Shimura Danzō felt deeply humiliated that Hozuki Shingetsu, despite being so young, had become his equal in fame, but there was nothing he could do about it.
After news spread that the Lightning-Earth Allied Forces had been defeated in the Land of Whirlpools, everyone eagerly discussed the details. Blue B's three loud laughs had especially disgraced Kumogakure. But even more attention was drawn to the information revealed during the battle, including Hozuki Shingetsu's Mirage.
The moment Hozuki Shingetsu used Mirage to disrupt the Allied Forces' senses, he knew he could no longer keep this long-concealed trump card under wraps. So he simply showed it off without reservation.
When Danzo heard the news, he finally understood why Aburame Ryoma and the others had vanished without a trace after entering the Land of Whirlpools.
To ensure the mission succeeded, Danzo had dispatched three Root squads. But he had underestimated Yukinagi and Karatachi Yagura's strength, and had no idea that Hozuki Shingetsu possessed Mirage. Under those circumstances, Aburame Ryoma and the others had been like drops of water falling into the sea, unable to make the slightest ripple.
There was no other way to put it: Mirage was terrifying. It was practically a "cannon fodder shredder." Unless someone had reached a certain level of strength, they would die in droves.
But Shimura Danzō felt deeply dissatisfied. It seemed that nothing he'd done lately had gone smoothly.
From his recent attempt to assassinate Hozuki Shingetsu to the Uchiha incident, he felt as though he'd been down on his luck the whole time. He couldn't shake the feeling that a shadow was constantly hanging over him.
So... "You brat, you just want to keep Kirigakure out of the mess, don't you? Well, I won't let you have your way."
As a fellow master of intrigue,