Danzo Makes His Move

After the one-country, one-village system was established, the First and Second Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Countries shared certain traits. To put it simply, the First Kage tended to be more violent, while the Second Kage tended to be more accomplished researchers.

The First Kage played with numbers, while the Second Kage played with techniques and mechanics... The classic examples were Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.

Sunagakure was no different. The Second Kazekage, Shamon, was also a rare talent in research; it was simply that he studied different subjects.

The Second's subjects were various forbidden techniques and the Uchiha. The Second Kazekage's primary subject was the One-Tail, Shukaku—he was the source of Sunagakure's later "sand-control techniques."

He was also the originator of the Puppet Technique.

Though the Second Kazekage had already retired by this point, given his age, the Konoha Ninja didn't dare underestimate him when he appeared on the front lines.

When Kiba Inuzuka, the squad leader, realized who the enemy surrounded by Konoha Ninja actually was, his scalp went numb.

"Why... Why would someone like him suddenly appear here, and all alone?"

He had been leading his squad in a full-on charge, but when he realized the enemy's identity, he was so shocked that he stopped in his tracks without even thinking.

"Captain, who is that?" Shinnosuke Kohinata asked Kiba Inuzuka.

"He's the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure."

The Second Kazekage had such a distinctive appearance—a bald head and a tattoo on his scalp—that he hardly looked like a powerful figure. He seemed more like a street thug.

"The Second Kazekage? Wasn't he said to be so old that he could no longer rule?" Shinnosuke Kohinata asked in disbelief, though he knew his captain wouldn't joke about something like that.

The process of transferring power varied from one shinobi village to another. It depended on the ruler's personality and ambition. If a village had a well-developed succession of capable talent, some rulers were willing to relinquish power.

The Third Hokage was like that, though he seemed to have moved from the public eye to the background, and there were signs that he hadn't fully relinquished power. The later Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was completely different. After the Shinobi World War, she stepped down from the Hokage position at once, as though staying in it another moment would be like getting dog shit on her hands.

As for the recent change in power in Sunagakure, it had resulted from a combination of internal and external factors. The Second Kazekage's age and declining strength, combined with the Third Kazekage's surpassing him, had led Sunagakure into its next era of leadership.

"What should we do, Captain? Join the attack?" Yuzuru asked.

Personally, he definitely didn't want to join the fight. Against a Kage Level opponent, the numbers of ordinary shinobi hardly seemed to matter.

"No. Send word to the forward camp first," Kiba Inuzuka replied, quite rationally.

This was nearly always the choice made by reconnaissance squads. They would report the intelligence first, then take part in intercepting the powerful enemy after completing their primary duty.

For now, the Konoha Ninja were keeping their distance from the Second Kazekage. Ever since appearing on the battlefield, he had remained silent. He didn't seem to have come to fight; he looked more like an elderly man with dementia who had wandered off and gotten lost.

The Konoha Ninja didn't dare attack recklessly. After all, the Second Kazekage, Shamon, bore the title of Kage, and his presence alone was intimidating.

So all the Konoha reconnaissance squads in the Land of Rivers made the same choice... Whatever else, they'd call for reinforcements first.

"Then let's circle around the outskirts. I don't know why this Kazekage hasn't attacked, but since he hasn't, there's no need for us to get too close. We can observe from farther out," Yuzuru suggested to his captain.

He hoped this standoff would last at least another ten minutes.

"Fine."

Kiba Inuzuka agreed. Since the fighting hadn't started yet, there was no harm in keeping their distance and observing the enemy.

As he spoke, he took out a scroll and unfurled it, then quickly formed hand seals. He summoned a messenger bird and sent word back to the Konoha camp.

Given how quickly Konoha's reconnaissance network responded, Kiba Inuzuka didn't actually need to do this. Urgent reports about this location had already been sent to the Konoha camp repeatedly. But from the squad's perspective, they had to carry out even this redundant task. It was their duty.

After that, Kiba Inuzuka frowned as he watched the Second Kazekage. What exactly was going on with him? Whatever the reason he had appeared here, why wasn't he attacking?

Konoha's forward camp.

"What? The Second Kazekage has appeared in the Land of Rivers? This is bad..."

In the command center, Shimura Danzō shot to his feet in shock after receiving the unexpected news.

"Lord Danzo, the report is accurate."

The shinobi delivering the news spoke with firm conviction. More intelligence was still coming in from the Land of Rivers. One squad might be mistaken, but every squad couldn't be wrong.

Danzō frowned. He had stationed so many scouts in the Land of Rivers not to find anything, but in the hope that they wouldn't detect a thing from beginning to end. But man proposed and heaven disposed; the unexpected had still happened.

"Where are Orochimaru and the others?"

"Lord Danzo, the three of them are in the Land of Rain."

The dependable fighters were on the front lines. Another commander had gone to the Land of Grass on a confidential mission... Mitokado Homura was trying to visit Kusagakure... In other words, Shimura Danzō was now the only person in charge at the camp, so he had to deal with the problem posed by the Second Kazekage.

The question was, could Shimura Danzō's personal combat strength match a Kazekage's?

If the Second Kazekage were in his prime, then Danzō could forget it. Wind Release couldn't counter sand control. But what about now? After all, the Second Kazekage was long past his prime... Yet old age didn't mean he had lost his techniques.

By comparison, Danzō had neither a transplanted Sharingan nor Hashirama Cells at this point. The methods at his disposal were rather conventional.

His strength aside, the key issue was that Shimura Danzō sometimes lacked courage. What's more, he had a way of presenting inaction as a necessary form of caution.

Of course, after discovering the Second Kazekage, Shimura Danzō couldn't possibly stay holed up in the camp. Otherwise, he'd never be able to show his face in Konoha again.

Danzō wouldn't accept that outcome. Would he ever be able to write another essay about "My Hokage Dream"?

"Whatever Sunagakure is up to, sending the Kazekage straight to the front lines is a foolish move. They can't afford to lose their Kazekage, even if he's a former one..."

"Lord Danzo, what should we do? Please give the order."

"Except for the seriously wounded, gather half the shinobi in the camp at once. You'll follow me into battle. Our target is the Second Kazekage's head!"

Danzō's words sounded impressive, but even against the Kazekage, he was still planning to use overwhelming numbers. Put kindly, he knew his own limits. Put less kindly... well.

If Danzō were really confident in his strength, he'd take on the Kazekage himself. There'd be no need to bring so many people.

And so Shimura Danzō made his move, accompanied by a large force of Konoha Ninja.