Konoha Hospital.
"Danzo, how is Konoha doing now?" Hiruzen asked as he sat up after the surgery.
Danzo's eyes flickered as he avoided Hiruzen's gaze. "Very badly. After the Third Kazekage, the One-Tails Jinchuriki Bunpuku also rampaged through the village. Although they were driven back for now, they will return, and the village has suffered severe damage!"
"Did they name any conditions?"
"No. They only said they would come every day. Each time we lose, the price will increase. They are probably testing our strength."
"Danzo, what do you think about negotiating for peace?" Hiruzen asked leisurely.
"Impossible!" Danzo shot to his feet. "This is our village! The enemy invaded it, and we are supposed to negotiate with them?"
"How can you face our teacher's trust?"
Hiruzen countered, "Do you think Konoha can withstand Sunagakure right now? Can you?"
"I..." Danzo was left speechless.
Hiruzen looked deeply at Danzo and said mournfully, "Danzo, we must consider the bigger picture. The village's forces are depleted right now. By the time Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru return, it may already be too late!"
"Our new generation has not yet matured. The sooner we negotiate, the better. If they discover that we cannot defeat them now, they may resolve to take Konoha!"
"Besides, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure have yet to join the war. What if they discover our weakness and take advantage of it?"
Danzo's face turned livid. "I absolutely refuse! Even if we cannot win, we must fight! How can Konoha submit to Sunagakure!"
Seeing the determination in Danzo's heart, Hiruzen stopped trying to persuade him and said to the ninja beside him, "Gather the village's jonin for a meeting."
"Yes!" The ninja turned and went to relay the order.
After leaving Konoha Hospital, Danzo grew angrier the more he thought about it. "Hiruzen, this time, your spirit has been broken. You are actually willing to compromise. I will show you Konoha's strength!"
Danzo planned to launch a night raid on Sunagakure's camp. He would make them pay!
Having made up his mind, Danzo began his preparations.
Sunagakure's first unit had already returned to the village with Sasori's parents' bodies, while Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru's army was speeding back to Konoha.
Sunagakure.
"My son... my son! I have failed you! I thought it was just an ordinary mission. I never imagined it would cost you your lives. It is all my fault!"
Chiyo wept bitterly as she looked at the bodies of her son and daughter-in-law.
Ebizo stood nearby, feeling no better. He had planned the attack on Konoha, yet he had not expected them to fall at the hands of Konoha's White Fang.
Ebizo's eyes were also red. He reminded her, "Sister, Sasori must not find out about this. He is still young. He cannot handle such a shock!"
"Right. We have to hide it from him. If he asks, we will say they went on a mission and have not returned yet."
Thinking of her grandson Sasori, Chiyo's heart ached again. He was still so young, yet he was about to lose both his parents. She could not help hating Konoha even more.
"Hatake Sakumo, I will kill you and avenge this blood feud!"
The still-ignorant Sasori knew nothing of this. He continued playing happily, waiting for his parents to return.
Late at night, outside Konoha.
"Lord Danzo, a total of 197 ninja are willing to participate in this operation," an ANBU captain reported.
Because Sunagakure had rampaged through Konoha that day, many had been intimidated by them. Still, some were willing to undertake this seemingly hopeless mission, all to prove that "Konoha is the strongest!"
"Very good. You are all Konoha's pride. Today, whether we succeed or fail, I, Danzo, will remember every one of you!" Danzo declared passionately.
"Yes!" The ninja below flushed red with fervor. When had Konoha ever suffered such humiliation? Even if they died, they would make the enemy hurt!
"Move out!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Konoha's ninja charged toward Sunagakure's camp with the resolve to die!
Sunagakure camp, command tent.
"Lord Kazekage, why did we not press on and take Konoha in one go today?" the Jinchuriki Bunpuku asked.
Kazekage Kōno glanced at Bunpuku and smiled. "You are still too young. Tell me, what price would we have to pay to take Konoha?"
Bunpuku propped up his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "Hmm, Konoha has more top-tier fighters than us, but they are not as strong as ours. I think we would lose half our jonin, while nearly eighty percent of our chunin and genin would fall!"
Kōno looked at Bunpuku approvingly. "Now do you understand why I did not go all out? Konoha's foundation is still very strong. Even if we could take Konoha, the price we would pay would be too great."
"Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure have not made their move yet. If we and Konoha both suffer crippling losses, would that not benefit others? Besides, Chiyojuro and Chiyo were killed!" Kōno said with a sigh.
"What!" Bunpuku was shocked. He found it hard to imagine that those two could have died in battle.
"Who killed them?" Bunpuku asked.
"Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. His swordsmanship is quite formidable!" Kōno's expression darkened. After all, he had approved this plan. He had never expected the two of them to die.
But he did not regret it. If it could win greater living space for Sunagakure, he would be willing even if it meant being shattered to pieces.
"Also, do not spread this around. We are at war, and we absolutely cannot lose morale!" Kōno said sternly.
The fall of top-tier experts greatly affected both sides' morale. Danzo's attack plan this time had received so few responses because the Hokage had been hospitalized, causing morale to plummet. Otherwise, there was no way so few people would have come!
"Yes." Bunpuku understood the gravity of the matter and solemnly agreed.
Suddenly, a Sand Ninja entered the tent to report, "Lord Kazekage, a group of Konoha ninja is attacking our camp."
"Oh? Let us take a look." Kōno rose and left the tent.
What was this supposed to mean? It was already generous enough that they had not gone looking for trouble, yet these people dared attack them!
When he arrived at the front of the camp, Kōno witnessed a shocking scene.
A group of fearless Konoha ninja charged at the Sand Ninja. They had no intention of surviving, fighting with their lives on the line and actually forcing Sunagakure's forces back again and again.
Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!
Whoosh! A fierce wind blade shot toward Kōno.
Boom! The wind blade struck the refined iron sand Kōno had casually condensed, leaving no mark at all.
"Hmph, Wind Style: Vacuum Great Ball!" Danzo refused to give up and unleashed an even more powerful ninjutsu.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The powerful high-pressure air spheres slammed into the iron sand defense, finally blasting a huge dent into it.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shuriken wrapped in Wind Style Chakra spun at high speed, colliding with one another... and slipped through a blind spot.
"Now let's see how you dodge that!" Danzo smirked. He had finally injured his opponent.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The condensed iron sand barrier spread continuously. Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! It pierced the bodies of the Konoha ninja present again and again. Stained by blood, the iron sand seemed even more sinister!
On the other side, Bunpuku, having entered Tailed Beast Transformation, slaughtered Konoha's ninja with Shukaku's overwhelming body.
They could not break through Shukaku's sand armor at all. They could only use their lives to prove the Jinchuriki's strength!
Danzo seemed frozen. "So strong? Hiruzen had faced an enemy this powerful..."
Intense jealousy made him lose his reason. "Bastard, I will not accept this..."
Slash!
Danzo saw his own right arm flying through the air. Scalding blood splashed across his face before he watched it fall to the ground.
"Lord Danzo, run! As long as you live, we still have hope!" Two Konoha ninja risked their lives to bring Danzo back to Konoha.
Kazekage Kōno stopped Bunpuku, who was about to pursue them. "No need to chase them. Let them escape!"
Danzo did not know how he had returned to Konoha. He only remembered the final scene before fleeing.
Konoha's ninja had been pierced through by iron sand from head to toe, blood dripping down the iron sand. On the other side, the terrifying tanuki monster casually attacked Konoha's ninja. At the slightest touch, a spray of blood would rain down, and the ground was covered in corpses.
"This is... hell!"
PS: Why did I write this part? Because the original work left many things unexplained: why Danzo turned dark, why he became obsessed with the power of the Sharingan, why Hiruzen Sarutobi became weak, and why his combat strength was so underwhelming in his old age.
This is what I want to address. Writing this section can better fill in each character's transformation, rather than making their darkness and weakness seem groundless.
It was precisely the Third Kazekage's overwhelming power that stimulated Danzo and Hiruzen, pushing them toward the personalities they would develop later!
Everyone, if you have any thoughts, feel free to share them!
Before you continue