119 CH - 116 Danzo Disappeared?!
Why were there Grass Village-style protective clothing and headbands discovered in a Rain ninja room? The strict regulations and limitations on headbands in each village were well-known among ninjas.
How could a ninja from one village possess the headbands of another village? Is it for commemorative purposes? Is this some kind of joke? What conceivable reason could there be for such a commemoration? Danzo couldn't fathom what possible reason could justify such a display.
What were these rain ninjas attempting? Were they conspiring to betray the village? Is it possible that the demigod of the shinobi world has grown so old that, now he is even incapable of maintaining control over his own village? Moreover, Has the Rain Village been infiltrated to such an extent by the Grass Village? Have even their undercover spies failed to detect this anomaly?
At this moment, Danzo Shimura, the mysterious figure who constantly maneuvers in Konoha's shadows, widely known as the Darkness of Konoha, began to sense that something was amiss.
Reflecting on the events of the past few days, it was clear that in an astonishingly short span of time, he had lost 50 million ryo, and now, it seemed he was heading towards losing 100 million. Could it be that he had fallen into a cunningly set trap?
n the midst of the ongoing conflict between the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Konoha had its hands full dealing with the Four Great Shinobi Villages. It seemed that the two smaller shinobi villages, Grass and Rain, were of little consequence to the major players. To some extent, when these two villages declared war on each other, it might have even brought a sense of relief to Konoha, making them stop caring about the conflict. After all, aside from the Grass Village's quirks, the war between these small villages had little impact on the major shinobi villages.
Furthermore, the Grass Village had ceased its information-selling operations, and they hadn't declared war on Konoha. Consequently, Konoha had refrained from conducting any deeper investigations into these two villages. Konoha's primary focus was on the Four Great Shinobi Villages, so all their resources were directed there. As for this operation... it seemed like an accidental turn of events. Danzo had initially intended to gather information on the Uzumaki Clan and deliver a significant blow to the Grass Village, thereby weakening both the Grass and Rain Villages. But now... this unexpected situation had unfolded.
The more Danzo pondered it, the more he felt that something was amiss. His expression darkened even further. "Come to think of it... ever since I set foot in the Land of Rain, that, so-called demigod of the shinobi world has been constantly hinting that I should provide funds."
Could it be that the Grass and Rain Villages had secretly forged an alliance with the Five Great Shinobi Villages? And he, under the influence of Hanzo's hints, had mistakenly believed that the Rain Village could easily surpass the Grass Village, and they are only losing now due to its slight financial disadvantage.
As these thoughts raced through Danzo's mind, his eyes widened in realization. Unbelievable. He hadn't anticipated that the sharp-witted demigod of the shinobi world would resort to such cunning tactics. Could it be that he had come to swindle the Darkness of Konoha himself?
However, Danzo knew quite well the reputation of the demigod of the shinobi world. A formidable figure who had the audacity to declare war on the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Even if he had aged and perhaps lost some of his ambitions, it seemed unlikely that he would employ such a devious scheme.
Reflecting on the events of the past few days, Danzo couldn't help but find Hanzo, with whom he had interacted frequently was acting strangely. However, he had dismissed these suspicions because the idea that the leader of an entire village had been replaced seemed utterly inconceivable. Otherwise, he might have harbored suspicions earlier about whether this man was genuinely the demigod of the shinobi world or not.
Furthermore, The notion of swindling funds seemed all too familiar now. It reeked of the treacherous schemes Konoha had encountered in the past. Danzo's lips twitched slightly at the corners, and his expression grew even more sour. "Have I been deceived by the new leader of the Grass Village?!"
Danzo was seething with frustration. Ever since the Grass Village had changed its leader, he had sensed that something was amiss. The sudden shift toward entertainment, business, and various unusual actions had raised his suspicions. But the old Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that this man had more principles than the previous Grass Village shinobi. What a joke. Could someone with principles ever become the leader of those notorious scammers? Could a leader of such scammers possess any principles at all?
His mind raced with doubts. Had everyone, including himself, been deceived by this man? But there was one lingering question that bothered him. Even if these two villages had formed an alliance, there was no plausible reason for Grass Village headbands to be found in the Rain Village.
Danzo's finely honed ninja instincts raced to analyze the limited clues at hand. While he might not have known the full extent of what was happening between these two villages, but as someone who walked the shadows and thrived on deception his whole life, he understood the one thing, it was time to run. There was no time to ponder the intentions of these scammers any longer. Proceeding further could potentially cost him more than 100 million ryo.
With this in mind, Danzo turned to the Root ninja standing beside him and issued a decisive command, "Pack up. We're leaving immediately!"
…
The following day, Akihiko completed the comprehensive 'Assassination of the Grass Village Leader Plan' for the future. As he looked at the meticulously crafted plan laid out before him, a satisfied smile graced his face.
Despite not being entirely sure about what had transpired with Obito's team, he realized that now was not the time to dwell on that matter. He had already made the choice to join their extended family, and any lingering questions could be addressed in person at a later date. Right now, the top priority was resolving the situation with Danzo.
Danzo had invested a staggering one hundred million in this grand performance. It was, without a doubt, the largest investment the Grass Village had seen in years. In simpler terms, the show needed to be nothing short of spectacular. Explosions were a must, and there needed to be, at the very least, a massive crater in the Land of Rain.
Just days ago, Akihiko had stumbled upon a massive iron ore deposit nearby. A well-timed explosion would provide the perfect cover to begin mining operations. This way, Danzo, the investor, would be left thoroughly satisfied, and both the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass would reap substantial benefits. It was a true win-win-win scenario.
If Akihiko didn't feel it might be a bit excessive, he might have even considered orchestrating a blood rain event in the Land of Rain for extra dramatic effect. After all, it was all about keeping the customer satisfied and putting their mind at ease. This was the Grass Village's underlying business philosophy. With everything meticulously prepared, all that was left was for Danzo to deliver the final fifty million Ryo.
According to the devised plan, the first step in gaining the trust of the Grass Village was to send an initial deposit of 20 million ryo. Following this, they would present it as a substantial contract. However, they would express concerns originating from Konoha, insisting that the Grass Village leader must personally attend a designated location for negotiations.
Once both sides had convened at this predetermined site, they would proceed with the next phase of the contract, with the exchange of money being the pivotal moment. It was at this juncture that the leader of the Land of Rain would launch a sudden and unexpected attack on the Grass Village.
This particular aspect of the plan had drawn inspiration from the historical account of the Second Hokage's peace negotiations in the Land of Lightning. Utilizing a real historical event would bolster the plan's credibility.
Then, To everyone's astonishment, the Grass Village leader would reveal astonishing strength and successfully fend off the surprise attack by the leader of the Land of Rain. However, as soon as the Grass Village leadership sensed something amiss, they would swiftly come to their leader's aid and retaliate against the Land of Rain forces. Ultimately, faced with the hopeless situation, the leader of the Land of Rain would put his utmost effort into protecting Danzo as they withdrew, thereby solidifying Danzo's trust.
Subsequently, the Land of Rain leader would solemnly reaffirm their commitment to eventually crush the Grass Village.
However, for the time being, they would assert that they were still in need of additional funds. Therefore, As long as Danzo was willing to provide an additional 100 million ryo for the purchase of equipment and the reconstruction of the ninja force, they were confident they could make the Grass Village pay a heavy price.
The next phase of the plan involved the aspect of 'borrowing' rather than 'investing'. After all, continually receiving funds without offering any returns would eventually raise suspicions. By framing it as a loan, Danzo might be more agreeable, considering there was at least a chance of his money being returned.
The plan seemed flawless, and if executed successfully, Akihiko thought he could reap the benefits throughout the duration of the Shinobi War. However, there was a slight hitch in their plan, Hanzo hadn't returned yet. If the original cast could portray the roles, it would undoubtedly be more convincing.
Akihiko took a sip of his hot tea, shook his head, and mumbled to himself, "Well, we'll make do with what we have. Everything is prepared; we just need that final 50 million. I'll have Aso go and persuade them later. We can't allow the Grass Village to continue acting so arrogantly."
However, before he could delve further into his thoughts, an urgent knocking interrupted his musings. Akihiko wondered, "What could be so important? "What's going on? Has Mubuki brought some important information again?"
"Come in!" Akihiko granted permission for the person outside to enter. The door swung open, but instead of Mubuki, it was Aso who rushed in, his face filled with anxiety. "Leader Akihiko, something bad happened!"
Akihiko tried to calm Aso down, patting him on the shoulder. "Don't panic. Take your time and tell me slowly."
Aso suppressed his anxiety and hesitated for a moment before relaying the unsettling news. "Well, you see... Shimura Danzo, he... he disappeared last night."
"What?!" Akihiko was taken aback, his eyes widening in shock. He swiftly rose from his seat. "Hurry, we must catch up to him! We can't afford to let such a valuable guest slip away!"
"But..." Aso couldn't help but wonder silently, his mouth twitching, 'Didn't you just tell me not to panic?'
…
Meanwhile, accompanied by his three young companions, Hanzo leisurely made his way towards the Land of Rain. However, halfway there, Nagato suddenly knitted his brows, sensing something unusual. He calmly remarked, "There are some ninjas nearby, and they appear to be in a hurry. Their chakra feels somewhat chaotic."
"Ninjas in a rush?" Hanzo raised an intrigued eyebrow and furrowed his brow in concern. "Could there be trouble? Do you know which village they're from?"
However, After a brief moment of contemplation, he decided, " Never mind. Let's investigate. If they're foes, this could be an excellent opportunity for you three to witness the might of the demi-god Hanzo. Remember to treat me with respect in the future."
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