Tsunade suspected she had misheard, and regaining her composure, she quickly pressed: "Sensei Hiruzen is injured? When did this happen? Is it serious?"
"He's still asleep right now, and we don't know when he'll wake up."
Danzō exhaled, his expression grave.
Without a word, Tsunade turned and left. She was in no mood to report the mission.
She was going to the hospital to visit her sensei and see if she, as a medical ninja, could be of any help.
Danzō's gaze fell on Orochimaru, who was still in the room: "Aren't you going with Tsunade?"
"I'm not a medical ninja, there's no point in me going there."
Orochimaru was a bit more rational than Tsunade: "Besides, reporting the mission won't take much time."
Danzō rather appreciated Orochimaru's rationality.
The events quickly coalesced into words in his mind, and Orochimaru gave a pertinent report.
Danzō listened, a barely discernible hint of apprehension in his eyes.
Tōshirō's strength was too outstanding; this was not a good thing.
"To be able to repel Hanzō at such a young age, you are truly remarkable." Hanzō highly praised everyone, specifically naming him: "Especially Tōshirō, his strength is particularly evident."
His effusive praise for Tōshirō wasn't because the sun rose from the west, but because he wanted to see if he could provoke jealousy in the other person.
To deal with Tōshirō, dividing the people around him was an excellent method.
Orochimaru wore a sincere smile: "That is indeed true."
His answer offered no opening for exploitation. Danzō closed his mouth, thinking of other methods.
After reporting the mission, Orochimaru didn't rush to the hospital but stayed behind, asking questions about his sensei: "Lord Danzō, Sensei Hiruzen, why was he injured so suddenly?"
He was very curious; with Sensei Hiruzen's strength, who could injure him to such an extent?
Danzō fell silent, hesitating whether to speak.
Orochimaru spoke understandingly: "If it's confidential, then never mind."
Since Orochimaru said so, Danzō didn't explain further.
This wasn't a matter of not trusting Orochimaru, but rather that when it came to secrets, the fewer people who knew, the better.
Danzō apologized: "My apologies..."
"If there's nothing else, then I'll take my leave."
Unable to get the answer he wanted, Orochimaru had no reason to stay.
Danzō nodded, signaling that he could leave.
After Orochimaru left, the vast Hokage's office was left with only Danzō.
He sat in the chair, stroking the armrest, a look of enjoyment on his face.
If only he could stay in this chair forever.
That night, at the hospital.
Inside the patient room, Danzō looked at the middle-aged man on the bed, a cold glint in his eyes.
If he were to die...
"Is that Danzō?"
The sudden voice made Danzō's back stiffen.
The middle-aged man lying on the hospital bed slowly opened his eyes.
"Hiruzen, you're awake," Danzō's face stiffened.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi's awakening, it heralded the end of his acting Hokage position.
He had thought it would end, but he hadn't expected it to end so soon.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had just woken up, his voice a bit weak: "I really slept for a long time."
"Yes..."
Danzō was thinking, Why don't you just keep lying there a bit longer?
"You've truly worked hard during this time."
Hiruzen Sarutobi lay in bed, his eyes scanning the surroundings: "Have you been handling everything while I was asleep?"
Danzō said grimly: "That's right."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled: "Is that so? You've truly worked hard during this time."
Danzō said with some reluctance: "Since you're awake, then quickly return to your rightful place."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head: "This injury is quite severe. I might need to recuperate for a while."
Upon hearing this, Danzō's eyes narrowed slightly, deep in thought.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked troubled: "I might need you to continue presiding for a while longer."
Danzō frowned and snorted coldly.
He appeared displeased on the surface, but inwardly he was secretly delighted that he could continue to serve as Hokage for a while longer.
The allure of power, once tasted, was like knowing the flavor of marrow; it was impossible to extricate oneself.
"I can't stand you," Danzō said, forced to continue as Hokage, feigning an expression of disdain.
Hiruzen Sarutobi saw this, and a barely noticeable smile quickly flitted across his eyes.
The matters to be dealt with next were of great importance. If not handled properly, it could easily leave a stain.
For this, it was necessary to find someone who could take the blame.
After much thought, there was no one more suitable than the person in front of him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, with an apologetic expression, chuckled: "My apologies, my apologies. I'll trouble you with this then."
"Hmph." Danzō remained stern, inwardly admonishing himself not to smile because he was still Hokage: "Hiruzen, regarding your injury, shouldn't you explain it properly?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes, recalling the incident. It was a painful memory, one he truly wished he didn't have to revisit.
When he had recalled enough, he opened his eyes, lowered his voice, and slowly recounted everything from beginning to end, meticulously.
During this time, Danzō's expression shifted from calm to surprised, then to rapid breathing.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at him, lowering his voice slightly: "What do you think about this matter?"
Danzō said without hesitation: "For Konoha, this is the best way."
Killing Tōshirō—he had wanted to do that for a long time, but had never had the opportunity.
Hiruzen Sarutobi feigned a sigh: "This is a serious matter. I think it's necessary to discuss it with Koharu and Homura again."
"Alright."
In Danzō's view, since those two had agreed, the others would merely be going through the motions.
Regarding how to deal with Tōshirō, the two didn't take long to tacitly reach an agreement.
"However, dealing with him won't be an easy task."
Danzō spoke somewhat obscurely.
From what he knew of Tōshirō, killing him would be extremely difficult.
He held a high position now, so killing a subordinate was very easy.
He could simply send them on a secret mission and set up an ambush in the middle to kill them.
But this strategy only applied to ordinary ninjas.
Firstly, ordinary ninjas were extremely responsible, sometimes willing to sacrifice their lives to achieve their goals.
Using this point, it was easy to kill ninjas.
But Tōshirō was different; this kid had no sense of responsibility.
If he encountered an enemy he couldn't defeat, he would prioritize his own life without hesitation and choose to flee directly.
Even if the protected target was a high-profile figure like the Fire Daimyō's relative, he would still flee without a moment's hesitation.
If such a thing happened once, it would certainly happen a second time. Given Tōshirō's personality, he would definitely do it.
Besides the above, secondly, Tōshirō also acted on his own whims, disobeying orders as casually as drinking water.
Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to separate him from Tsunade to carry out other missions alone, but this guy would refuse directly without even thinking, disobeying orders.
Because Tōshirō's strength was too outstanding, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't completely afford to not use him, which led to the current situation.
It was also unrealistic to send Tōshirō into a trap through a secret mission.
Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Danzō's underlying meaning, and his sigh was filled with deep helplessness:
"Setting aside his personality and powerful individual strength, he also often goes on missions as a pair with that person. To make a move, we first have to separate that person."
Identity aside, Hiruzen Sarutobi still had a teacher-student bond with Tsunade, so he naturally didn't want to involve her.
"This is indeed a very troublesome matter..."
Ever since Tōshirō revealed his Sharingan ability, for the past six months, Danzō had been constantly plotting to eliminate Tōshirō, that thorn in his side.
But even so, he still hadn't figured out how to make a move.
There was only one chance; if he failed.
Given Tōshirō's personality, it was hard to imagine what outrageous things he might do.
Furthermore, the Uchiha clan had been very dissatisfied with the higher-ups for years. If the assassination failed and Tōshirō rallied them, they would not only face Tōshirō's retaliation but also the Uchiha clan.
If it came to that, Konoha would be in a civil war...
Regardless of victory, this would be a devastating blow to Konoha.
Thinking of this, Danzō's eyes grew ruthless, and a bold decision took root in his mind.
To kill Tōshirō, he must be prepared to kill that person as well.
Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed the ruthlessness growing in Danzō's eyes and sternly warned: "Danzō, don't do anything reckless..."
Assassinating Tōshirō was the perfect scapegoat for Danzō.
But there was one drawback: having inherited the village's darkness, he was quite extreme in his actions, sometimes resorting to overly unscrupulous methods to achieve his goals.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was afraid of what outrageous things the other party might do.
"I know my limits."
Danzō did not directly answer the question.
The idea of killing Tsunade along with him just now was merely a thought.
While he was unscrupulous, he wasn't so insane as to go that far.
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched him, still feeling uneasy, and remained cautious.
Danzō didn't want to continue discussing this issue and changed the subject: "Could the people ambushing on the road have been from Kirigakure or Iwagakure?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi denied this: "I don't think so. Otherwise, they wouldn't have saved me and then deliberately let me go back."
Danzō pinched his chin, deep in thought.
Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted Danzō's contemplation, entrusting him to meet and negotiate with the other side in his stead. Danzō nodded in agreement.
...
A week later.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi as a precedent, the agreed meeting location this time was different from last time; it was within the Land of Fire.
To this, the Third Tsuchikage and Third Mizukage had no objections and proceeded to the meeting as usual.
After meeting and exchanging brief pleasantries, both parties went straight to the point.
The Third Mizukage's eyes narrowed into slits, his gaze unreadable: "Regarding the previous proposal, what are your thoughts?"
Regarding Tōshirō's matter, after discussions between Danzō, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane, all four unanimously agreed.
"I apologize, but I cannot agree to this matter."
This was like haggling. Danzō didn't agree immediately.
He wanted to argue for a bit, to sell Tōshirō at the best possible price, extracting every last bit of value.
The Third Mizukage was slightly surprised. He opened his narrowed eyes, and a dangerous glint appeared in them: "This is quite unexpected."
"Tōshirō is an important and excellent ninja of our village. I, Shimura Danzō, cannot do something like betraying a comrade."
Danzō spoke righteously, waiting for the other party to raise the stakes, and then he would show signs of softening his stance.
The Third Mizukage clasped his hands, resting them on his chin, and said with a look of admiration: "As expected of Konoha, even at this point, you still refuse to betray a comrade for peace."
Danzō's expression was grim. The other party's calm demeanor made him uncomfortable.
"By the way, have you Konoha found the culprit who kidnapped the Fire Daimyō's son?"
A sudden, irrelevant question. Danzō found it confusing. After deliberating for a moment: "No, there's still no progress so far."
After speaking, he stared intently with his one eye, wanting to see what trick the other party was up to.
"Is that so? I actually have a lead. Would you like to hear it?" The Third Mizukage smiled meaningfully.
Danzō's gaze narrowed slightly: "What lead?"
The Third Mizukage leisurely spoke: "Uchiha Tōshirō..."
Danzō paused: "Wh-what?"
As if fearing he wouldn't understand, the Third Mizukage further explained: "The person who originally plotted to kidnap and extort the Fire Daimyō's son and then beat him up was Uchiha Tōshirō."
Upon hearing this, Danzō's mouth slightly opened, his shocked expression momentarily frozen like a paused screen.
As if savoring this rare expression, the Third Mizukage smiled with interest, scrutinizing the amazed face.
After a brief daze, Danzō's expression turned grim and serious: "Is there any evidence?"
"Motive..."
Motive?
Danzō lowered his gaze, falling into thought.
With this reminder, some things became terrifying upon closer inspection.
Motive, strength, and timing—Tōshirō fit them all.
A storm raged in Danzō's heart.
Tōshirō's vengefulness far exceeded imagination.
Combining this case, Danzō became even more certain that Tōshirō's Sharingan in the past was deliberately feigned.
The Third Mizukage chuckled: "Do you need me to give you more evidence?"
"No need..." Danzō said gravely.
To bring this matter to the table, the other party clearly had ample evidence.
If this was true, then Tōshirō had to die, no matter what.
Otherwise, there would be no way to explain it to the Fire Daimyō.
Unconsciously, Danzō had more reasons to assassinate Tōshirō.
Mentioning this, the Third Mizukage brought the conversation back to the previous topic: "Then, let's now properly discuss Tōshirō again."
"So, that's your trump card, is it..."
On the way here, Hiruzen Sarutobi had specifically mentioned this to Danzō.
The Third Mizukage's expression was calm, and he countered: "It's always good to be well-prepared, isn't it?"
"I understand..."
Danzō watched the man warily: "But before that, I have two conditions."
The Third Mizukage raised his chin: "What conditions? Tell me."
"In this matter, it's not convenient for Konoha to make a move. I will create the conditions, but you must make the move yourselves."
Killing a ninja of Tōshirō's caliber would undoubtedly come at a great cost. Danzō wanted to utilize Tōshirō's dying retaliation to weaken the forces of Kirigakure and Iwagakure.
"That's acceptable."
The Third Mizukage accepted this suggestion very easily, so smoothly that Danzō found it hard to believe. He looked at Ōnoki, his eyes questioning.
"I have no problem either," Ōnoki gave the same answer: "We intended to deal with Tōshirō ourselves anyway."
Then, the Third Mizukage and Ōnoki remained silent, signaling him to continue.
Danzō said grimly: "After he dies, I want to retrieve his Sharingan."
"Agreed."
Both the Third Mizukage and Ōnoki had no objections.
The Sharingan could only unleash its true power when used by a member of the Uchiha clan.
Non-clan members using it would suffer significant side effects, such as constant chakra drain.
With the discussion progressing to this point, Danzō revealed a barely discernible smile of satisfaction.
Just as he was thinking about how to formulate a plan to kill Tōshirō upon his return, the other party spoke.
"You've agreed to the conditions you just proposed, so now, could you agree to something we ask of you?"
Knowing it wouldn't be anything good, Danzō frowned, tentatively asking: "What is it?"
"I hope Konoha can lend us someone."
"Who?"
"Tsunade."
"Wh-what did you say..."
Danzō's pupils dilated.
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Soul Land 2: Golden Dragon King]."
"If you want early access to nearly 35+ chapters , join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"