Damn, I've Become Danzo's Stand-In!

The clash between Rock Fist and Lightning Release Chakra Mode had only just begun when the battle was called off.

"Stop!"

The Third Raikage's booming voice, like a mortar blast, made the nearby Iwa shinobi's heads ring.

But neither of the combatants listened. Instead, they fought even more fiercely, their collisions growing louder and louder until they drowned out the Third Raikage's voice.

The Third Raikage's face darkened, lightning writhing around his body as if stirred by his fury.

A brute was always a brute.

Ōnoki muttered a few words, then said in a low voice, "Kitsuchi, stop fighting. That's enough."

Kitsuchi, who was still locked in close combat with the Fourth Raikage A, suddenly pulled back. He placed his left hand on Rock Fist and used the Added-Weight Rock Technique on it. The fist crashed vertically into the ground, tearing the earth apart with a boom.

Centered on the impact site, the ground split apart and heaved up and down like a pile of building blocks.

The rapidly shifting terrain made it difficult for the Fourth Raikage A to keep his footing, so he swiftly retreated. Only after he had opened up a considerable distance did Kitsuchi slowly bring his assault to a halt.

Seeing his embarrassing, disobedient son, then comparing him to Kitsuchi, who had followed orders with effortless composure, the Third Raikage wanted nothing more than to grab his son's head and give him a dose of "fatherly love" powerful enough to rattle his brain.

"We're leaving!"

The Third Raikage didn't punch the Fourth Raikage A outright, but he did give him a crackling flick to the forehead that sent his head wobbling.

Ignoring his tough son's protests, the Third Raikage planted his thick fingers on the Fourth Raikage A's shoulder and easily dragged him away by force.

The Iwa shinobi were about to intercept them, but Ōnoki stopped them.

"Let them go!"

The Third Tsuchikage's long-standing authority kept anyone in the ranks from stepping forward to ask a foolish question.

"Just you wait! You hear me? Kitsuchi, next time, I'll be the one who wins!" Even as the Third Raikage dragged him away, the Fourth Raikage A turned his head and roared.

"I'll win," Kitsuchi replied with absolute certainty, his resolve unwavering.

Even Ōnoki couldn't help looking at him.

He knew his own son well. Where had the son who was as steady as a rock gone? Why did he seem to have turned into a flintstone?

So full of energy, so fired up—was he really not one of the Cloud shinobi next door?

"Father, letting the Raikage leave was Uchiha Yuji's decision, wasn't it?" Kitsuchi didn't phrase it as a question.

"The gap between our strength and his is too great. To protect Iwa, we have no choice but to sacrifice our dignity." Ōnoki fell silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "This is a new era, one with circumstances the likes of which we've never seen before."

"When the First Tsuchikage was still alive, Senju Hashirama kept Uchiha Madara in check. In this era of the Third Kage, it remains to be seen whether Konoha can keep to its old ways."

Ōnoki stroked his beard, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile. "The Uchiha Clan is too powerful. Once word spreads that neither Iwa nor Kumo can stand against them, then, from what I know of Sarutobi Hiruzen..."

"He'll do everything he can to weaken the Uchiha."

"He doesn't have the Second Hokage's courage or ability, but he's picked up the Second Hokage's bad habits."

"Arrogance and hatred of the Uchiha."

At the thought, Ōnoki couldn't stop himself from laughing.

Kitsuchi didn't know why his father had suddenly started laughing. He raised his numb right hand and scratched his head. "The Third Hokage probably isn't a match for Uchiha Yuji."

"That's right. But the Shinobi World isn't all about fighting and killing. When it comes to politics, give the Uchiha ten heads—or tie every last one of them together—and they still won't be a match for that monkey, Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Ōnoki was utterly confident about that.

"To get away, the Raikage wrote up a whole pile of 'intelligence.' I hope Sarutobi Hiruzen is capable enough to poison Uchiha Yuji outright."

"I don't think Uchiha Yuji is the sort to go along with that," Kitsuchi said earnestly.

Ōnoki admitted to himself that he was only dreaming. But if he was going to dream, why not dream up something even sweeter? There was nothing wrong with that.

For example: the entire Uchiha Clan moving to the Land of Earth.

Konoha's defensive position in the Land of Grass.

Hatake Sakumo stared at the stack of surrender documents and "intelligence," the twitch at the corner of his eye refusing to stop. His fingers kept flipping through the pages, and his lips never stopped moving.

"The Third Hokage colluded with the Third Raikage, trading the position's defensive intelligence for a vast amount of resources."

"He arranged for Anbu to steal enormous quantities of supplies and intelligence from other countries, then pocketed it all himself to help the Sarutobi Clan grow rapidly."

"He leaked information on clans and individuals who refused to obey the Hokage's orders, then sent them on missions on the battlefield that were impossible to complete."

Hatake Sakumo casually flipped through the many more pages covered in writing. His eyes filled with confusion as he lightly tapped the thick stack of papers with his right hand.

"Yuji, don't you think some of this intelligence is a little unreliable?"

"Lord Hokage doesn't seem like someone who would do this."

"Or should I put it this way: is anyone in the Shinobi World really this stupid?"

Uchiha Yuji knew perfectly well that the Third Raikage had made it all up.

But the absurd intelligence the Third Raikage had painstakingly written—making everything as outrageous as possible—was strangely close to the truth.

Still, compared with the even more unbelievable things done by a certain unnamed Shinobi of Darkness, the Third Raikage's claims were rather tame.

"I'm not going to check the details. That's the intelligence department's job. This should keep those Anbu busy for a while."

"Besides, these documents are all evidence written by Ōnoki and the Third Raikage A. Believe them or don't."

Uchiha Yuji was clearly a reasonable person. "If anyone refuses to believe them, I'll have Uchiha Clan shinobi pay them a little visit and explain everything properly."

That didn't sound like explaining. It sounded like you were going to pick a fight!

The extra copies of the intelligence weren't just placed on Hatake Sakumo's desk. Ninja Hawks had also delivered them to the Hokage Building in Konoha.

When he saw the surrender document to Hatake Sakumo, signed by the Third Tsuchikage and the Third Raikage, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt his heart stop.

But as a man long weathered by battle and hardship, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained calmly seated in the Hokage's chair and slowly opened the intelligence beneath it.

Now it wasn't just his heart stopping. His stomach was twisting in agony, too.

Had the Third Raikage been standing nearby when Danzo was doing his dirty work? Had his dark skin let him blend into the night without a hitch?

Why was it so similar to what had actually happened?

All of that had been Danzo's work, but Danzo had already gone to the Pure Land.

Oh no! I've become Danzo's stand-in!