The proposal from the Land of Wind was quickly relayed back to the Hidden Leaf through an envoy.
"Kazekage Rasa has expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Hidden Leaf. However, once the Jashin Religion is eradicated, they must reclaim Shukaku. Furthermore, they demand that the Hidden Leaf withdraw all troops currently stationed within the borders of the Land of Rivers."
In the Hokage's office, Shikaku Nara, acting as the Jonin Commander, was reporting the Hidden Sand's response to Danzo. Also present were the two elders of the Hidden Leaf, along with Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Danzo did not respond directly to the Hidden Sand's proposal. Instead, he turned and asked, "What about the other great nations? Is there any unusual movement from the Land of Earth or the Land of Lightning?"
Shikaku, having already prepared for this, answered immediately, "The Land of Earth is currently observing from the sidelines. Conversely, the Land of Lightning has already increased ninja activity within the Land of Fields. It is likely they intend to take advantage of the chaos."
"Hmph, that brat Ay is as impulsive as ever."
Danzo let out a disdainful sneer before offering his own strategy.
"Have Torifu focus the border defenses toward the Land of Grass. Based on my understanding of Onoki, that fellow will certainly be unable to restrain himself."
Hearing this, Shikaku frowned slightly and asked, "What about the Land of Lightning's side?"
Shikaku knew the Fourth Raikage's personality well. If the Hidden Leaf failed to react to their provocations, the other side would surely push their luck. It was not impossible for them to seize the opportunity to invade the heart of the Land of Fire.
Danzo tapped the desk lightly, clearly having a plan in mind. "I will deploy all Root ninjas into the Land of Fields to monitor the Cloud's movements. If necessary, we can surrender the entire Land of Fields. However, if they overstep and prepare to invade the territory of the Land of Fire, I will personally take action."
Shikaku remained uneasy and spoke up again, "If you leave the Hidden Leaf, won't the village's defensive strength be a bit too..."
As the greatest hidden village in the Shinobi World, the tradition for decades had been for the Hokage to stay and guard the village. Consequently, Danzo's suggestion that he might personally lead an expedition made Shikaku somewhat uncomfortable.
Danzo interrupted Shikaku's concerns. "Rest easy. The village still has the two advisors. I am not a weakling like Sarutobi. If the Raikage truly dares to lead troops into the Land of Fire, I will ensure he never returns."
Although Shikaku disliked the underhanded nature of Root, Danzo's words were undeniably firm, earning him a shred of Shikaku's respect.
Immediately after, Danzo turned his gaze toward Jiraiya and said coldly, "Aside from the necessary defensive forces, our top priority is to unite with the Hidden Sand to completely uproot the Jashin Religion hidden in the Land of Rivers. This concerns the honor and face of the Hidden Leaf!"
Jiraiya nodded and volunteered for the task. "Leave this matter to me."
As the student of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya was indeed the best candidate for this mission. Danzo had also intended for Jiraiya to handle it, otherwise, he wouldn't have summoned him.
"Very well. Jiraiya, you will serve as the supreme commander for the Land of Rivers front. Ensure that you and the Hidden Sand Village completely annihilate the Jashin Religion."
"Understood."
Then, Danzo looked at Tsunade. "Tsunade, the village is in a state of crisis. I hope you can remain in the village and help us train more medical ninjas."
Danzo spoke with such high-minded righteousness that no fault could be found. Despite this, Tsunade could only agree.
The meeting concluded shortly thereafter. Under Danzo's will, the war machine of the Hidden Leaf began to operate with terrifying speed.
"I have to admit, that fellow Danzo is indeed a master of political manipulation."
After leaving the conference room, Jiraiya sighed to Tsunade. Tsunade watched the village as it began to function like a machine once more, agreeing with Jiraiya's assessment.
"True. It hasn't even been half a month since Teacher passed away, yet Danzo has used the connections left behind, the interests vacated by the Uchiha and Sarutobi clans, and everyone's hatred for the Jashin Religion to rapidly unify the village's will. He does have some talent."
"It's just..." Tsunade hesitated.
"Is it too aggressive?" Jiraiya understood her thoughts.
Tsunade nodded, her blonde hair swaying in the wind. "Exactly. Starting a war on three fronts... I wonder if this new Hokage actually has the strength or if he is just blindly arrogant."
Jiraiya gave a bitter laugh. "We used to say Teacher was too cowardly. Now that Danzo is Hokage, we're afraid he's too aggressive."
Tsunade said nothing, but turned her head to look seriously at Jiraiya.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing, Tsunade?"
That incredibly serious gaze made Jiraiya flustered for a moment. His eyes darted around until they eventually landed on the deep, snowy valley of her cleavage, and then he couldn't look away.
"What are you looking at, you bastard?!"
Sensing Jiraiya's gaze, a large vein popped on Tsunade's forehead. She immediately slammed a heavy fist into him, burying him in the ground!
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Jiraiya clutched his head, howling in pain. It took him a while to recover and crawl back up. He sat cross-legged on the ground and complained, "Damn it, Tsunade, your fists are as hard as ever..."
Tsunade snorted. "You old pervert."
"Hehe." Jiraiya laughed sheepishly, bringing the topic back. "So, what did you want to say to me with that serious look?"
Tsunade's eyes darted away, but under Jiraiya's persistence, she finally spoke. "Don't die."
"What?"
"Forget it if you didn't hear me."
Tsunade rolled her eyes and used the Body Flicker Jutsu to vanish. Jiraiya stood up slowly, watching her departing back. He whispered softly, "I won't die, Tsunade."
"Lord Jiraiya sure is confident."
A lazy voice sounded as Kakashi appeared behind Jiraiya, sporting his signature dead-fish eyes. "However, when facing that kind of enemy, I doubt anyone can guarantee they won't die."
Jiraiya didn't respond to Kakashi's words. Instead, he shouted in a rage, "Were you eavesdropping on me, Kakashi?!"
After all, he had just been ground into the dirt by Tsunade. If word of this got out, how could 'Jiraiya the Gallant' maintain his reputation in the Shinobi World?
Kakashi immediately held up his hands to show his innocence. "I just wanted to ask when the next volume of Make-Out Paradise will be released..."
Jiraiya stared suspiciously at Kakashi. "Really?"
"Of course." Kakashi even pulled a small book from his pocket. "Look, I've already finished the latest chapter."
Seeing this, Jiraiya finally broke into a proud smile. "I didn't expect that you would be the one in the Hidden Leaf who understands art the most, Kakashi."
With that, he fished out a brand-new book from his robes. The cover was quite scandalous; it was the latest edition of Make-Out Paradise. "Here, take it."
Kakashi's eyebrow twitched as he moved to take it quickly. However, Jiraiya didn't let go.
"There's a condition if you want this book."
"What condition?"
"Come with me to the Land of Rivers." Jiraiya stared into Kakashi's eyes, speaking solemnly. "In the entire Hidden Leaf, the two of us have the deepest understanding of the Jashin Religion. I need your help, Kakashi."
Kakashi scratched his head, clearly hesitating. To be honest, he currently only wanted to slack off and wasn't keen on participating in such a challenging, potentially life-threatening mission.
Nevertheless, under Jiraiya's earnest request and the temptation of the latest Make-Out Paradise, he eventually chose to agree.
"Hehe." Jiraiya immediately let go of the book with a grin and patted Kakashi on the shoulder. "It would be best if you could bring Guy along too. We must strive to wipe them out in one go."
Kakashi tucked the book into his robes and waved. "I'll try my best. Farewell." He then vanished.
Jiraiya stood on the rooftop, glancing at the Hidden Leaf under reconstruction before slowly turning his gaze toward the horizon.
"The Jashin Religion, huh..."
"I'd like to see exactly what you are."
After making simple preparations, Jiraiya led several elite squads toward the Land of Rivers that very day. Kakashi, Might Guy, and the others would serve as follow-up troops once Jiraiya had finalized talks with the Hidden Sand.
After Jiraiya and the others departed, Shikaku reported another matter to Danzo.
"Lord Hokage, the Daimyo has approved the reconstruction funds requested by the Hidden Leaf. However, they have one condition."
As the military center of the Land of Fire, having suffered such severe damage, Danzo had naturally applied for aid from the Daimyo's estate immediately. After all, the Land of Fire's Daimyo and the Hidden Leaf were inextricably linked. Only if the Hidden Leaf maintained its combat power as the number one hidden village could the Daimyo continue to sit high and worry-free.
Therefore, the Daimyo had no reason to refuse the special funds. Naturally, it was also expected that he would take the opportunity to make some demands.
"What is the condition?" Danzo asked, showing no surprise.
"They claim that Ghouls have been rampant in the capital recently. They request that Arima Kushan and Dr. Katasuke accompany you to the capital for an audience and remain there to serve as the Daimyo's guards."
"Arima? Katasuke?"
Danzo's expression instantly became dark and unreadable. The information contained in the Daimyo's request was far too significant.
If he wanted a few Jonin as guards, it would be easy to understand. The Hidden Leaf sent ninjas to protect the safety of nobles every year. But what did he mean by wanting Arima and Katasuke?
Arima could be considered a ninja, but Katasuke was the lead researcher for Quinque. Previously, the Hidden Leaf had used these Quinque to arm a large number of Chunin and Genin, which allowed them to go toe-to-toe with the Hidden Sand ninjas and their secret techniques in the Land of Rivers.
Now the Daimyo's estate was specifically asking for Katasuke. Could it be...
Although the Hidden Leaf and the Daimyo's estate both belonged to the Land of Fire, the former was responsible for the military while the latter focused on politics and economy. The two naturally possessed a relationship that was both cooperative and adversarial.
As the holder of political, economic, and nominal supreme power, the Daimyo certainly did not want his life to be held in the hands of others. Thus, the Daimyo had secretly hired many ninjas at high salaries and even created the so-called 'Twelve Guardian Ninja.'
However, the difficulty of training ninjas remained high. Top-tier ninjas required not only resources but also talent and heritage. Most precious ninjutsu, training methods, and even ninja bloodlines were held by the hidden villages. Thus, no matter how much money the Daimyo threw at the problem, it was difficult to forge a force capable of rivaling a hidden village.
But things were different now. The appearance of Quinque showed the nobles of the Land of Fire a different path. Could they use Quinque to create a force that belonged solely to them? No noble wanted their life to be in someone else's hands.
From Danzo's perspective as Hokage, it was never a good thing for the Daimyo and nobles to possess their own power. Once those wealthy nobles had their own blades, the Hidden Leaf would become expendable.
Yet, in the current situation, the Hidden Leaf desperately needed funds for reconstruction. If he couldn't get the Daimyo's support, Danzo didn't have the confidence to face the other four great nations.
"What do you think?" Danzo looked at Shikaku, the man hailed as the 'Brain' of the Hidden Leaf.
After careful consideration, Shikaku advised, "Given the current state of the Hidden Leaf, we truly need the financial support of the Daimyo's estate. As for the Quinque, we can ask Dr. Katasuke for the manufacturing methods and sign an agreement with him to ensure he synchronizes his research progress with us in the future."
Shikaku didn't spell it out, but Danzo, having led Root for years, understood the implication. The plan was to extract the manufacturing methods and then use certain 'special ninja means' to ensure Katasuke would never betray the Hidden Leaf.
As for the Daimyo wanting to build his own military, let them. It wouldn't amount to much in the short term anyway. Danzo considered it for a moment before slowly nodding.
"I will leave this matter to Tatsuma to handle. Don't worry."
"Yes." Shikaku breathed a sigh of relief, glad he wasn't the one tasked with handling it.
Arima, who was training, soon received the order: head to the capital of the Land of Fire to protect the Daimyo and eliminate the Ghouls.
Has this day finally come...
Arima retracted his spear into the suitcase, a fire seemingly ready to erupt in his eyes. That night, he had promised Itachi to protect Sasuke, but when that man appeared, he had fallen to the ground without any power to resist.
Because of that, he had been training desperately these past few days to temper and improve himself. Now, a chance to prove himself had finally arrived.
Don't worry, Itachi. Once I've killed all those Ghouls, I will surely possess even greater power to help you take Sasuke back.
Next time, I won't break my promise.
Two days later, Danzo officially set out for the capital of the Land of Fire to meet the Daimyo and accept his formal inauguration.