Rebuking Danzo

Seeing all the blame land on the Third Hokage, who was even being branded as someone who envied the talented and resented the capable, Danzo, his good friend, finally couldn't hold back. He snapped:

"Hatake Sakumo abandoned a mission once to save the lives of the ninja accompanying him. That's a major taboo for a ninja! You're an outsider. You have no right to meddle in Konoha's internal affairs!"

"Oh? Then I'd like to ask you, Lord Advisor: were those accompanying ninja from Konoha?"

"Hmph! Of course they were. What kind of question is that?"

Ye Ning immediately burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha! Lord Advisor, you didn't say that. I thought Hatake Sakumo had rescued ninja from an enemy country. Turns out they were from his own village!"

After laughing for a good while, Ye Ning finally managed to rein in his laughter. He said, dead serious, "Sorry, I just thought of something funny."

"If that's the case, I have another question for you, Lord Advisor. I've heard that you and the Third Hokage were teammates in the same squad back then. If you'd found yourself in Hatake Sakumo's position, what would you have chosen between the mission and the Third Hokage?"

"As a ninja, I would naturally put the mission first!"

"Oh... I see. Then I suppose Advisor Danzo really is a qualified ninja."

Ye Ning raised an eyebrow, his tone growing increasingly sarcastic. "Setting everything else aside, I'd like to know why the villagers can find out whether a ninja has completed a mission."

"I was under the impression that ordinary villagers couldn't access information about ninja missions. Or have Konoha's rules changed without my father and me knowing?"

At that, Ye Ning's tone abruptly changed. He barked, "Why are the villagers allowed to freely criticize the hero who won the war and recklessly slander the Hero of the Land of Fire? Is it because you're afraid he'll threaten your positions, so you've resorted to these filthy, underhanded tactics for your own selfish gain?"

"Advisor Danzo, understand this: Hatake Sakumo is a Konoha ninja, and he is also a hero of the Land of Fire! I, Ye Ning, the future heir to the Daimyo, will never allow a few villains to smear a hero of the Land of Fire like this!"

His words rang out with force and conviction.

Ye Ning had only meant to get under the skin of the Third Hokage and Danzo, but he couldn't help putting himself in Hatake Sakumo's shoes. Anger welled up inside him.

His words had elevated the whole affair to an entirely new level. Even the Daimyo, who had been watching from the sidelines, straightened his face and grew more serious.

"Third Hokage, I do expect an explanation for this."

True, the Daimyo and his son had no business interfering in Konoha's affairs. But when it came to the Hero of the Land of Fire, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire could certainly step in.

The Third Hokage and Danzo were both left speechless.

It had never occurred to them that a child could say something like that.

He'd used the weight of public opinion to pressure them.

Even seasoned politicians like the Third Hokage and Danzo had to admit he was sharp-tongued.

Besides, they had no real defense for the way they'd been trying to suppress Sakumo.

Even if ordinary ninja noticed something was amiss, they didn't know the details of the mission. They wouldn't speak up for Sakumo, nor did they have the right to. The only people in the village who could clear his name were either elders allied with Danzo or the Sannin, who had made a name for themselves in the Land of Rain and across the Shinobi World.

But the Sannin weren't involved in Konoha's trivial affairs at the time. One was still teaching children in the Land of Rain, another had Hemophobia and shut herself away at home all day, and the last one—more or less the only one still acting normally—was gradually sinking into experiments in pursuit of immortality.

The Third Hokage might only have intended to tarnish Sakumo's reputation and keep him out of the spotlight for a while. But Danzo was after a complete takedown.

According to Danzo's plan, once the matter had been allowed to fester, the ninja Sakumo had saved would come forward and accuse him. Sakumo's reputation would be utterly destroyed. Even if he could endure the agony and torment within and pull himself together again, his ruined reputation would make it impossible for him to ever become Hokage.

It was a beautiful plan. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be a flawless campaign to bring Sakumo down.

But a righteous defender had appeared out of nowhere to block their path.

And, of all people, it was someone with the power to clear Sakumo's name.

A perfect scheme had just gone up in smoke!

Danzo glared at Ye Ning, weighing his options furiously.

If he let the matter drop, he'd be dissatisfied, but if the Daimyo insisted, there wasn't much he could do. Besides, this incident had left a stain on Sakumo's otherwise perfect career as a ninja. Danzo hadn't achieved the best possible outcome, but he'd still gotten what he wanted.

After weighing things over, Danzo decisively left the situation to the Third Hokage and played dumb.

But in his heart, he secretly held a grudge against Ye Ning.

Though the Third Hokage and Danzo had yet to speak, Ye Ning knew he had already won. He was certain the two of them would back down.

This move involved taking the moral high ground and following it up with the classic "setting that aside" one-two punch.

Not even the Third Hokage and Danzo could handle that. Nobody could.

Well, except Madara Uchiha, that brute.

Ye Ning figured that if he stood in front of Madara Uchiha and said something like that, Madara would probably scoff, toss out a line like, "You're nothing but dust, yet you dare to boast," and slap him flying.

But it was more than enough to deal with the Third Hokage and Danzo.

Being the Daimyo's Son really was...

Too good!

Just as expected, the Third Hokage lowered his head.

"Neither Danzo nor I knew anything about this. I'll issue a notice explaining the matter at once. We'll also investigate thoroughly and find out who's been spreading these rumors. Whoever started such rumors deserves to die!"

"Now, don't let our great hero of the Land of Fire lose heart."

The Daimyo waved his hand, putting an end to the matter.

Whew~

That felt good.

Ye Ning breathed a long sigh of relief. He felt much better.

He just couldn't stand those two, the Third Hokage and Danzo. One had let the prospect of the Hokage Position blind him, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals; the other had gradually been blinded by power, growing weaker by the day and losing the ambition of the Shinobi Hero he'd been in his youth.

Drive White Fang to his death... drive the Sannin away... wipe out the Uchiha Clan... hand over Hizashi Hyuga's body...

Take a look at all the things they've done. Is any of that decent?

Konoha was supposed to be the strongest village in the Shinobi World, yet those two had managed to weaken it more and more through their relentless meddling. Ye Ning almost wanted to slap them both to death.

Now, at least, they'd made a good start.