Some things were done with the Hokage's silent disregard, some behind his back, but none of the two elders wanted to be the center of scrutiny from the interested clans when the monolithic wall of Hiruzen's power that covered his associates with the mere fact of his existence collapsed.
They may not have been as dirty as the head of the Root, but even some of the secrets that had come to light could have jeopardized the family and friends of the elders.
- I'll give my people orders," Homura nodded, rubbing his forehead, "and then it's time to take action - given what's happened, there's not much hope for Jiraiya and Orochimaru as candidates for the fourth Hokage, so we need a new challenger.
- I don't get it! - rolled her eyes. - But who can compete with Sakumo in popularity?
- There's another sannin besides those mentioned," Homura said with a meaningful snicker. "The people will follow the princess of the founders and the granddaughter of the First and Second Hokage, and if she challenges Toka Senju for the position of head of the clan, it will cause a rift in the coalition of clans and may well be the cause of a split.
- But that alcoholic and gambling addict is hardly willing to shoulder a double burden just because you want her to," the older kunoichi said venomously, "and she's already been tried more than once, both by Hiruzen and her own clan.
- You'll never know without trying," Homura squinted at her, "Besides, I have something to offer her.
***
Despite the significance of the change in leadership of one of Konoha's most numerous clans and its age-old traditions, it was all lost amidst the ongoing scandal surrounding Danzo and his organization, which rattled the entire village.
The interrogations of ordinary operatives only added fuel to the fire, and the blood of the old asshole began to be demanded by many.
A few days after the capture of the base, there was almost a real fight under the prison walls between the Sharingan wielders and the Anbu guards, as it became known that three pairs of dojutsu had been found among the goods taken from the Root's warehouse, which, as it turned out, belonged to the Uchiha who had died on the missions.
Given that the bodies of the latter could not be returned to Konoha due to the complete destruction of the teams or the hasty retreat of the survivors, this painted a very suspicious picture, and some irascible descendants of Rikudo, independently decided to take justice into their own hands by finishing off Shimura.
Only the timely intervention of the Head of the Founder Clan and the Hokage, with both sides confined to using taijutsu, resulted in minor injuries.
The village's civilian council and wealthy merchants were also caught in the crossfire, as Anbu Ne's forces were found to have eliminated rivals, the real estate frauds of dead Konoha residents, the sudden disappearance of heirs, the transfer of property from orphaned orphans to front men for resale, and other unsightly things.
The proliferation of strong drugs in the village, which even the Uchiha police couldn't cover up because they couldn't trace the supply lines, was also the work of Danzo's organization.
The one-eyed shinobi was involved as an advisor or head of Anbu Ne in just about anything that could bring in serious money, whether it was from legal or criminal sources, essentially replacing the local criminal element of society.
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