The existence of Root is still necessary to a certain extent compared to Konoha.
The reason why Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to the independent establishment of Root was because of this, so he would not ban Root, but the necessary restrictions must still be followed. It is necessary to at least temporarily separate Root from the control of Danzo.
If Mitokado Homura is in charge of a senior executive who is as conservative as himself, Sarutobi Hiruzen will feel more at ease. As for whether Root will be returned to in the future With Danzo in charge, it depends on Danzo's future performance. At least in the next few months or even one or two years, Sarutobi Hiruzen will have to restrict Danzo's power and some independent actions.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! You can't do this!"
Although it seemed a bit urgent, generally speaking, I still felt that I would be reprimanded at most this time, and Sarutobi Hiruzen would not accept the result of his suggestion. Danzo never expected that Sarutobi Hiruzen actually planned to revoke his authority to control Root.
And what do you mean by staying here temporarily?
Isn't this a restriction of freedom in changing directions?
The figure of Shimura Danzō, who was filled with shock and anger, suddenly stood up, looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen on the main seat with an extremely gloomy look and shouted coldly.
"It can't be like this? Danzo, your behavior has already harmed the interests of the village. Today's village does not need too many irritating and dangerous behaviors. What it wants is stability and harmony. What the people need is peace, not war. And I am not negotiating terms with you, but ordering you, Danzo!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen also had an upright body. The figure that looked rickety before seemed to stand up straight at this moment, with an undisguised terrifying aura permeating the whole body.
As it spreads in this office.
Shimura Danzō couldn't help but his pupils suddenly shrank, and he felt a sense of coldness, which seemed to penetrate deep into his own bone marrow, giving Danzo a shuddering feeling.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, you!"
"This matter is settled like this, Zero!"
Danzo seemed to want to say something more, but was interrupted by Sarutobi Hiruzen waving his hand, a little rudely, and then shouted in a deep voice.
"Whoosh!"
On the left side of the office.
A dark figure suddenly appeared, and the silver hair was so conspicuous. When Danzo saw this figure, the cold light in his pupils became more intense.
'Kakashi Hatake! '
"During this period of time, you and your team are following Elder Danzo and are responsible for protecting Elder Danzo. Do you understand?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Kakashi Hatake and said in a deep voice.
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
At this stage, Kakashi is still in the darkening mode, and the pupils reflected in the mask are also indifferent. When Third Hokage finished speaking, Kakashi also lowered his head suddenly, and answered Responded with a stern meaning.
Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen's face, which was not fake at all, and showed that he would strictly enforce it to the end, Danzo's palm hidden in the body couldn't help but clenched slightly. At this moment, he really regretted himself. This time he acted rashly, not only did Root suffer a great loss in strength, but he was also semi-detained by Sarutobi Hiruzen, completely losing control of Root, and he had no intention of doing anything.
But in the end, he slowly let go of his hand.
He knows very well that now he really does not have any capital to fight against Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage. No, to be more precise, he has never really had the confidence to fight against Sarutobi Hiruzen. It has always been because Sarutobi Hiruzen has not really shown his true strength.
After thinking about this.
Danzo took a deep breath. His seemingly calm expression actually ignited the raging fire of greed for the title of Hokage deep in his heart. He must become Hokage. Even if he pays all the costs, he must ascend the throne of Hokage!
"Hmph!"
Danzo, who expressed his extreme dissatisfaction with a cold snort, also planned to acquiesce to his situation. Anyway, it would only be for a while at most. He believed that he would definitely have a chance to make a comeback. By that time, Root, Hokage's position, or Uchiha Clan.
'I must take all the things that should belong to me! '
Danzo was roaring like this deep in his heart under his seemingly indifferent expression.
Seeing that Danzo seemed to be 'submitting and accepting his fate', Sarutobi Hiruzen also breathed a sigh of relief deep in his heart. Although there was already a bit of a bit of a confrontation here, after all Shimura Danzō has been his companion since childhood. They have been in a relationship for forty or fifty years. Sarutobi Hiruzen would never really break up with this old friend unless it was absolutely necessary.
This is also the biggest reason why Danzo has been indulged time and time again. Firstly, considering that the village really needs Danzo, and secondly, taking into account the feelings between each other.
But this time Danzo really went too far. This was a serious incident that would trigger a war between the two villages. Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally had to make up his mind to deal with it. Otherwise, God knows what serious consequences it would have later.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! A serious situation has occurred!"
And it was also when Sarutobi Hiruzen planned to ask Kakashi to 'escort' Danzo out of the office, temporarily confining himself to Hokage Tower, and then sent someone to call Mitokado Homura to temporarily take over all matters of Root.
"Bang!"
The office door was pushed open forcefully.
Then Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu strode in with solemn expressions on their faces.
Seeing the two people who have always been calm showing such expressions.
Sarutobi Hiruzen also had a very ominous premonition in his mind. Danzo, who was originally planning to move, also froze at this moment.
"What happened? Yan!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen This is a direct question.
"One Kumo Ninja died, and he was also the deputy leader of the mission - Jōnin Retto. He died in the hands of Hiashi. According to the other side, this Kumogakure deputy leader Jōnin sneaked in without authorization. He went to the Hyuga Clan station and attempted to abduct Hiashi's only biological daughter, Hinata Hyuga. While leaving, he was discovered by Hiashi. During the fight, Hiashi accidentally killed this Kumo Ninja!"
This is nothing short of a 'big surprise' like a bolt from the blue!
Sarutobi Hiruzen had not yet recovered from the situation where Danzo sent Root without authorization to hunt down the Iwagakure mission headed by Uchiha Shōji. While he was still thinking about how to deal with the subsequent developments, Hyuga Clan actually brought himself such a big 'surprise'!
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, no matter how well-educated and stable his mentality, almost cursed at this moment. The atmosphere became completely stagnant, and the look on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face also became extremely heavy at this moment.
"First it was Iwagakure Ninja, and then it was Kumo Ninja!?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen is by no means the type of leader who blames others. Although he often appears indecisive and even occasionally acts stupidly, at least as a film actor, his will is still very firm. But even so, he suffered a lot in Original Work. Third Hokage, who was already a little exhausted mentally and physically when he encountered the Kumo Ninja-Hyūga incident, will also be involved in the attack on the Iwagakure mission in this life, and Sarutobi Hiruzen is really a little overwhelmed.
Even Danzo, who was sitting on the side, no longer had the same mentality as before. At this moment, his expression became a little ugly. The reason why he dared to take action against Uchiha Shōji and other Iwagakure missions was because he had spotted his own Ninja Village Kaname and Kumo Ninja negotiated peace, and in a one-on-one situation, their own Ninja Village did not need Xu Iwagakure at all, but now, when Kumo Ninja has another big problem here, even a conceited person like Danzo can see how serious the situation is.
Don't talk about things like Kumo Ninja being wronged first. Issues between countries can never be explained by 'reasons'. If they are rationalized, people will only see the deputy leader of their own mission Jōnin die in their Konohagakure.
You can guess with your toes that Kumogakure's next party was as angry as thunder.
If they are not handled carefully, they Konoha will be attacked by two major ninja villages next. This is a scene that Danzo doesn't want to see.
"What? Iwagakure Ninja? Hiruzen Sarutobi? This is?"
Originally, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were a little surprised when they saw Danzo present. Now when they heard Sarutobi Hiruzen's low voice, their expressions also changed slightly, and a bad feeling emerged deep in their hearts.
Almost at the same moment.
"Danzo sent Root nearly two hundred people to hunt down the Iwagakure mission, and they failed completely. Only one person survived. The blame from the Iwagakure side may come as soon as tomorrow!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen also said with a heavy expression and an extremely tired tone.
"What?"
"Danzo? You!?"
Just as the news brought by Mitokado Homura made Sarutobi Hiruzen unable to recover at once, the words Sarutobi Hiruzen said at this moment also shocked Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's hearts, and the shock showed on their faces.
Subconsciously, both of them suddenly turned their heads and looked at Shimura Danzō, who had a very gloomy expression on the side. At this moment, even though they knew very well that this was indeed something that their close friend would do, but it happened at such an extremely serious moment.
Such a bad situation broke out!
Both Yan and Koharu couldn't help but want to open Danzo's head to see what was inside the brain of their best friend.
'surprise! '
This is an extremely unexpected big 'surprise'!
It really made Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu and other four Konoha High Command feel an indescribable feeling. At this moment, their moods became extremely bad and heavy.
The air suddenly became stagnant at this moment.
Iwagakure Ninja, Kumo Ninja?
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu really didn't know what to say at this moment. They thought it was a chance for their Ninja Village to finally get some breathing space, but they didn't expect that it would become even worse than before. To be honest, if Danzo hadn't been their best friend for many years, it would be difficult for Mitokado Homura to guarantee that he wouldn't do some 'excessive' actions.
After all, if there is no such thing as Danzo, even if the deputy leader Kumo Ninja dies, at most, Konoha and Kumogakure will return to their previous fighting mode. In the formula, with Shinobi World being in such chaos now, it is absolutely impossible for Kumogakure to really declare a full-scale war against them Konoha. Even if they talk about the conditions, there is still the possibility of continuing peace.
But now, the situation is very different.
The pressure exerted by the two major ninja villages. Konoha is not the Konoha before Third Shinobi World War. They have the ability to fight one against two. Everyone can see clearly how difficult the situation that their own ninja village will face next.
Kakashi on the side also quietly disappeared when Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu arrived. The high-level bosses were discussing, but they could not easily listen in. This was an extremely serious moment.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu also know very well that too many accusatory words are meaningless. How to deal with the crisis at hand is the most important point. They all have the most calm and rational understanding.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, now is not the time to hesitate. A decision must be made. Both sides may exert pressure at any time. Although it is perfect to deal with both sides, I think it is most realistic to give priority to stabilizing one side. Our energy can only be focused on one side. The other side needs to be prepared in advance. My personal opinion is to focus on Kumo Ninja!"
Mitokado Homura looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said.
"Well, I also agree with Yan's view. We still need to continue to advance the negotiations with Kumo Ninja, and it doesn't hurt to even pay some more costs. The premise is to stabilize Kumo Ninja, and then continue to send more force to Land of Grass!"
Utatane Koharu also nodded and said.
Peace has completely become an elusive word. Now if they still hold on to the idea that they can resolve all conflicts and disputes through negotiation, they can only say that their decades of life have been spent on dogs. It is obvious that the two ninja villages will never give up.
Our Ninja Village must also give priority to making corresponding psychological preparations.
The worst situation is undoubtedly to start a war with two major ninja villages at the same time, but this is something Konoha cannot bear now. Therefore, they have to take a step back and stabilize one side, or at most they will start a war with the other side.
The opinions of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu are that Chi Guoguo should continue to negotiate with Kumo Ninja. Although Kumo Ninja died, Iwagakure Ninja did not die. Logically speaking, it seems that he should have the basis for negotiation with Iwagakure Ninja.
But this time, things cannot be looked at so simply.
There is no doubt that the three words Uchiha carry too much weight in it. Even if Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu did not agree with Shimura Danzō's views and practices before, they are now considered to be 'coerced' by Danzo, and they must give up the side of Iwagakure Ninja first.
God knows what kind of decision they will make.
At least from the perspective of these two consultants, it should be difficult for them Konoha to negotiate peace with Iwagakure Ninja. The other most direct point is that it is also difficult to settle the account of more than two hundred people Root died in the battle.
The focus should still be on Kumo Ninja, which is the most reliable.
"Well, I understand. Where is Kumo Ninja, Yan, you prepare yourself, go to negotiate immediately, take the body of Kumogakure Jōnin, and then relax a little more on the specific conditions, let Shikaku go with you, and also pay attention to try to downplay the matter of the Hyuga Clan, do you understand?"
At other times, he did seem a bit indecisive, but in these aspects, Sarutobi Hiruzen was very decisive. Almost before Mitokado Homura spoke, this Third Hokage had actually made a decision in his heart to 'abandon' Iwagakure Ninja for the time being. The side, be prepared for a fight, and then try your best to continue the peace negotiations with the Kumogakure side, even if this time it means completely giving up Land of Hot Springs, and compensating Kumogakure in other interests!
Anyway, there is only one core.
We must achieve 100% peace with Kumo Ninja.
Stabilize the eastern front so that they Konoha can wholeheartedly deal with the western Iwagakure Ninja front that may break out at any time!
"Koharu, I will leave the logistics issues to you. We must send additional reinforcements to the western front in the shortest possible time to prevent Iwagakure from sudden attacks. We also want to inform all the major Ninja Clan clan leaders to come to Hokage Tower for a meeting immediately!"
This is the worst plan that must be made. If Fourth Shinobi World War really breaks out, Sarutobi Hiruzen must reach an agreement with other Ninja Clan in the village and let all Ninja Clan send troops together. Although Konoha is known as the most powerful ninja village, with more than 20,000 ninjas, nearly half of them are from the Ninja Clan. If a war really breaks out, the support of all Ninja Clan is the biggest foundation for their Konoha to win the ninja war!
It is also very important to communicate well with these Ninja Clan leaders in advance.
"Yeah! I understand!"
"Don't worry, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu also nodded their heads, and then they came in a hurry and left in a hurry. The situation was so urgent. If you fight for just a few more minutes, you can give your village a little more initiative. If you really wait until someone else's troops come to the city, everything will be regretted.
The plan was quickly discussed. This time, it was very rare that the three of them did not ask Danzo for his opinion. Danzo also maintained a silent posture, even if the situation seemed to be unfolding in the direction he had first expected. There was indeed a high probability that his Ninja Village would go to war with Iwagakure, but such a result.
But it's not what Danzo wants to see.
As mentioned before, no matter how arrogant Danzo is, he still has some basic judgment. He is very aware of how critical the situation in his Ninja Village is. One mistake can be the danger of overturning. This is the rare first time in many years that he regrets his hasty actions.
Of course, he still deeply hates Kumo Ninja's greedy actions and Uchiha Shōji's even "evil actions" of the Uchiha Clan. In Danzo's view, these two points are the important reasons for such a crisis in his own Ninja Village.
This is also the truest expression of Danzo's insidious character.
An inevitable move out of desperation.
These are the kinds of actions that need to be taken immediately.
Not to mention that Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu each acted under the orders of Sarutobi Hiruzen. This was also the first time that Danzo really stayed in Hokage Tower and no longer acted arbitrarily.
Konohagakure, Kumogakure is where the mission is located.
Although the relevant information was not obtained immediately, after waiting for a long period of time and still not receiving information from Raidou, the deputy leader of the mission, Ma Yeyi, as the team leader, also clearly realized that the second plan of the mission must fail!
Failure is not terrible, the important thing is that they must immediately start the next plan, even if they are well prepared at the beginning, especially after the plan fails, let Retto take care of himself, so as to facilitate the next move of his Ninja Village, but everything will have accidents. If Retto is only captured alive by Konoha, the situation may not be conducive to their Kumogakure side.
Target this.
Mayoi It is also necessary to prepare some response strategies in advance.
At this point, before the mission set off, Kumogakure's 'Master Military Advisor' Dodai had already considered it and made corresponding targeted arrangements. Anyway, the worst result would be to continue the previous peace negotiations. At most, they Kumo Ninja would give in a little more, and the ultimate benefit would be them Kumogakure. The difference is only in the richness of the benefits.
Therefore, Mayoi is not in a hurry at all, and continues to make other arrangements in an orderly manner. The first step is to pass the information back to his ninja village, and then he also needs to truly determine the life and death of Retto, and be prepared for the next step of negotiation with Konoha!
At first I thought it was information that would take a little effort to obtain.
But didn't expect it.
Konoha is actually such a bachelor?
Before dawn, Mitokado Homura brought Retto's body to the hotel where Kumo Ninja was staying. Mayoi originally thought that they were going to completely destroy their mission and break up with them Kumogakure.
But I didn't expect the words behind Mitokado Homura.
But it was far beyond Mayoi's expectations.
First there was daze, then ecstasy.
Although Mayoi doesn't know that the biggest reason that prompted Sarutobi Hiruzen and Konoha High Command to make this decision is the pressure from Iwagakure Ninja's side, it does not prevent Mayoi from immediately seizing this opportunity to put pressure on Konoha!
Since they were so easy to surrender and even personally provided the clues, there was no reason why they should not seize it!
In the first moment, Mayoi followed the original plan and represented his Ninja Village to reprimand Konoha's side for wantonly killing the deputy leader of his mission. With a very cold expression, he threatened Konoha with war.
Mitokado Homura had anticipated this before coming.
He was not angry, and tried his best to appease the Kumo Ninja mission headed by Mayoi. He also hinted that the previous negotiation conditions could be further relaxed. He just hoped that the two countries could continue the previous peace negotiations and not let the peace break down because of this.