Chapter 112: Danzo's Social Death
Danzo arrived to find he wasn't the last one there.
Only after everyone had been waiting impatiently did Orochimaru leisurely appear, hands tucked in his sleeves, walking in with an air of complete indifference.
"Well, well, everyone arrived so early." Orochimaru's tone was flat, showing absolutely no awareness that he was late.
His cold, ominous aura combined with those distinctive pale golden serpentine eyes—even with his relatively casual tone—still sent chills down everyone's spines. Even those who felt annoyed could only snort quietly in displeasure, out of respect for his status as one of the Third Hokage's direct students.
"Sit down, Orochimaru."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his student's behavior, gave Orochimaru a meaningful look, his tone revealing clear displeasure.
"Yes, sensei."
Orochimaru pretended not to notice the reproach, instead moving to stand in the corner and leaning casually against the wall.
Seeing that everyone was finally present, Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat with two light coughs.
Everyone immediately straightened in their seats, realizing the Hokage was about to speak. All eyes turned toward him expectantly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi clasped his hands together, resting them beneath his chin with his elbows on the desk. His commanding gaze swept across each person assembled before him. Without any preamble, he cut straight to the point, stating in a grave voice: "Gentlemen, war is upon us."
War?!
Some of those present had participated in the previous Great Shinobi War.
Hearing that word again, their expressions showed surprise, though they still managed to maintain their composure.
Conversely, younger members like Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza—who had only recently officially inherited their positions as clan heads and hadn't experienced the last war—clearly showed traces of anxiety in their expressions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi observed everyone's reactions carefully, thinking to himself that this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho trio was indeed still quite inexperienced and needed more tempering through hardship.
A heavy silence filled the office before Nara Shikaku finally broke it, immediately cutting to the heart of the matter with three critical questions: "Lord Hokage, which shinobi village is our adversary in this conflict? Has this intelligence been verified? And what is the cause of this war?"
"The intelligence has been thoroughly confirmed."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression remained grim. "Our confirmed opponents are Kirigakure and potentially Iwagakure. The current positions and movements of Sunagakure and Kumogakure remain unknown at this time."
He paused briefly before continuing, "As for the specific cause... you don't need to know those details yet. What matters is that this cannot be resolved through diplomatic channels."
"Even offering substantial reparations won't work?"
Danzo, concealed beneath his voluminous black robes, spoke in a hoarse voice that carried an oddly soft, high-pitched quality.
Everyone present was perceptive enough to immediately sense something off. They cast surprised glances toward Danzo's shrouded figure.
Under everyone's scrutinizing gaze, Danzo panicked internally. He forced what he hoped was a casual tone and deliberately lowered his voice further. "Ahem, I had a mishap while training earlier today—damaged my vocal cords temporarily. Don't concern yourselves with that. Let's focus on the critical issue at hand."
His excuse was rather weak and unconvincing.
Fortunately, no one seemed particularly interested in pressing the matter, though several still found it peculiar.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head with a weary sigh, his face displaying complete helplessness. Leaning back heavily in his chair with furrowed brows, he said with evident frustration, "Offering compensation... I'm afraid that option is completely off the table. We need to discuss how to prevent Kirigakure from breaching our borders."
"Why not? Explain yourself properly, Hiruzen!" His longtime friend Danzo frowned deeply, not even realizing that his voice unconsciously carried a distinctly coquettish undertone.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyebrows twitched involuntarily, his eyes fixing on Danzo with an increasingly strange expression. His old friend was definitely acting unusual today.
Realizing his slip in composure, Danzo quickly coughed to cover his mistake. "What I mean to say is—if we can resolve this peacefully, we should make every effort to avoid initiating warfare. You know as well as I do that Konoha is in no condition for war right now. Especially with Tsunade having left the village, Jiraiya wandering who-knows-where, and White Fang's suicide... we're facing a severe shortage of elite combat power!"
At that moment, Orochimaru—who had remained silent until now—suddenly fixed his intense gaze on Danzo with obvious interest. "How fascinating. The notorious warmonger who normally can't wait to send troops into battle is now advocating for peace. Quite the reversal. But what I'm truly curious about is... what kind of jutsu could possibly cause such dramatic effects?"
"That's none of your concern! I'm speaking from the village's best interests!"
Danzo's body trembled slightly, cold sweat beginning to form on his concealed forehead. How could he have forgotten about this insufferable snake?!
All that rhetoric about acting for the village's sake was naturally a complete lie.
His real concern was that once war began, as the leader of Root, he would inevitably be deployed to the battlefield. And then... things would become impossibly complicated!
Deceiving the others was manageable. Deceiving Orochimaru, however, was exponentially more difficult.
Thanks to their long history of collaboration—both legitimate and otherwise—Orochimaru was intimately familiar not only with Danzo's mannerisms but also with human anatomy in general. No subtle physical change could escape his notice.
If his current condition were discovered, Danzo would be consumed by overwhelming shame and fury. The mere thought of that outcome made him wish for death.
"Don't be so defensive, Danzo-san," Orochimaru said, his pale golden serpentine eyes gleaming with insatiable curiosity. "I'm simply intrigued by the nature of this... transformation. What kind of technique could alter not just a person's voice, but their walking patterns maintained over decades, their weight distribution, vocal cord structure, and even bone density?"
"I told you already—this has nothing to do with you!"
Danzo felt terribly guilty but still maintained a defiant front, responding coldly, "We need to focus on the far more important matters at hand."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in agreement, finding that reasoning sound, and was about to speak when Orochimaru interrupted once more.
The Sannin, who had been casually leaning against the wall as if completely disinterested, suddenly straightened up. He withdrew his hands from his sleeves, locked his predatory golden eyes directly on Danzo's shrouded form, and stated in a cold, analytical tone: "No. Before we proceed, I need to confirm whether the individual beneath that black robe is actually still 'Danzo.'"
Those words immediately put everyone else on high alert.
"If my memory serves correctly, Danzo hasn't been seen by anyone for an entire week."
Orochimaru continued coldly, his gaze laden with implication. "No one has laid eyes on him during that entire period. And now this 'Danzo' who appears after a week's absence has changed in virtually every measurable way—physique, gait, vocal tone, vocal cord structure, even skeletal framework. It's extremely difficult not to suspect whether you're truly Danzo, or perhaps... an enemy infiltrator using a sophisticated transformation technique?"
"You're spouting complete nonsense! You're slandering me, Orochimaru!"
Danzo became instantly enraged, nearly fainting from sheer anger. He ground out through clenched teeth: "I AM Danzo! I have absolutely no need to prove anything to you!"
This defensive attitude only deepened the suspicions of everyone present.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi's frown deepened, a flash of genuine doubt crossing his features. "Danzo... I believe Orochimaru raises a valid point. What we're discussing here directly concerns Konoha's future security. Please remove your robes and allow us to verify your identity."
"Hiruzen..."
Danzo's teeth ground together audibly, his hatred for this teacher-student duo burning white-hot.
"Since you're unwilling to cooperate, I'll assist you." Orochimaru's lips curved into a faint, predatory smile as he stepped forward purposefully.
"Wait! WAIT!"
Danzo's voice cracked with terror, no longer maintaining any pretense of his disguised tone. A weak, distinctly shrill voice suddenly rang out across the office.
"That voice...?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils constricted sharply. Fury ignited across his features. "How dare you! You dare attempt to deceive me with such an obvious disguise right here in my office?! Reveal your true form immediately!"
Though advanced in years, the Hokage was still the Hokage—and his speed remained devastating.
Hiruzen Sarutobi lived up to his legendary reputation as "The Professor." His Body Flicker Technique moved almost faster than anyone present could track. He instantly appeared from behind his desk, raising his hand in a claw-like grip. He seized Danzo's black robes and violently ripped them away, roaring: "I want to see exactly who has the audacity to impersonate Danzo within Konoha's very walls—to deceive me directly to my face!"
"NOOO—!"
Danzo's shrill scream nearly shattered the office windows.
He desperately tried to stop it, but it was far too late. He could only watch helplessly as the concealing black robes were torn away.
Whoooosh~
The black fabric fluttered down slowly, almost in slow motion.
What came into everyone's horrified view was a woman approximately 5'3" tall, with delicate and surprisingly charming features.
Although the woman appeared to be in her late middle age, her facial features remained remarkably striking. Her eyes resembled clear autumn pools, radiating an alluring, mature feminine charm. Her ample chest resembled twin mountain peaks, her slender waist looked easy to encircle with both hands, and her legs were elegantly proportioned—her figure was genuinely exquisite.
Most notably, her fair skin possessed a healthy pinkish undertone and appeared as smooth and delicate as porcelain.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had certainly seen his share of beautiful women over the decades—couldn't help but freeze for half a second, inwardly marveling that despite her age, this woman possessed genuinely captivating allure!
Crack!
Faintly, there came a sound like fragile glass shattering into countless pieces.
Oh—it was Danzo's dignity... that thing called self-respect... completely obliterated!
For a prolonged moment, Danzo felt utterly hopeless and genuinely wished he could simply commit suicide on the spot.
[End of Chapter 112]
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