In Konoha: Starting by Slapping White Fang — Chapter 46

"By now, everyone should know that A, the son of the Third Raikage, and Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, are leading a 5,000-man Cloud Village Vanguard Force and rapidly approaching the northern region of our Land of Fire."

Inside the main conference room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the seat of honor and said,

"Clearly, the Third Raikage's previous attack on the Land of Wind was merely a decoy. Their true target has always been our Land of Fire."

"If the esteemed members of the Elder Council had noticed that sooner, we wouldn't be in such an embarrassing situation now, would we?"

Though he was only a Chunin, Nawaki, as the head of the Senju clan, spoke with a sarcastic edge.

The corners of Hiruzen Sarutobi's Group of Four's mouths twitched.

But seeing Nawaki seated beside Genetsu, they wanted to say something yet could only swallow it back down.

Not to mention, they were indeed in the wrong over this matter.

"The Daimyo's order has arrived as well. We must immediately dispatch an army to stop them."

Utatane Koharu rose and swiftly changed the subject. She then took out a list and said,

"Dispatch 5,000 ninja north to meet them. Shimura Danzō will serve as Commander-in-Chief, and Nara..."

"Pfft!"

Genetsu, who had just lifted his teacup for a sip, could not hold it in when he heard Utatane Koharu announce the personnel list and sprayed tea out.

In an instant, everyone present shifted their attention from Utatane Koharu to Genetsu.

"Sorry,"

Genetsu tried to restrain his smile.

But the matter was simply too funny. No matter what he did, he could not suppress the grin on his face.

However, Nawaki beside him had already voiced Genetsu's thoughts, saying with a hint of mockery,

"Lord Danzo as Commander-in-Chief? Seriously?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Danzo asked coldly.

If not for the fact that you're Teacher Tobirama's grandson, do you think a mere Chunin would be qualified to sit here?

"No, no. I just think Lord Danzo would have absolutely no problem with shady schemes meant to screw people over, but facing the enemy on the front lines? I'm afraid that might not work. Besides, have you ever fought in any Ninja Wars?"

Nawaki grinned strangely.

"What nonsense are you talking about?! In the First Shinobi World War—"

"In the First Shinobi World War, weren't you just running errands behind Grandpa Tobirama's ass? And in the Second Shinobi World War, you never stepped onto the front lines either, did you?"

Danzo immediately wanted to retort in fury, only to be rendered speechless by Nawaki's two questions.

During the First Shinobi World War, they had not been up to the task at all. The main force had been Tobirama Senju.

And during the second war, Leaf Village had already produced countless talents. They had not needed to deploy at all—if they could win lying down, why would they stand?

The clan heads of the Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, and other clans present could not help exchanging glances.

Thinking about it carefully, the Elder Council's four members really did seem to have never fought on the front lines...

"Enough, Nawaki. That's enough."

Just as Elder Council F4 had turned red with anger yet did not know how to refute him, Genetsu spoke up to stop Nawaki.

This left Elder Council F4 stunned.

This brat is actually going to speak up for us?

"Still, Lord Danzo should stay in the rear and rest. You might throw out your back if you go to the battlefield."

"Still, Lord Danzo should stay in the rear and rest. You might throw out your back if you go to the battlefield."

Genetsu's words nearly made Hiruzen Sarutobi's Group of Four cough up blood.

They had thought the boy had changed and was actually going to defend them.

Yet once he opened his mouth, it was still the same old formula, the same old flavor.

Genetsu thought about it. It was not entirely accurate to say Elder Council F4 had never participated in the Ninja Wars at all.

At the very least, in the original story, hadn't Danzo played a role in Yahiko's death and Nagato's descent into darkness?

Though in open warfare, those four did indeed seem to have had no part in it.

But he had never expected Danzo to be made the frontline Commander-in-Chief.

Had the Elder Council gone insane?

"Lord Hokage, we also feel that Lord Danzo... no, that he may not be suitable for this position?"

After hesitating for a long while, Nara Shikaku could not help raising his hand in objection.

After all, they were the ones going to the battlefield.

An incompetent general could exhaust an entire army.

In the second-to-last year of the Second Shinobi World War, hadn't the Senju clan walked into an enemy trap under Danzo's command?

They feared repeating the Senju's mistake as well.

Danzo's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. He had never expected these ninja clan heads to give him so little face.

Silently, he added them all to his little blacklist...

"This matter is a decision reached after careful deliberation by our Elder Council."

Mitokado Homura said,

"Rest assured, everyone. Everything we do is for the sake of Leaf Village's interests."

They could hardly say that, to prevent Genetsu from gaining merit on the battlefield, they had to appoint Danzo as Commander-in-Chief so he could keep him in check, could they?

"If that's the case, then why doesn't Lord Hokage go to the battlefield himself? In terms of strength, shouldn't Lord Hokage be stronger? Otherwise, why did Grandpa Tobirama choose you instead of Lord Danzo back then? Why, why?"

Nawaki began adding fuel to the fire again.

Instantly, Danzo's eyes widened as if flames would burst from them. His resentful gaze came to hate Hiruzen Sarutobi alongside Nawaki.

Back then, a moment of hesitation had caused Teacher Tobirama to choose Hiruzen instead of him.

That was the pain of his entire life!

This brat was poking exactly where it hurt!

Feeling Danzo's hate-filled gaze upon him.

After cursing Nawaki thoroughly in his heart, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave two dry coughs and said,

"As the leader of a village, I cannot casually leave it unless absolutely necessary. This is also for Leaf Village's safety."

Bullshit! Isn't the Third Raikage a Kage too? Didn't he go to the front lines first?!

Nawaki was so furious he nearly jumped out of his seat and shouted, "I have never seen such a shameless person!"

But Genetsu beside him grabbed him first.

"Many things don't need to be said aloud," Genetsu said calmly.

In his view, Nawaki's verbal sparring was completely meaningless.

If he hated someone that much, he should find a way to take revenge through action.

"Then I will continue announcing the list."

After being interrupted several times in a row, Utatane Koharu finally found another chance to speak.

"Deputy Commander Nara Shikaku, First Division Captain Hyuga Hiashi, Second Division..."

Not long afterward, Utatane Koharu finished announcing the assignments.

Genetsu was not given any specific military post. Such things were not worth much to begin with.

Being included among those deployed was enough, and he was not good at command anyway.

But to everyone's surprise.

Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's White Fang, had not been included.

"Lord Hokage, why isn't Lord Sakumo..."

Nara Shikaku asked in confusion.

"We still do not know how Kirigakure and Iwagakure will act. We cannot send all our top combat power out at once to contend with Cloud Village."

What Hiruzen Sarutobi said was true.

But only half of it.

The other half was that he wanted to separate Genetsu and Hatake Sakumo, those two brothers.

Any reduction in the threat was worthwhile.

Can I find a way to kill that old pervert during this war away from Leaf Village?

While this brat is away and separated from the others, can I find a chance to kill him?

At that moment, Genetsu and Danzo simultaneously had two remarkably similar thoughts.

Both wanted to use this opportunity away from Leaf Village to kill the other.

It was wartime, after all. Once the other was dead, they could simply pin the blame on Cloud Village.

Not to mention that Genetsu had already done it once to Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

And Danzo had done it an unknown number of times in secret.

The Cloud Army led by A and Killer B had already drawn extremely close to the northern border region of the Land of Fire.

Time was of the essence.

In just one day and one night, Leaf Village gathered 5,000 men. With no time to spare, they immediately set out.

"Lord Genetsu, be careful of that Shimura Danzō. My parents were..."

At the village entrance, Nawaki, who had come to see Genetsu off, secretly glanced at Danzo at the very front of the force, dressed in standard Leaf Ninja attire, and warned him in a low voice.

"That old pervert is indeed skilled at shady schemes. Among the old bastards I know, he could rank in the top five."

Genetsu also glanced at Danzo as he spoke.

Even with the perspective of a god, in his view, the only old bastards in the Naruto world who could outdo Danzo at playing dirty were probably darkened Obito, Madara Uchiha, and Black Zetsu.

The next second, Genetsu changed the subject and smiled faintly.

"However, he always overestimates himself."

In the original story, Danzo had always believed himself to be the chosen one destined to bring change to the ninja world.

Little did he know, he was merely someone meant to take the blame.

"Are you planning to kill him?"

Hatake Sakumo found a moment when no one else was paying attention and asked Genetsu in a low voice.

He already knew that Sarutobi Shinnosuke had died at Genetsu's hands.

And this time, heading to the northern battlefield with Danzo was so similar to the last time.