https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-340-Brothers-You-Smell-So-Good-A-A-/12932716/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-342-The-Alliance-of-Danzo-and-New-Tailed-Monkey-/12932718/
Chapter 341: Confrontation and Passing the Buck!
Chapter 341: Confrontation and Passing the Buck!
The Fire Shadow Office!
The room wasn't crowded, but those present were influential figures whose words carried weight.
The F4 were naturally all there, including the ANBU leader, Hari.
In addition to them, there were Hyuga Nezumi, Uchiha Tomoyuki, Nara Shikoku, Yamashiro Kaiichi, Akado Teisatsu, and others.
The number of people might only be in the teens, but they were the ones who decided everything in the Leaf Village.
Everyone was standing except for Hari, the Fire Shadow.
It wasn't that they couldn't arrange the room to look like a conference room; usually, they'd set up a small table for the two advisors.
But this time, that wasn't an option.
It wouldn't be right to have the advisors sit while everyone else stood, would it?
So, only the Fire Shadow stood, and everyone else followed suit.
After all, ninjas were a combat profession, and such formalities weren't a priority.
"What's the occasion today that warrants such a large gathering?"
As soon as Dong Ping entered the office, he asked, feigning ignorance.
Yes, today's spectacle was entirely prepared for him.
The Skyguard had developed too rapidly, causing unease in the Leaf Village, hence the desire to suppress it.
And the evidence Root had gathered was the perfect excuse for this suppression.
Inviting these powerful ninja clans was naturally to pressure them into compliance.
The Skyguard was no longer the same as it was initially; the village could no longer dictate its actions.
"Of course, it's because you, Skyguard, have betrayed the Leaf Village, colluded with foreign enemies, and acted recklessly!"
Danzo accused coldly.
As the black-faced member of the Leaf F4, it was only natural for him to initiate the confrontation.
The Leaf F4's division of labor was clear: one black-faced, one white-faced, and two neutral members, considering every aspect.
In a word, ruthless!
"Oh, does Elder Danzo have any evidence? If not, then accusing a commander without cause will have consequences, even for an elder like you, won't it?"
Dong Ping directly confronted him.
This was the right approach.
Confronting Danzo, the master of passing the buck and a notorious villain in the ninja world, was the perfect way to relax.
Anyone who had watched Fire Shadow before their time travel would loathe him.
Now, with the opportunity to confront him in person, it was a chance not to be missed.
If Dong Ping were the Fire Shadow, there would have been a classic scene of 'You Regret My Shadow' replayed.
"Oh, I certainly have evidence!"
Danzo proudly presented a scroll, filled with evidence meticulously gathered by Root over time.
For instance, there were transactions with the Hidden Sand Village and the Mist Concealing Village. Small-scale deals might be overlooked, but for large-scale transactions, certain evidence was unavoidable.
Procured goods, materials, and more served as proof.
Although these ninja villages had signed peace agreements with the Leaf Village, they were still enemies. Trading with them could be considered a betrayal.
However, Dong Ping didn't even glance at the evidence. He immediately passed the buck, saying,
"I'm sorry, Skyguard only trades with our country's merchant guild and United Fruit and Produce Chamber. We've never traded with other villages, so all this is 'fake news'!"
Yes, you heard that right. He said it without hesitation.
And he wasn't lying.
Skyguard didn't do business with other villages.
At most, they sold their products directly to the Honda Trading Company and United Fruit and Produce. What these guilds did with the goods was none of their concern.
Indeed, the guilds were their scapegoats, ready to take the blame.
While Skyguard was affiliated with the Leaf Village, the guilds weren't, and their trade partners were none of the village's business.
"You..."
Danzo felt his chest tighten, but he couldn't find a way to accuse Dong Ping.
Those merchant caravans flew the flags of the two guilds.
Even if Skyguard members escorted them, it was merely a 'commissioned mission.'
It wouldn't be reasonable to prohibit them from accepting such missions, would it?
The Leaf Village wasn't that domineering.
If they were to forbid these missions, they'd have to provide funding to support the Skyguard, something the village was absolutely unwilling to do.
"Elder Danzo, are you feeling unwell? Do you need to go home and rest? Although I'm busy, I'd be happy to help manage Root for you!"
Dong Ping directly twisted the knife.
His words caused the clan leaders, like Hyuga Nezumi and Uchiha Tomoyuki, to quietly chuckle in the background.
Fortunately, they had excellent emotional control, otherwise, they would have burst out laughing.
Everyone knew that Root was essentially Danzo's private force, and they didn't even listen to the Hokage's orders.
If they lost Root, it would be more painful than killing Danzo himself.
Therefore, there was only one possible reason for Root to hand over the information.
Danzo was dead!
Knowing full well the importance of Root to Danzo, Douhei's words were a direct challenge.
He was basically taunting him.
It's unreasonable that only you, Danzo, can cause me trouble, and I'm not allowed to retaliate, right?
Ordinary ninjas were one thing, but Douhei himself was a powerful figure. He had every right to retaliate.
"Enough, we don't need to discuss this further!"
Hari saw his old friend's state and was afraid he'd get too worked up, so he stopped Douhei from continuing, bringing an end to the topic.
As the Hokage and judge, Douhei at least showed some respect and didn't press Danzo further.
"But what about the Tea Country incident? How do you explain that?"
Tenkai Kokonoe suddenly spoke up.
Recently, the Fire Country Daimyo had been sending messages inquiring about the activities of the Heavenly Fortress in the Tea Country, stating that if he didn't see a 'satisfactory' outcome, next year's funding might be reduced.
The village's funding came primarily from two sources: 'allocations and missions.'
If the Daimyo didn't allocate funds, they would have to rely solely on mission requests to earn money, which would be far from sufficient.
This was how the Five Great Nations maintained their significant influence over the ninja villages.
If a village dared to disobey, they would be swiftly punished and left unable to function.
While ninjas were powerful, they were also expensive to maintain!
Without the support of a great nation, they would go bankrupt in no time.
Therefore, Konoha had to provide an explanation to the Fire Country Daimyo.
This was why Tenkai Kokonoe had to speak up, even if she didn't want to.
"Oh, about the Tea Country, we were merely hired to protect them. I don't think it's a big deal."
Douhei seemed nonchalant, as if it wasn't a significant matter.
And indeed, it wasn't. At that moment, no one knew that the Heavenly Fortress had begun large-scale development in the Tea Country. In everyone's eyes, the more pressing concern was preventing ninjas from crossing the line and threatening the nobility, rather than this small country.
A place as poor and backward as that wasn't worth their time and effort.
"How dare you! You've controlled the Tea Country's Daimyo and continuously assassinated nobles and ministers who opposed you. Do you think we're unaware of this?"
Danzo felt vindicated, like the rain had stopped and the sun had come out, and he spoke up again.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the Tea Country had fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Fortress.
Although it was poor and backward, its ports were still valuable.
No one could have guessed that Douhei wasn't after the ports but the vast land and population.
If they knew that the Heavenly Fortress could move mountains and fill the sea, transforming the area into an environmentally friendly place, they would be shocked.
Konoha hadn't paid much attention because they didn't see much value there, and they wouldn't have brought it up if the Daimyo hadn't pressured them.
"Is that so? Then, does the Elder have any evidence?"
Douhei asked again.
This time, he wasn't worried about them producing evidence.
The Tea Country's Daimyo was alive and well, albeit constantly under the influence of illusions. The Heavenly Fortress was hired by him, so everything was legitimate.
As for the Eye Assassination, it was all the work of thieves, not the Heavenly Fortress.
They were a pure and honorable force; how could they possibly do such a thing?
Just as they were arguing, an ANBU ninja suddenly appeared in the office.
Something had happened! Everyone knew this.
The meeting was of utmost importance, and the ninja wouldn't have interrupted unless it was a significant matter.
Only Douhei and Hyuga Cangyue exchanged a glance, a hint of anticipation in their eyes.
It was time to watch the drama unfold.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
