Chapter 22: Danzō's Admiration
Damn it, they got here fast, the Second Elder cursed inwardly. He had no choice but to go and meet them.
However, he didn't give them a pleasant look. After all, their purpose was to stop his clan from rescuing his granddaughter. It would be strange if he was happy to see them.
Of course, the Third Hokage and the others were well aware of this and did not fault him for his rudeness.
After a tedious round of bickering, neither side could persuade the other. But because of this, the rescue team's departure was delayed.
With no other choice, Kyosuke stepped forward to face the Third Hokage and his contingent directly.
Normally, with his current strength and status, Kyosuke had no right to speak. But who could argue with the fact that he held the title of the "Third Hokage's Grand-Disciple"?
So, when he stepped forward, everyone stopped their arguing, waiting to see what the young genius had to say.
"When I was on patrol, I saw two children fighting."
Kyosuke began by telling a seemingly unrelated story, but no one interrupted him. They all listened quietly.
"The cause was simple. One child wanted the candy the other was holding, so he tried to snatch it."
"The other child, out of fear, gave him the candy and ran away. He thought, If I give him the candy, he probably won't bully me anymore."
"But that wasn't the case. The bully didn't stop. In fact, he became even more aggressive, eventually even stealing the money from his pockets."
As Kyosuke spoke, the scene fell into a complete silence.
"Until one day, the bullied child could no longer take it and fought back. He knocked out one of the other child's teeth. And as the bully cried, he walked away triumphantly."
"After that, I noticed the original bully secretly followed him a few more times. But whenever he thought about snatching something, the wound in his mouth would remind him of the pain..."
"In the end, he never dared to bully that child again."
"Because every time he thought of that child, he felt..."
"Pain!!!"
After finishing his story, Kyosuke lifted his head and looked directly into the eyes of the Third Hokage and the others. "Right now, isn't Konoha just like that bullied child?"
"If we back down now, will the Sand ninja really stop?" Kyosuke shook his head silently, his voice firm. "No. Because they have already tasted sweetness, they will only become more and more aggressive."
"In the end, it might not just be them who come to attack. The Cloud and Stone ninja, who are watching us like tigers, and even the Mist ninja from across the sea, they will all rush over like rabid dogs, tearing at every piece of flesh on our bodies."
Kyosuke closed his eyes, then snapped them open again, the otherworldly Sharingan in his pupils spinning faintly. "To prevent this from happening, there is only one solution. We must make them feel... what it means to be in pain!!!"
After Kyosuke's speech, everyone stared at him with astonishment.
It wasn't until a loud shout broke the silence that the spell was broken.
"Well said!!!"
The one who praised him was not an Uchiha elder, nor was it Fugaku, and it certainly wasn't the Third Hokage.
It was... the perpetually silent Danzō!!!
At this moment, his one exposed eye was shining with a brilliant light as he stared at Kyosuke, as if he had found a kindred spirit.
Kyosuke's words echoed the very policy that Danzō had always advocated and insisted upon. Unfortunately, his ideas were not accepted by the more peaceful Third Hokage and his faction, which had caused him much frustration that he had nowhere to vent.
Under the influence of the "Will of Fire," the vast majority of Konoha ninja could not accept Danzō's radical ideology.
Until today. Here, from the mouth of a five-year-old child, he heard the same views as his own. For a moment, Danzō's emotions surged.
Hiruzen, have you lived all these years for nothing? You can't even see things as clearly as a child! The more Danzō thought about it, the more excited he became, leading to his outburst of praise.
But then, seeing the strange looks from the others, a faint blush crept onto his old face, which was said to be so tough that even a kunai couldn't pierce it.
After an awkward moment, he finally calmed himself.
He stomped his cane firmly on the ground. "I approve of sending a rescue team," Danzō declared, his voice resolute. "But it cannot be in the name of Konoha. Do you understand?"
The Uchiha all nodded, thinking to themselves, We never expected you to help anyway.
Seeing this, the long-silent Third Hokage finally gave a slow nod, granting his permission.
With that, they took their leave.
However, as he was leaving, Danzō gave Kyosuke another long, hard look with his single eye before turning and walking away.
The Second Elder and the others watched the Hokage's party leave. He then walked over to Kyosuke, his face filled with emotion. He was about to ruffle Kyosuke's hair, but his hand paused mid-air. Instead, he patted him on the shoulder.
Kyosuke nodded at him, and then, the rescue team finally set off.
"Second Brother, this child... is very good. Very, very good," the Great Elder said quietly to his younger brother, watching as Kyosuke and the others departed.
The Second Elder smiled proudly but said nothing.
"If they can successfully rescue Nagisa this time, then let Fugaku have the position of Uchiha clan head," the Great Elder said, leaving the words hanging in the air as he turned to leave.
And he said it without avoiding any of the other clan members.
Outside Konoha, in the vast forest.
Kyosuke, who had been so imposing just moments before, was now being carried on the back of a Jounin from his clan, moving forward at high speed.
This wasn't surprising. If Kyosuke had to run on his own, he probably would have collapsed from exhaustion before even leaving Konoha's central area. And even if he could run, with his speed, by the time he reached the border, the Sand ninja would already be at home drinking tea.
So, although it was not a very dignified image, Kyosuke rested on the man's back with a clear conscience.
In fact, having been woken up in the middle of the night, he was ready to just go back to sleep.
I'm a growing boy. I need to make sure I get enough sleep, he thought, successfully convincing himself. He then lay down on the ninja's broad back and fell asleep.
Perhaps it was due to his anxiety, or his earlier emotional state, but not only did he fall asleep, he even began to snore softly.
Although the snoring was quiet, all the ninja present were highly skilled, and they noticed his little nap immediately.
They exchanged glances and smiled faintly, then, as if by unspoken agreement, stopped their conversation.
Without slowing down, they tried to land as gently as possible after each leap, so as not to disturb Kyosuke's sleep.