Chapter 108: The Day of Suffering

'Due to my intervention, the plot has changed somewhat... the time when Hanzo and Danzo conspired to kill Yahiko was moved up by an entire year.' Yuto had this thought.

The inertia of the world line, or the "predetermined trajectory of fate," is indeed difficult to alter.

He sighed silently, nodded slightly, and stepped aside.

In the next few hours, Yuto got some rare rest. Danzo, a swift and decisive man when in action, had mobilized the ANBU and Root, along with many frontline shinobi of Konoha, using the Third Hokage's approval.

This was another deviation from the original storyline.

In the original world line, Danzo only brought members of the ANBU.

However, whether in the original story or reality, Hiruzen had agreed to Danzo's military action to help Amegakure suppress the rebellion.

Establishing a cooperative relationship with Hanzo the Salamander was one of Konoha's recognized diplomatic strategies. Securing Amegakure's assistance on the battlefield could potentially crush Sunagakure and Iwagakure in one go.

A few hours later, the combat meeting officially began.

Yuto stood against the wall, arms folded, listening to Danzo outline his plan.

"Amegakure has an organization called 'Akatsuki' intending to overthrow Hanzo... Of course, this has nothing to do with us in Konoha."

"However, Hanzo has exchanged letters with the Third Hokage, promising to help Konoha on the battlefield and form an alliance with us."

"As for the Akatsuki organization, it is composed of evil individuals who sell information and incite rebellion. Its leader, Yahiko, is our primary target today, but he is extremely intelligent..."

Yuto laughed inwardly at Danzo's words. They were eloquently crafted, justifying his actions both publicly and privately, making it seem like Konoha would be dishonored if the Akatsuki wasn't eradicated.

"...Fortunately, Amegakure has obtained a bait."

The boy furrowed his brow slightly, an image of the beautiful purple-haired woman flashing in his mind.

...

Slaughtering an organization required every second to count. The end of the combat meeting signaled the start of the operation.

The temporarily assembled Konoha special forces, totaling one hundred forty-two shinobi, left the camp, heading towards Amegakure in the drizzle. Apart from a few masked ANBU and Root members, most were frontline shinobi of Konoha.

They didn't enter Amegakure through the main gate but instead delved into the underground buildings along a massive abandoned pipeline. After a few hundred meters, they encountered the heavily guarded Amegakure shinobi.

Hanzo the Salamander sat in a wide chair. By his side, Konan was tied up with her hands bound, showing no reaction to the outside world.

"Danzo." Hanzo nodded, "You brought more people than I expected."

"Because you said the Akatsuki has some powerful individuals."

"That red-haired guy seems to be a remnant of the Uzumaki clan." Hanzo the Salamander reached out, gripping Konan's chin and lifting her face, "But with her here, the Akatsuki won't cause any trouble."

Hanzo's fingers were like iron pincers, making Konan wince in pain. She opened her eyes and saw the fully armed Konoha and Amegakure shinobi.

The next moment, she widened her eyes and gritted her teeth and shouted, "Kill me!"

"Hmm?" Hanzo followed Konan's gaze, seeing a white-eyed boy with a black bandage wrapped around his right arm, staring coldly at him.

"That outfit... Lone Lion?" Hanzo turned to Danzo:

"Does your Konoha Lion know the leader of the Akatsuki?"

"It seems so." Danzo glanced at Yuto, saying calmly,

"There is no problem, right? I hope past relationships won't affect today's operation."

Yuto snorted. This time, he didn't hide his displeasure, anyone could hear it.

He knew this was Danzo's way of giving him a warning. Yuto had stayed with the Akatsuki for a month, and with Nagato's help, he had completed the Lion's Fang Bite. Danzo knew about this.

Saying it out loud was meant to suppress and warn.

This was a clear message to Yuto, "Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi asked you to be my vice, you're not qualified to interfere with the operation. If something goes wrong, I can easily make you the scapegoat."

Yuto shrugged, indifferently, "Of course, I am always a shinobi of Konoha and will naturally obey the village's orders. However..." He paused, his voice very calm.

"Danzo-sama, please always remember that you are talking to the vice commander of the Western Front."

"Arrogant brat..." A Root member with a dog face mask sneered and stepped forward.

Unexpectedly, as he moved, many Konoha frontline shinobi instinctively tensed, staring at him.

In an instant, the underground pipeline of Amegakure was filled with tension.

ANBU or Root members and frontline warriors were all Konoha shinobi, but as a long-standing powerhouse, Konoha had its own internal distinctions.

The Western Front shinobi didn't care about Danzo. Even with the Hokage's order, they would instinctively side with their vice commander.

Danzo's hand inside his sleeve clenched tightly, suppressing his anger.

After Orochimaru left Konoha, Danzo's collaboration with him was discovered by the Third Hokage. Fortunately, this hadn't become widely known and could still be negotiated.

Hiruzen protected Danzo but also gradually distanced himself from him, discussing many matters only with Koharu and Homura.

Danzo couldn't tolerate being pushed out of the village's power center, so he tried to regain trust and prove his indispensability to Konoha.

"Alliance with Amegakure, destroy the Akatsuki" was Danzo's plan. Initially, he intended to bring only ANBU and Root members, but after Orochimaru's escape, he decided to be more cautious.

Thus, along with ANBU members, the Western Front's frontline shinobi were also mobilized.

He even used the Hokage's order to obtain a Flying Thunder God kunai!

This was why Minato's face looked displeased in the camp.

For this operation, Danzo had put everything on the line, offending many people.

忍 (Nin), patience is essential... Danzo reminded himself, waving off the Root member.

The tense atmosphere gradually eased.

Hanzo the Salamander exhaled deeply. He didn't want to see Konoha's internal conflict either. If the Lone Lion went berserk, throwing an explosive tag and fleeing, everyone would suffer.

Konan looked at Yuto's cold face, her heart sinking.

She understood that despite their relationship, the branch family boy was still a Konoha shinobi.

'Even Jiraiya-sensei would stand with the village at this moment...' Konan thought despairingly.

After this small incident, neither Hanzo nor Danzo wanted to wait any longer. When an Amegakure shinobi returned with news, Hanzo's eyes gleamed, and he stood up, saying, "Yahiko took the bait... He went to that valley as agreed. Let's go!"

Amegakure and Konoha shinobi left the pipeline together, taking a shortcut to the destination.

It was a valley, flat in the middle with towering cliffs around, secluded enough for important discussions and perfect for an ambush.

Hanzo pressed Konan's shoulder, making her kneel.

Yuto quietly used his Byakugan, sighing inwardly.

'Sure enough, the ground beneath her was rigged with... explosive tags.'

(End of Chapter)