Danzo hadn't expected he could run so fast. In just a few minutes, he had run an unknown distance. But he didn't stop. He had only one thought: run, and keep running.
He hadn't become Hokage yet, he absolutely couldn't die in a place like this.
For the first time, in this strange situation, Danzo pushed out all the potential in his body. He ran day and night, without rest, and finally saw the gates of Konoha.
He was so emotional he almost cried.
I finally don't have to die!
Kakuzu, aren't you amazing? I'm not a nobody. If you're so capable, why don't you fight with the tens of thousands of ninjas in Konoha?
Danzo was about to return to the village but stopped, pondering for a moment how to fabricate a story that wouldn't make him seem like a coward afraid of death.
"Hmm, first this, then that."
Danzo was very good at making up stories. In just a few minutes, he had figured out how to deceive Hiruzen.
It was dawn, and there were few people on the streets of Konoha.
But the cautious Danzo still chose the back gate, to avoid anyone seeing his dishevelled appearance, lest it affect his image as a cold and ruthless person in the villagers' hearts.
As Danzo reached the gate, he heard a questioning voice from behind.
"Passcode."
"Passcode? Since when did Konoha have a passcode?"
No sooner had Danzo spoken than a fist the size of a sandbag smashed into his face. Then came a storm of punches and kicks.
Someone had put a sack over his head. Danzo couldn't see faces, only vaguely heard curses.
"How dare you act so presumptuously in front of your Uchiha grandpa?"
"If you don't know the passcode, you're an intruder, and intruders must die."
...
Then, the attacks became even more ferocious.
Danzo cried out in pain, "Bastards, I am..."
"I don't care who you are, just watch me beat you up."
"I am Danzo!"
Silence, a deathly silence.
Inaho and Tekka looked at each other.
Bad, they messed up.
Will this old man take the opportunity to retaliate?
Should they just finish him off, since they've already gone this far?
Why did that idiot Danzo use the back gate? Anyone who didn't know would think he was a deserter afraid to show his face.
Just then, Satoshi tiptoed over. He made a shushing gesture.
First, he pushed Danzo and gave him two hard kicks, then he yelled, "Stop! Hold your punches!"
Danzo cursed and scrambled to his feet, then heard a greeting utterly lacking in sincerity.
"Danzo-sama, are you unharmed?"
Danzo angrily tore off the sack, wishing he could tear these evil Uchiha to shreds.
"Who hit me just now? Step forward!"
"The one who hit you was a temporary worker, he's already run off. Don't worry, I'll definitely find him as soon as possible..."
"Enough." Danzo waved his hand.
"I don't know what kind of nonsense you bastards are up to with this passcode..."
"What!" Satoshi almost knocked Danzo unconscious.
"You're saying that Tobirama-sama, who established this rule, is a bastard who's just full of nonsense?"
"It's not just bold, it's utterly outrageous. I'll report this to Hokage-sama right now and have him charge you with insubordination."
Danzo felt like dying.
Get lost, you motherfucker.
"You!"
Tobirama-sensei did so many things in his life, how would I know?
Since things had come to this, Danzo didn't bother to argue with Satoshi and the others. Who knew what other accusations this scoundrel would pin on him?
He ran straight to Hiruzen's house and pounded on the door.
"Hiruzen, something's happened."
Hiruzen, still sleepy, woke up instantly at the sight of Danzo.
"Danzo, what happened to you? Come in quickly, I'll get you some bandages to stop the bleeding."
In the living room, Danzo stopped his bleeding while recounting the story he had just fabricated to Hiruzen.
"We were attacked by Kakuzu. To protect the villagers, we fought to the last man."
"Although we successfully forced Kakuzu to retreat, we paid a heavy price."
"Everyone was wiped out, only I returned."
Hiruzen's hand, holding a cigarette, trembled slightly.
Everyone died?
Of course, he doubted the veracity of the story.
The elites are all dead, and only you returned?
What a boast.
However, Hiruzen wasn't in a hurry to expose Danzo. The immediate priority was to figure out Kakuzu's objective.
"Kakuzu never does anything without a benefit, someone must have hired him. So who is this person? And who is his target?"
Hiruzen glanced at Danzo.
Needless to say, Kakuzu definitely wasn't interested in Danzo. Otherwise, they would have already chosen the next leader of Root by now.
Hiruzen suddenly thought of a possibility. "Perhaps, like before, the mastermind doesn't want to see us cooperate with Kirigakure?"
The two exchanged glances, as if transported back to a battlefield decades ago.
Back then, when negotiations were halfway through, Kinkaku and Ginkaku suddenly appeared, halting the peace treaty's signing process.
Now, only a few days after Yagura arrived in Konoha, Kakuzu had attacked.
There might be some connection between these two events.
"Go to the Hokage Building and discuss it with Homura and Koharu."
Hokage Building, conference room.
The four sat around the conference table. After hearing the full story, Homura expressed his opposition.
"I don't think it's right. If he wanted to stop the negotiations, why didn't he choose when the Mizukage disembarked?"
"And if he wanted to kill the Mizukage, why would he attack you guys and expose his intentions?"
Danzo shamelessly said, "Perhaps Kakuzu fears me, believing my methods are too brilliant, and he must kill me first to..."
Before he could finish, the other three almost couldn't keep a straight face.
What was wrong with Danzo today? He was spouting such outrageous boasts.
Kakuzu is afraid of you?
Do you think you're Hashirama?
"Alright " Hiruzen tapped the table.
"There's still one more question: who could be the mastermind behind this?"
A name was already in all four of their minds.
"Orochimaru."
Hiruzen's head was about to explode.
Orochimaru, Orochimaru, always Orochimaru.
Why was he involved in every single messed-up thing? What exactly did he want?
One masked man who could use Wood Release wasn't enough, and now there was a difficult Kakuzu.
Hiruzen couldn't even imagine who would attack Konoha in the future.
If these people gathered together, how much pressure would Konoha face?
Even more terrifying was what trump cards the mastermind possessed to control them so firmly.
Hiruzen felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
"Let's end it here today. I will send ninjas to investigate the attack site. Meeting adjourned."
"One more thing."
Danzo said, "Root suffered heavy casualties, and I need to expand our numbers."
Hearing this, Hiruzen looked troubled. "That's a bit difficult. Many qualified ninjas have joined the Konoha Military Police Force, so there aren't suitable candidates right now."
Danzo paused. "The Konoha Military Police Force?"
He suddenly remembered the Konoha Military Police Force's recent recruitment drive.
Danzo hadn't paid it any mind, thinking a ragtag bunch couldn't stir up any trouble.
Who would have thought it would come to this today?
Danzo still wouldn't back down. "In that case, select a few individuals from Anbu. For example, Itachi, Tenzo, Kakashi..."
Hiruzen tapped the table. "Anbu's workload is also very heavy, Danzo. You'll have to manage for now."