He hadn't detected any poison in the dish. In fact, he even thought it was unexpectedly... delicious?
Noticing the doubt in Danzō's eyes, the Third Elder curled his lips into a smile and lectured him. "Don't think so poorly of your Senju uncle. There's no poison. Uncle just prepared two good dishes for you."
"The dish you're eating is called stir-fried heart and lungs, and that basin holds a pot of heart-and-lung soup!"
"Go on, try them. Eat it all, and don't waste a thing!"
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brows slightly, sensing that something was wrong.
Though they were already enemies, he felt that a great clan with a thousand years of history like the Senju shouldn't resort to using two insulting dishes called "heart-and-lung soup" and "stir-fried heart and lungs" to disgust them!
Did they really expect them to stop being enemies after eating food meant to nourish them with the corresponding organs?
His thoughts in turmoil, Hiruzen Sarutobi began watching everyone's expressions with suspicion.
He wanted to figure out what was going on from their reactions!
This... why had the readiness to spring into action from a moment ago now taken on a hint of... schadenfreude?
Right... it was schadenfreude!
Thinking of this, he quickly turned his gaze to his friend.
Watching Danzō drink the soup, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked the First Elder beside him, "First Elder, this...!"
Before Hiruzen could finish, the Third Elder rose with a smile and interrupted him. "No need to ask the First Elder. I'll explain it to you!"
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi swallowed the question he had been about to ask.
Danzō, who had been drinking soup nearby, also set down his bowl and chopsticks.
The two of them looked at the Third Elder together, waiting for him to clear things up.
The Third Elder straightened his sleeves, took two steps forward, pointed at the dishes and soup, and introduced them with a smile. "These two heart-and-lung dishes aren't ordinary."
"Given your situation, I figured ordinary ones wouldn't be enough to nourish you, so I went outside the village and searched carefully."
"I'd planned to find some ninja beasts, but I didn't expect to run into a few little 'beasts' in the wild!"
Pausing slightly, the Third Elder clapped his hands and said, "I immediately realized that ninja beasts couldn't compare to little 'beasts'!"
"So I brought back all those hearts and lungs and prepared these two grand dishes for you, little one!"
"This nourishment through corresponding organs is much more potent than that from ninja beasts. And two of the pairs came from your family!"
"X, XX-two and two together, that's the greatest tonic of all!"
"Hahahaha!"
After he finished speaking, the Third Elder burst into unrestrained laughter!
For the first time in the Senju clan, Hiruzen Sarutobi lost his ability to smile.
After hearing the explanation, Shimura Danzō abruptly stood up.
But before he could get angry, his body began to feel more and more uncomfortable.
He had killed countless people and seen things like this countless times.
Normally, he wouldn't have reacted this way.
But... what he had eaten today was!
The "hearts and lungs" of the only little "beasts" his younger brother and sister had left behind in this world!
"Ugh-ugh-ugh!"
A series of dry heaves rang out, louder and more intense than those from Uka Senju earlier!
But he had just eaten so much. Why couldn't he throw up anything now, no matter what?
Shimura Danzō's eyes reddened from his body's reaction and the confusion in his heart!
Watching his old friend's wretched state and thinking of the humiliation he had suffered today, Hiruzen Sarutobi released his full force and smashed the Low Table in front of him with a palm. He rose and glared at the laughing Third Elder.
Just as he was about to curse furiously, a voice devoid of emotion came from behind him.
"Do you want to start a war?"
Hearing the question, Hiruzen Sarutobi froze mid-lunge.
The furious curse that had nearly left his lips was swallowed back down.
He had come here today to negotiate, not to fight.
Slowly turning around, Hiruzen Sarutobi fixed his gaze on the person behind him who had issued the threat.
Looking at the smile on that face,
he felt, for the first time, disgust toward the "false smile" he himself so often wore.
At that moment, except for the prisoners' cries and Shimura Danzō's dry heaves!
Everyone on the platform fell silent.
Meanwhile, the Senju clan members below the platform began preparing for a major battle!
Uka Senju sat quietly beside Mito Uzumaki, watching Hiruzen's expression change three times in quick succession.
Alongside his pleasure and amusement, he couldn't help feeling a bit of admiration!
To be able to endure even in this situation-setting aside everything he already knew from his memories,
he could only say that anyone capable of serving as a leader for decades must indeed have outstanding qualities.
The First was strong, the Second was ruthless, and the Third had a mix of flexibility and firmness!
Looking at the transformed Senju leadership before him and sensing that everyone below the platform was ready,
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly put on the familiar smile everyone knew.
He walked over to Danzō and helped him up!
Wiping his old friend's mouth with his sleeve, he said softly, "Go on, eat. Don't waste the Senju's good intentions!"
He hoped his old friend would understand what he meant, and he hoped his old friend, who had held on for so long, wouldn't fall at this final step!
Meeting the Third's eyes and hearing his advice,
Shimura Danzō gradually suppressed his body's instinctive reaction.
Thinking of his younger brother and sister, and of the child they had entrusted to him,
he didn't hesitate. He turned around, picked up the pot of soup, and gulped it down straight from the pot.
Seeing this scene, the three people in the front seats exchanged a glance without drawing attention to themselves!
Without a word, they raised their guard another notch.
The Third Elder had prepared all of today's humiliation in advance.
They had agreed to it not only to vent their anger, but also to see how far these youngsters had come!
Unfortunately, they had passed every test!
Tobirama Senju had certainly taught himself a few fine pupils!
Still, it was a good thing they had discovered it early, and that they had Wood Release as well.
As she sighed inwardly, Mito Uzumaki suddenly realized that all of this seemed to have something to do with the little one beside her!
She unconsciously raised her hand and pulled the little one sitting straight beside her into her arms.
Just as she did when comforting Tsunade, she gently patted his back.
The sudden action left Uka bewildered.
He instinctively looked up at the Nine-Tails beside him!
Unfortunately, apart from its usual fake smile, he couldn't see anything else!
After finishing the soup in one go, Shimura Danzō set down the pot and asked the Third Elder beside him, whose face wore a sinister smile, "Elder, the dishes were delicious, and the soup was good too. I've accepted your kindness!"
"May I ask if you still have any other parts from those little 'beasts'?"
Hearing this, the Third Elder gave him a look of camaraderie.
He patted Danzō on the shoulder and teased him, "What? Still planning to nourish a different part?"
Before Danzō could answer, the Third Elder shook his head and added regretfully, "Unfortunately, there was only that one pair of hearts and lungs. I burned the rest to ashes and scattered them, right... right on that little hill outside the village!"
"I didn't bury them. They're all beneath the biggest tree. The wind probably hasn't blown them all away yet. Why don't you go look for them yourself?"
"But it's a shame they've probably gotten mixed together. You'll have to sort through them one by one, okay? Hahaha!"
Hearing the mocking laughter beside him,
Shimura Danzō could no longer suppress the killing intent he had been building up all day.
He glared furiously at the Third Elder, unable to hide the killing intent in his eyes!
He was locked on!
The Third Elder's expression didn't change. He raised his right hand and suddenly plunged it into Danzō's right eye.
He pulled it back!