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"Oh?"
Shimura Danzo looked at the compiled intelligence in his hand, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
"I didn't expect Homura to have such capability."
"He actually managed to subdue those youngsters in the Hokage Building."
Due to various reasons, whether under Teacher Tobirama in the past or after Hiruzen became Hokage, Homura, who was skilled in strategy, had always been responsible for various miscellaneous tasks.
So much so that even he hadn't realized Homura possessed such talent for engaging and subduing enemies.
Shimura Danzo pondered the reasons why Tsunade and others hadn't intervened, while also reviewing the impact of the recent 'rice riot' on the Village.
Before long, he understood somewhat.
"It seems that whether it's Tsunade or Orochimaru, they are still as weak as they were back then?"
"They've inherited Hiruzen's will."
In the past, Sarutobi Hiruzen treated them the same way.
Whether it was Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane manipulating things in the Hokage Building, or him, his old comrade, secretly building private armies under the guise of the Anbu training department.
Shimura Danzo knew very well that Sarutobi Hiruzen was aware of these things.
It was just that he was too weak and too concerned with past sentiments to openly act against them, only imposing some restrictions by embedding his own people.
Although those restrictions were not very noticeable, they represented the will of him, the Third Hokage.
If Shimura Danzo himself were Hokage, he would have probably chopped off their claws the moment these guys started reaching out, never allowing them to develop to this extent.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen's precedent, everything done by the Hokage Building now seemed perfectly justifiable.
"However, for this old man, this is good news."
Shimura Danzo thought this, and began to employ his astonishing wisdom.
Previously, in the operation to intercept the Third Raikage, Mitokado Homura's name was on the order, making him and Homura accomplices.
Now, since even Homura could be so active, it meant that the Hokage Building had no intention of wiping them all out in one go, merely wishing to exclude them from the power circle.
So, he should be able to make a move too, right?
Shimura Danzo instinctively thought this.
Among the Advisor Group trio, his desire for power was actually the most intense. How could he be content with a peaceful life and die of old age now?
As long as there was even a slight opportunity, he would definitely seize it without hesitation!
Just as he was thinking this, a gust of wind suddenly brushed past his ear.
"Lord Danzo, Lord Orochimaru has replied."
"Hm."
Shimura Danzo's gaze did not linger on the Root Ninja. He reached out, took the intelligence he offered, and unfolded it to read.
"First, the experimental report as a deposit. After the matter is completed, the Wood Release experimental subject will be handed over."
Seeing this reply, Shimura Danzo narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment, as if suddenly understanding something, and let out a 'chuckle'.
"Fool."
"It seems Orochimaru also knows that under this economic offensive, they can't last much longer."
"To only reply to this old man now, and still demand the original price—does he think this old man is a child who can be easily fooled?"
"It seems Tenzo won't have to be handed over."
"Not only that, only half of the experimental report will be given."
This seemingly insignificant reply further convinced Shimura Danzo of the Hokage Building's absolute disadvantage in the face of the economic offensive, and at the same time, he felt even more secure about his own safety.
No, more than that.
Shimura Danzo thought, and reopened Mitokado Homura's letter that he had just read.
His eyes slowly flickered, his thoughts becoming even more resolute.
Before this, this old man must also give them a warning.
Not only that.
Homura's actions were far too weak; he could have made things much bigger, letting those three youngsters in the Hokage Building know the power of them, the old seniors!
Otherwise, wouldn't this old man appear utterly useless?
Action follows thought!
Shimura Danzo immediately stood up from his seat.
"Homura! Your strategy is far too weak."
He got straight to the point.
As soon as he stepped into Mitokado Homura's house, Shimura Danzo had already spoken.
Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane, who were discussing the remaining matters in the room, froze. They turned their heads to see Shimura Danzo striding into the room.
Konoha's F3 were reunited once more.
Mitokado Homura's face first lit up when he saw him, then stiffened at his words:
"Danzo, get your facts straight!"
"If it weren't for the failure of that matter you so confidently guaranteed last time, why would we be in this situation now?"
"We would have dealt with those three youngsters long ago."
Shimura Danzo's expression didn't change in the slightest, showing considerable resilience. He said calmly: "The past is the past, and now is now. Even then, I didn't anticipate that the Third Raikage would already possess that level of strength."
"However, the matter is over now. We must look forward."
Mitokado Homura immediately felt a bit annoyed, thinking, You forgive yourself quite quickly.
However, upon hearing that Danzo had other nefarious plans, his eyes couldn't help but light up again.
"Do you have any other strategies?"
Shimura Danzo's tone was calm: "Economic means can only work for a time. To truly be on par with Substitute Hokage Council, we still need to win over more Ninja clans and the power of the Tailed Beasts."
"Now, neither the Uchiha nor the Hyuga have stated their position yet, so we must find a way to offer more chips to make them side with us as quickly as possible."
"Besides that, we also need a trump card that can confront Sawara."
Hearing this, Mitokado Homura couldn't help but frown: "The Ninja clans are easy enough to deal with. As long as we can promise enough benefits, they should understand who will be in charge of Konoha later."
"But, the Nine-Tailed…"
His meaning was quite clear.
In fact, the Hokage faction's initial plan for Kushina Uzumaki was quite clear.
First, they would win over Namikaze Minato, the talented young man who had been close to her since childhood, to the Hokage faction. Then, they would arrange a fixed training ground to help Kushina learn to use the Tailed Beast's power, thereby creating a bond between the two of them.
In the Hokage faction's plan, this naturally cultivated affection would bind the loyalty of the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki to the massive train that was Konoha to the greatest extent.
However, problems had arisen now.
The Hokage faction had experienced a generational gap between their generation and Jiraiya's generation.
Now, it seemed that even Namikaze Minato, whom they used to help the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, had passively become a member of Substitute Hokage Council.
"Easy. Just leave it to me."
Shimura Danzo's voice was calm: "Root has a hundred ways to train that girl into nothing but a tool loyal to Konoha."
"Or rather, Jinchuriki should have been trained as tools from the beginning."
"Hiruzen went down the wrong path, which led to the current situation."
Mitokado Homura still frowned.
Although he had intense conflicts with the next generation due to power, this did not mean he was stupid.
Moreover, Namikaze Minato was currently on the front lines.
If anything were to happen...
As he was thinking this, Koharu Utatane, beside him, frowned and spoke, somewhat confused: "But Sawara even defeated the Third Raikage, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Although the Nine-Tailed is powerful, compared to that monster…"
"Can she really stop Sawara?"
Shimura Danzo's tone was calm: "Haven't you realized? Until now, nothing has happened to either of you."
"Do you think the Hokage Building genuinely can't tell that you're behind this?"
"..."
Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane were both silent.
Although they were aware of this, the fact that they survived and caused trouble only because of the enemy's conservatism was, after all, unpleasant to admit.
Shimura Danzo, however, had no such qualms and had a very clear understanding of reality: "From this, it can be seen that whether it's Sawara or those three, they are all timid and dare not act rashly."
"Otherwise, with such a small disturbance, if they just eliminated the few leaders, what wouldn't be easy to resolve?"
"Under these preconditions, as long as we control that little girl, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, they will inevitably become wary because of the Village and dare not act rashly…"
Danzo's words were immediately interrupted by Mitokado Homura: "We never said we would use the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to harm the Village!"
Shimura Danzo glanced at him, scoffing disdainfully: "A fool who buries his head in the sand."
"..."
Mitokado Homura was merely silent, not refuting him.
His previous words indeed had a hint of that meaning—but still, it was unpleasant to say.
Compared to the two of them, Shimura Danzo, who had always been Konoha's dark side, was much more direct in both his words and actions.
"In short, that's the logic."
"Only by mastering this ultimate weapon can we have a chance to be on par with them."
"The economic war is merely the beginning of our contest, not the end."
"You two think about it carefully."
With that, Shimura Danzo calmly walked out of the room.
Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane exchanged glances, both looking at each other in bewilderment.
To be honest, before starting this contest, they had only aimed for a somewhat dignified exit, at least not to be forced out.
But Danzo's words made the two realize that perhaps they weren't without a chance to continue holding the Hokage's power in a cabinet-like form, just like Substitute Hokage Council?
Human greed is boundless.
Shimura Danzo understood this very well, which is why he acted accordingly.
After leaving Mitokado Homura's house, he prepared to detour and meet that fool Orochimaru again—at least to suppress his arrogance further, lest the young man fail to recognize the times.
Hmph.
As long as he could also bring Orochimaru under his control as an inside man.
Thus, the great power of Konoha Village would once again be in his hands.
Shimura Danzo was full of smug satisfaction.
"Bang—!!"
Under the compression of Technique Lapse: Blue, the figure, having traversed several kilometers in one breath, rubbed against the air at high speed, and a tangible sonic boom of firelight almost erupted around his fist.
An unimaginable, immense force pierced through the dense branches continuously extending from the pale arm, and with a series of cracking sounds, it slammed directly into Shimura Danzo's old face.
Shimura Danzo's specially modified right eye remained in an extremely constricted state, but even at this level, it was completely unable to capture the afterimage of that fist as it swung out. Even after countless Wood Release defenses, the heavy impact, which was utterly impossible to resist, caused his entire neck to suddenly stretch out a section in that instant.
He could faintly hear a series of fine crunching sounds from his cervical vertebrae, almost breaking.
Until this moment, Shimura Danzo's mind was still blank.
Huh, no?
Homura and the others jumped around so much and were fine, but why was this old man targeted the moment he stepped out the door?
Shimura Danzo couldn't understand.
He couldn't understand why Orochimaru wasn't there, nor why he had taken such a heavy punch.
Had Orochimaru already given up on those documents?
Had the Sannin never intended to spare these old men from the beginning?
Had Sawara been waiting for them to crawl out of the shadows, to wipe everyone out in one go?
One terrifying conjecture after another continuously surfaced in Shimura Danzo's mind, while his body, propelled by the violent inertia, spun and slammed into the ground.
After taking that punch, he didn't even have a single thought of resisting. He frantically scrambled up from the ground and fled at top speed using Wind Release: Body Flicker towards the direction he came from.
He couldn't fight, absolutely couldn't fight.
He had clearly instinctively used Wood Release at full power, yet he hadn't even detected the guy's shadow. This heavy force had broken through all defenses before landing on him.
If he took such a punch head-on, he would definitely be dead.
That was Sawara.
Sawara, who was countless times more terrifying than the Third Raikage who had defeated him head-on!
At this moment, Shimura Danzo couldn't muster even a shred of will to resist.
Just as he had reacted years ago when facing that fatal question from Teacher Tobirama Senju.
From beginning to end, no matter how much he had done, how many contributions he had made, he had only imposed his so-called ruthlessness on others.
When the one to face death became himself, he would instinctively make such a decision.
To flee.
But, could he escape?
"Boom—!"
The sound of rushing wind behind him was like sudden thunder, deafening.
Sawara's figure was like an arc of light skimming the ground, completely disregarding the branches rapidly spreading out beneath his feet in an attempt to slow him down. He unleashed a second punch, extremely heavy under the reversal of Limitless.
Shimura Danzo was, after all, a top-tier Kage-level Ninja in the Village. At this most crucial moment, he still reacted, suddenly extending that pale arm and instinctively blocking in front of him.
"Snap!"
However, even as Wood Release Chakra continuously erupted as resistance, that arm was still no match for Sawara's heavy punch.
With just a touch, the entire arm immediately bloomed like a fragile piece of play-doh into a blooming chrysanthemum, embedding itself into Shimura Danzo's chest and abdomen with the force of the heavy punch, emitting a series of fine bone-cracking sounds.
"Crack, crack, crack—"
Shimura Danzo's body completely lost the ability to resist. He continuously vomited blood, glaring at him fiercely as if unable to rest in peace, and whispered, barely breathing:
"Za-Sawara…"
"Killing a Village Elder without authorization, aren't you afraid of Konoha's laws?"
"Not just you, even your relatives will…"
"What law?"
Sawara walked up to him, his expression seemingly carrying a hint of confusion as he asked:
"I'm merely pursuing a Konoha S-rank rogue Ninja, the former Konoha Advisor, Shimura Danzo, who escaped from Konoha Great Prison."
"What law do you think I've broken?"
Shimura Danzo froze at the words, his entire body seeming to suddenly stop moving.
Ever since he gained the power of Wood Release and escaped from underground, he had almost forgotten about being imprisoned in Konoha Great Prison before.
Only when Sawara mentioned it did he suddenly remember.
"Wait a minute, this old man still has…"
Unfortunately, before he could state any other conditions, Sawara already brought his foot down sharply.
"Thud."
Shimura Danzo's entire head immediately burst open like a watermelon, exploding into a bloody, indistinct mess.
"You don't need to speak. I'm too lazy to listen."
With that, Sawara took a few more steps, moving away from the large area around Shimura Danzo's corpse.
Before long, dark Sealing Technique Chakra, shooting out from the corpse's surface, splattered in all directions, suddenly forming a large sphere.
It instantly engulfed the entire ground.
In the last moments before his death, Shimura Danzo had clearly realized one thing.
Damn you, Mitokado Homura!
You killed me!
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