Hiruzen Sarutobi's face looked extremely displeased.
In truth, if this were any other treasure, he wouldn't be so angry. It wouldn't matter—whoever found it would own it. But this time was different. This was the wealth of the Uzumaki Clan! Where did Haruto Saito get the audacity to claim it as his own?
The Uzumaki Clan still had survivors!
There was even a member of the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha who was revered like an "Empress Dowager"!
However, that wasn't the main issue.
Even if it was called the Uzumaki Clan's treasure, would Konoha return it to them if they acquired it?
The answer was no!
So while Haruto Saito might be acting selfishly out of greed, Konoha was no different. If they got the treasure, they would certainly keep it rather than give it to anyone else!
What truly angered Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't this fact—it was that the Mist was also searching for this treasure!
Haruto Saito refusing to reveal the treasure's location would affect Konoha's operations against the Mist and give the enemy an opportunity! Worse yet, since Haruto Saito couldn't transport all the treasure alone, he would inevitably find himself in enormous danger. The Mist would undoubtedly hunt him down with full force!
He was practically choosing money over his life!
If Haruto Saito messed up and the Mist found the treasure, taking it for themselves, that would be an absolute disaster!
Danzo watched as Hiruzen Sarutobi threw the scroll onto the desk. Without hesitation, he picked it up and skimmed through it quickly.
His expression kept changing!
Instead of focusing on Haruto Saito finding the Whirlpool Treasure, Danzo was more interested in the fact that Haruto Saito had killed Momochi Chigen and others. Had Haruto Saito really grown strong enough to accomplish this in such a short time?
Even if he had been developing his abilities over time, this level of power seemed impossible!
However, the report clarified that Haruto Saito had used a large number of sealing explosive tags from the Whirlpool Treasure and employed assassination techniques—with the cooperation of Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru—to succeed.
Danzo let out a breath of relief!
Thankfully, that was the case. Otherwise, if Haruto Saito had already reached a level where he could go toe-to-toe with Momochi Chigen, the Hyuga Clan would have a much harder time eliminating him!
At present, Danzo had no idea how far the Hyuga Clan had gone in their efforts against Haruto Saito.
Mizuchi, one of his subordinates, was providing intelligence to the Hyuga Clan but was not directly communicating with Danzo, avoiding unnecessary risks. Thus, Danzo was still unaware that Hyuga Domon had attempted to hunt down Haruto Saito!
Naturally, Haruto Saito had omitted this from his report as well!
"This boy is far too greedy!" Danzo concluded darkly after finishing the report. "The treasure belongs to the Uzumaki Clan, not him. He is going to ruin everything! Even if Lady Mito is no longer considered an Uzumaki ninja, there are still other members—it's not his place to claim this wealth."
"Hmm!" Hiruzen Sarutobi responded expressionlessly, still upset and deep in thought.
Danzo's statement that Mito Uzumaki was no longer an Uzumaki ninja was technically correct. After all, her name was now listed in the Senju Clan's family records.
In the ninja world, marriage customs dictated that a woman would take her husband's surname and become part of his clan.
After marrying Hashirama Senju, Mito Uzumaki's official name had changed to Mito Senju. However, this name was rarely used. Through her own abilities and personal influence, she had long since stepped out of Hashirama's shadow and built a reputation independent of him!
For most people, the first thing that came to mind when mentioning Mito Uzumaki was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
"Honestly, if we're talking about rightful ownership, the treasure should belong to Kushina Uzumaki!" Danzo added. "And since Kushina is still young and under Lady Mito's care and guidance, the treasure should be considered Lady Mito's. Lady Mito would certainly hand it over to Konoha, so ultimately, the treasure belongs to us!"
If Haruto Saito were present, he might have spat in Danzo's face!
What nonsense!
Shameless!
"Wait!" Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly had a realization and sprang to his feet. "I need to see Lady Mito!"
"I'll go with you!" Danzo immediately said.
—
Before long…
At a secluded area in the forest behind Konoha…
Inside a treehouse.
"Lady Mito, when will Aunt Tsunade come back?" Kushina Uzumaki asked while snuggling in Mito Uzumaki's arms, pouting.
"Soon, soon." The elderly Mito Uzumaki responded kindly, gently stroking Kushina's hair. "You miss her? But she always scolds you. You still want to see her?"
"Of course not! I was just asking!" Kushina immediately turned her head away in a haughty manner.
Suddenly, respectful voices rang out from outside.
"Greetings, Lord Hokage!"
"Mm!" came Hiruzen Sarutobi's response.
After a pause, his voice rang out again: "Lady Mito, are you resting?"
"No, come in."
Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed the door open and entered, with Danzo following closely behind. As soon as they entered, both bowed respectfully to Mito Uzumaki.
Kushina, who had been resting in Mito's arms, quickly sat up and obediently bowed to them. "Good day, Lord Hokage! Good day, Lord Danzo!"
"Good girl, Kushina." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at her and gestured. "Go outside and play."
"Yes!" Kushina bowed again before running out. Before she left, she even remembered to close the door behind her.
The moment the door shut, the gentle smile on Mito Uzumaki's face vanished, replaced by a stern expression. "What's the matter?"
She knew that if both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo had come to see her together, something serious had happened. It was a rare occurrence.
"Lady Mito, it's like this…" Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward and handed Mito the intelligence report from Haruto Saito. "Please take a look!"
Mito Uzumaki quickly skimmed through the scroll. Her expression remained largely unchanged, and she didn't seem particularly interested in the mention of the Whirlpool Treasure—until she reached the end, where Haruto Saito had written "The treasure is mine!" twenty times in a row.
She suddenly chuckled.
"Haha, this boy is truly greedy!"
"Lady Mito…" Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly explained the situation, including the current state of affairs in the Land of Whirlpools.
He concluded, "This matter is of great importance. If I order Haruto Saito to return to Konoha or command him to write down the treasure's location and send it back, the entire process will take at least three or four days. If anything goes wrong, it could take five or six days… or even longer. If something happens to Haruto Saito during this time, the treasure could fall into enemy hands…"
"Hmm, so…" Mito Uzumaki looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"So, Lady Mito, do you know where the Uzumaki Clan would have hidden their treasure?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked. "Haruto Saito found it after leaving Yamaryuu Village, so it should be somewhere near the Poison Punishment Forest…"
"Hmm… the Poison Punishment Forest, indeed," Mito Uzumaki replied calmly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up—Mito Uzumaki knew!
"Four hundred years ago, the ancestors of the Uzumaki Clan built a vault deep within the Poison Punishment Forest. Due to various reasons, construction was interrupted several times, and it was never fully utilized… If you say the treasure was found there, it must be inside that vault!"