Chapter 111: Something's Wrong with Danzo
Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, looking visibly older than he had just hours ago.
He sat troubled in his chair, smoking one cigarette after another, his face so wrinkled with concern it could trap a kunai between the creases.
Sending Uchiha Kazuki to Kirigakure—looking back on it now, he regretted it so much he wanted to slam his head against his desk.
It wasn't that he blamed the young Uchiha. To be precise, Kazuki's assassination of the Third Mizukage was absolutely spectacular. With a little political maneuvering and Hiruzen's support behind the scenes, it would be easy to help Kazuki completely seize control of the Uchiha clan leadership.
From that perspective, Hiruzen thought it was actually beneficial.
But... the timing couldn't have been worse.
Why was the timing so terrible?
Because the current situation in the shinobi world was already dangerously tense, with alliances and betrayals constantly shifting between nations. War seemed inevitable and imminent.
From the Hokage's perspective, Hiruzen Sarutobi desperately hoped the war would begin as late as possible—definitely not right now. He had only just completed his consolidation of power within the village and successfully secured maximum authority. A hastily initiated war would immediately dilute and disperse that carefully accumulated influence.
Of course, more than the dilution of his political power, what truly concerned Hiruzen Sarutobi was that war would severely deplete Konoha's future potential.
Genin were undoubtedly treated as 'expendable resources' during wartime, their vibrant young lives fed into the massive meat grinder of conflict. Those children who could have developed so much more potential—perhaps becoming pillars supporting Konoha's future—would instead be mercilessly crushed beneath the brutal wheels of war.
His assistant remained silent, quietly awaiting the Hokage's decision.
After a prolonged pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi released a heavy sigh, his expression deepening with sorrow and a hint of helplessness clouding his weathered eyes. "Go and summon the heads of all the major clans, both advisors, and Danzo to my office immediately. We must prepare contingency plans in advance."
The course of history never changes according to individual desires.
Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi was deeply reluctant, as Hokage of Konohagakure, he had to steel his resolve and make the necessary decisions.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The assistant bowed his head and silently departed.
Watching him leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi slumped back in his chair, fingers massaging his throbbing temples.
His gaze returned to the mission report on his desk, a profound sense of helplessness reflected in his eyes. He couldn't help but mutter: "He's a talented young man—strong, intelligent, and resourceful—but why is his thinking so dangerously extreme?"
It must be because he's an Uchiha.
Definitely those emotionally volatile clan members who corrupted young Kazuki's judgment!
What a remarkable shinobi he could have been! If only he'd been born into the Sarutobi clan instead!
But enough of such pointless thoughts.
The assistant instructed his subordinates to notify the clan heads and advisors, then decided to personally fetch Danzo.
Perhaps because he'd been stripped of his authority, Danzo had been mysteriously elusive lately. Even when the Hokage sent people to summon him multiple times, he directly refused every invitation, seemingly disinterested in political matters and hiding away in Root's underground headquarters, rarely venturing outside.
Upon arriving at Root's entrance, the assistant was immediately stopped by guards.
He frowned slightly but maintained his patience. "The Hokage has sent me to summon Lord Danzo to his office for an urgent discussion."
"Lord Danzo has given explicit instructions that he's handling critical matters during this period and will not receive any visitors," the Root shinobi replied curtly, faithfully executing Danzo's orders regardless of who stood before him.
"This is a direct order from the Hokage himself." The assistant's tone became more authoritative, his presence radiating command as his sharp eyes fixed on the guard. He stated firmly, "I'll say this one final time—no matter what Danzo is doing, he must see the Hokage immediately. Do you understand?"
Even Root, which operated under Danzo's exclusive command, ultimately had to obey official directives from the Hokage.
The usual leniency shown to Root didn't mean they could openly defy the Hokage's direct command at a time like this.
"This..."
As expected, the Root shinobi hesitated.
"Go and inform Danzo right now. I'll wait here."
The assistant gave him absolutely no room for negotiation, his attitude utterly firm. "This concerns Konoha's security. Danzo must respond regardless of his personal circumstances!"
Just an ordinary Root operative facing the Hokage's personal guard—someone with far superior authority—could only yield. He turned away reluctantly and headed inside to report.
After receiving the message, Aburame Ryoma nodded expressionlessly. "Understood. I'll inform Lord Danzo immediately."
With that, he vanished into the shadows.
Arriving at a dimly lit chamber deep within Root headquarters, Ryoma paused momentarily to collect himself before knocking. "Lord Danzo."
"Get out!"
An unusually shrill voice roared angrily from within. "Didn't I explicitly state I wouldn't see anyone for the foreseeable future?!"
Standing outside, Ryoma remained completely calm, as if he hadn't heard the outburst at all, and continued evenly, "Lord Danzo, this is a direct order from the Hokage. It likely concerns Konoha's security. You must respond."
The phrase "direct order from the Hokage" silenced Danzo for an extended moment.
Ryoma knew his former leader's temperament intimately, and immediately pressed his advantage. "Lord Danzo, if this weren't something extraordinarily important, the Hokage wouldn't be so insistent. Besides... perhaps you could use this opportunity to reclaim some of Root's lost authority."
At the mention of reclaiming power, Danzo seemed to wake up completely, his voice becoming noticeably more energetic. "Hmm, I suppose you make a valid point."
Seeing that he'd successfully motivated his leader, Ryoma wisely fell silent.
He could only do this much. If he pushed any further, given Danzo's naturally suspicious nature, he might become paranoid about hidden agendas.
After a moment of silence, the door was pushed open from inside.
A figure draped in an oversized black robe slowly emerged—it was indeed Danzo.
Strangely, Danzo wasn't just wearing the voluminous black robe, but had also deliberately concealed his physique beneath its folds. He even wore thick gloves, as if unable to tolerate being exposed to light.
"Lead the way. Let's go." Danzo coughed forcefully several times, his voice shifting from high-pitched to deliberately hoarse, though if one listened carefully, a hint of unusual fragility could still be detected.
Aburame Ryoma lowered his head, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.
Ever since he'd secretly delivered that cursed ring to Danzo, his behavior had become increasingly bizarre, until he'd eventually locked himself away completely, refusing all visitors.
If that were the extent of it, it wouldn't be particularly alarming. But Danzo's voice sounded... oddly feminine?
No, no, no—it must be his imagination!
Aburame Ryoma shook his head violently, banishing such an outrageous thought from his mind.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly. How ridiculous! He must be overthinking things.
How could a man possibly transform into a woman? Absurd!
Hidden beneath his black robes, Danzo strode forward, leaning heavily on his cane. Watching from behind, Aburame Ryoma's frown deepened considerably.
For a shinobi—especially one trained in Root's intensive methodology—extremely keen observation skills were essential. No detail could be overlooked. Having followed Danzo for so many years, Ryoma naturally knew every aspect of his former leader's physical characteristics intimately.
But just now, as Danzo passed by, Aburame Ryoma noticed subtle yet undeniable differences.
From the stride length and the depth of each footfall, he realized Danzo's height and weight seemed to have changed significantly—he moved like a completely different person!
"Lord Kazuki... what on earth did you do to him?"
Aburame Ryoma stared at Danzo's retreating figure, sinking into profound self-doubt and uncertainty.
[End of Chapter 111]
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