https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-319-The-Mine-and-the-Hidden-Hands/12932665/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-321-If-He-Were-Just-a-Regular-Person-He-Wouldn-t-Be-This-Useless-/12932672/
Chapter 320: Danzo Takes Action!
Chapter 320: Danzo Takes Action!
Hokage's Office.
"Hari, this can't go on any longer!"
Danzo had arrived early in the morning to interrupt the Third Hokage's work.
"What's the matter?"
Hari looked up.
He hadn't received any intelligence from the Land of Wind, so he was a little lost.
"Those brats actually repelled the Sand Ninjas... We can't let them run wild anymore, or they'll definitely covet the Hokage position!"
Danzo revealed the information while expressing his concern.
He could tolerate everything else, but he would never allow anyone to covet the Hokage's position.
In his heart, he believed that Dong Ping's ambition to establish his own faction was a threat to the Hokage's authority.
"Impossible..."
Hari unconsciously denied it.
The man had no good reputation among the villagers, so how could he possibly become the Hokage?
"But Hari, if we don't suppress them now, and if they forcefully seize the Hokage position later, do you think we'll be able to stop them then?"
Danzo knew his old friend too well and immediately tried to convince him from another angle.
Yes, if the villagers were to choose, there was no way the other party could rise to power. But if they used force to ascend, they might not be able to stop them at that time either.
Three Shadow-level Ninjas!
There were only two Shadow-level Ninjas before, and now there's one more from the Uchiha clan.
With so many strong warriors, and their faction developing at an astonishing rate, they posed a significant threat to the Leaf Village.
Just as a country couldn't have two hidden villages, the Land of Fire couldn't allow a faction with such high potential to exist.
If it were the Hizayama Temple and the Guardian Ninjas, the Leaf Village could ignore them. But with the potential of the Heavenly Fortress being so astonishing, how could they possibly sit idly by?
The key was that this faction belonged to Dong Ping, a man with a rebellious nature, and his fiancee was from the Uchiha Nagaya, the hawkish head of the clan.
Therefore, Hari also felt uneasy.
He could give up the Hokage position, but he couldn't hand it over to someone outside the Hokage lineage, someone without the Will of Fire.
"You're right, but the Fourth Hokage and his wife just passed away, and the Uchiha clan needs time to recover. We can't make hasty decisions... If Orochimaru were to become the Hokage, I wonder if it would be better!"
Hari's last words were a quiet sigh, but Danzo, being so close, naturally heard it.
This instantly made his eyes turn dangerous.
This was unacceptable!
The Hokage position was his, and no one could take it from him.
'Orochimaru's experiments have succeeded. After the transplant surgery, I'll make sure he carries a stain, so he won't be able to compete with me for the Hokage position!'
A fierce glint flashed in Danzo's single eye.
Even if Orochimaru was his partner, as long as he threatened the Hokage position, Danzo would not hesitate to take action.
To restore the Leaf Village's glory and make it great again, he had no choice but to take the Hokage position and fulfill his ideals.
"I'll have Root monitor the Heavenly Fortress. Once I have evidence, Hari, you must not go soft!"
Danzo revealed his next plan was to keep a close eye on them.
If it were an attack, Hari would never agree, but surveillance was a different matter.
Indeed, Hari didn't voice his approval.
But he didn't object either!
This implied silent consent, and it was an unspoken agreement between them.
If something went wrong, he, as the Hokage, would be 'unaware', and he could use his position to mediate.
"Right, Root has suffered heavy losses, so I need to recruit personnel from the major ninja clans!"
Danzo took out a list.
Personnel!
Root's members were selected not only from orphans but also from the major ninja clans.
Among them, Danzo favored clans like the Yuhi and Yamato, known for their expertise in covert operations.
Ordinary orphans and descendants of ninja clans were on two different levels in terms of potential and growth, so most of Root's powerful members came from these clans.
"...Don't let this happen again!"
Hari unrolled the scroll, glanced at some names, and signed, agreeing to Danzo's request.
Root indeed needed to replenish its ranks.
Unfortunately, he didn't notice the cunning glint that flashed in Danzo's eyes.
After obtaining his signature, he first visited the Yamato Clan.
After Lady Yamato served tea and left, only Danzo and Yamato Kaisuke remained in the reception hall.
"Root needs these Yamato Clan members to serve the village!"
Danzo straightforwardly presented a scroll with the signatures of the Kage to Kaisuke.
Root had suffered significant losses during the Rain Country operation and the multiple raids on their bases, so it was time to replenish their numbers.
This rare opportunity was also a means to deal with the Heavenly Fortress' Hari, so Root could finally extend its reach to these Shinzo Clans.
"To serve the village, we of course..."
Kisuke took the scroll and unfurled it, but his words were cut short halfway.
This was too much!
There were over twenty names on the list, including several elite members of the clan.
The problem was that their clan only had around a thousand members, with less than two hundred being ninjas.
If they followed the list, it would significantly impact the clan.
Everyone knew that joining Root was akin to signing a death warrant, and now they were demanding more than a tenth of their ninja force. How could he possibly agree?
Even if he feared Danzo, Kaisuke couldn't compromise on this matter.
Even if the 'Ino-Shika-Cho' fully supported the Hokage, they wouldn't go this far, sacrificing so many clan members.
"Kisuke, are you refusing to obey the Hokage's orders?"
Danzo's words were like a thunderclap.
You Hokage-affiliated clans, with your privileged status, have reaped numerous benefits and even monopolized various industries. Now, when asked to serve the village, you refuse? How is that possible?
"Of course not!"
Kisuke immediately refuted, unable to accept such an accusation.
"Then hand over the people to me."
Danzo, with his dog-like face, was quick to turn hostile, his voice cold and demanding.
Kisuke's inner struggle was intense.
If he agreed, the Yamato Clan would suffer a heavy loss.
"Danzo-sama, I..."
Facing the pressure of 'Shadow of the Shinobi', cold sweat appeared on Kaisuke's forehead.
Don't be fooled by Dong Ping's audacity in standing up to Danzo; his mindset was that of a time-traveler, indifferent to life and death, ready to take on any challenge. Whether it was Danzo or the Six Paths Sage, he feared no one.
But the various clans of Konoha knew Danzo's ruthlessness all too well, and they couldn't help but be afraid.
The crucial point was that Danzo had the Hokage's backing, leaving them with no room for resistance.
Kisuke was now faced with an impossible choice: sacrifice a portion of his clan or risk the annihilation of the entire clan.
The wooden door of the reception hall swung open, and a voice echoed.
"Danzo-sama!"
The young man who entered wore earrings and had a pineapple-style haircut. His demeanor was confident and composed—none other than Nara Shikaku, the 'Strategist of Konoha'.
He had received a message from the Yamato Clan and arrived just in time to intervene.
"If Kaisuke is unable to make a decision now, how about we give him some time to consider and reply later?"
For anyone else, Danzo wouldn't have bothered responding.
But Nara Shikaku was deeply trusted by Hari, and as a Jounin leader and Konoha's strategist, he might be a future assistant. So, giving him some face, Danzo stood and said:
"Alright, but I expect those Yamato Clan members to report to Root soon!"
With that, he turned and left.
The Yamato Clan was just the beginning; he still had to visit the other major clans.
After Danzo's departure, Kaisuke breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if his chakra had been drained.
At that moment, a red-haired man in scale armor entered—Akado Chisaku.
"Kisuke, what's Danzo doing here?"
He had rushed over upon hearing of Danzo's arrival.
The 'Shadow of the Shinobi' was despised by all the major clans.
But amidst their hatred, they also feared him.
His shamelessness and ruthlessness were genuine, and if not for the Hokage's restraint, these clans might have been eliminated or crippled long ago.
(End of Chapter)
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