Konoha?
Not even a dog would stay!
Chapter 36: Hiruzen Sarutobi: Danzo is my dearest friend, my companion through life and death! (Please keep reading! Monthly votes!)
"Stay! You have to stay in the village!"
Inside the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi put an immediate stop to Shimura Danzō's plan to flee overnight.
"The war between Kumogakure and Iwagakure has already dragged all the surrounding small countries into it.
"The Land of Hot Water, the Land of Fields, the Land of Medicine, the Land of Waterfalls... and their respective small ninja villages.
"The big villages are fighting the big villages, and the small villages are fighting the small villages.
"The entire north is a complete mess right now!"
At a critical moment like this.
Shimura Danzō suddenly left Konoha with a contingent of Root elites and headed straight north.
What was he trying to do?
What was he plotting?
Who had ordered him to do this?
Was Konoha trying to start the Fourth Shinobi World War?!
Making thunder was just work, and breaking earth was work too.
Putting out fire was what life was all about!
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no doubt.
Once Kumogakure and Iwagakure discovered Konoha's unusual movements, they would most likely put their fighting on hold.
There was even a considerable chance they would join forces against Konoha outright!
Just as Kumogakure and Iwagakure had done in the previous three Shinobi World Wars!
Kumogakure/Iwagakure was absolutely detestable.
Let's attack Konoha together!
Even if there was only the slightest possibility.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to gamble Konoha's safety on what Kumogakure and Iwagakure would decide!
After all, just four years ago.
In order to sign an armistice with Kumogakure.
Konoha had been forced to sacrifice the head of the Hyuga Clan. (Although only a substitute had died in the end.)
Konoha truly could not keep fighting.
"With the village already in this state..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, earnestly trying to persuade his old friend.
"Danzo, just give it a rest! Please, consider it a favor to me, all right?"
The Hokage's office fell silent for a long time.
Shimura Danzō had to admit that his earlier idea had been ill-considered.
But the Uchiha Clan, that brat named Uchiha Minamoto...
They were just far, far, far too detestable!
"I can stay in the village."
Shimura Danzō spoke slowly.
"But the Uchiha must-"
"I'll handle the Uchiha!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off.
"All you need to do now is keep your Root in line and watch the situation in the north. That's enough!"
Shimura Danzō gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a long, searching look, then turned and left.
This time, he did not slam the door.
Because he knew slamming it would do no good.
Early the next morning.
Konoha's southern district.
After a night of urgent renovations, the three-story building that had originally borne the "Shueisha" sign looked completely new.
The advertising posters for Icha Icha Paradise had been hastily taken down, replaced with an enormous new sign-
Love Newspaper Office!
The newspaper office's sign also bore an exceptionally eye-catching emblem-
A red heart!
The "red heart" was both the emblem of the Love Newspaper Office and that of the Great Love Group.
As for whether outsiders would call the "Great Love Group" the "Red Heart Society" or the "One Heart Society"...
That question was outside the scope of Uchiha Minamoto's considerations.
Eight in the morning.
Wearing a well-tailored custom suit with a Red Heart Badge pinned to his chest, Uchiha Minamoto arrived at the Love Newspaper Office with a spring in his step.
At first glance, he looked nothing like a ninja, but rather like a merchant doing business.
"Group Leader, you're here?"
Uchiha Rai jogged out of the newspaper office, carrying a stack of red invitations in his arms.
"For a moment, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."
"Today's different."
Uchiha Minamoto picked up an invitation and casually leafed through it.
"The invitations for Lord Hokage and the clan head are specially made, right?"
"Yes. Gold-stamped covers, with gold dust on every character."
Uchiha Rai reported.
"Uncle Hinotori wrote both invitations himself."
"Uncle Hinotori knows calligraphy too? I'll learn some myself when I have time. Maybe I can earn the nickname 'Dragon of Documents.'"
Uchiha Minamoto nodded, then asked casually.
"What about Elder Danzo's?"
Uchiha Rai answered honestly, "Following your orders, Group Leader, we deliberately didn't prepare one."
"Hahahaha!"
Uchiha Minamoto laughed and patted Rai on the shoulder.
"Come on, let's go to the Hokage Building."
A few minutes later.
Uchiha Minamoto arrived at the Hokage Building and made his way to the Hokage's office without any obstruction. The whole process was unbelievably smooth.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi unexpectedly saw a handsome man in a suit walk in, he thought a wealthy merchant had arrived, or perhaps some country's daimyo or the young master of a noble family.
Then he took a closer look.
Why did that handsome face look so familiar?
"Lord Third."
Uchiha Minamoto presented the invitation with both hands, his manner exceedingly polite.
"The Love Newspaper Office opens today, and we'd like to invite you to honor us with your presence at the opening ceremony."
"...Oh, it's Uchiha Minamoto."
Hiruzen Sarutobi accepted the invitation, the corner of his eye twitching twice despite himself. His mission payment seemed to have flown away.
Patiently, he pretended to read the invitation for a while, putting on a businesslike fake smile.
"I'm sorry, but I'm extremely busy with work today. I'm afraid..."
"That's all right."
As though he had expected Hiruzen Sarutobi's polite refusal all along, Uchiha Minamoto spoke unhurriedly.
"Lord Third has ten thousand chicks to attend to every day. Everyone understands. However-"
Uchiha Minamoto pulled a mission request out of his pocket and gently placed it on Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk.
"Ahem. On behalf of the Love Newspaper Office, I hereby submit a mission request to Konoha."
Uchiha Minamoto cleared his throat, his entire bearing changing. He no longer seemed like a ninja, but as though he had truly become a merchant.
"The mission is to 'attend the opening ceremony and address the audience.' Mission rank: D. Payment: ten thousand ryō."
What?
Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively picked up the mission request from his desk.
Well, what do you know.
Uchiha Minamoto's mission request really did look like the real thing!
Such a perfectly standardized format was something he barely saw a few times all year.
But you think you can buy me off with ten thousand ryō?
You think ten thousand ryō can buy me, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage?
"Heh, heh..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave another couple of fake chuckles.
"I'm sorry..."
"I'll submit another mission request."
Uchiha Minamoto unhurriedly took out a second request form.
"It's still to attend the opening ceremony at the Love Newspaper Office. Mission rank: C. Payment: fifty thousand ryō."
Fifty thousand?
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.
"I'm truly sorry..."
Uchiha Minamoto took out a third request.
"B-Rank Mission. Payment: one hundred thousand ryō."
One hundred thousand ryō?
Hiruzen Sarutobi blinked, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Uchiha Minamoto's utterly ordinary pocket as he ventured.
"I'm really sorry..."
"A-rank mission."
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