Two Old Men Brawl by the Riverbank

The sacrifice Shikaku mentioned refers to having Kazashiro write a sincere personal letter, in which he should humble himself, give Ōnoki face, and explain the issue of the daimyo.

Having only Kazashiro's handwritten letter wasn't enough; Shikaku also planned to find the former daimyo who was under house arrest and have him explain the reasons for his abdication.

As for the reason, it was, of course, that the former daimyo felt he was getting old and was also busy with official duties.

After meeting Kazashiro, he felt it was time for him to retire peacefully, so he passed on the position of Daimyo to his uncle, who was older than him.

"You think you can fool Ōnoki?"

Kazashiro didn't believe that such a petty trick could fool the shrewd Ōnoki.

They say the older you get, the more shrewd you become. This Ōnoki is probably even more cunning than his own old man, Nobita.

Otherwise, how could they be used as shadows?

"While Ōnoki is certainly loyal to the daimyo, as long as we give him enough face and explain the pros and cons, telling him that the greatest enemy of the Shinobi World is still the Ōtsutsuki, he shouldn't take any drastic actions."

"Then let's give it a try?" Kazashiro's tone was somewhat uncertain.

"There's no harm in giving it a try."

Since Shikaku had put it that way, Kazashiro felt embarrassed to refute him.

In the riverside area of Konoha, an ordinary-looking old man was sitting on the ground, holding a fishing rod in his hand.

"How rare, Danzo, you actually come fishing."

The unremarkable old man suddenly spoke, but his eyes remained fixed on the river.

"Hmph, I'm willing." Danzo's figure appeared in response, carrying a fishing rod on his back and a fish basket in his hand.

"Haha, among our peers, you were the most impatient. I remember back then, we were all fishing on the bank, but you couldn't stand it and insisted on rushing into the pond to fight the fish, uh, fight them."

Feeling the fishing rod in his hand, Hiruzen happily lifted the rod, but his expression changed instantly when he saw the empty hook.

"It's all your fault, you scared the fish away."

Hiruzen's expression suddenly changed, and he shifted the blame for the air force incident to Danzo.

"Hmph, you're the one who lacks patience, or rather, you right now."

Danzo snorted and sat down not far from Hiruzen. Without even putting out any bait, he cast his fishing rod, leaving the empty hook in the river.

"You..." Seeing Danzo's behavior, Hiruzen knew that the other party was definitely up to no good, and immediately got up to leave.

He's too old to get involved in Konoha's affairs anymore, and he won't step in unless there's a battle required.

He had heard that his old rival, Ōnoki, was now suffering from back pain, clearly caused by overworking himself when he was young.

"Iwagakure has mobilized its forces."

Danzo calmly explained the current situation.

"That's because you forced the daimyo to abdicate."

"He's already about to make a move against Kazashiro. I can't keep such a potential threat in my position. Besides, I've spared his life."

Just from the tone of Danzo's voice when he mentioned the Danzo, you could tell that the daimyo harbored a great deal of resentment towards him.

"Hmph, you're always so impatient. Can't you wait until things have calmed down before making a move against the daimyo?"

Hiruzen was a little angry; his hand holding the fishing rod began to tremble.

"With the Ōtsutsuki outside and the opposition within, Hiruzen at the same time, how can you expect me to wait?"

Danzo was even angrier than Hiruzen.

This old friend is always like this, indecisive, always waiting until things are urgent before making a decision.

I always try to find the best solution, but in the end, I still have to take matters into my own hands.

"It is precisely because of all these factors that you need to handle things prudently. Don't you understand the principle that affecting one thing can have far-reaching consequences?!"

Seeing that their conversation had once again turned into an argument, Hiruzen threw his fishing rod to the ground, abandoning it altogether.

"You're too weak, Hiruzen!"

"I am the Hokage, Kazashiro is the Hokage, Danzo!"

"I'm the Hokage's father!"

"Um?!"

Hiruzen was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage.

Alright, so you were waiting for me here, huh?!

Danzo was somewhat pleased; he had finally managed to say those words out loud.

"Danzo!"

"Hiruzen!"

The two old men, who had once held high positions, started fighting in public.

When everything returned to calm, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were completely black, and Danzo's mouth was visibly swollen.

"You still go to such lengths."

"You're just like your son now, always attacking with vile tactics."

After a few murmurs, Danzo finally explained the purpose of their visit, "Shikaku has had that rebellious son write a letter, trying to appease Ōnoki by lowering his stance in exchange for Iwagakure withdrawing its troops. At the same time, he also came to me, hoping that I could intervene and have the former daimyo clarify some matters."

"Shikaku's words make a lot of sense. It's good that Kazashiro has him to assist him." Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Shikaku's solution.

"Now there's something even more important that requires your attention. My rebellious son wants to change the current ninjutsu distribution system, making it easier for ordinary ninjas to acquire high-level ninjutsu, as well as the secret techniques hoarded by various Ninja Clan."

Covering his blackened eye socket, Hiruzen turned to Danzo: "You mean...?"

"You know the situation of the Shimura Clan. Because of the establishment of the Root in the early years, the Shimura Clan is now dwindling in number. I can make decisions on some matters."

And the Sarutobi Clan... do they still obey your orders?"

Upon Hiruzen did not immediately give an answer.

Before joining Konoha, the Sarutobi Clan was a famous Ninja Clan in the Land of Fire. Hiruzen's father, Sarutobi Sasuke, was a ninja even Hashirama admired. This led to the Daimyo's Mansion establishing contact with their clan a long time ago.

"Out of respect for you, I haven't really done much to those daimyo factions within your clan," Danzo said sinisterly.

"I'm telling you beforehand, this rebellious son's actions will benefit Konoha, so I will do everything in my power to help him. No matter who stands in my way, I will show no mercy."

Hiruzen hesitated for a long time before finally making up his mind. "I understand. The Sarutobi Clan... I'll take care of them."