Danzo the Dashing

Members of the Cloud Village Delegation were brought to the Hyuga Compound by several Anbu.

Looking at the two corpses on the ground, the Cloud Village Delegation wore exceptionally ugly expressions.

When they had suddenly left while Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hyuga Hiashi were receiving them, they had already realized that the matter might have been exposed.

Now that they had been summoned here, Konoha clearly intended to hold them accountable.

One of the Cloud Village Delegation leaders immediately seized the initiative and falsely accused them first. "Our Kumogakure came to Konoha in the spirit of peace, hoping to sign a peace treaty with Konoha, yet you Konoha actually murdered two of Kumogakure's ninja! You must give Kumogakure an explanation!"

Every Konoha ninja present looked at the Cloud Village Delegation in disbelief. How could people be this shameless?

Nara Shikaku said coldly, "You were clearly trying to abduct the Hyuga Clan's main family eldest daughter!"

"Your Konoha ninja clearly abducted two Kumogakure ninja to the Hyuga Compound and murdered them, intending to frame us for coveting the Byakugan! I assume Konoha does not want war either. If you do not give us an explanation, Konoha should understand the consequences!"

The Cloud Village Delegation now stubbornly insisted that Konoha had taken the initiative in killing Kumogakure's ninja.

Uzumaki Menma clenched his fists so tightly that they cracked. He was so angry he wanted to kill these shameless people himself.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply.

If this matter was not handled properly, Kumogakure might seize the opportunity to make trouble for Konoha.

Only three years had passed since the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Uprising, and Konoha had yet to fully recover. If war broke out now, it would be extremely disadvantageous for Konoha.

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking.

A swarm of insects suddenly flew in from the air and directly surrounded the Cloud Village Delegation leader who had spoken.

After letting out a scream, the leader was devoured by the insects until not even his bones remained.

Danzo's sinister voice came from the distance.

"If Kumogakure wants war, then give them war!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on when he saw Danzo arrive.

The situation was already troublesome enough, yet Danzo had killed someone too. Wasn't that just making things worse?

Uzumaki Menma looked at Danzo in delight and jogged over to his side. "Grandpa Danzo!"

Danzo pulled Uzumaki Menma behind him. Ignoring Hiruzen Sarutobi, he unilaterally began issuing orders.

"Kumogakure used the signing of a peace treaty with Konoha as a pretext to attempt to steal Konoha's Byakugan Kekkei Genkai and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Have the Analysis Team probe the memories of those two corpses. Konoha Root will detain all the others!

"Also notify Raikage A of Kumogakure: if he does not give Konoha an explanation, Konoha will declare war on Kumogakure!"

The Cloud Village Delegation ninja's expressions changed drastically. Since when had they tried to steal the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?

Moreover, Konoha Root was notorious throughout the ninja world. Could anyone who entered Root come out alive?

"We are a delegation sent by Kumogakure! Konoha has no right to detain us!"

Danzo snorted coldly. "In Konoha, we make the rules! Didn't you demand that Konoha give you an explanation? Go to Root, and you will naturally receive one!"

With a wave of Danzo's hand, a group of Root ninja forcibly escorted away every member of the Cloud Village Delegation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. "Danzo, come with me."

Inside a room at the Hyuga Compound.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said to Danzo, "Danzo, it has only been three years since Konoha endured the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Uprising. We have not fully recovered our strength, so now is not the time for war."

Danzo's perpetually calm expression suddenly became furious.

"Are you going to compromise? Once you compromise once, there will be a second time, then a third! Everyone will think we are easy to bully. One after another, they will come to take everything from Konoha. Are you going to hand it all over to them? Hiruzen, as Hokage, do you not understand?

"A bunch of Kumogakure clowns are calling black white. Is there no anger in your heart? If we can only endure humiliation and seek compromise, do you think Konoha will improve? With every compromise, everyone will lose their fighting spirit and their will to fight. Do you not know that?

"Since Kumogakure wants war, then war it is! Let the entire ninja world know that whoever provokes Konoha must pay the corresponding price. Only then can Konoha have peace!

"Think carefully about Teacher Tobirama's teachings! Looking across all of history, peace has always been won through battle, not gained through compromise!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long time, his eyes gradually becoming incomparably resolute.

After taking a deep breath, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "It seems I truly have grown old. Danzo, you are right. Since Kumogakure wants war, then give them war. Not a single Konoha ninja is a coward!"

Having thought it through, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at Danzo. "Danzo, it truly is wonderful to have a close friend like you."

Danzo said proudly, "Hasn't it always been this way between us?"

"Yes, it has always been this way."

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked out of the room and announced to everyone outside, "Kumogakure attempted to steal Konoha's Byakugan Kekkei Genkai and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Kumogakure must give us an explanation for this! Otherwise... Konoha will declare war on Kumogakure!"

Everyone looked at one another, seeing the fighting spirit in each other's eyes.

They had been bullied right to their faces. No one could tolerate that!

"Yes!"

Danzo walked over to Uzumaki Menma. "Menma, we're leaving."

Uzumaki Menma gazed at Danzo's back with sparkling eyes.

His Grandpa Danzo was way too cool!

After returning to Root.

For several days in a row, Uzumaki Menma could hear screams and pleas for mercy echoing throughout Root.

Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's instruction, Konoha publicly and forcefully pressed Kumogakure for an explanation, catching Kumogakure completely off guard.

Although they understood there was some risk in taking the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, they had done so because they were certain Konoha would not dare go to war with Kumogakure and would choose to compromise.

Konoha's forcefulness made Kumogakure suspicious. Had Konoha found a powerful ally?

Now, Kumogakure instead dared not act rashly.

And Kumogakure did not truly want to go to war with Konoha.

After much overt and covert wrangling.

It was Kumogakure that ultimately chose to compromise.

Kumogakure publicly announced that several Kumogakure ninja had acted on their own, intending to seize the Byakugan and transplant it for their personal use.

In private, Kumogakure agreed to a series of Hiruzen Sarutobi's conditions.

After all, the people were in Konoha. Once their brains had been analyzed, there was no way for them to deny it.

Kumogakure also demanded that Konoha return all the members of the Cloud Village Delegation, including the two corpses, to Kumogakure.

One week later.

Kumogakure sent people to retrieve the Cloud Village Delegation.

Those delegation members had suffered inhuman treatment in Root. There was not a single piece of uninjured flesh on their bodies, and Root ninja tossed them before the Kumogakure ninja who had come to receive them like garbage, their eyes dull and vacant.

The Kumogakure ninja were furious but dared not speak. They could only leave the Land of Fire in disgrace with them.