There were generally two kinds of Summoning Jutsu.
The first was the type most ninja were familiar with— forming a contract with a summon and calling that creature into battle.
The second was much simpler.
Using chakra to retrieve an object that had previously been sealed inside a scroll.
Naturally, that kind of technique also relied heavily on fūinjutsu.
What Koji was using now was technically a modified version of the second type.
Though calling it “modified” might have been overstating things.
All Koji had really done was inscribe a corresponding sealing formula onto the scroll carried by his Shadow Clone.
That allowed the scroll itself to be summoned to his current location.
It was simply another application of sealing formulas.
The underlying principle wasn’t particularly complicated.
The unusual part was that almost no one seemed to have experimented with it this way.
Instead of using a summoning creature’s blood as the medium for a contract, Koji used matching formulas to establish a connection between two inanimate objects.
Once he’d confirmed that the concept worked, his original plan had immediately become far more complete.
He simply hadn’t expected an opportunity to use it this soon.
Ever since deciding to make a move against Danzo, Koji had kept three scrolls on his person.
One was used to seal away the Root operative he’d killed in the restroom.
That scroll existed mainly to support the cover story.
The other two formed a pair.
One was the summoning scroll Koji currently held.
The other— the scroll being summoned— contained Danzo’s severed right arm and Shisui Uchiha’s Mangekyō Sharingan.
Half the operation was already complete.
Now Koji only needed two final pieces to fall into place.
First—
Root needed to personally witness the supposed Kumogakure infiltrator destroy the scroll containing the dead Root operative.
Second—
Danzo needed to witness, or at least hear, that Koji himself had suddenly collapsed after Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan was supposedly destroyed.
If both happened…
the story would practically write itself.
The instant the Shadow Clone escaped through Konoha Hospital’s window, the entire building erupted into chaos.
Medical ninja rushed toward Treatment Room One.
Root operatives poured into the corridors.
Shouts echoed throughout the hospital.
Koji, meanwhile, remained perfectly calm inside the restroom.
He sealed the newly summoned scroll—the one containing the truly valuable materials—inside another scroll and stored it securely.
Danzo had been attacked.
That was certainly serious.
But surely no one expected Koji to abandon even the most basic bodily needs just to sprint toward the scene?
That was Root’s job.
Not his.
Besides, even Kotoamatsukami couldn’t completely rewrite every tiny aspect of someone’s daily behavior.
Danzo’s first priority would have been altering Koji’s loyalty.
There would have been no reason to waste the technique making him stop using the restroom.
Koji finished what he was doing and calmly put everything away.
Meanwhile— his Shadow Clone fled through Konoha at full speed.
It had very little chakra remaining.
But there was still enough to repeatedly use Body Flicker.
Behind it, Root gave chase.
Then ANBU joined.
Then ordinary Konoha ninja began responding to the disturbance as well.
The pursuit grew larger with every passing minute.
Root.
ANBU.
Whatever their internal conflicts might be, when an apparent enemy infiltrator was fleeing through Konoha, everyone temporarily stood on the same side.
The Shadow Clone’s escape routes steadily disappeared.
Eventually— it was surrounded only a few hundred meters from Konoha’s main gate.
Root and ANBU closed in from behind.
Ahead, ordinary ninja who had rushed over after noticing the commotion joined the gate guards in blocking the road.
The Shadow Clone stopped.
It didn’t hesitate.
Its only concern now was how to complete the final part of Koji’s plan as cleanly as possible.
After a brief glance across the surrounding ninja— the clone suddenly ran toward the front-left side.
Not because that direction offered an easier escape route.
Quite the opposite.
Koji recognized one of the ninja standing there.
A jonin who specialized in Fire Release.
And when it came to destroying evidence…
nothing was more convenient than fire.
“Stop!”
The jonin first threw several kunai experimentally.
Then his hands began forming seals.
The Shadow Clone immediately recognized them.
Fire Release.
Perfect.
Instead of retreating, the clone charged straight toward him.
A moment later— flames erupted across the battlefield.
The Root operatives closing in from behind immediately felt something was wrong.
And then they saw it.
The supposed Kumogakure infiltrator suddenly threw out a scroll.
The scroll entered the flames.
At almost the exact instant the Fire Release was about to engulf the Shadow Clone—
Koji dispelled it himself.
At the same time, the thrown scroll opened.
The corpse of the Root operative sealed inside was released directly into the flames.
When the fire finally died down…
only one burned corpse remained.
“Yes!”
The jonin who had launched the technique couldn’t hide his excitement.
He had been nervous.
He had only barely qualified for promotion to jonin in the first place.
Facing an enemy capable of fleeing this far through Konoha while pursued by Root and ANBU?
He hadn’t been particularly confident.
Now— he appeared to have killed the infiltrator himself.
The Root operatives weren’t nearly as pleased.
Especially those who arrived moments later.
Their orders had been clear.
Recover the scroll in the infiltrator’s possession at all costs.
Now the scroll was apparently gone.
Burned along with its owner.
ANBU reacted far more calmly.
They hunted infiltrators constantly.
A pursuit ending like this wasn’t especially unusual.
At the moment the Shadow Clone dispelled itself—
Koji was already approaching Treatment Room Two.
Danzo had naturally been rescued.
The seals Koji used were still relatively basic.
There were plenty of people in Konoha capable of removing them.
And since Treatment Room One had become a crime scene, Danzo had been transferred to Treatment Room Two.
As one of Konoha’s highest-ranking figures, he naturally received the hospital’s full attention.
Which meant Koji also had every reason to be present.
Koji couldn’t know exactly when his fleeing Shadow Clone would be forced to dispel.
He couldn’t even guarantee that every detail would go according to plan.
But one thing was certain.
He needed to get close to Treatment Room Two.
Even if he couldn’t reach Danzo directly, word of what happened to him needed to reach the old man.
Koji could already see the treatment-room door ahead.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
Then— an enormous wave of exhaustion crashed into him.
At the same time, the Shadow Clone’s memories flooded back.
The chase.
The encirclement.
The Fire Release.
The burned corpse.
Everything.
Koji understood the outcome instantly.
Perfect.
And then— he let his body collapse.
“Koji?!”
Medical ninja rushing in from every direction immediately noticed him fall.
Several surrounded him at once.
The commotion was loud enough that Yuya Kudo heard it from inside Treatment Room Two.
And naturally— so did Danzo.
Danzo was especially interested.
Koji was the medical ninja he had supposedly placed under Kotoamatsukami.
So the moment he heard Koji’s name shouted outside, Danzo immediately began wondering what had happened.
Koji kept his eyes closed.
Pretending to be unconscious wasn’t particularly difficult for a medical ninja.
He allowed himself to be lifted onto a stretcher.
Then he waited.
It took roughly ten minutes for him to fully absorb and sort through the Shadow Clone’s accumulated memories and exhaustion.
Only then did Koji slowly open his eyes.
The operation should have succeeded perfectly.
Even if one or two details hadn’t gone exactly as intended…
nothing should point back toward him.
Koji looked around.
No one was currently inside the room.
His first action was to inspect his medical kit.
Untouched.
Good.
Koji leaned back against the hospital bed.
His thoughts immediately shifted toward what came next.
He had the Sharingan.
He had Hashirama cells.
Which meant— transplantation research and cellular experimentation could finally begin.