Chapter 91: Long Live Danzo!
"It seems that after completing this mission, I have to talk to Shikaku and change my position."
Sasuke looked into the distance, somewhat worried. The threat of Ebizo was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, a Kage-level shadow that could fall at any moment. Although Takashi had hidden the information, it was only a matter of time before Ebizo discovered the truth. Sending a single elite jonin after him would be enough to keep him from sleeping.
For added security, Sasuke split two shadow clones and spread them around the periphery, activating the sonic radar 24 hours a day. Thanks to this surveillance, he didn't find any Sunagakure ninjas, but he did find a Konoha team preparing to infiltrate enemy territory. They were elite ninjas from Konoha clans.
"When did Konoha's ninja clan have such a spirit of dedication?" he wondered, very surprised.
Normally, these suicide missions were for civilian ninjas. He approached to eavesdrop and obtained the key information. It turned out that, after Shimura Danzo replaced Mitokado Homura as commander, he changed the previous conservative policy. For Danzo, the logic was simple and brutal. Infiltration missions required skill and power, qualities possessed by elite ninjas from the clans. Therefore, for Konoha's sake, the elites would be the ones to infiltrate. He treated them all equally: as tools for the village's victory. He had reassigned civilian ninjas to large battle groups and clan ninjas to high-risk missions. His objective was simple: destroy a warehouse or bring back nine heads. If they couldn't, they weren't worthy of being Konoha ninjas.
"Damn Danzo! My family shouldn't have voted for him," Shiranui Ryo hissed.
"Shiranui, shut up. Do you want to implicate the family?" his companion, Kazesaki Tsune, warned him.
"Relax, Root is busy. I'm just complaining," he replied, but then added fearfully: "Are we really going to die? Why don't we find a village, kill a few civilians, and report their heads?"
"Someone already tried. Old thief Danzo had the Yamanaka clan block that route. They have to be Sand ninja heads."
For the first time, Sasuke discovered that being a civilian ninja had its advantages. He was excluded from the suicide mission only because of his weakness. Fate was truly magical.
Sasuke's defense zone remained quiet, but in the distance, on Sunagakure's side, there were occasional flashes of explosions. Konoha's infiltration teams were being discovered.
Time passed, and it was time to return to base. Ebihiko arrived on time.
"Sasuke, I won't accept your Dichlorvos No. 6 for nothing. Here, this is the high-combustion energy block I finally got."
Sasuke smiled. "I still think I prefer your other 'Will of Fire'," he said, with an implicit wink at the adult books his friend treasured.
"This..." Ebihiko felt a little embarrassed, but before he could reply, Sasuke and his team were already heading towards Shinano Castle. The journey was uneventful.
At the gate, the guards, Hayabusa and Sengoku, greeted him and began to share the latest news.
"Sasuke, do you know that someone from our side dared to participate in large-scale arms smuggling with Sunagakure?"
"Based on my experience," the other whispered, "it's 80% true. It must have been a clan with considerable power."
"Huh?" Sasuke was startled, but remained calm. "Do you know who did it?"
"I don't know," they replied, and quickly changed the subject, joking about the new energy blocks and the new beauties who had arrived at the military outpost.
After obtaining enough information, Sasuke headed to the logistics department.
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