Danzo: "What Did You Say?"

Konoha's front line against the Sand Village.

The one commanding the battle here was none other than Danzo, leader of Konoha Village's Root.

He did not understand why everyone was discussing whether Orochimaru or Minato Namikaze should become Hokage.

What about him?

He, Danzo Shimura, was also a strong contender with his sights set on the Hokage seat.

As news of Minato's many military achievements arrived, the man who had wanted to become Hokage since Konoha's founding grew anxious.

And in his anxiety...

A tiny accident occurred.

Konoha's war against the Sand Village completely collapsed.

The Sand Village, the weakest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, beat Danzo into a retreat after retreat.

The current campaign was the Battle of Kikyo Mountain.

Kikyo Mountain lay deep within the Land of Fire, at the heart of the Land of Fire. If the Sand Village captured this place, Konoha Village would be just one step away.

In other words, Konoha had been driven right to its doorstep by the enemy.

Not only was Danzo dumbfounded, Hiruzen Sarutobi was dumbfounded too. Even Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, was utterly dumbfounded. He had never imagined the Sand Village could fight its way to the outskirts of Konoha Village.

Rasa was brimming with heroic ambition. He had achieved what no Kazekage before him had managed.

Who knew? He might even get to take a commemorative photo atop Hokage Rock.

Ever since Masaichi had set Hiruzen Sarutobi up in the office that day in Konoha...

He had felt a little uneasy.

He had killed Sarutobi Soku, reminded Orochimaru to seize the Hokage position, helped Orochimaru seize the Hokage position...

Most importantly, he had heard that since that day, Hiruzen Sarutobi had slept in the Hokage Building and had not gone home. The couple had argued.

Clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's choice back then had not been firm.

Masaichi was afraid Hiruzen Sarutobi would make things difficult for him, assign him an S-rank mission to assassinate the Raikage, then refuse to let him return to Konoha if he failed.

Just then, Dai had been sent back from the front line to rest and recover.

After hiring him as the gym manager, Masaichi applied to head to the front lines to get away.

The Hidden Cloud Village front line had the most of Orochimaru's old subordinates, so Hiruzen Sarutobi would never let him go there.

So, after obtaining Orochimaru's consent, Masaichi went to seek refuge with Danzo.

No one could stop an angry Hiruzen Sarutobi, except Danzo.

In less than a day, Masaichi arrived at Danzo's camp. He had wondered why he had gotten there so quickly, but after checking the map, he realized, Isn't this fucking Kikyo Mountain?

Inside Danzo's camp.

"You offended the monkey and came to me for protection?" Danzo knew Masaichi.

As the leader of Root, he knew everything about what had happened in the Land of Lightning.

Orochimaru had also often sent Masaichi to deliver human experimentation results to Danzo.

The Hashirama Cells the two had studied some time ago had come from a small amount Masaichi, before his memories awakened, had obtained by digging up Hashirama's coffin.

"Yes..." Masaichi explained how he had offended Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Oh? When asked who he would save if Biwa Lake and I fell into the water, he hesitated." Danzo kept a straight face. He wanted to laugh, but when he thought of Sarutobi, who occasionally immersed himself in romantic sentiment, becoming Hokage, it made his blood boil.

"Hmph. That monkey is narrow-minded. I really do not know what the First Hokage saw in him back then."

He slapped the table.

Teacher Tobirama had treated all of them students equally, but the First Hokage had always loved taking the monkey along wherever he went. It seemed that when Teacher made his final choice for Hokage, he had largely considered the First Hokage's judgment.

Danzo refused to accept it!

So he had inherited his teacher's will and carried it through his entire life, standing in stark contrast to the monkey, who had inherited the First Hokage's will.

But the monkey ultimately did not possess the First Hokage's breadth of heart!

Someone the monkey wanted to make things difficult for?

He, Danzo Shimura, would protect him!

"Don't worry. As long as you're here with me, the monkey can't touch you." Danzo was boasting a little.

"Uncle Danzo, you're a good man. I'll treat you to some protein powder."

"Uh..." Danzo had been wondering what those jars and bottles Masaichi had hauled over in a small cart were. So they were protein powder.

Protein powder was hard currency in Konoha now. A single can was hard to come by, and it could even be used as currency.

This kid was rather generous.

"How has Orochimaru been lately?" Danzo accepted the items, but he would have his subordinates drink them for a few days before he dared to try any himself.

"The Third Hokage said he wanted to pass the Hokage position to my teacher. My teacher is working in the office."

Masaichi looked at Danzo, and Danzo looked at Masaichi.

At that moment, the two reached a certain understanding.

Orochimaru had been fooled.

Danzo was a man who only cared about benefits. Unless something was already within reach, he would not act.

Looking at it from outside the situation...

Hiruzen Sarutobi had merely promised Orochimaru a grand future and assigned him more work.

Neither Orochimaru's forces nor his supporters had gained anything.

"Idiot! Orochimaru is an idiot fit for a museum!!"

Danzo truly lamented that Orochimaru had failed to live up to expectations. What was Orochimaru trying to do? Turn toward the light?

Dream on!

A filthy snake from the gutter should not dream of being picked up and returned to shore!

Orochimaru should do what Danzo did! Return to shore through force, through whatever means necessary!!

"Orochimaru has already immersed himself in the dream the Third Hokage wove for him."

"It seems that on the road to overthrowing the Third Hokage's regime, only this old man remains."

His forces and Orochimaru's forces could once have used this ninja war to topple the monkey.

What a pity...

"Uncle Danzo, there's me too." Masaichi held out the back of his hand toward Danzo, signaling for him to put his hand on top so they could cheer each other on.

Danzo: "..."

Someone like Masaichi should not have appeared in their camp.

This fellow lacked darkness in his heart.

"Earn this old man's recognition first, then talk." Danzo once again wore the expression of someone owed tens of millions of ryo.

"This old man's Root does not need the help of one more Chunin."

Leaving the protein powder behind, Danzo had someone see Masaichi out.

"Two idiots fit for a museum." Masaichi was escorted out of Danzo's camp.

He could barely stand to watch.

No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi had comfortably held the Hokage seat for decades. It turned out his opponents were simply too useless.

One swallowed a grand promise after it was casually drawn for him.

The other was even more ridiculous. The Sand Village had pushed the front line right to Konoha's doorstep. One more step and it would become the Battle for Konoha Village.

The key was that neither of them would take advice.

"'This old man's Root does not need the help of one more Chunin.'" Masaichi mimicked him in a mocking tone.

What was wrong with being a Chunin?

Was he looking down on Chunin or something?

Unite every force that could be united. Did he not understand the value of those words?

Served him right for carrying the blame his whole life.

"What did you say?" Danzo happened to come out just then to supervise the front line.

"I said the enemy is still advancing."