It's ironic to say, but Orochimaru was the first to be cleared of suspicion.
Given his notorious reputation, Hayate Gekko's first reaction upon seeing Orochimaru would definitely not be something like, "If Ino can do it, so can I." He had enough self-awareness to know that fleeing and calling for backup were the normal responses in such a situation.
Ino was also ruled out. While she had used impressive Wind Release Ninjutsu in her fight against Neji, it was just that—impressive. Most of the wounds on Hayate's body were caused by close-range Wind Blades delivered in a short amount of time. Ino's Wind Release techniques were completely different in nature.
Asuma's suspicion, however, was quite significant. His mastery of Wind Release Ninjutsu, his proficiency in Body techniques, and his status as the Hokage's son made him a prime suspect. If he had launched a surprise attack at close range, Hayate would have had no time to defend himself.
But with a casual remark, the Third Hokage cleared his son's name: "Asuma was at home all night."
The group then turned their suspicions to ninjas from Sunagakure, the Rain Village, and the Waterfall Village. Some of the Jonin leaders from these villages were known to possess Wind Release techniques.
Shimura Danzo's name also came up, but he was an even more sensitive topic than Asuma. Shikaku and the two advisors weren't sure what the Third Hokage's exact stance was, so they chose to avoid the subject. After a brief discussion, they decided it would be more appropriate to wait until Hayate regained consciousness before questioning him further.
The next day, Ino brought up the matter of Hayate Gekko with her father, Inoichi. It was only then that she learned Danzo had been absent from the village for some time.
She asked, "Has he been gone for days? Even the village's higher-ups can't locate Lord Danzo?"
Inoichi had mentioned earlier that their family was aligned with Danzo's faction. Now that his daughter's strength was growing, he consciously began to nurture her analytical skills.
Inoichi replied, "It's hard to say. The Root has secret bases in many places. Lord Danzo could be somewhere within the village, or he might have already left."
"Is it because of Orochimaru?" Ino asked.
Since they were speaking privately, there was no need for caution.
Inoichi nodded. "Possibly. Orochimaru worked in the Root for many years. During that time, he partnered with Aburame Ryoma of the Aburame Clan. It's possible he has some information that could be detrimental to Lord Danzo. Whether Lord Danzo is countering him or has other plans is unclear."
The father and daughter didn't come to any conclusions. After all, the Yamanaka Clan was still somewhat removed from the Root, and many things could only be speculated.
Inoichi warned Ino to be extremely careful when leaving the village. Her reputation as a prodigy had spread far and wide, and there were plenty of ninjas who would kill her for the bounty on her head.
As Ino walked through the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village, she felt a pang of regret. The information about Danzo's absence had come too late. If she had known a few days earlier, she might have been able to manipulate the situation to her advantage.
Now, it was too late.
Danzo had done so many evil deeds that he was the perfect scapegoat.
But precisely because he had done so much evil, minor incidents couldn't be pinned on him.
During the night of the Uchiha massacre, Obito had collected an entire wall of Sharingan eyes. The blame for gouging out the eyes fell entirely on Danzo. When the Third Hokage saw the eyeless corpses, he assumed it was the work of his old comrade. He didn't even ask, and Danzo, as cold and aloof as ever, didn't offer an explanation. The matter of the countless Sharingan eyes was left unaddressed, and the incident was brushed under the rug.
To summarize, Danzo is a player who only engages in high-stakes games.
Three days after treating Hayate Gekko, Ino quietly left the Hidden Leaf Village. She took a detour and arrived at the Waterfall Village.
Karin had already arrived ahead of her. Besides this last survivor of the Uzumaki Clan, the Waterfall Village had also gained a young kunoichi, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Kaede.
"So, you're the Konoha Ninja who saved that fool Kawaragi? I want to be friends with you! I want to make a hundred friends!" This kunoichi, with her dark skin and short blue-green hair, was extremely lively. Seeing her so full of energy made Ino feel old. "Is the Hidden Leaf Village big? Is it built on trees?"
"How many people are in your village? Is it more than five hundred?"
"Karin kept calling a name in her sleep last night. Was it you? Why was she calling your name in her sleep? And why was she making strange noises?"
Kaede chattered non-stop. Kawaragi had just taken over as the leader and had a lot of responsibilities, so Ino waited in the reception room.
She read the newspaper while Kaede kept talking.
She drank tea while Kaede continued to chatter.
She even went to the bathroom, and Kaede followed her.
This Jinchuriki's energy was astonishing, and her limited contact with the outside world made her curiosity insatiable. She would dig deep into any topic she found interesting.
Ino had plans to collect Tailed Beast Chakra and certainly didn't want to let the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki slip away.
Except for some truly awkward questions, Ino answered everything.
Kaede was overjoyed, like a cheerful little bird, telling everyone she had a new friend and that she only needed ninety-nine more.
Ino sighed inwardly. Jinchuriki live difficult lives, and what they crave most is acceptance from others. Naruto was like that, and so was Kaede.
They had just met, so saying something like "I want to take over your body" would be inappropriate. Ino planned to build the relationship slowly.
After chatting with Kaede for about an hour, Kawaragi finally finished his duties. He was also happy that Kaede had made a new friend.
Ino brought up her purpose for coming: she wanted to do business with the Waterfall Village, specifically in the construction materials trade.
Just like how there are Squibs in the Harry Potter world, there are descendants of ninja who cannot use Chakra. These people are actually worse off than Rock Lee and Might Duy. Rock Lee could shout, "Even if I can't use Ninja techniques or Genjutsu, I can still become a top-tier ninja!" But those who can't even refine Chakra are completely cut off from the ninja profession.
These people cannot be abandoned. During the Warring States period, they could only do logistical work for their Ninja Clans. In the era of Ninja Villages, with a relatively peaceful environment, they left their families, abandoned their original surnames, and became civilians, continuing to serve the Ninja Villages.
During her last visit, Ino noticed that the Waterfall Village had many civilians. The village's environment was too damp for farming, so going out to work was a good option.
Like how Gol D. Roger convinced Silvers Rayleigh with the opening line, "Let's go cause some trouble, big trouble?" That requires immense charisma, which Ino didn't possess. Her idea was to start with small collaborations, gradually building a foundation of mutual trust.
Even after becoming the leader, Kawaragi remained at his core a somewhat timid and cautious young man, and he dared not undertake anything too ambitious.
After patiently listening to her explanation, he tried to summarize: "So, Yamanaka-san, you want to establish a construction team under the name of Waterfall Village? Why do you want to do this? You come from a prominent family in the Hidden Leaf Village, don't you?"