The next day, the alliance talks officially began.
However, Deidara and his group found it strange that only representatives from Amegakure, Iwagakure, and Otogakure (Orochimaru's faction) were present at the venue. Weren't there supposed to be six other small shinobi villages participating? Where were they?
After a while, Danzo strolled in leisurely, accompanied by his deputy, Aburame Ryoma.
"Lord Hokage, can you explain the accusations of Konoha cheating during the exams?" asked Orochimaru, who had disguised himself. "And where are the others?"
Danzo gave a faint smile. "No need to rush."
"Before we begin the talks, I have a question for all of you."
"Oh? And what question might that be?" Orochimaru asked with interest.
"Surrender... or die!"
Dangerous glimmers appeared in Orochimaru's eyes as he slowly asked, "Lord Hokage, what do you mean by this?"
Thud!
Danzo struck his cane against the ground, the sharp sound echoing like a signal.
In an instant, a large number of Root and ANBU shinobi surrounded the venue, sealing off all exits.
At the forefront of the group stood Tsunade and Yamato, the latter wearing his signature mask.
"Lord Hokage, what is the meaning of this?" Orochimaru asked again, his face showing an ambiguous smile.
Danzo scanned the crowd like a predator sizing up his prey. His response remained the same: "Surrender... or die!"
At that moment, more than a dozen figures emerged from the crowd. They were the representatives of the six other small shinobi villages. However, what drew everyone's attention was their eyes and foreheads.
Danzo sneered. "Surrender, have the Byakugan implanted, and accept the Caged Bird Seal. Refuse, and the only path left is death!"
So that's how it was!
Deidara finally pieced together Danzo's entire sinister scheme. Initially, Deidara had thought that after suffering multiple setbacks, Danzo had decided to adopt a more cautious and moderate approach to external aggression.
But who would've thought that Danzo, of all people, was someone who would never compromise? Instead, he had been brewing an even more insane plan.
The joint Chūnin Exams had merely been a facade. By exaggerating its importance, Danzo had lured the top talents and elites from various villages to gather in one place. Those who refused to comply were killed, while those who submitted were implanted with the Byakugan and controlled via the Caged Bird Seal.
In reality, the plan had been quite successful. Except for Iwagakure, all the other villages had sent their most outstanding younger generation to participate, along with high-ranking representatives to protect them and negotiate.
The assassinations carried out during the exams weren't intended as mere cheating. After all, the so-called "talks" were a sham from the very beginning. The real goal was to force the representatives of the smaller villages onto Danzo's metaphorical pirate ship, dividing and weakening their resistance in advance.
Now, only Iwagakure, Amegakure, and Otogakure remained defiant.
It had to be said—this was a masterstroke.
From a logical standpoint, if Danzo could also capture Deidara and Sasori today, Konoha would gain two additional Kage-level combatants. With five Kage-level shinobi under its banner—each among the strongest of their rank—plus the high-level forces absorbed from the smaller villages, Konoha would indeed have a chance to unify the shinobi world.
After all, Danzo had lived for decades. Aside from the era of the First Hokage, when had the shinobi world seen a village as powerful as this?
However, Danzo's tragic flaw was that everything he thought he controlled was, in reality, granted to him by others—a byproduct of complex political maneuvering. Even his position as Hokage was no exception. His downfall was inevitable.
"Heh, interesting," Orochimaru said, licking his lips as he stood up. His sinister aura, combined with his signature gesture, immediately put Danzo on alert.
"Orochimaru!" Danzo exclaimed, not with fear but with delight. Initially, he had thought capturing the two Akatsuki members would be the greatest prize of the day. But now, with Orochimaru added to the mix, it was an unexpected bonus.
"Let the Three Legendary Sannin shine even brighter under my command in this new era!" Danzo thought.
As for failure? Impossible!
"With me in charge, how could I lose?"
"Finally, it's time to fight!"
"I've been waiting so long I'm practically rusting!" Hidan was the first to leap into action.
"Hidan, Kakuzu?" Danzo looked at the two as they dispelled their disguises using the Stolen Face Copy Technique. Despite this, he remained calm.
"Heh, it seems Akatsuki wasn't entirely unprepared. But it doesn't matter! Having the two of you here will only make today's hunt more rewarding."
Danzo didn't take Hidan and Kakuzu seriously. Based on their previous displays of power, he believed his Nine-Tails unit alone would suffice to deal with them.
"Hidan, Kakuzu, it seems you've been underestimated," Kisame said with a shark-like grin, teasing them lightly.
"Shut up!" Hidan snapped, clearly annoyed. Beside him, Kakuzu radiated an oppressive aura that warned others to stay away.
"Today, I'll show them what I'm capable of!"
"Kisame, Kakashi?" Danzo furrowed his brow briefly before relaxing.
"It seems Akatsuki has sinister intentions this time, sending six members and teaming up with Orochimaru to conspire against Konoha. But even with you all, you'll only cause me minor trouble at best."
Tsunade and Jiraiya had both reached super-Kage-level strength. Either of them could handle two opponents simultaneously. Yamato could take on one, while the Nine-Tails unit could deal with Hidan and Kakuzu.
On top of that, Danzo still had himself and a large number of shinobi at his disposal—not just from Konoha but also elite captives from Sunagakure and the smaller villages that had submitted to him. Victory was assured.
"Danzo, it's time to settle things between us," Itachi said, his crimson Sharingan glowing ominously.
By now, Itachi fully understood that the Uchiha clan's massacre had been a result of his own naivety and manipulation. There had been better options back then—no need for such extreme measures.
"Itachi Uchiha?" A flicker of unease crossed Danzo's mind.
No! There's no need to fear! Danzo reassured himself. He still had his trump cards. Itachi might not even be his match, and he had so many loyal shinobi protecting him. They were the source of his confidence.
"Lord Hokage!"
Suddenly, a Root ninja rushed in, clearly flustered. For someone to interrupt at such a critical moment, it had to be something serious.
Though irritated, Danzo understood the gravity of the situation. "What is it? Surely the sky hasn't fallen?"
"Lord Hokage! Sunagakure has rebelled!"
"What?!" Danzo was stunned.
Calm down! Calm down!
Even if Sunagakure had rebelled, it would only tie up a portion of Konoha's regular forces. He still had plenty of shinobi to command.
"Lord Hokage! The Inuzuka Clan, Aburame Clan, and even the Kurama and Moonlight Clans have all rebelled too!"
Danzo staggered backward, and Aburame Ryoma quickly stepped forward to steady him.
No matter! No matter!
Even so, Konoha would only suffer heavy losses—it wouldn't lose entirely!
"Hahaha!" Danzo laughed maniacally, looking up at the ceiling.
"Akatsuki, Orochimaru, you've done well!"
"But no matter how clever your schemes, Konoha remains stronger. I've won!"
"And what about us?"
"Danzo, it's time to settle the score for Yahiko's death," Nagato and Konan said as they revealed themselves, dropping their disguises.
"The Rinnegan!"
"You're that brat from back then!" Danzo exclaimed, his face pale as dizziness overwhelmed him.
"Protect me! Protect me!"
"As Hokage, I must not die in such a dangerous place!"
"Escort me back to Root headquarters immediately!" Danzo shouted in desperation.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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