Danzo's Frustration!

Konoha, Ninja Academy.

"Yo, Iruka, congratulations on being accepted into the Ninja Academy."

Upon approaching, Iruka saw Mizuki, with his white hair, jokingly greeting him, and Iruka immediately gave him a sullen smile.

"Mizuki, didn't you join the company too?"

Many of the ninjas who came from the Whirlpool Territory battlefield were promoted thanks to the recommendation letters from Uchiha Yoru, with Special Jonin and fifty becoming Chunin.

Among those promoted to Chunin were Umino Iruka and Mizuki. Afterward, the two returned to the village to recuperate for a period of time and were promoted to Chunin at the age of sixteen, becoming qualified assistant teachers to the academy.

That's right, with their current qualifications, they're not qualified yet.

"Oh, houses in the village center are too expensive. I really envy you, Iruka."

Mizuki couldn't help but show a look of envy and jealousy. There was nothing he could do; the house that Iruka's parents left behind just happened to be located on the outskirts of the center.

Because he encountered Uchiha Yoru on the front lines, Mizuki's life underwent a bizarre change. Although he still yearned for power, he found a spirit of loyalty to Uchiha Yoru, who inherited everything from Lord Orochimaru. As can be seen from the original work, Mizuki later became a person who worshipped power and fanatically idolized Orochimaru.

"Haha, there's nothing you can do about it, it's something you can only envy."

Upon seeing Mizuki's blatantly jealous gaze, Iruka revealed a mocking smile. Who would have thought that house prices would rise so quickly? In the center of the village, it was almost impossible to find a house. Many ninjas had practically emptied their entire family coffers in pursuit of these houses.

(In the future Sakura pays off her mortgage)

"My talent is limited, but I will definitely become the best teacher."

After successfully registering, Iruka was filled with fighting spirit, and he couldn't help but take out the red-covered book 'My Struggle' from his Tool Pouch, his eyes filled with fervor.

"Mizuki, I really recommend you read this book. It explains the true Will of Fire in a very straightforward way!"

When Iruka mentioned this book, his eyes gleamed with fanaticism, making Mizuki break out in a cold sweat. He retorted irritably, "Iruka, you're something else!"

Although he became a teacher, he never gave up his training. Strength was the foundation. He was not like Iruka, who wanted to teach more talents after realizing his limited talent.

"Mizuki, this book is a precious book that even Uchiha Yoru loves to the point of obsession."

"What!" Mizuki, who hadn't paid any attention before, was stunned when he heard this. Iruka, seeing his friend's expression, couldn't help but smile slightly. It felt so good to recommend a book he considered a classic.

"Haha, Mizuki, I bought two more copies of this book today. As expected, the true Will of Fire brings good luck. I was planning to give one away anyway, but I'll give you one first."

After Iruka's spirits were satisfied, he smiled excitedly and handed the brand-new book to Mizuki.

This time, Mizuki didn't refuse. Instead, he looked serious. He was determined to study this book carefully and repeatedly, since even Uchiha Yoru was reading it. Perhaps it contained the true essence of power.

"By the way, Iruka, are you buying this book as a gift? Who is it for?"

At this moment, Mizuki showed a curious look, while Iruka awkwardly scratched the back of his head after hearing this, "I gave the other book to the instructors of this year's Ninja Academy assessment, since we'll be working under them in the future."

Having been tempered on the battlefield, Iruka has matured. Although he is honest, he still understands the ways of the world.

Seeing Iruka's expression, Mizuki couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, revealing a helpless look. He sighed, rubbing his forehead, and said, "Iruka, please do your research before sending him away. Although this examiner is a commoner ninja, his sister is married to a member of the Sarutobi Clan."

"This person is extremely greedy. You're giving him a book? You might as well give him something real."

Upon hearing Mizuki's words, Iruka was immediately startled, his face turning green with shock. "Damn it, Mizuki, why didn't you say so sooner? When I delivered the book, I specifically asked you to look after us in the future."

Suddenly, Mizuki burst into laughter. He clutched his stomach and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, I went to this teacher's house last night. I was going to ask you to come along, but you weren't home. But this matter couldn't be delayed, so I went alone."

"Don't worry, I've sent yours too." Mizuki looked smug. He did this partly because of their friendship, and partly out of personal motives.

Both of them are only ordinary Chunin, not particularly outstanding. It will be too difficult for them to stand out in the future. The only way is to unite and win people over. In the future, no matter what happens in the academy, Iruka will step forward to help them.

It's rare to fight alone, so he was willing to spend his own money to make Iruka owe him this favor, so that he would not only have a companion at the Ninja Academy in the future, but also be helped by Iruka in critical moments.

"Mizuki, you!"

Iruka gave his friend a light slap, then laughed loudly without saying anything, "Let's go, it's my treat tonight, let's go to a barbecue restaurant."

Beneath their laughter, the friendship between men can sometimes be just that simple.

Inside the Ninja Academy office, the examiner for this assessment carefully observed the ninjas to be included in the assessment.

One file was marked 'Excellent,' while the other was marked 'Standard,' clearly indicating that these newly hired teaching assistants were also divided into different levels.

The "Excellent" rating means that after accumulating enough experience, one is ready to participate in the assessment to see if they can become a teacher for a ninja class. The "Prepared" rating, on the other hand, requires further observation and evaluation at the school.

"Hehe, you're lucky."

Looking at a clear photo of Mizuki with long, silvery-white hair on a document in the preparation file, the teacher shook his head and smiled, then pulled out a photo from the "Excellent" section and swapped the two.

He wasn't qualified at first, but Iruka's assessment was flawless, and he was directly placed in the excellent category. So, for the sake of two cents, he ultimately decided to move this lucky kid into the excellent category.

Of course, he was just an examiner, and these files still needed to be transferred to higher authorities, but under normal circumstances, there would be no further changes.

The Hokage Office.

"Hiruzen, the threat from the Uchiha is becoming increasingly serious. Root suffered huge losses last time, and now, in order to defend against the Uchiha, we need to continue to expand our organization."

At this moment, Danzo's exposed eye radiated intense heat. The last time, the losses were devastating, and the threat from the Uchiha hung over his heart like a knife. He was determined to be no less powerful than the Uchiha and continue on.

"Danzo, isn't the Root asking for too much money?" Before the Third Hokage could even speak, Utatane Koharu, who was in charge of finances, immediately showed her displeasure upon seeing this scene.

Because the Uchiha's powerful Root can expand, but you want to expand, not rebel. You're asking for so much money, why don't you just say you're rebelling?

Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated above the Hokage, pondered Danzo's report for a moment, then, to everyone's surprise, nodded in agreement.

"The funds you demanded, Danzo, can be provided."

"What! Sarutobi, you can't do this!" Utatane Koharu stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi in shock. If things continued like this, the power of Root was showing signs of exceeding their control.

Even Shimura Danzō was stunned. Looking at his old buddy Hiruzen Sarutobi, he should have been happy to receive such a large sum of money, but he couldn't feel any joy at all.

"Ahem, Hiruzen, I understand the difficulty of the village." Knowing full well that Hiruzen Sarutobi would never be so kind, Shimura Danzō's heart sank, and he couldn't help but back down, as if to say that he would be happy to give less.

However, the next moment Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him a vivid lesson, showing him what it meant to be Hokage and what true methods were.

"The Anbu also needs replenishment, but there have been too many things happening lately, and I suspect there has been infiltration within the Anbu. Therefore, I have decided that the Root will take advantage of this opportunity to replenish its ranks and simultaneously establish three large battalions of elite Anbu."

Holy crap!

Upon hearing this, Danzo almost burst into a Danzo of curses, his eye bulging wide open in shock. "You Hiruzen Sarutobi, how could you be so dark-skinned?"

This is clearly using him to train talent for your Anbu. A large battalion has 17 people, so three battalions would be 51 people, all elites, and from his Root. Isn't this just Hiruzen Sarutobi planting people in Root?

And they're so ruthless. These three battalions are under the Root's name, but in reality they still obey Sarutobi's orders. In other words, the missions are all carried out by Sarutobi, but the Root takes the blame.

"Ahem, Hiruzen's considerations are indeed thorough. After all, Uchiha Yoru inherited Orochimaru's power, and there are almost spies of Orochimaru throughout the entire village. Even the Anbu need to be careful."

Utatane Koharu, coughed lightly and sat down immediately after hearing this; she actually quite agreed with the plan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, seemingly embarrassed by Danzo's wide-eyed stare, sighed softly out of humanitarian concern.

"Danzo, don't worry. I will assign three experienced elite Anbu members to be in charge this time, so you can rest assured. You only need to select some people from your Root team."

"Sarutobi, you!" Danzo was so angry at Hiruzen Sarutobi's shameless act that his face turned green. What three experienced Anbu assistants? They were clearly three captains.

Moreover, they select people from the Root. Doesn't that mean that after he selected a round of elites to enter the Root, Sarutobi then selects people from the elites he selected again?

This is ridiculous!

Faced with Shimura Danzō's anger, Hiruzen Sarutobi was quite embarrassed, feeling that what he had done was somewhat shameless, but it was all for the sake of the village.

"Danzo, this time I'm allowing Root to choose members from various clans! The Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, Inuzuka clans, and even my Sarutobi Clan are all welcome, as long as you don't go too far! Remember to keep things within limits."

Knowing that he had gone too far this time, Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head and had no choice but to offer a generous gift. Upon hearing this Shimura Danzō's anger subsided slightly.

Finally, Danzo seemed to realize something, a sinister glint appearing in his one eye. He said in a deep voice, "Hiruzen, this might be an opportunity to test the Uchiha."

"Danzo, you mean...?"

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi feigning ignorance again, Shimura Danzō snorted coldly, "Hiruzen, Root is a crucial department for protecting Konoha. All clans in Konoha have the right to cooperate, even the Sarutobi Clan, as the Hokage, has an unshirkable responsibility. As long as the Uchiha Clan remains a member of Konoha, they have this obligation."

After the righteous words were spoken, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, acted as if he hadn't heard anything. He looked down at the report in his hand, then signed his name with a wave of his hand and stamped his Hokage seal with a bang.

"Koharu, please transfer these funds from the treasury to the Root as quickly as possible."

Utatane Koharu nodded, clearly understanding. "Don't worry, Sarutobi, the village has plenty of funds. At most, the funds will be in place within half a month."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi and Utatane Koharu banter, Shimura Danzō from the side, had veins bulging on his forehead. Finally, he let out a cold snort, turned around, and slammed the door shut as he left.

The two men in the office looked at each other with an unspoken understanding; it was obvious they knew nothing about these things and that Danzo and Root.

Shimura Danzō understood that Root was only used to take the blame and handle shady matters. Root would do the things that offended people. If they did well, the benefits would go to the Hokage. If they did poorly, the Hokage would naturally step in to resolve the issue.

If you're easy to talk to, you'll mediate; if you're not, it'll be like the Third Hokage angrily ordering Root to do this or that. At worst, you'll just get demoted.

Shimura Danzō five times, yet he remains the leader of Root! Everyone knows that given the Third Hokage's favoritism towards Danzo, even the biggest incident won't be long before he's reinstated.

Leaving aside the controversial assassination attempt, the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi still trusted Danzo despite knowing his obsession and desire for the Hokage speaks volumes about the depth of their relationship.

After Danzo left, Utatane Koharu looked worried. "Hiruzen, Danzo's ambition could easily lead to extreme actions. What if he provokes these clans!"

As his body gradually weakened and he aged, Hiruzen Sarutobi became increasingly stubborn and self-willed. At this moment, he raised his head and revealed a determined look in his eyes.

"What the village needs is stability, and this is also an opportunity to test the waters. As for the other families!"

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed the lingering power of his former Shinobi Hero, coldly stating, "The only clans that could pose a threat to the village are the Uchiha and Hyuga, but the now-divided Hyuga no longer possesses that ability."

The fact that the power of an entire clan could threaten the village demonstrates the strength of the Uchiha; otherwise, they wouldn't have entertained the idea of Armed Coup in the original story.

The Hyuga Clan has split and no longer poses a threat, while the Uchiha Clan has grown stronger, especially now that they have tied the Aburame and Hyuga Branch Family to their warship, greatly increasing their threat.

The ninjas remaining in the village have become significantly stronger, and their vigilance over the Hokage Building has increased several times over, demonstrating the threat posed by the Uchiha transformation.

"After this, I plan to give the Uchiha Clan one Anbu spot."

The shrewd and calculating Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed a confident smile. Giving a hard blow followed by a sweet treat was always his tactic, and this pawn could even become his trump card.

Utatane Koharu smiled and nodded upon seeing this; they had immense trust in Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Uchiha were powerful, but the most powerful enemies are often defeated from within.

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