"Three-Tomoe Sharingan?"
A glint flashed in Danzo's eyes as he pondered.
"Uchiha Itachi's potential is no less than Uchiha Shisui's."
"What's more, Uchiha Itachi is Uchiha Fugaku's eldest son. Perhaps I can use him to gain leverage over the entire Uchiha clan."
"I'll have to go in person."
Once he had made up his mind, Danzo carefully put the scroll away.
Only after going through all the intelligence scrolls from within the village did he turn to the other pile on his desk.
These were all intelligence scrolls from outside the village.
The Root, under Danzo's leadership, didn't limit its attention to the village. It kept tabs on developments throughout the Shinobi World.
On the one hand, this allowed it to prepare for trouble and promptly eliminate threats to Konoha.
On the other, Danzo hoped to earn enough prestige and merit to bring down Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"The civil war in the Land of Rain has ended... The daimyo has announced that the borders will be closed and the country isolated... Hanzo of the Salamander has been keeping to himself and hasn't been seen in a long time..."
"Hmph!"
Danzo slammed the desk, furious. "That dishonest bastard Hanzō! I helped him encircle and kill the Akatsuki Organization, but he went back on his word and refused to honor our agreement. Looks like I'll have to visit Amegakure and collect what I'm owed in person."
"The Daimyo of the Land of Wind has cut funding again... The One-Tails Jinchuriki was attacked by an unknown powerful enemy, lost control, and was then brutally subdued by Kazekage Rasa and thrown into prison."
"The One-Tails Jinchuriki... Rasa still hasn't given up. Then he can keep at it."
"A bombing occurred in the Land of Earth. Witnesses claimed it was the work of Deidara, Ōnoki's beloved disciple, but they suddenly changed their story not long afterward."
"Nonō is quite capable... Just as I expected, placing her in Iwagakure was the right move."
"What? Another photo of Kabuto?"
"Looks like the Wandering Miko has developed feelings. A tool becomes harder to use once it develops feelings. And that woman knows too many secrets. It would be better to eliminate her."
A glint flashed in Danzo's eyes. He took out Yakushi Nonō's file and marked an X beside her name.
"Kusagakure was infiltrated by a mysterious shinobi. The higher-ups suspect a Konoha Ninja was responsible?"
"Rubbish! Utter nonsense!"
"Hiruzen, I told you long ago that those people in Kusagakure are all fair-weather friends who put their own interests first. An alliance with them could only benefit us. Now my words have been proven right."
"News from the Land of Water... An infiltrating spy disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Their identity was presumed exposed, and they were caught up in a purge?"
"How strange. This is already the third batch."
"When did Kirigakure become so difficult to infiltrate? Could it be plotting a famous conspiracy against Konoha?"
Danzo tapped his fingers on the desk and pondered for a long time, but couldn't make sense of it.
He shook his head, set the matter of Kirigakure aside for now, and picked up the last scroll.
"A letter from the Land of Lightning... The Byakugan traitor Hyuga Neji and the Two-Tails Jinchuriki Yugito formed a team... They seem to have completed a secret mission and been awarded the Amber Purifying Pot?"
"That child didn't become a breeding stud after all. Instead, he became a Cloud ninja, and by the looks of it, the Fourth Raikage values him highly?"
"The Fourth Raikage is a reckless fool who'll stop at nothing to gain power, but when it comes to magnanimity, he has three or four parts of my own."
"Too bad his vision is limited."
"Only Wood Release and the Sharingan are invincible. The Byakugan isn't worth spending so many resources to cultivate."
"Just watch. In the end, it'll all be for nothing."
After reading all the intelligence reports, Danzo leaned back in his chair and furrowed his brow in thought.
First, he took the intelligence scroll from Kusagakure and tossed it straight into the trash.
The Grass ninja had dared to frame Konoha. He'd made a note of that, and he'd settle the score in due time.
Then he picked up the intelligence scroll from Sunagakure and tossed that into the trash as well.
First, Sunagakure was technically Konoha's ally.
Second, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind had cut its funding several times, so Sunagakure would have a hard time for some time to come.
Third, Rasa had devoted all his attention to the One-Tails Jinchuriki.
So for a long time, Sunagakure, that unreliable ally, wouldn't have any crooked ideas about targeting Konoha.
Next, Danzo picked up the intelligence scroll from Kirigakure. After hesitating, he tossed it into the trash too.
He couldn't figure out what was happening in Kirigakure either.
One batch of spies after another had died. Clearly, a major upheaval had occurred in Kirigakure.
Danzo was tempted to go to Kirigakure himself and investigate, but it was the infamous Village of the Bloody Mist. As the future Hokage, he had to ensure his own safety. He couldn't risk his life.
For the sake of the village's future, Danzo decided to hold his position.
At last, only the two intelligence scrolls from the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning remained before him.
"Who's in charge of the Land of Lightning?" Danzo glanced toward a shadowy corner and asked gravely.
"I don't know."
At the sound of the low voice, a man in a black cloak and sunglasses, with a purple marking on the right side of his face, stepped out of the shadows.
Aburame Ryoma!
He was taciturn and preferred to work alone. He had mastered secret insect techniques, and his infiltration skills were first-rate.
Aburame Ryoma held a position of great authority in Root, second only to Danzo.
But in essence, he was no different from the other tools.
"You don't know?" Danzo asked, visibly annoyed.
"No."
Aburame Ryoma still wore the face of a dead man. He seemed completely unaware that Danzo was on the verge of flying into a rage, and replied in an unhurried manner, "Only you, Lord Danzo, have information on him."
At these words, Danzo looked momentarily taken aback. Then he realized what Ryoma meant and understood.
"Perhaps he's been undercover for so long that I nearly forgot I had such a trump card."
"Lord Danzo, are you planning to put him to use?"
The highest-level spies were complete nonentities. They had no name, no past or future, and not even a file.
Though Aburame Ryoma had followed Danzo for so many years, he'd only once happened to hear Danzo mention that he'd placed a high-level spy in Kumogakure. He knew nothing else.
Two years ago, Konoha had suffered a crushing setback during the incident with the Kumogakure delegation because of a lack of intelligence.
Aburame Ryoma felt that the high-level spy hadn't lived up to the name.
Danzo's expression darkened.
He had thought of the same thing as Aburame Ryoma.
If he hadn't known that no one in Root could possibly betray him, Danzo would already have begun to suspect that Puppet had defected.
Puppet was the spy's codename.
It meant a puppet under Danzo's control.
"Ryoma, take a squad of Root shinobi and infiltrate Kumogakure. Make contact with Puppet."
As he spoke, Danzo picked up Yakushi Nonō's file and placed it on the intelligence scroll from the Land of Lightning, then added, "Also, Yakushi Nonō will go to Kumogakure and assist you with the operation."
"Lord Danzo, what do you need me to do?" Aburame Ryoma's muscles tensed.
"I want you to go to Kumogakure and do three things."
"First, stir up conflict between Kumogakure and Iwagakure."
"Second, purge the Byakugan bloodline from Kumogakure."
"Third, Yakushi Nonō can't be allowed to live. Once the mission is complete, kill her."
Before you continue