The Sand-Mist Peace Talks

"Huh? No, that's not it. You've got it wrong... Sigh, forget it. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm tired. Maybe I should just find a chance to kill myself. What Root? What Hokage? Life isn't worth living!" Danzo started to explain, then suddenly gave up. He slumped limply and muttered with a vacant stare.

"Lord Danzo, please calm down. Don't say such irresponsible things about killing yourself! Konoha still needs you!" Namikaze Minato tried to comfort him.

"Minato, you don't understand. You have no idea what it's like for me! I have no face left to go on living! When I see Sarutobi now—ugh! I feel sick just thinking about his name! Do me a favor. Think of it as doing a good deed. After everything I've devoted myself to doing for Konoha, let me die!" As Danzo spoke, tears began to stream down his face...

"What happened to Danzo? Hiruzen specifically asked us to come check on him! Minato, what's going on?" Utatane Koharu came in from outside, looking perplexed.

"Ugh!" At the mention of that name, Danzo started retching again.

"Elder Koharu, you'd better not mention the Third Hokage's name for now. Elder Danzo seems to be allergic to it!" Namikaze Minato hurried over and patted Danzo on the back as he explained. He had his suspicions about the three elders' secret history, but, preferring not to get involved, he pretended to know nothing and offered a reminder.

"Are you joking? We've worked together for decades. How could I not know what Danzo's allergic to? Right, Danzo?" She deliberately tested him by calling out, "Sarutobi Hiruzen?"

"Ugh! Koharu! You!" Danzo retched as he stared at Utatane Koharu in anguish.

"Huh? It really works? Danzo, what's wrong with you? You never used to be like this!" Utatane Koharu immediately understood the situation and began avoiding the name Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"First we eliminate Danzo, then Sarutobi. With only Utatane left, Konoha will reign supreme? Koharu, aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" Mitokado Homura read aloud the words Uchiha Gen had left on the wall, then staggered back in shock.

"Homura, what are you raving about now? Why are you making up this nonsense without a shred of evidence?" Though Utatane Koharu found the words rather compelling, their meaning was terrifying. Me? Utatane Koharu? An ordinary jonin! I've got nothing going for me. Eliminate Danzo? Wipe out Sarutobi? Heh... Hehehe!

"I'm not raving, Koharu. Look at the writing on the wall!" Mitokado Homura pointed out.

"Hm? 'First we eliminate Danzo, then Sarutobi. With only Utatane left, Konoha will reign supreme'? This is slander! Pure slander! Danzo, what's going on? Why is something like this in your Root headquarters?" Utatane Koharu demanded, shocked and furious. Given how close they were, such an obvious attempt to drive a wedge between them wouldn't make them turn on each other. But to have those words written so brazenly on Root's main wall—what had Danzo been doing?

"I... Sigh... I'm too ashamed to say..." Danzo began to cry again.

Seeing this, Utatane Koharu was at a loss. Why had Danzo become so weepy? He burst into tears at the slightest thing. Was this really the same man once known as the darkness of the Ninja World?

"Koharu, let it go. Let Danzo calm down on his own for now. Our relationship is too strong to be shaken by such a blatant attempt to drive a wedge between us." Mitokado Homura looked at Danzo's condition and sighed sadly.

Afterward, Namikaze Minato arranged for several Root members to take turns watching Danzo day and night to keep him from taking his own life. He also brought in several mental health counselors from the Yamanaka Clan to help him get back on his feet.

The next day~

"Phew, a new day. Better get ready to pick up Pakura." Uchiha Gen woke up and started washing up, as if none of the previous night's events had anything to do with him.

Under Konoha's tight security, only a handful of people in power knew what had happened to Danzo. On top of that, Danzo usually kept to himself, so even though Root, one of Konoha's key institutions, had suddenly ground to a halt, ordinary villagers were none the wiser. They simply carried on with their lives.

In that sense, Root really did seem dispensable. After all, in the original story, Root didn't even get involved in the Nine-Tails Rebellion. Uh, it didn't get involved in the Third Hokage's downfall plan, either! Nagato invaded, the entire village was nearly wiped out, and Root still did nothing... Tsk, tsk!

Spirit Transformation Technique: Activate!

At the border of the Land of Wind front!

Although Uchiha Gen had warned her in advance, when Pakura learned that Sunagakure's upper ranks really had assigned her to lead the peace talks, her heart still clenched painfully. This was the village where she had been born and raised! Was her life worth nothing? She had served Sunagakure and bled for it!

"Pakura, what are you thinking about? We're almost at the agreed meeting place. Stay focused!" Her companion noticed that something seemed off and reminded her.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about the past. I wish the Third Kazekage were still here," Pakura sighed. These days, Sunagakure's old were too old and its young too few. It had no real pillars of strength. Even its One-Tail Jinchuriki was just a baby!

The only one with any real fighting strength, the Fourth Kazekage, seemed outmatched by the other Kage. And even counting her Scorch Release, Sunagakure couldn't muster more than a handful of top fighters. Yet in these circumstances, the village still intended to sacrifice her for so-called peace...

Well, looking at it another way, if her sacrifice could bring peace, it wouldn't exactly be a bad trade. But that depended on Kirigakure keeping its word!

If Kirigakure broke its promise, Sunagakure would be in even worse shape. Had the village leaders not considered that at all? Or had they received reliable information and concluded that Kirigakure would definitely keep its word and withdraw its troops?

If so, then her sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. Still, even if that was the case, she couldn't help feeling annoyed!

She should've never sent word to Gen. If Kirigakure learned she was still alive and the negotiations fell apart, wouldn't she become a traitor to Sunagakure?

"Pakura!" A voice suddenly rang out in her mind, startling her.

"Who's there?" Pakura immediately went on guard.

Her companions also quickly shifted into fighting stances. Pakura was the strongest among them. If she'd sensed an enemy, then there really had to be one nearby. The only reason they hadn't noticed was that they weren't strong enough.

"Don't be nervous. It's me, Uchiha Gen. I'm speaking to you through Spirit Transformation Technique. I've possessed you, so no one else can hear me. Just answer in your mind," Uchiha Gen explained casually.

"Spirit Transformation Technique? Is that the state you were in last time? You can possess people, too?" After hearing Uchiha Gen's explanation, Pakura relaxed and replied in her mind.

"Possession is just the most basic use of it. Hmm? Stay alert. There are people lying in ambush ahead. They're probably from Kirigakure!" Uchiha Gen suddenly warned her mid-sentence.