Danzo Ah-Danzo

So it is finally time to make a move against the Uzumaki clan?

Inside an underground base in Konohagakure, Shimura Danzō looked at the newly acquired intelligence with an exceptionally solemn expression.

Go and fetch the Hokage, tell him there is a matter of great importance to discuss.

After pondering for a moment, Shimura Danzo gave the order.

A Root ninja soon departed, and Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived not long after.

What has happened?

Hiruzen Sarutobi wore an equally grave expression. He understood his old friend; if it were a routine matter, Danzo would have come to the Hokage Office himself, but summoning him here meant it had to be something very out of the ordinary.

This is intelligence obtained from Kumogakure.

Shimura Danzo handed over the two reports.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga Main Family, the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki... Kumogakure and Sunagakure have joined forces.

Having read the two reports, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression grew even graver as he analyzed three main points from them, especially the first two, which fit Kumogakure's style perfectly.

Kumogakure and Sunagakure are certainly not the only ones with similar ideas regarding the Uzumaki Sealing Technique. Iwagakure and Kirigakure, which possess Tailed Beasts, must have designs on it as well.

Although according to existing intelligence, they seem to have produced Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, those beasts run amok frequently because their sealing techniques are not powerful enough. They undoubtedly want to acquire sealing techniques capable of perfectly sealing Tailed Beasts.

This is an opportunity for us, and the final opportunity for the Uzumaki clan as well.

Shimura Danzo's gaze was sharp and cold. He needed to obtain Hiruzen's authorization to lead more ANBU ninjas to the Land of Whirlpools and wipe out the hidden hazard that was the Uzumaki clan.

It was enough for Konoha alone to possess the sealing technique capable of perfectly sealing Tailed Beasts; there was no need for a second existence to hold it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not reply immediately. He took out his tobacco pouch, lit it, and began to smoke quietly while pondering.

He understood his old friend's intent. Over the years, he had also invited the Uzumaki clan three times in the name of the Hokage to migrate and integrate into Konoha, so that they could acquire all of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques and he could gain a few more trump cards.

Yet his good intentions had all been refused by the Uzumaki clan. Now, the Four Great Shinobi Villages had indeed set their sights on the Uzumaki clan; if those four villages were to acquire the Uzumaki Sealing Technique and forge a perfect Tailed Beast Jinchuriki like Lady Mito, it would spell massive trouble.

Lady Mito is getting on in years; the village needs a young Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, voicing a goal—an objective that had to be accomplished.

Wanting to become a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki was no easy feat. Not only did it require a flawless sealing technique, but the person themselves had to possess massive chakra.

Especially since the beast they possessed was the strongest Nine-Tails, making the demands for a Jinchuriki even more rigorous. Currently, only members of the Uzumaki clan were up to the task, and they had to be direct-line descendants.

I will bring back the finest Jinchuriki.

A hint of a smile emerged on Shimura Danzo's face. This was what he had been waiting for, and he knew Hiruzen would certainly agree.

In truth, he understood Hiruzen's mindset very well. Although Hiruzen had previously extended three invitations for the Uzumaki clan to migrate to Konoha, Danzo knew that in his heart, Hiruzen did not actually wish for the entire Uzumaki clan to relocate here en masse.

The crux of the matter lay with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. At this stage, only direct descendants of the Uzumaki clan could serve as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. If the entire Uzumaki clan migrated over, would the Nine-Tails belong to the village or to the Uzumaki clan when all was said and done?

At present, Lady Mito serving as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki already made the Senju Clan so arrogant that Hiruzen had almost failed to secure the Hokage Position back then, and their lives hadn't been particularly smooth over the past few years either.

If the Uzumaki clan came over, wouldn't the Senju Clan, who had always maintained matrimonial ties with them, climb straight up to the heavens?

By then, with the Nine-Tails residing within the Uzumaki clan, it would effectively be in the hands of the Senju Clan, which was far too dangerous!

Therefore, it was best for the Uzumaki clan to vanish entirely, leaving just a single person behind to serve as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

However, such a task could not be carried out by Hiruzen; he had to do it himself.

In Konoha, Hiruzen was the leaf bathing in the sunlight, while he himself was the root hidden in the darkness!

If they remain stubbornly uncomprehending and inflexible, be discreet when you strike. You must not leave behind any traces whatsoever.

Offering this final, solemn reminder, Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer held much patience for the Uzumaki clan either. However, Lady Mito was still alive after all, and certain things could not be done too blatantly, or else the resulting problems would be massive.

Do you take me for someone who needs your reminders?

Throwing a sideways glance, Shimura Danzo naturally understood this logic; this operation must never see the light of day.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not mind Danzo's attitude, knowing his old friend simply had that kind of personality and was surely still harboring lingering resentment over that matter from years ago.

They were partners of several decades. In fact, the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan had been long-standing allies for many years during the Warring States period, fighting alongside each other on numerous occasions.

The Shimura Clan's Wind Style could blend perfectly with their Sarutobi Clan's Great Fireball Technique to drastically increase their power, and he and Danzo had grown up together since childhood, sharing a bond strong enough to risk their lives for one another.

You swapped out our teacher's Sword of the Thunder God a few days ago—did that have to do with this intelligence?

Hiruzen promptly brought up another matter. A few days prior, Shimura Danzo had suddenly gone to the Hokage Office to review materials and relics left behind by their teacher. Driven by curiosity, Hiruzen had gone over to take a look and discovered that the teacher's Sword of the Thunder God had been swapped out.

At the time, he had been baffled as to why his good friend would commit such an act, finding it utterly incomprehensible.

Now, suddenly receiving such crucial intelligence obtained from Kumogakure, he couldn't help but form a few suspicions.

That is none of your concern!

Glancing at his friend, Shimura Danzo naturally would not reveal the truth; that could also be considered one of his trump cards at this stage.

Though he felt quite displeased with that brat's audacity and methods, he could understand it.

Perhaps only that kind of personality could manage to climb the ranks in a place like Kumogakure, as excessive caution was hardly Kumogakure's mainstream style.

With that brat's intellect, his status in Kumogakure would boundlessly rise in the future. If he could resolve the issue of his chakra aptitude, there was no saying he couldn't eventually become part of Kumogakure's upper echelons.

Danzo could even arrange a few meritorious deeds for that punk to claim, such as the intelligence on the Uchiha Clan heading to the front lines in the Land of Lightning this time, so that he could rise faster and higher within Kumogakure—and thereby gather even more intelligence.

For someone with talent and brains, Danzo remained quite tolerant.

Seeing that Danzo was unwilling to elaborate, Hiruzen knew better than to press further. Yet deep down, he understood that his old friend must have planted a capable asset over in Kumogakure, and that person's status and position certainly wouldn't be low.

This was a good thing. Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, only Kumogakure was purely a faction of martial artists who advocated for external aggression and plunder, posing the greatest threat to Konoha.

Even their teacher had perished at Kumogakure's hands back in the day. Being able to plant a high-level spy deep within their ranks was a positive development.

Keep your people in line and don't stir up trouble. We had a hard enough time fighting to secure some of our teacher's remaining artifacts; we certainly don't need news of a theft leaking out right now.

Offering this grave reminder, Hiruzen knew the matter of the Sword of the Thunder God could be big or small, and if the Senju Clan kicked up a fuss over it, things would become very troublesome.

With the Great Ninja War about to commence, he wanted no internal turmoil within Konoha.

Are you lecturing me on how to do my job?

Throwing another sideways glance, Shimura Danzo felt quite confident regarding that punk; after all, he held the kid's leash in his own hands.

A blade wasn't feared for being sharp, so long as one could hold the hilt!

Seeing his old partner looking so full of confidence, Hiruzen Sarutobi set his mind at ease. Then, his expression shifting, he said with a hint of ingratiating tone, "Ah-Danzo, lend me another tens of thousands of ryo."

Off to buy those trashy books again?

Shimura Danzo's eyes held undisguised disdain and disgust. He was well aware of his old friend's little hobby, having already lent him money on numerous occasions over the past few years.

You called me Danzo earlier, and only now do you call me Ah-Danzo—what do you take me, Shimura Danzo, for?

No, I just want to buy some good tobacco leaves. You know Biwako doesn't like me smoking, nor does she give me money to buy tobacco.

Hiruzen Sarutobi flatly denied it. Would he, Hiruzen Sarutobi, ever look at such filthy books? That copy of The Story of Gatekeeper Grandpa Sarutobi sitting in his office drawer was definitely not his.