"The latest battle report on Akatsuki, Nagato, Xia Le, and Iwagakure!"
Danzo spoke quickly.
"Iwagakure?"
"Didn't Xia Le and the others only just arrive there?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sounded puzzled.
He quickly leafed through the intelligence on his desk. When he reached the final page, his expression changed dramatically.
"What?!"
"Is this true?"
The battle report contained only a few brief sentences, but the information they conveyed was enough to shock the entire Ninja World.
"Of course it's true!"
"No one would falsify something like this!"
Danzo spoke through gritted teeth.
Then he fixed Hiruzen Sarutobi with an unyielding stare.
"You must understand how much of a stir this news will cause once it reaches the village, don't you?"
"When that happens, the question of your successor..."
Danzo lowered his voice, his tone exceptionally grave.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze shifted as he stared at the battle report on his desk.
"Of course I understand!"
Danzo took a deep breath. "Listen to me. Here's what you need to do!"
"The will of fire must not be lost on your watch!"
"And the Uchiha Clan must never be allowed to hold power over the village!"
Listening to Danzo's low, urgent words, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent, his expression wavering.
Clearly, his mind was working furiously.
"Hiruzen! This is no time to hesitate!"
"Do you want the will passed down by the First Hokage and the Second Hokage to die in our hands?"
Danzo shouted.
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head. "You're right!"
"The Uchiha's growth has already exceeded our expectations!"
He paused, then sighed.
"The village cannot harbor a wild horse that has slipped its reins. If he ever escapes our control, it will spell disaster for the entire world!"
"But you need to have a clear plan for how to handle this!"
"Xia Le is