"Acceptable." A agreed readily. "Allow Konoha genin to observe."
This battle proved advantageous for Darui. Regardless of victory or defeat, this could let him see certain things clearly.
As for impacts on Cloud Village... regardless of Shuji's age, his current identity was Konoha's formally leading jōnin. Winning was expected.
"Yes, I will arrange immediately."
"Wait." The Raikage stopped her. "Tell Darui about this matter. Have him come once."
"...Yes."
Before long, Darui arrived at the Raikage's office. The lazy expression on his face had diminished considerably, replaced by a kind of calmness.
"Boss."
The Raikage cut straight to the point. "Samui should have already told you. Regarding this sparring match, what are your thoughts?"
Darui raised his head, eyes sharp. "Boss, are there restrictions on techniques I can use?"
Fourth Raikage walked before Darui, staring into his eyes. "Darui, though this nominally is an instructional battle, since the opponent proposed conditions for genin observation, the nature differs."
"This concerns Cloud Village's face, also your own settlement."
His hand placed on Darui's shoulder.
"If you believe using Black Lightning can achieve victory, then use Black Lightning."
"If you believe needing Storm Release to take down opponents, then go ahead freely!"
"All techniques, you may use. This is permission I grant."
"Hold no reservations. Let Konoha people see clearly what caliber the next generation Cloud Village places hopes in possesses!"
Darui nodded vigorously, eyes exceptionally resolute.
"I understand, Boss!"
Shimura Danzo slowed his document processing speed.
Tsunade clearly intended using these messy accounts tormenting him. Since not allowing him using any assistants, slow processing speeds naturally could not be entirely blamed on him.
Just as he pondered how, amidst ANBU surveillance gaps, continuing original plans.
One familiar footstep sound approached from afar, stopping outside the room door.
Two ANBU guarding outside the door conversed briefly with the visitor. Subsequently, the room door gently opened.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded at the two ANBU inside the room, indicating they should also depart first.
When only two remained, only then did Danzo lower his pen, raising eyes toward Sarutobi Hiruzen who no longer wore the Hokage hat.
"Satisfied, Hiruzen? Allowing your disciple humiliating me thus."
Sarutobi Hiruzen surveyed this room. Lighting proved acceptable. Though those scrolls were preserved well, after all stored many years, the air inevitably carried faint mixed scents of old paper and ink.
However, besides this, no other harsher aspects existed.
He walked to the chair opposite Danzo, sitting down, gaze calmly watching his old friend.
"Danzo," Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, "have you considered truly retiring?"
The room fell into complete silence.
"Retire? Hiruzen, are you joking?" Danzo sneered. "Now, the one not letting me retire is Tsunade."
"Root, I already handed over. Currently I'm merely an idle person organizing old archives."
Sarutobi Hiruzen met his gaze, slowly saying, "Before coming, I already spoke with Tsunade."
"Let go, Danzo. She will no longer make things difficult for you."
"Village matters, Tsunade handles very well. Fugaku now proves quite obedient. The Uchiha too."
"Obedient?" Danzo repeated this word, tone slightly rising. "What obedience do you refer to? Allowing Uchiha clansmen entering ANBU, Police Force expanding to absorb external clans, step by step infiltrating village vital positions?"
"They now obtain more authority and freedom than past decades combined. Naturally temporarily no complaints exist."
"However, this is merely superficial, Hiruzen. Once greedy appetites are fed large, they won't easily satisfy. Just five more years, ten years, once they thoroughly establish themselves in these key departments forming factions, those Uchiha will demand more!"
He spoke with mockery. "By then, what can the village still produce satisfying them?"
"Must even the Hokage position be handed over?"
"Everything you currently do merely exchanges weak compromises for temporary peace. You are burying greater disaster roots for Konoha."
Danzo's tone grew somewhat agitated before forcibly calming down again, resuming that ancient well without waves appearance.
"However, saying these words now proves useless."
"Tsunade already took Root. I'm now trapped here, powerless doing anything else."
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched his old friend's stubborn and gloomy profile, silently sighing.
"If you change your mind," Hiruzen stood, "you may inform the ANBU outside anytime. They will relay to me or Tsunade."
Danzo no longer looked at him, merely picking up the pen again, returning attention to desktop scrolls as if something extremely important existed above.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took one last look at him before turning and departing the room.
Hearing the light sound of the door closing plus door-external faintly transmitted sounds of Hiruzen instructing ANBU something gradually receding.
Danzo's pen-holding hand paused midair. Pen tip ink smudged one small stain on rough paper surfaces.
He slowly lowered the pen.
Hiruzen came. Did Tsunade begin losing patience? Or did some new changes appear in the village...
Konoha's competing genin were allowed entering Cloud Village interiors for the first time. They followed behind Shuji, surveying this shinobi village with vastly different style from Konoha.
Cloud Village did not choose arranging venues outside the village. After all, merely letting Konoha genin see sparring versus letting other participating shinobi villages or those wealthy merchants and envoys from various nations who came observing competitions also know proved two different matters.
Finally, Konoha shinobi were brought to one training ground surrounded by mountain walls. The venue proved extremely spacious. The ground was paved with hard stone slabs. Observation seats existed around perimeters.
On observation seats, Fourth Raikage A's imposing figure sat centrally. Xi and Yukai stood beside him. Their gazes concentrated on field center.
There, Darui had already awaited long. He watched Konoha genin, under Samui's guidance, sit down in designated observation areas.
Then his gaze crossed everyone, locking onto that Konoha squad leader independently walking toward field center.
Shuji's steps proved very steady. He came before Darui, stopping several meters away.
He looked at Darui whose eyes proved sharp with body muscles slightly taut, speaking:
"No need being too nervous. Also no need worrying about already exposed ninjutsu and combat methods."
"Since this is instructional combat, I will not proactively attack."
"You may use any methods probing my combat style."
As words fell, Fourth Raikage's brows immediately furrowed.
Xi and Yukai standing behind him, expressions changed drastically.
Even normally calm Samui slightly widened her blue-green eyes, watching that calmly composed Konoha shinobi in the field.
This person... actually this arrogant.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild