Chapter 75: Shimura Danzo
After a long silence, Kael tried to console himself.
Isn't this exactly the kind of support summon I've always wanted? It combines crowd control, area-of-effect healing, a group buff, and even an invincibility ultimate. What's there to be upset about?
Besides, as a devoted "fan," he should be honored to have personally created Kun Kun.
But watching a chicken in overalls, with a center-part hairstyle, flapping its wings while "dribbling"... it just seared his eyes.
"Kael-nii-san, why do I suddenly feel so much stronger?" Rei's startled voice cut through his thoughts. "It feels like my chakra has almost doubled, and I have endless energy!"
Kael's mouth twitched. He had no idea how to explain this. It's so obsessed with showing off... looks like life is going to be very "energetic" from now on.
At the same exact moment,
Konoha Village.
In the Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat with the village elders, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
Seeing Hiruzen finish reading the intelligence scroll they had brought, both elders looked grim, bracing for an explosion of rage.
But Hiruzen just took a long, slow drag from his pipe. The smoke obscured his face, making his expression unreadable. The two elders exchanged a look, their eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and helplessness. From Hiruzen's reaction, they knew. He was already thinking about how to clean up Danzo's mess.
The intelligence report had been compiled by the Anbu, gathered from rumors circulating within the village and in the Land of Fire's capital. It clearly stated that Danzo, the leader of Root, had deployed his men to the Hidden Hot Water Village to seize power. It even included a detailed description of the lead Root Jonin. As high-ranking officials of Konoha, they both recognized the man as one of Danzo's subordinates.
The rumors of Danzo's conspiracy were spreading like wildfire, both inside and outside the village. All signs pointed to their old teammate: Shimura Danzo.
Finally, the short-tempered Koharu couldn't stand the silence any longer.
"Hiruzen, are you going to say anything?" she demanded, her eyes sharp, her face dark.
If it had been any other matter, she and Homura might have forgiven Danzo, pretended it never happened. They had been friends for decades, and they were all part of the same ruling class, bound to support each other. But for Danzo to secretly build his own external forces... the implication was obvious. That radical was making a play for the Hokage's seat, and he would drag the village into the abyss. They would not allow it.
"Sigh..." Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh. He waved the smoke away and turned to them, his face weary. "What do you want me to say?"
Koharu froze, then her anger flared even hotter. "What is he thinking?!" she hissed. "Does he really think we're all old and blind? Or does he just know you'll let him get away with it, Hiruzen?"
BAM!
She slammed her palm on the desk. The high-quality wood cracked and splintered under the force.
"What do you think you're doing, Koharu?!" Hiruzen shot to his feet, glaring at her, his eyes suddenly as fierce as a wolf's. "This is the Hokage's office! I am the Third Hokage! Is that how you speak to me?"
Koharu's chest heaved. She raised a trembling finger, too enraged to speak. It took her a full moment to catch her breath.
"Fine. Fine! So now you're pulling rank as the Hokage! Only Shimura Danzo is your old teammate, is that it? And I'm just an outsider making a fuss? What Danzo does has nothing to do with me, right? If it wasn't for the good of this village, I would never put up with your attitude!"
She stood up, kicked her chair so hard it shattered against the wall, and stormed toward the door. Homura quickly grabbed her, speaking in a low, placating voice. He had spent half his life as the peacemaker between these two. After a few words, Koharu's fiery temper subsided. He walked to the guest area, dragged another chair over, and pressed her back into it.
"Hiruzen, Koharu is only thinking of the village's best interests. And yours, as Hokage," Homura said, frowning at his old friend. "Even if you're angry, you shouldn't take it out on her."
"Hah..." Hiruzen let out a heavy breath and sat back down, his expression still stiff. "Danzo... did go a little too far this time."
Koharu's anger flared up again, but Homura held her down, turning his own frown on Hiruzen. "You think this is just 'a little too far'?"
Danzo's brutal selection process for Root, the cursed seals he placed on his operatives' tongues... that was one thing. Forcing shinobi from the village's clans to join his organization to "undermine" their power was another. All of Danzo's countless, vile actions... Homura had been able to turn a blind eye. Someone had to do Konoha's dirty work.
But secretly sending his forces to build an external power base outside the Land of Fire? This, Homura could not tolerate. At best, it was a selfish power grab that, if exposed, would damage Konoha's stability. At worst, this despicable act would destroy Konoha's reputation abroad and reflect horribly on its leadership. The other villages would see Konoha's leaders as fractured and scheming, and they would lose all respect for the Leaf.
"Just tell us, Hiruzen. What are you going to do about it?" Koharu asked, cutting straight to the point, fed up with the men's indecisiveness.
"We'll wait for Danzo to get here," Hiruzen said irritably, tapping the ash from his pipe.
Koharu frowned and opened her mouth to argue, but Homura stopped her with a look. He was still the Hokage, and pushing him further would do no good.
Two minutes of silence passed. Danzo still hadn't arrived.
"Homura, did you send someone to Root to inform him?" Hiruzen asked, his brow furrowing.
Homura looked just as puzzled. "I sent someone over half an hour ago..."
Before he could finish, he and Hiruzen locked eyes, a sense of dread sinking in.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A frantic pounding came from the office door.
"Enter!" Hiruzen called out, his voice grave.
The door burst open, and a Konoha shinobi stumbled in, his face pale, whether from exhaustion or fear.
"Lord Hokage! Lord Elders!" he panted. "Lord Danzo... he and his men left the village half an hour ago!"
"What?!"
"What?!"
Homura and Koharu leaped to their feet.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing, but his face was as dark and cold as stone.
After a long silence, Kael tried to console himself.
Isn't this exactly the kind of support summon I've always wanted? It combines crowd control, area-of-effect healing, a group buff, and even an invincibility ultimate. What's there to be upset about?
Besides, as a devoted "fan," he should be honored to have personally created Kun Kun.
But watching a chicken in overalls, with a center-part hairstyle, flapping its wings while "dribbling"... it just seared his eyes.
"Kael-nii-san, why do I suddenly feel so much stronger?" Rei's startled voice cut through his thoughts. "It feels like my chakra has almost doubled, and I have endless energy!"
Kael's mouth twitched. He had no idea how to explain this. It's so obsessed with showing off... looks like life is going to be very "energetic" from now on.
At the same exact moment,
Konoha Village.
In the Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat with the village elders, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
Seeing Hiruzen finish reading the intelligence scroll they had brought, both elders looked grim, bracing for an explosion of rage.
But Hiruzen just took a long, slow drag from his pipe. The smoke obscured his face, making his expression unreadable. The two elders exchanged a look, their eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and helplessness. From Hiruzen's reaction, they knew. He was already thinking about how to clean up Danzo's mess.
The intelligence report had been compiled by the Anbu, gathered from rumors circulating within the village and in the Land of Fire's capital. It clearly stated that Danzo, the leader of Root, had deployed his men to the Hidden Hot Water Village to seize power. It even included a detailed description of the lead Root Jonin. As high-ranking officials of Konoha, they both recognized the man as one of Danzo's subordinates.
The rumors of Danzo's conspiracy were spreading like wildfire, both inside and outside the village. All signs pointed to their old teammate: Shimura Danzo.
Finally, the short-tempered Koharu couldn't stand the silence any longer.
"Hiruzen, are you going to say anything?" she demanded, her eyes sharp, her face dark.
If it had been any other matter, she and Homura might have forgiven Danzo, pretended it never happened. They had been friends for decades, and they were all part of the same ruling class, bound to support each other. But for Danzo to secretly build his own external forces... the implication was obvious. That radical was making a play for the Hokage's seat, and he would drag the village into the abyss. They would not allow it.
"Sigh..." Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh. He waved the smoke away and turned to them, his face weary. "What do you want me to say?"
Koharu froze, then her anger flared even hotter. "What is he thinking?!" she hissed. "Does he really think we're all old and blind? Or does he just know you'll let him get away with it, Hiruzen?"
BAM!
She slammed her palm on the desk. The high-quality wood cracked and splintered under the force.
"What do you think you're doing, Koharu?!" Hiruzen shot to his feet, glaring at her, his eyes suddenly as fierce as a wolf's. "This is the Hokage's office! I am the Third Hokage! Is that how you speak to me?"
Koharu's chest heaved. She raised a trembling finger, too enraged to speak. It took her a full moment to catch her breath.
"Fine. Fine! So now you're pulling rank as the Hokage! Only Shimura Danzo is your old teammate, is that it? And I'm just an outsider making a fuss? What Danzo does has nothing to do with me, right? If it wasn't for the good of this village, I would never put up with your attitude!"
She stood up, kicked her chair so hard it shattered against the wall, and stormed toward the door. Homura quickly grabbed her, speaking in a low, placating voice. He had spent half his life as the peacemaker between these two. After a few words, Koharu's fiery temper subsided. He walked to the guest area, dragged another chair over, and pressed her back into it.
"Hiruzen, Koharu is only thinking of the village's best interests. And yours, as Hokage," Homura said, frowning at his old friend. "Even if you're angry, you shouldn't take it out on her."
"Hah..." Hiruzen let out a heavy breath and sat back down, his expression still stiff. "Danzo... did go a little too far this time."
Koharu's anger flared up again, but Homura held her down, turning his own frown on Hiruzen. "You think this is just 'a little too far'?"
Danzo's brutal selection process for Root, the cursed seals he placed on his operatives' tongues... that was one thing. Forcing shinobi from the village's clans to join his organization to "undermine" their power was another. All of Danzo's countless, vile actions... Homura had been able to turn a blind eye. Someone had to do Konoha's dirty work.
But secretly sending his forces to build an external power base outside the Land of Fire? This, Homura could not tolerate. At best, it was a selfish power grab that, if exposed, would damage Konoha's stability. At worst, this despicable act would destroy Konoha's reputation abroad and reflect horribly on its leadership. The other villages would see Konoha's leaders as fractured and scheming, and they would lose all respect for the Leaf.
"Just tell us, Hiruzen. What are you going to do about it?" Koharu asked, cutting straight to the point, fed up with the men's indecisiveness.
"We'll wait for Danzo to get here," Hiruzen said irritably, tapping the ash from his pipe.
Koharu frowned and opened her mouth to argue, but Homura stopped her with a look. He was still the Hokage, and pushing him further would do no good.
Two minutes of silence passed. Danzo still hadn't arrived.
"Homura, did you send someone to Root to inform him?" Hiruzen asked, his brow furrowing.
Homura looked just as puzzled. "I sent someone over half an hour ago..."
Before he could finish, he and Hiruzen locked eyes, a sense of dread sinking in.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A frantic pounding came from the office door.
"Enter!" Hiruzen called out, his voice grave.
The door burst open, and a Konoha shinobi stumbled in, his face pale, whether from exhaustion or fear.
"Lord Hokage! Lord Elders!" he panted. "Lord Danzo... he and his men left the village half an hour ago!"
"What?!"
"What?!"
Homura and Koharu leaped to their feet.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing, but his face was as dark and cold as stone.