"Are you trying to create an excuse for Kumogakure to start a war at the Four Kage Summit?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Danzo, looking directly at Danzo.
After these words, both people in the office fell into a brief silence.
Shimura Danzō cursed inwardly.
Hiruzen must be senile; how could he ask such a stupid question?
If the Kumogakure and the Sunagakure Village were to truly clash, the Land of Fire, caught in the middle, would have no chance of remaining unscathed, Konoha would inevitably be drawn into the conflict.
The current situation is quite clear: the rise of Sunagakure is unstoppable, and Kumogakure has also made technological breakthroughs.
Aside from the Hidden Iwagakure, whose purpose is unclear, and the Hidden Kirigakure, which is cloaked in hiding, only the Konoha has failed to produce any effective results, not even making a ripple.
If we cannot achieve something at the Four Kage Summit this time, Konoha's status in the Shinobi World will likely plummet in the future.
Why!
Under Hiruzen's leadership, Konoha today is timid and hesitant in the face of threats from other villages, showing no ambition whatsoever.
Now he's even becoming more reckless with his words.
It seems we need someone with more charisma to lead Konoha; this old man is out of touch with the times.
And who else but me can be this person?
Shimura Danzō suppressed his disdain and tried to speak calmly.
" Hiruzen, we don't have many options right now. We must find a way to bring Kumogakure and Sunagakure into conflict, escalating tensions without breaking out into war."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, unable to figure out how to accomplish this.
The goal is to incite conflict between the two major ninja villages without escalating into war, while still allowing Konoha to benefit from the situation.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
It seems Danzo has gotten old; spending too much time on the dark side has given him the absurd idea to come up with.
How could a Root leader who only knows how to solve problems with extreme methods possibly compare to a Hokage who has ruled for decades in politics?
"Let me think about it some more. You can go now. Also, don't forget you've been relieved of your duties. Remember to knock and announce your arrival next time you come in."
Upon Shimura Danzō's anger flared up instantly.
It makes me angry just thinking about it.
Back then, he had planned the Uchiha Clan Massacre perfectly, but who could have imagined that Hoshino would ruin everything and he would be dismissed from his position by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Despite finding a seemingly reasonable excuse, he couldn't shake off the frustration he felt.
Everything I did was for the future of Konoha.
Those Uchiha clan members possess powerful and uncontrollable strength, and will become a threat to Konoha sooner or later. He was simply taking precautions.
However, Hiruzen did not understand his good intentions and even used this as an opportunity to suppress him.
Unfortunately, not many people in the village knew about his existence or that of the Root, and those who did were filled with hatred towards him.
This decision did divert some attention, but it tarnished its reputation.
Although he wasn't famous, he was just unwilling to accept it.
He had silently sacrificed so much for Konoha in the shadows, only to receive this result in return. How could he not be furious?
Now that he has lost his position, he faces obstacles at every turn in pushing forward his plans.
That old bastard Hiruzen is getting more and more pedantic and less and less able to assess the situation.
Shimura Danzō gritted his teeth, veins bulging on the back of his hands, his nails digging deep into his palms, leaving crescent-shaped marks, and a barely perceptible venom flashed in his eyes.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. I hope you can come up with a proper solution as soon as possible to prevent Konoha from falling into utter ruin."
After saying that, he turned and strode out of the office, deliberately slamming the door shut as he left.
Bang--
The office door slammed shut behind Shimura Danzō.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head helplessly, his eyes filled with weariness and worry.
At this moment, Jiraiya slowly spoke up, "Old man, although I don't like Danzo's way of doing things, there's some truth to what he said."
"The rise of Sunagakure is indeed a huge threat to Konoha. If we do nothing at the Four Kage Summit, it may really affect Konoha's standing in the Shinobi World world."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, looked up at Jiraiya, and said, "How could I not know all this? It's just that Danzo's methods were too radical."
"In the end, it will be the innocent civilians who suffer. We cannot only see the immediate benefits and ignore the enormous cost of war."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya fell silent.
Once war breaks out, countless lives will be lost. The tragic fate of those who lose their homes and loved ones in the flames of war is the scene that Jiraiya least wants to see.
But he also deeply loved Konoha, the place where he grew up, carrying countless memories and emotions for him, and naturally he did not want to see Konoha decline.
Faced with this difficult choice, Jiraiya felt utterly lost.
He has always presented himself as carefree and unrestrained, but at this moment, the inner turmoil has left him at a loss.
Is there really no way to both protect Konoha's interests and prevent war from breaking out?
After a long silence, Jiraiya slowly spoke, saying helplessly, "If there's really no other way, we can only take it one step at a time and adapt to the situation."
Hiruzen Sarutobi slightly. "That's the only way."
Time passed.
In a hotel in the Land of Grass, the Fourth Raikage, A, paced restlessly in his room.
With less than two days left until the Four Kage Summit, no news about the Chakra Cannon has arrived.
Did the research and development fail?
Currently, Killer B is in the village cooperating with the laboratory's research, Yugito leads the advance team to remain at sea.
They are not afraid of war, but they try to avoid it whenever possible.
After all, the Kumogakure and the Sunagakure are so far apart that if they fight, they will inevitably suffer heavy losses, allowing others to benefit.
But the words had already been spoken, and without securing enough benefits at the Four Kage Summit, they were truly in a difficult position.
"Damn it! What's going on?!"
The Kumogakure invested a great deal of manpower, resources, and time in the research and development of the Chakra Cannon.
If all their efforts are in vain, then Kumogakure will be in an extremely passive position in the face of the growing threat from Sunagakure.
The Raikage is known for his toughness and decisiveness.
But faced with this unknown outcome, it's hard not to feel a little impatient.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Ai said loudly, his voice clearly impatient.
The Anbu Ninja strode into the room, knelt on one knee, and bowed, saying, " Lord Raikage, we have just received an urgent message from the village."
Ai immediately turned around, his eyes fixed intently on the Anbu Ninja, and asked anxiously, "How's the Chakra Cannon?"
The Anbu Ninja paused, then said, " The Chakra Cannon has been successfully developed and is ready for testing at any time."
Upon hearing this, Ai was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.
Hahahaha!!!
Laughter echoed in the room, dispelling the previously oppressive atmosphere.
"Great! Excellent!"
Ai strode up to the Anbu Ninja and patted him hard on the shoulder.
"Well done! Pass the word down: have our spies in the Land of Wind... no, have them in the Land of Rivers set up the coordinates for the Heavenly Transfer Technique. Test the cannon in three hours!"
"Yes!"
The Anbu Ninja received the order and quickly withdrew.