Returning to the Hidden Leaf Village, everything was peaceful and still.
Yagami stood upon a rooftop, gazing toward the district where the Shimura clan resided. Those who wielded the kunai must be prepared to die by it. Since Danzo had initiated an internal struggle without limits, he had to be ready to face the consequences himself.
The destruction of the Uzumaki clan was bad enough with the Leaf high-ranking officials looking on coldly; but Danzo personally stepping in to sell intelligence was a cardinal sin. The blatant cronyism in recommending ninja positions—where the Five Great Clans took the lion's share and left others with rotting scraps—was the second.
As for the other various atrocities committed by the higher-ups, both known and unknown to Yagami, they were far too many to count. These elders, refusing to step down and holding onto their positions like stubborn filth, only to smear that same filth onto the rest of the Leaf, were utterly loathsome.
It was time to turn up the heat on old man Danzo.
The Shimura clan held the position of Captain of the Grass Daimyo's Guardian Shinobi, giving them priority in selecting missions from the Land of Grass. This role alone allowed the Shimura clan to grow fat with wealth.
The missions commissioned by the Grass Daimyo were considered national-level tasks—S-rank missions. Recently, the Shimura clan's accumulation of S-rank credits relied heavily on the Land of Grass. Conservatively estimated, the Land of Grass brought in at least 60 million Ryo annually for the Shimura clan.
'Do you even have the capability to protect the Grass Daimyo?'
The Sarutobi clan held the Land of Fire and Land of Steam; Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu held the Land of Rivers; the Ino-Shika-Cho trio held the Land of Whirlpools. The most lucrative positions were all occupied by the "Upper Five Clans."
'Do you have the capability to justify holding so many benefits?'
The next day, during the training of the new recruits at Root, Yagami carefully observed C and J. Having "committed the crime," he felt a slight sense of a guilty conscience, wondering when Danzo would discover the anomaly. Given the speed of a messenger hawk, it would take roughly two to three days for news to travel from the Land of Grass to the Leaf.
On the third day at noon, an ANBU member rushed into the Root training ground.
"Jonin Fox! The Hokage requests your presence at the Hokage building immediately!"
It was time!
Yagami arrived at the Hokage's office to find Hatake Sakumo present, alongside the Third Hokage, Orochimaru, Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Yellow Dog. So many heavy hitters in one room. He stood quietly behind the sofa, listening to the high-level meeting.
After listening for a while, Yagami felt a wave of disappointment—it wasn't about Shimura Kobira's death yet. Danzo sat as steady as a mountain on the sofa, showing no signs of grief, which made Yagami feel a bit "grieved" himself.
The agenda today was the Hidden Cloud Village, which was why Hatake Sakumo was there. The Cloud's two Jinchuriki, Ryuto and Blue B, had been attacked in succession. The White Fang of the Leaf and Orochimaru had both been incredibly high-profile.
The White Fang, at the harbor under the gaze of numerous ships, had cleaved a Tailed Beast Bomb in two, making Ryuto question if his own technique was malfunctioning. Orochimaru, in the Cloud Village, had directly caused the death of the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Blue B, after a rampage. It was as if the two were in a race—which, in truth, they were, competing for prestige.
Mitokado Homura spoke sharply, "Hatake Sakumo, Orochimaru! You've gone too far! You were sent to gather intelligence. While killing Blue B severely cripples the Cloud, it will inevitably lead to a violent retaliation. Large numbers of Cloud ninja have already appeared on the borders of the Land of Steam. If not handled correctly, this could easily spark a full-scale war!"
So that was why Yagami was called to listen in; the aftermath of the Jinchuriki incidents was unfolding. Sakumo's actions weren't considered out of line—he was investigating the Two-Tails. Orochimaru, however, had indeed been excessive. But the elders wouldn't criticize Orochimaru alone; they lumped them together.
Orochimaru drawled, "The initial intelligence you provided spoke of 'perfect Jinchuriki' and 'large-scale Tailed Beast Bombs.' I thought Blue B would be quite formidable, but he died after just one dose of the secret drug."
"Orochimaru!" the Third Hokage barked, stopping Orochimaru's nonsense.
The effects of the Genjutsu drug were beyond imagination, but the Cloud had more than just Jinchuriki; their regular ninja were also highly capable. Fighting the Cloud was the biggest headache. The basic quality of their Genin and Chunin was arguably higher than the Leaf's.
In a war, even if the commanders and Jonin were evenly matched, the massive casualties among the lower ranks would force the Leaf to retreat, potentially even surrendering the Land of Steam.
Hatake Sakumo spoke up, "Lord Hokage, esteemed elders, Cloud ninja have already appeared on the Steam border. Please allow me to lead a team to the front to handle the Cloud's harassment. I specialize in Lightning Style and understand the Cloud's tactics. I am capable of holding them back!"
Yagami silently agreed. Since his Jonin recommendation was blocked, Sakumo hadn't become depressed; instead, he had become increasingly proactive. He sought out dangerous missions and volunteered for difficult locations.
If he could lead the defense of the northern border, his prestige would undoubtedly skyrocket. Crucially, he could use this opportunity to push his "Ninja Arts Examination System" on the front lines, slowly changing the mindset of the Leaf's ninja. Through war, he could also cultivate followers like Shirakumo Hayama.
Yagami looked at the Third Hokage. Unfortunately, after hearing Sakumo's volunteer offer, the Third remained unmoved.
The Third turned to Danzo. "During the Second Great Ninja War, the Cloud fought both us and the Stone Village, suffering heavy losses. Furthermore, they follow an elite soldier policy, so their numbers are fewer. How many did they send to the Land of Steam this time?"
Danzo replied, "My spies report that the first wave from the Cloud consists of at least 300 ninja. They have moved south from the Land of Lightning to the border of the Land of Moon and Land of Steam. The leader is an Elite Jonin of the Cloud, Garui of the Storm Style."
"Storm Style Garui..." The Third pondered the intelligence. Garui had performed exceptionally during the war with the Stone, killing several famous Stone ninja; his Bloodline was incredibly powerful.
Just as the Third was hesitating on how to suppress Sakumo and keep him from the front lines, there was a sudden knock on the door. At a high-level meeting of this caliber, who would dare to knock so abruptly?
Yagami went to open the door and saw C from Root. Behind his mask, Yagami felt a stir of excitement. 'Is it here? Is it finally here?'
C rushed into the office and whispered something into Danzo's ear. Yagami closed the door. Being so urgent that C would interrupt a high-level meeting—could it be that something major happened in the Land of Grass?
After listening, Danzo's pupils constricted and his gaze turned fierce, but he made no outward scene. Yagami walked quietly back behind the sofa, avoiding looking at Danzo and instead focusing on the flustered C. Compared to Danzo, C's performance was poor; he bowed slightly toward Danzo on the sofa, his body swaying occasionally.
The Third asked, "What is it, Danzo?"
Danzo slowly closed his one eye, then reopened it. "A messenger hawk just returned with intelligence. The Daimyo of the Land of Grass was attacked. Four Guardian Shinobi, including Captain Shimura Kobira, were killed in the assault."
"What!" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked immediately. "How is the Grass Daimyo?"
Danzo said coldly, "The four fallen Guardians were all ninjas of my Shimura clan. Under their protection, the Daimyo was unharmed..."
Yagami calculated in his head. With something this big happening in the Land of Grass, the Leaf leadership was now squeezed from both sides. They surely couldn't stop Hatake Sakumo from taking command in the Land of Steam now, could they?