Grind is My Ninja Way

That afternoon. 

After their meeting, Seimei and Sano Nobuhisa each drafted a detailed report and sent it urgently to Nara Keikō. 

In the report, Seimei meticulously described the entire sequence of events, including the actions of the Root organization. 

However, he avoided directly revealing that he knew the identities of the attackers, only stating that he had been ambushed by a group of unidentified individuals. 

He also refrained from explaining exactly how he discovered their plans. 

Still, between the lines, he implied that the attackers were insiders and that there had been a severe intelligence leak regarding the mission. 

By doing so, Nara Keikō would be forced to address the situation if he wanted to maintain command over others. 

After all, if word got out about this, who would dare take on missions? 

It was clear that Seimei was using this report to pressure Nara Keikō. 

Given Nara Keikō's sharp mind, it wouldn't take much to deduce, from the provided information and other hints, that this incident was orchestrated by Danzō and his Root organization. 

After all, the opposing side had already been alerted to the mission before it began. It made no sense for them to lose track of clues afterward. 

Even if Danzō cut off the leads and left no evidence, Nara Keikō would still be able to piece together the truth of the matter. 

Thus, whether to placate Seimei or to reassure others, he would have to put pressure on the village leadership. 

Of course, Seimei was well aware that this wouldn't topple Danzō, but as long as it led to the Third Hokage restricting Danzō's actions, it would be enough. 

Time was on Seimei's side. Once the war ended, he would seize the opportunity to eliminate Danzō and resolve the matter. 

Moreover, by subtly expressing his dissatisfaction in this manner, he could make Danzō lower his guard, thinking Seimei was still operating within the boundaries of the rules. 

That way, when Seimei finally made his move, he could catch his opponent off guard. 

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Seimei submitted his report and stopped concerning himself with the issue. 

In the shinobi world, strength speaks louder than words. Instead of dwelling on such matters, he figured he might as well spend more time training. 

After all, his travel and combat earlier in the day had already delayed him. It was time to catch up. 

With that in mind, Seimei immediately left the Blackstone outpost, heading to the familiar forest to its west. There, he used the Shadow Clone Jutsu and began his training. 

Meanwhile, back at the command center, Nara Keikō had received the reports from Seimei and Sano Nobuhisa. After reading them, his face darkened considerably. 

Just as Seimei had anticipated, combining the information in the reports with certain intelligence discrepancies, Nara Keikō quickly deduced the truth behind the incident. 

"Not again." 

He muttered in frustration. 

With his intellect, it wasn't hard to see that this was yet another move by the Root organization targeting the Uchiha clan. 

Nara Keikō still remembered how, five months ago, when Seimei and his team were en route to provide reinforcements, they were ambushed by Kirigakure forces due to a deliberate intelligence leak by Danzō. 

Back then, he had written to the Third Hokage, asking him to rein in Danzō. 

Yet, only a few months had passed, and Danzō was stirring up trouble again. 

This filled Nara Keikō with dissatisfaction. 

However, his dissatisfaction wasn't because he sympathized with Seimei or the Uchiha clan. Rather, it was because Danzō's schemes threatened to disrupt his plans and weaken their defensive lines. 

If Kirigakure exploited the resulting chaos, it would ultimately be Nara Keikō who had to clean up the mess. 

Moreover, repeated intelligence leaks like this would undermine his authority, making his subordinates less willing to execute his orders. 

Nara Keikō couldn't allow such a situation to persist. 

With the war nearing its end, any major issue now would make him a scapegoat. 

"Damn it!" 

Cursing under his breath, Nara Keikō set the reports aside and once again wrote to the Third Hokage, urging him to take action against Danzō. 

The Next Day. Afternoon. 

Konoha. 

At Root's headquarters, Danzō entered his office with a dark expression. 

Seated in his chair, he narrowed his eyes at the two subordinates before him and spoke in a cold tone, "Explain. Why did the operation fail?" 

Though his voice was calm, anyone present could sense the seething anger beneath the surface. 

His frustration was justified. Not long ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi had summoned him to the Hokage's office to question him about the events on the Kirigakure battlefield. Hiruzen had sternly warned him not to target the Uchiha clan—particularly that Uchiha brat. 

Hiruzen argued that the pressure on the frontlines was already immense, and Danzō's meddling risked alienating some jōnin. 

This infuriated Danzō. 

Why was he doing this? 

It was all for the village! 

The Uchiha clan was inherently dangerous. If allowed to grow unchecked, they would one day bring ruin to the village. 

By taking advantage of the current chaos to eliminate promising Uchiha youths, he was protecting the village's future. 

Yet Hiruzen kept reprimanding him repeatedly. 

"Damn it!" 

The more Danzō thought about it, the angrier he became. 

Thankfully, one of the Root operatives below spoke up, pulling his attention back to the present. 

"Sir, based on the intelligence provided by 'Kusō' and our subsequent investigation, it's clear that the mission failed because Uchiha Seimei discovered our plans in advance. He took the initiative to counterattack, rendering most of our strategies ineffective." 

The so-called "Kusō" referred to the summoning beast of one of Root's elite jōnin—a creature resembling a sloth. Root had recently reestablished a contract with the beast to glean information from the battlefield. 

However, Danzō was unsatisfied with this explanation. He pressed further, "Even in direct confrontation, with the Four-Life Sealing Formation in play, how did that brat manage to escape?" 

"Sir," another operative replied, "according to the intelligence provided by 'Kusō,' Uchiha Seimei didn't actually escape the Four-Life Sealing Formation. He managed to hold out until the life force of the formation's users was completely drained, at which point he counterattacked." 

"What?" 

Danzō was stunned. 

He was well aware of the Four-Life Sealing Formation's effectiveness. Even he wouldn't last long against it, especially when surrounded by multiple Root operatives. 

Now, Danzō became even more alert. 

Taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, he ordered, "Kō, recount everything in detail, from start to finish." 

While he had only been concerned with the results earlier, he now needed to understand every aspect of the mission. 

Only then could he make the most informed decision. 

"Yes, sir!" 

Kō complied immediately, recounting his findings in meticulous detail, omitting nothing.