Night — Root Headquarters
Bang!
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"That cursed Hiruzen Sarutobi—he actually used such a ruthless move against me!"
Shimura Danzō exploded in fury as he read the information that had just been delivered by one of his hidden agents. In anger, he threw the storage scroll used for transmitting intelligence onto the ground.
Moments earlier, a spy that Root had planted within the ANBU had sent over the entire conversation between Hiruzen and Minato Namikaze in the Hokage's office.
The contents had left Danzō seething with rage.
Standing nearby, Aburame Ryōma frowned slightly at Danzō's loss of composure.
"Lord Danzō, the situation has not yet reached the point of no return. Please calm yourself."
Danzō's cold gaze swept across Ryōma's expressionless face. Surprisingly, he did not lash out. Instead, he took a deep breath and slowly forced himself to regain control.
If the opponent had been anyone else, he would not have reacted so strongly.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi was different.
The two had fought side by side for decades—friends, rivals, and enemies all at once.
Seeing the tension ease slightly, Yamanaka Fū spoke with some confusion.
"But… when the village recommends a Hokage candidate to the Fire Daimyō, and the Daimyō appoints the Hokage—that's mostly just a formality, isn't it?"
"Is it really that serious?"
Compared with the mature and steady Ryōma, Fū was still too young to fully understand the political intricacies.
Ryōma glanced briefly at Danzō. Seeing that he did not object, he began explaining.
"Even if it's a formality, it still represents legitimacy—the banner of rightful authority."
"When the Third Hokage first took office, why was there so much criticism?"
"One major reason was that he did not immediately receive recognition from the Daimyō's court."
"Shinobi may not care much about these ceremonial matters…"
"But to the countless ordinary civilians, legitimacy is essential."
"Without it, one's rule is considered illegitimate."
"And if the Daimyō recognizes Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage in advance, that recognition will give him invisible momentum during the Hokage election."
"The neutral faction, the civilian jōnin, the undecided voters—they will naturally lean toward Minato because of it."
Ryōma continued calmly.
"Furthermore, Lord Danzō is already at a disadvantage."
"Even if Lord Danzō were somehow to defeat Minato and become the Fourth Hokage under these circumstances…"
"How would he face the Daimyō afterward?"
"The Daimyō approved Minato—yet Danzō becomes Hokage instead. What would the Daimyō think?"
"Don't forget, the Daimyō controls one of the village's primary sources of funding."
"Without the Daimyō's support, it would be extremely difficult for Lord Danzō to maintain the Hokage position."
He paused briefly before adding:
"The Third Hokage saw that Lord Danzō had secured the support of the Hyūga clan, gathering a force he could no longer ignore."
"To ensure Minato's victory, he resorted to this decisive move—cutting off the firewood beneath the cauldron."
Then Ryōma looked toward Danzō again.
"However… in another sense, this also shows that the Third Hokage fears you."
"He has no confidence in defeating you outright, which is why he resorted to such a tactic."
After all, Hiruzen's move broke established conventions.
If word of it spread, his reputation would take a serious hit.
Even though Hiruzen had already stepped down as Hokage and cared less about public prestige, this strategy was still essentially damaging both sides.
Yamanaka Fū seemed only half-understanding, but from the attitudes of Ryōma and Danzō, he realized the gravity of the situation.
"So… what should we do now?"
Ryōma shook his head and remained silent, turning his gaze toward Danzō.
After a moment of thought, Danzō spoke.
"Fū."
"Go bring Kinoe here."
"Yes, sir!"
Without asking questions, Fū vanished to carry out the order.
Ryōma's eyes narrowed slightly.
He understood immediately what Danzō was planning.
Kinoe, also known as Tenzo, was Root's carefully cultivated secret weapon.
He was the only survivor of Orochimaru's Wood Release experiments.
His Wood Release techniques were so refined that when it came to constructing buildings and manipulating wood structures, he was practically unrivaled.
For Danzō to deploy such a trump card meant he truly felt cornered.
Before long, Fū returned with a teenage boy.
"Lord Danzō."
Tenzo looked somewhat nervous.
Unlike the emotionless Root operatives, he still retained some normal reactions. Nevertheless, he bowed respectfully.
Danzō spoke immediately.
"Kinoe."
"You will assassinate Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"…Me?"
Tenzo froze, pointing at himself in disbelief.
"I'm supposed to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
"That's right."
Danzō nodded calmly.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi is already old. His strength is only a fraction of what it once was."
"And you already possess jōnin-level strength."
"Moreover, your Wood Release will shock him and disrupt his composure, creating an opening."
"If you seize that moment, you can kill him."
"Don't worry. You won't be alone—I will send assistance."
Tenzo visibly relaxed after hearing that.
If things went exactly as Danzō described, perhaps the mission wasn't impossible.
But at that moment, Ryōma spoke up.
"Lord Danzō, we cannot send anyone with a familiar face for such a task."
"Our Root forces are already stretched thin."
"Among the operatives with unfamiliar identities, aside from Tenzo, the others are still too inexperienced for a mission of this level."
Danzō responded calmly.
"Don't worry."
"I already have someone in mind."
His single eye flashed sharply.
"It's time to have a talk with the Uchiha clan."
"The Uchiha?" Fū blinked in surprise.
"But Lord Danzō… our relationship with them isn't exactly good…"
"Hmph," Ryōma snorted.
"Wasn't Minato Namikaze's attitude toward them rather unfriendly before?"
"And yet now they're still negotiating cooperation."
"That Uchiha Ren is a smart man."
"As long as the price is high enough, he won't refuse."
Danzō nodded approvingly.
"Exactly."
"I can negotiate too."
"I can also love the Uchiha."
"What Minato Namikaze can do—I can do as well."
"And what Minato Namikaze cannot do…"
"I can still do."
His voice grew colder.
"If I throw the entire Scroll of Sealing in front of the Uchiha…"
"I refuse to believe they won't be tempted."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789