Danzo Takes the Fall

Inside the Hokage Building, several Konoha higher-ups rushed into the office. Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi smoking with an angry expression, they roared, "Danzo must give us an explanation for this!"

Utatane Koharu said sternly, "Hiruzen, what is going on between you and Danzo? Why was there a terrorist attack on the village? Why did this Shimura Ken accuse you?"

Mitokado Homura immediately objected, "You should give Konoha's villagers an explanation. Is it true that you often peeped into the women's bathhouse?"

Danzo also entered the office. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he said gloomily, "Shimura Ken's matter has nothing to do with me. I never ordered him to carry out a terrorist attack."

Homura Mitokado directly questioned him, "Then why was he shouting, 'Danzo should rise, Hiruzen should die'? Why did he detonate Explosive Tags and injure so many civilians?"

Utatane Koharu immediately agreed. "Those civilians have filled the hospital. There are still injured people without beds, lying right at the hospital entrance."

Danzo said furiously, "It could all be the Uchiha Clan's doing. They provoked Shimura Ken. We only need to kill a few people to quell the civilians' anger."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said sternly, "Who do you want to arrest? You must take full responsibility for this incident. You were so eager to become the Fifth Hokage that you used such extreme methods and turned Konoha's higher-ups into a joke."

Danzo said darkly, "Hiruzen, you want Sarutobi Asuma to become the Fifth Hokage. With that little strength of his, he cannot deter the other ninja villages. He will make Konoha a target for all."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a low voice, "That is not something you should worry about. I will hand the position of Hokage to the right person."

Danzo's eyes widened. Hiruzen, you hypocrite. Power has already blinded you. Handing the village to me is the best choice. For Konoha, I can resort to any means necessary.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew this old companion far too well. Seeing Danzo's gloomy expression, he knew what Danzo was plotting and immediately warned, "Danzo, I am the Hokage. This time, you have gone too far. I will announce to every villager that you incited the Shimura Clan to spread rumors about me."

Danzo roared angrily, "Hiruzen, your weakness means you are no longer fit to be Hokage. I will protect the village in my own way."

Mitokado Homura immediately refuted him. "Danzo! Hiruzen is the Hokage. How can you oppose Hiruzen's orders?"

Utatane Koharu also immediately spoke up, making her presence known. "The village needs peace. The Uchiha Clan has just been exterminated. If we mishandle this incident, every major ninja clan will become alienated from Konoha, and the authority of us higher-ups will decline as well."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said sternly, "Danzo, if you refuse to accept my orders, I will cut off all funding for Root and disband every Root ninja."

This was not like before, when Hiruzen Sarutobi publicly claimed to disband Root while secretly continuing to allocate funds to it, allowing Danzo to remain Konoha's Root.

So when Danzo heard about cutting off funding and disbandment, his expression became slightly more restrained, though his face was still full of anger. If I had raised my hand one step earlier back then, I would have become the Third Hokage. It is all Hiruzen's fault for competing with me. That hypocrite is the one best suited to lead Root.

With a cold snort from Hiruzen Sarutobi, he said, "Danzo, did you hear my order? If you refuse to take responsibility, I will immediately cut off everything related to the Root ninjas, including the increased number of Root ninjas."

Danzo replied gloomily, "Hiruzen, I will handle it. But Root's funding cannot be stopped. Konoha needs Root."

The Root ninjas' daily expenses were enormous. Routine training, daily necessities, technological research, and infiltrating the major ninja villages to steal intelligence all required money. The Shimura Clan could not support such a massive machine either; it was all maintained by Konoha.

Hearing that the funding would be cut off, Danzo had been caught by Hiruzen Sarutobi's weakness. He immediately said, "I will handle this matter properly. I will not cause you any trouble."

After saying that, Danzo immediately left the Hokage Building and headed toward the Shimura Clan, leaving Konoha's higher-ups with a weathered silhouette.

Within the Shimura Clan compound, Clan Head Shimura Daisuke berated his son, Shimura Min. "Look at the trouble you caused for Lord Danzo. Shimura Ken's entire family has now been executed."

Shimura Min spoke fearfully, his face filled with panic. "Dad, you are Lord Danzo's cousin. You can definitely save me."

Shimura Daisuke said solemnly, "Lord Danzo does not care about personal feelings. I only hope Shimura Ken's family can calm Lord Danzo's anger. Otherwise, we are all in danger."

When Danzo entered the Shimura Clan compound, every Shimura clansman was startled and called out, "Lord Danzo!"

Danzo did not respond. He simply walked into the main hall, looked at Shimura Daisuke, who was lecturing his son, and said coldly, "What exactly happened with Shimura Ken?"

Seeing Danzo's gloomy face, Shimura Min said fearfully, "Reporting to Lord Danzo, I do not know what happened either. I only saw him shouting, 'Hiruzen Sarutobi should perish, Lord Danzo should rise.'"

Danzo cursed furiously, "You sent him to the school. Why are those two Uchiha still alive?"

In the August heat, a group of Shimura Clan members broke out in cold sweat upon hearing Danzo's rebuke. All of them trembled from fear at the ruthless Danzo.

The Shimura Clan members all knew that Danzo was merciless when he acted and never hesitated to kill. This time, people would very likely die again.

Danzo said sternly, "Announce to the public that this entire incident was fabricated. Everything was Shimura Daisuke acting on his own initiative, and he has now been punished by me."

As soon as his words fell, all the Shimura Clan ninjas shouted, "Understood, Lord Danzo!" After speaking, the Shimura Clan ninjas saluted one after another and ran toward the streets, not daring to delay at home.

Shimura Daisuke, however, wore a solemn expression and calmly said, "Lord Danzo! I know what I must do." With that, he immediately took out a kunai and slit his own throat.

The current head of the Shimura Clan died on the spot. To Danzo, the public suicide of a clan head who was merely an ordinary jonin was not a serious matter.

Danzo said gloomily, "Shimura Kumano, you will become the head of the Shimura Clan. Keep watch over these idiots. Do not let them cause any more trouble for me."

An Elite Jonin in his forties, with a capable-looking face, said tremblingly, "Understood, Lord Danzo."

Shimura Min had been scared senseless. Seeing his father, who had just been lecturing him, commit suicide in public, he was filled with fear. He said to Danzo with a terrified expression, "I know I was wrong, Lord Danzo. I will never act recklessly again."

A group of Shimura Clan ninjas began spreading word through the streets. "We are ninjas of the Shimura Clan. This morning's incident was entirely Clan Head Shimura Daisuke acting on his own initiative. He ordered Shimura Ken to publicly detonate Explosive Tags. Clan Head Shimura Daisuke has committed suicide out of guilt. Do not believe the nonsense from this morning anymore."

Konoha's ANBU also began posting notices. This Explosive Tag suicide incident had been the work of the Shimura Clan. The Shimura Clan had deliberately spread rumors about the Third Hokage in an attempt to smear the Third Hokage.

The mastermind had already received severe punishment. We hope all villagers will spread the word and not believe these rumors. The Shimura Clan will bear all expenses from this incident.

Many villagers came running out to watch the spectacle. Looking at Konoha's notice, they said, "I knew someone had to be behind this, deliberately smearing the Third Hokage."

Some civilians had already had seeds of doubt planted in their minds and said, "This definitely is not that simple. Shimura Daisuke must have been pushed out as a scapegoat."

The Explosive Tag incident from that morning continued to intensify throughout the village. The discussions were deafening, and the method had been terrifying—strapping Explosive Tags directly to one's body and perishing together with the Sarutobi Clan.

Taking advantage of noon, Qingcheng prepared to visit Konoha Cemetery to pay respects to the fallen Uchiha Clan members, as well as his own mother and younger sister.