Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo's Game

A peak duel where both sides gave their all came to an end, and everyone dispersed.

The ninjas of Konoha finally arrived at the battlefield, which was already riddled with holes.

They stared in disbelief at the devastated landscape stretching for thousands of meters.

This was clearly beyond the expectations of these reconnaissance ninjas, and they had no choice but to report it to the higher-ups of Konoha immediately.

Not long after, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō arrived at the scene, each leading their respective Anbu and Root.

"This destructive power is comparable to being bombarded by Tailed Beast Ball repeatedly!"

What caused this? If I could obtain this power, then the Hokage Position...

Looking at the unrecognizable landscape, Danzo murmured to himself.

"Danzo, this power is not something you can fathom!"

Don't reach out, or you might end up making the person responsible for all this an enemy of Konoha.

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately issued a warning.

"Hmph, do you think they won't still be enemies of Konoha just because we don't provoke them!?"

Hiruzen, you are too weak. It is precisely because this world-destroying power is so strong that we should strive to master it.

Otherwise, our enemies might acquire it and use it against Konoha.

We must find a way to get ahead of others, understand it clearly, and then master it!

Danzo immediately retorted.

"Lord Hokage, based on the initial investigation conducted by the reconnaissance team upon their arrival at the scene..."

The area of destruction was over ten kilometers, with the central area, about two kilometers in diameter, creating a massive crater several hundred meters deep.

No humans or human remains were found in the vicinity of the scene, only the carcasses of some wild animals that were affected.

No identifying marks were found to prove any human activity.

Currently, it can only be confirmed that the concentration of residual Chakra in the air is abnormally high, indicating that at least four powerful ninjas were fighting simultaneously.

also--

Traces of Wood Release techniques and Senjutsu energy, which Lord Jiraiya had reported, remained at the scene.

Some areas appear to have been struck or cut by some massive weapon, with unusually smooth cracks in the earth and cross-sections of the mountains resembling similar patterns...

This was created by the Susanoo of the Uchiha Clan! And it's Susanoo even larger than that of the missing-nin Uchiha Feng from a few years ago!

After a moment's hesitation, an Anbu Ninja stepped forward and reported the initial findings of the on-site investigation to the two Konoha High Command.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not respond immediately upon hearing this.

He walked slowly across the unrecognizable landscape, his hands behind his back, looking around as he did so.

After a long silence, he whispered, "... It's such a familiar yet unfamiliar scene."

The words were spoken so softly that even the nearby Anbu Ninja couldn't hear what was said.

But Danzo, who was right next to Hiruzen Sarutobi, heard it.

Instead of responding to Hiruzen Sarutobi, he scanned the battlefield like Hiruzen, trying to discern something for himself.

"Hiruzen, have you ever seen these kinds of battle marks before?"

In the end, Danzo, having figured out nothing, had no choice but to ask the other party.

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly removed his straw hat, staring blankly into the distance as if lost in some kind of memory, while taking out his pipe and taking a deep drag.

Then he spoke:

"Seen it? Yes."

Danzo, actually, not just me, we've all seen battle marks of this level.

We were just very young then--

He paused for a moment.

"When we first became ninjas, under the guidance of the Second, we went to see the battlefield after two people fought, and there were similar marks."

Furthermore, we also built the wonder of Konoha on those traces."

"You mean!? That legendary battle between those two!"

Danzo clearly understood, but he preferred to think that he had misheard or that Hiruzen Sarutobi had misspoke.

After all, if they were really similar to those two, wouldn't the strength of the ninjas who fought here not long ago also be close to that of those two?

Danzo absolutely refused to believe that was the case, because he had actually discovered some things at the scene that ordinary people didn't know about.

That excited him, but also filled him with immense fear and anxiety, because it meant that one of his collaborators had acquired power far beyond his imagination.

"Although the evidence left at the scene indicated four people."

Danzo suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and tried his best to speak to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"But even four people in a battle of this level are not something Konoha can handle head-on right now."

Then we...

At this point, Danzo stopped talking.

But he believed that this was enough to put enough pressure on the now incredibly cowardly Hiruzen Sarutobi, giving him an excuse to ask Root for money and manpower.

With manpower and money, he could then approach the collaborator and try to take control of this powerful force on-site.

At that time, Konoha and Hokage will all be his.

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing, but simply looked up at Danzo.

After staring at the other person for a few seconds, he slowly put away his pipe, put his Hokage hat back on, and moved very slowly, as if deliberately giving himself time to think.

Then, after everything was done, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke:

"I need your roots to get to the bottom of all this. Who? Why? What happened here?"

Also, report back to me immediately if you have any news. We need to try and see if we can win over one of them."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not disappoint Danzo; his tone was forceful, yet his words betrayed a cowardly undertone.

Danzo did not respond immediately. He looked around again with his one eye before speaking:

"Yes, but the current staff at the Root is insufficient, and I need funding to hire more people."

"I'll have Koharu calculate it when I get back and then transfer the money to you."

When will the situation be clarified?

"Once the personnel are replenished, I will have a preliminary report on your desk within a month, and I will definitely find out the details within three months!"

This time, Danzo's answer was resolute.

He found a trace at the scene that only Orochimaru could have left, and given their relationship, he believed Orochimaru would tell him what had happened there.

Once he gets the information, he can stall a bit longer, extract more money and manpower from Sarutobi, and accumulate more power for his future ascension to the Hokage Position.

"Yes, remember what you said."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded upon hearing this, then glanced at the battlefield again before leading his men back to Konoha.

Feng, who left early, was unaware that the battlefield he left behind after sparring with Orochimaru had already become a Danzo for Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo, a place where they were lost in thought and engaged in a battle of wits.

But even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

After all, in his mind, these two would both be dead soon.

Orochimaru had always longed to personally send his mentor away.

Shimura Danzō, who could have become the 5.5th Hokage and finally tasted the dream of Hokage, will not be given the chance to fulfill his dream by Feng.

In any case, in the later plot, at least up to the point where Pain is carrying rice, his presence or absence won't make much of a difference.

Therefore, Danzo was one of Feng's targets in the Konoha Crush Plan.

As for the other targets, Feng is currently on his way back. He needs to discuss with his subordinates what Konoha has that they want, so that they can take it all back when Konoha Crush.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru, unaware that he had been exposed, was rushing back to his base while simultaneously trying to abduct Yakushi Kabuto.

To date, this is the only person who can keep up with his research progress and ideas, and he really can't bear to give him back to Feng.