The Third Hokage and Kakashi were in the middle of discussing Kurogiri's mission when there was a loud explosion sound that shook the entire village with a view of smoke rising in the distance. They looked out of the window, and the Third Hokage realized that the explosion was related to the team he had sent earlier. The Third Hokage knew someone in the area would investigate, and he remained calm as they waited for a report.
A few of his Anbu rushed to the scene and discovered a raging fire surrounding a sinkhole with signs of a fight in the area. The Anbu deduced that it was an underground building that was not reported to the village. They sent one Anbu back to report to the Hokage while they searched the surrounding area and put the fire out to check the sinkhole.
The Anbu quickly informed the Third Hokage of the situation, stating that they had discovered an unreported underground laboratory in the area. The Third Hokage was surprised and concerned about this revelation, believing that the laboratory must be related to Kurogiri and the team he had sent.
He asked the Anbu if they had found any bodies or blood, hoping to find out what happened to his team. The Anbu responded that they did not find any signs of the team but would continue to investigate the area once the fire was put out.
The Third Hokage decided that he needed to see Kurogiri and planned to visit him with Kakashi once he received all the necessary reports. His instincts told him that the laboratory was where Kurogiri was created, but he did not immediately accuse him of any wrongdoing until he had more information.
Unbeknownst to the Third Hokage, Danzo was receiving the same report from one of his Root operatives. He came to the same conclusion as the Third Hokage but decided to confront Kurogiri immediately.
Danzo quickly left his headquarters and headed towards the Anbu holding cell where Kurogiri was being kept. Dismissing the standing guards, he found the clone sitting in the same position as before, and he hit the cell bars with his cane, yelling at Kurogiri to wake up.
The clone opened his eyes, staring down at Danzo with red eyes and spoke in a sarcastic tone. He called Danzo an old cripple and asked for his name, mocking him for his attempts to interrogate him.
Danzo's face twisted in anger at Kurogiri's defiance. "I am Elder Danzo, and I will be your master, monster," he spat out. Leaning closer to the cell, he continued, "Our ninja team will bring the original here soon," relishing the fear and surprise he saw in Kurogiri's expression. Kurogiri, however, was not fooled by Danzo's show of power. He had deduced that they had figured out part of his clone quirk and saw this as an opportunity to gain more information.
Pretending to be fearful, Kurogiri asked, "What do I have to do to avoid dissection, Elder Danzo?" with fake tears in his eyes. Danzo inwardly sneered, but outwardly showed an understanding look. "Kurogiri, you would need to work for me and be my weapon," he said, pretending to sympathize. "By being my weapon, you will contribute to the village, and then people will love you," he added with a small smile.
As they talked, the dismissed guards quickly reported to the Hokage that Elder Danzo was at Kurogiri's cell. The third Hokage was upset with Danzo's impatience and quickly left his office to the Anbu confinement cell with Kakashi at his side.
When the Hokage and Kakashi reached the cell, they heard the deal that Danzo was offering Kurogiri. "Danzo what is the meaning of this!!!" yelled the Third while releasing some of his chakra to pressure Danzo.
Danzo felt the pressure of the Third Hokage's chakra and could not tolerate him getting in the way again. "I am only doing what I think is best for Konoha. All I do is for Konoha," Danzo yelled at the Hokage. Kurogiri, the clone, could not help but feel stunned at the Third Hokage's energy exertion. He realized that the Hokage possessed more than mere authority, but actual power. This was an eye-opening experience for him, and just knowing this alone made it worth the effort to keep up the façade.
The Third Hokage listened to Danzo's argument and decided to exert his power as Hokage. "I am the Hokage and I will determine the fate of Kurogiri. I do not need you to handle this matter and will not permit you to see him from now on," said the Third Hokage, leaving Danzo with no room for rebuttal. Danzo, hearing what the Third Hokage had just said, abruptly turned his back, saying, "You'll regret this Hiruzen," while leaving the Anbu prison. The Third Hokage sighed as he watched his old friend leave, but he knew he couldn't allow Danzo to get to Kurogiri.
After the previous situation with Danzo had been settled, the Third Hokage turned his attention to Kurogiri. He had released his chakra to gauge Kurogiri's reaction, and seeing his surprise, the Third Hokage believed it was a good thing because it showed that Kurogiri understood his strength. The Third apologized to Kurogiri for Danzo's earlier actions and then introduced Kakashi Hatake, the ninja who would watch and evaluate Kurogiri's actions while in the village. He smiled kindly at Kurogiri while doing so.
However, the Third's smile soon vanished as he spoke again. "I wanted to let you go, but since you are a clone I cannot. However, we have sent an escort team to bring your real body here so we can go over things further when that happens." The Third's expression turned serious as he spoke.
The clone Kurogiri let out a sigh, seeing the hypocrisy of the situation already, especially considering the conflict between Danzo and the Third Hokage. As a future Demon King, Kurogiri knew he wouldn't back down just because someone was strong. He would become stronger than them. At that moment, the clone Kurogiri spoke up with a smile. "Well, according to what Elder Danzo said, that 'escort' team was actually a capture squad, so I do not think the original will be coming here," he said with a hint of mockery in his tone.
The Third Hokage's expression turned dark, matching the one on Kakashi's face, after hearing what the clone Kurogiri said. He didn't like what he was hearing and was angry at the clone's words. "Why do you say that the original won't be coming here?" he asked.
The clone Kurogiri responded with a malicious smile on his face. "Well, like I told your 'escort team' when they asked the same question, I am linked with the original, so what I say, he said, and what I hear, he hears, ha ha ha," said the clone, ending his sentence with laughter, which only enraged the Third Hokage even further.
The Third Hokage decided to ask the real question at this point, looking at Kurogiri with anger. "And what happened to the team after this encounter?" he asked, trying to restrain himself considering he was only speaking with a clone.
The clone Kurogiri had the largest grin on his face at this point and replied with a hint of laughter. "They decided to attack when I said I wasn't going, and so I defended myself to the best of my abilities. And let's just say when I did my best, they just couldn't take it, ha ha ha," he said, ending his sentence with even more laughter.
The Third Hokage was absolutely livid upon hearing that the team had died, and that it was likely the cause of the previous explosion. After taking a deep breath, he decided that the only thing Kurogiri had to offer Konoha was his body. With determination in his eyes, he looked at the clone and said, "Well, since the original can hear me, just know that by doing this act, we will never let you go, and by the end of this, you will be on a dissection table," with a hint of anger.
The Third Hokage then turned to leave the Anbu prison area, but not before leaving Kurogiri with a final warning. "Kurogiri, you will not be able to hide, and we will find you," he said, leaving the building with Kakashi.
Once they reached the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage issued an order to release Kurogiri's appearance and information in the bingo book, offering a million Ryo reward. The Third Hokage then looked at Kakashi and sighed, saying, "As you can see, your mission is cancelled, and you may return to Anbu. I'll call you when I need you because you will be involved with catching or killing Kurogiri," with a heavy look on his face. After dismissing Kakashi, the Third Hokage turned to look out the window, watching the village with worry at the new problem that had arisen.
Meanwhile, the Kurogiri clone in the holding cell was dismissed by the original, disappearing from the cell altogether. With that disappearance, the shadow war between the future Demon Kurogiri and the ninja village of Konoha began, signifying a huge change occurring in the world.