Danzo: Does Assassinating the Daimyo Require Planning? Hiruzen: You Really Don't Deserve Any Sympathy!

By his usual habits, even if he took his time walking over, the Third Hokage and the others would discuss things first, leaving him with no chance to get involved in many matters.

So Danzo chose to take his time.

In his view, it was nothing more than the Third Hokage having trouble asking for money. It was hardly a major issue.

Would the daimyo dare refuse to provide the money?

Of course he wouldn't. That coward would probably piss himself from a single glare.

Besides, if he refused to fund Konoha, Konoha's military strength would fail to develop. When other villages attacked in the end, the one who stood to lose the most would still be the daimyo himself.

So Danzo was not worried in the slightest.

Thus, he walked as slowly as he possibly could.

Everyone knew that his injuries had left him with limited mobility. What was wrong with walking a little slowly?

I, Danzo, had rendered service to the village and shed blood for it.

Even the Hokage had to show me courtesy time and again.

In the Hokage's office, fifteen minutes had passed while they waited for Danzo. The Third Hokage's already ugly expression had turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

At this point, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado could no longer remain composed either.

The two cursed Danzo inwardly, but they were also thinking about how to ease this distinctly abnormal atmosphere, divert the Third Hokage's attention, calm him down, and keep him from taking things out on Danzo.

They had thought up a bellyful of excuses but had yet to use any of them when that sound, carrying its peculiar rhythm, finally appeared.

Thud!

Thud!

It drew nearer and nearer.

"Sarutobi, I told you long ago that we can't be too accommodating toward those fools at the daimyo's residence. Otherwise—"

Danzo carelessly pushed open the door. Before one foot had even stepped inside, his exasperated rebuke had already arrived.

You caused this mess, and you're blaming me?

At this point, even the Third Hokage began to believe that Danzo had been stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

Just listen to that tone.

Bang!!!

The desk was slammed heavily. The Third Hokage roared furiously, "Danzo, shut your mouth! Do you still have any regard for me, the Hokage?"

His rebuke was interrupted, and the Third Hokage had even flown into a rage. Danzo, who had been about to close the door, froze where he stood.

Is he scolding me?

The moment he entered, he was hit with a barrage of insults. Danzo had not seen the Third Hokage this angry in a long time, and he had nearly forgotten what this felt like.

"Danzo, have you not taken the village's affairs to heart?"

Homura Mitokado tried to signal him with his eyes while putting on a show of reproaching him, attempting to redirect the Third Hokage's fury.

Koharu Utatane chimed in as well. "That's right, Danzo. You came far too slowly. Don't do this again next time."

"Sarutobi, what do you mean by this?"

Having been scolded for no apparent reason, Danzo was not about to accept it so easily. His face darkened as he questioned the Third Hokage, demanding to know what this was supposed to mean.

"What do I mean?"

The Third Hokage laughed in anger. "You still have the nerve to ask what I mean? I'd like to ask my Hokage's advisor just what he means!

"Do you know that the daimyo has withheld the funds and refuses to release them because of you!!"

"He dares!!!"

Just as expected, Danzo barked out a low shout.

He really had some nerve, refusing to provide the money?

"You..."

The Third Hokage was utterly speechless.

No wonder the daimyo had been so jumpy. With Danzo acting like this, how could anyone not be afraid?

That was the daimyo, yet Danzo was berating him as though he were his grandson.

No, wait. Danzo did not even have a wife, so where would he get a grandson?

"Enough."

Seeing that things were taking a bad turn, Koharu Utatane hurriedly brought out her old fiery temperament. She shouted angrily and glared at Danzo. "Danzo, sit down and listen to Hiruzen first."

"And that is the daimyo of our Land of Fire. Show him some respect."

"Hmph!!"

With fiery Koharu Utatane now on the scene, Danzo finally behaved himself. He snorted and slammed the door shut, seemingly taking revenge for the Third Hokage scolding him.

Then he sat down in a chair in a fury and stared at the Third Hokage.

If the Third Hokage could not give him a reasonable explanation, he absolutely would not let this go.

"Hiruzen, calm down first. Whatever it is, we can discuss it slowly. Why get so angry?"

After calming Danzo down, Koharu Utatane turned to soothe the Third Hokage as well.

Unfortunately, the Third Hokage did not appreciate it, because resolving this matter properly meant that he would have to fall out with Danzo.

On top of that, Danzo's string of actions and words had already enraged him.

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down?"

The Third Hokage slapped the desk and pointed at Danzo as he retorted, "I went to see the daimyo, only to find that he had received some special intelligence saying that the leader of Konoha's Root was plotting to assassinate him and install someone else in his place.

"Because of this, the daimyo has withheld the funds, cursed me out, and even threatened to seek protection from the Hidden Stone Village and the Hidden Cloud Village, afraid that Danzo would really carry out an assassination."

"Tell me, with Danzo's tone and behavior, how could the daimyo not be worried?"

What the hell?

Danzo looked utterly bewildered. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances, both suspecting that the Third Hokage had misspoken.

Danzo was planning an assassination? An assassination of the daimyo?

Wasn't he merely shouting about it?

When had he ever intended to do such a thing?

"Utter nonsense!!"

Once he came to his senses, Danzo cursed in anger, "This is pure slander! When have I ever done such a thing? Does assassinating a daimyo even require planning?"

The two elder advisors exchanged glances again.

Listening to that tone, it really did feel like something he would say.

No wonder the daimyo was convinced that Danzo would assassinate him.

Danzo had brought it all upon himself.

No, where had that intelligence come from?

After glaring at Danzo, the Third Hokage picked up his pipe, lit it, took several hard puffs, and sat back down. The anger on his face had not faded in the slightest.

"For now, the daimyo has demanded that I disband Root and deal with you, Danzo. Otherwise, he will no longer provide Konoha with any development funds. Tell me, what should we do?"

This was troublesome.

Only then did the others realize how serious the matter was.

Since the daimyo dared threaten the Third Hokage like this, it meant he truly dared contact hostile villages.

As long as Konoha could not give him a reasonable explanation, this would become a huge affair. As for how the false intelligence had reached the daimyo, did that even matter now?

The daimyo was already convinced that Danzo wanted to come after him.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado did not know what to say.

They knew the Third Hokage too well. If he could say this much, it meant he intended to compromise.

Likewise, Danzo understood the Third Hokage.

So he could no longer sit still.

"So you intend to sacrifice me and disband Root?"

"Disbanding it is only temporary."

He had vented his anger and done his scolding, and the Third Hokage gradually calmed down. Frowning, he said, "The most important thing right now is to stabilize the daimyo. I have already agreed to have members of the Uchiha protect him. The Uchiha chose Shisui, and I agreed."