Danzo, You Wouldn't Mind, Would You?

"Sarutobi, you promised me..."

Shimura Danzō's eyes darkened as he stared fixedly at the relaxed Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting in the Hokage's office chair. This old friend wanted to snatch someone from his hands.

That hypocritical old bastard had clearly promised not to transfer Akihara Kagura out of Root. What kind of attitude was this now?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not even need to directly ask for him. He acted as though that was not his intention at all, yet every word implied that Akihara Kagura's Wood Release had an important use. The two Hokage Advisors would naturally support him.

After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage...

He was merely the Hokage Assistant who handled the dirty work for him!

"Everything is for Konoha's sake!"

Mitokado Homura glanced at Shimura Danzō. He understood his old friend and tried to persuade him. "For the village's future interests, we can only temporarily sacrifice the combat strength of the ANBU training class. What was it that Sarutobi promised you?"

"I promised Danzo that I would not transfer that child out of the Root training class."

Hiruzen Sarutobi released his pipe and let out a long sigh. "Although this may delay that child's growth and affect the larger situation in the village, especially while Konoha faces troubles both within and without, I cannot easily break my promise..."

"Sarutobi."

Mitokado Homura immediately interrupted Hiruzen Sarutobi, his voice grave. "Have you forgotten the promise you made to the village when you became Hokage? What promise could be more important than the promise to protect Konoha? That child's Wood Release can protect Konoha!"

"..."

Hypocritical! Truly hypocritical!

Shimura Danzō glared at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

That old bastard Monkey never intended to keep his promise!

Mitokado Homura had fallen for it, and Utatane Koharu had fallen for it too. Both Hokage Advisors had been fooled by that old bastard Monkey. He was as hypocritical as they came!

However...

The current situation was three against one.

Shimura Danzō had no way to raise any objection.

"Danzo."

Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed Shimura Danzō's unpleasant expression and spoke gently. "It seems I have no choice but to break my promise."

As he said that, Hiruzen Sarutobi even asked in a remarkably democratic manner, "I'm transferring that child over. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"..."

Shimura Danzō's expression darkened.

You bastard, if you used your brain, you should know I would definitely mind...

But was this matter even up to him?

Still, thinking of Akihara Kagura's talent for Wood Release, Shimura Danzō could not help adding, "That child has long been trained into a killing machine... Perhaps it would be best to leave him in the ANBU training class."

Shimura Danzō turned to glance at the screen displaying the Forest of Death examination grounds and said coldly, "The darkness in that child's heart runs too deep, and his actions are too extreme. If I had not ordered him not to kill people casually, that child would have turned this Chunin Ninja Exams into a river of blood."

"Oh?"

The two Hokage Advisors looked at Shimura Danzō with some curiosity.

Mitokado Homura seemed to have witnessed something unbelievable, as though he were looking at a liar. "Danzo, you stopped that child from killing..."

You stopped that child from killing?

How could you even say something like that?

Was there anyone in this world more extreme than you?

Everyone present was an old friend. Who did not know how you trained children?

Danzo, who liked gathering groups of children to train them before forcing them to kill each other, who trained children from a young age to become tools of murder, would stop a child from killing?

"Enough."

"Since Danzo says so..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi put his pipe back into his mouth and nodded. "Then it seems we can only arrange for this child to enter the ANBU first?"

"..."

Shimura Danzō gritted his teeth.

Was this old bastard even listening to what he was saying?!

Did Akihara Kagura have to be transferred into his ANBU?

Couldn't that child continue staying in Root?

The point was that this child only obeyed his orders. It was not about which department the child should be assigned to!

That old bastard Monkey had spoken so vaguely, but he had already assumed the outcome: Akihara Kagura had to be transferred away, was that it?

"Once the Chunin Ninja Exams are over, have him report to the ANBU."

Pretending not to understand Shimura Danzō's meaning, Hiruzen Sarutobi seized the opportunity to settle the matter first and issued the order decisively.

"Wait..."

Shimura Danzō hurriedly tried to voice another objection.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shimura Danzō and continued, "As compensation for Root's combat strength, you may carefully select two capable people from the village."

"..."

Shimura Danzō was left speechless.

Who could compare to a child like Akihara Kagura?

Besides, he was the Hokage Assistant. If he wanted to draw people from those minor ninja clans into Root, would those clans dare refuse?

Shimura Danzō clenched his cane tightly.

If that old bastard were not the Hokage, Danzo would have loved to raise the cane in his hand and smash it hard into Hiruzen Sarutobi's unwanted old face.

"Since no one objects, let's settle it like this!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi leisurely put his pipe back in his mouth and turned to the screen again. "Let's continue watching and see whether there are any other outstanding children in this year's Chunin Ninja Exams..."

"Hm?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sensed Shimura Danzō staring at him again.

Yet when Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around to look, he found that Shimura Danzō was also watching the screen broadcasting the Chunin Ninja Exams.

It seemed Shimura Danzō still resented him for breaking his promise, which was why he kept secretly glancing at him from time to time. Hiruzen Sarutobi merely chuckled at that.

This old friend...

He was still as timid as ever...

He did not even dare meet his gaze openly.

The Forest of Death examination grounds.

An enormous wooden dragon slowly drifted through the sky.

Akihara Kagura stood atop the wooden dragon's head, using Ninja's Darkness to spy on the situation within the Hokage Building. The youngster had already learned in advance that he would be transferred into the ANBU.

After all...

That was Akihara Kagura's intention as well.

There was too little freedom in Root. He was constantly monitored by Shimura Danzō and Root members. At the very least, he would have some breathing room in the ANBU.

More importantly...

The ANBU had a more complete organizational structure than Root.

Root had only one superior, Shimura Danzō. The ANBU, however, had superiors such as squad captains, unit commanders, and an overall commander. There were more benefits to gain in the ANBU.

Besides...

Who said that while serving Lord Hokage in the ANBU, he could not continue serving Lord Danzō? He could even continue serving Lord Orochimaru!

"Look up there... What is that?"

As the wooden dragon moved, shouts occasionally rang out through the Forest of Death. Every Genin examinee who looked up and saw the wooden dragon wore an expression of fear.

Why was this Chunin Ninja Exams so thrilling?

How had something like this appeared right at the start?!

"Hello..."

A youngster's voice came from atop the wooden dragon.

Akihara Kagura controlled the wooden dragon as it slowly descended. Its head hovered before a three-man team, its massive skull larger than all three of them put together.

Akihara Kagura examined the three of them and spoke unhurriedly. "Gentlemen, could you hand over what I need? Lord Danzō said I am not allowed to kill people casually. I assume you do not want me to disobey Lord Danzō's orders either, right?"

"What do you need?"

One tall ninja who appeared to be the leader was clearly sensible enough to recognize the situation. He took the initiative and said, "Our scroll may be the same as yours..."

"It doesn't matter."

The youngster tilted his head slightly and said softly, "In this Forest of Death, scrolls are the true hard currency. They are more useful than money. Who would ever complain about having too much money?"