Hanzo of the Salamander had been dead for many years, but Amegakure had shut itself off from the world, and the news had never gotten out.
Everyone still believed that Hanzo of the Salamander ruled Amegakure.
Yet after more than a decade without contact, Hanzo of the Salamander had taken the initiative to invite Danzo to seek refuge in Amegakure.
Danzo read the letter again and again, and the more he looked at it, the less trustworthy it seemed.
It was very likely a trap.
So, should he go or not?
He still had to go.
During his escape from the Konoha Ninja pursuing him, Danzo's subordinates had all been killed or wounded. Now, only two capable subordinates remained by his side: Yamanaka Fū and Aburame Torune.
The Shinobi World was vast, yet there was nowhere left for Danzo to hide.
Without the protection of a faction, given his reputation in the Shinobi World, vengeful enemies and bounty hunters seeking to claim his head for a reward would come after him one after another.
In fact, Danzo thought Amegakure was the best place to go.
The Kage of the Five Great Nations were all shrewd operators. If he defected to one of the other four great nations, they might strip him to the bone.
If he went to a small country and set himself up as king, he was already too old to spend years building up his power.
So he decided to take a gamble: that Hanzo of the Salamander had become senile in his old age and lost his mind.
If he could fool Hanzo of the Salamander into becoming Amegakure's Hiruzen Sarutobi, he could use Amegakure's power to find a way to seize Konoha.
If he succeeded, he would win the Hokage Position. If he failed, he