemed minor.
Hiruzen sighed. "Make sure the families of the fallen receive proper condolences, and the full pension must be paid without delay!"
When it came to handling people and politics, the old fox Hiruzen was always meticulous.
After a brief moment of thought, he continued, "Also, keep this matter classified. Do not reveal Simu's strength to the public."
"Understood."
After all, this incident involved the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. To keep Kushina's identity from being exposed, secrecy was necessary.
As for Simu's power, Hiruzen had his own thoughts on the matter.
His expression turned serious as he coldly asked, "How is the investigation into the village's internal security progressing?"
The atmosphere in the office instantly became heavy.
Decades of leadership had granted Hiruzen an unparalleled aura of authority.
On most days, he was as warm as a spring breeze, but when it came to serious matters, he was as fierce as a storm.
And this was no trivial matter.
It wasn't just about the fact that the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki had nearly been kidnapped.
It exposed major flaws in Konoha's security system.
The village's personnel screening was still inadequate.
How could a high-ranking Anbu division leader—someone considered part of Konoha's upper echelon—be bribed by the enemy so easily?
How did it happen?
What methods were used?
How did they establish contact?
How did Cloud Shinobi infiltrate Konoha undetected?
Was there someone helping them from the inside?
Were there still more traitors lurking within Konoha?
These were all urgent questions that Anbu needed to answer.
The Anbu operative standing before Hiruzen was drenched in a cold sweat.
"The investigation is ongoing. So far, we have apprehended 32 suspects."
"Continue the investigation. We must uncover the full truth."
Hiruzen's voice was stern and unyielding.
"Understood!"
The Anbu ninja vanished in an instant.
It was clear that Konoha would soon be engulfed in a political storm.
At that moment, a hoarse voice sounded from the doorway.
"I warned you long ago, Hiruzen. If Root had been in charge of the village's security, this incident would never have happened."
Danzo entered the office, leaning on his cane.
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
The meaning behind Danzo's words was obvious—Anbu was weaker than Root.
In fact, Danzo had been making this argument to Hiruzen for years.
He wanted Root to take over Anbu's responsibilities, including intelligence gathering and village security.
Or better yet, he wanted Anbu to be absorbed into Root entirely.
Of course, Hiruzen wasn't foolish enough to allow that.
Anbu was the Hokage's personal force—his underground power. Allowing someone else to control it was unthinkable.
In fact, Hiruzen's decision to allow Root to exist alongside Anbu was already an unprecedented move in the ninja world.
Because in most villages, this kind of power division would only lead to chaos.
This was precisely why Danzo had seized this opportunity to pressure him.
Of course, he didn't expect Hiruzen to hand over Anbu entirely.
He simply wanted to use this situation to expand his influence.
"Hiruzen, I'm the only one you can trust right now. Let my men in Root handle this investigation."
Danzo's tone was calm but persuasive.
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, then exhaled slowly before finally relenting.
He closed his eyes in exhaustion and said, "Root and Anbu will conduct the investigation together. I want every single spy rooted out."
"Of course."
Danzo smirked, satisfied with the outcome, before disappearing into the shadows.
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