Peace is not what this old silver coin wants to see.
Only a war could allow him to realize his ambitions and ascend to the Hokage throne. Now that the Third Shinobi World War could break out at any moment, how could Danzo possibly allow Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others to stop it?
Therefore, Danzo definitely had ulterior motives behind this joint Chunin Ninja Exams, and it was precisely at the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi finished his question that he made his move.
Danzo said ominously, "What else is there to see? It's just that old Ōnoki is still plotting his own schemes. I told you before, Hiruzen, don't have any naive ideas. The clashes between the major ninja villages are all about blatant self-interest. How could they give up so easily?! Unless we can offer an enormous benefit, and can you do that? Even the Sand Ninja, Mist Ninja, and Cloud Ninja who came to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams definitely have their own agendas!"
Danzo certainly had many flaws in other aspects, and even made some incredibly stupid decisions, but when it came to his view of rival ninja villages, this hawkish representative of Konohagakure truly had a very clear understanding!
Danzo never believed in things like friendship or truth.
He only admires blatant force and self-interest!
His goal has always been to return Konohagakure to the era thirty or forty years ago, when his First Hokage reigned and dominated the entire ninja village!
Danzo's words caused the people present to frown slightly.
Only Hiruzen Sarutobi at the head of the table, remained expressionless, even taking a light puff of his pipe and slowly exhaling rings of smoke.
"That's true, but we should still try to get what we want. We can't possibly satisfy everyone completely, but I think we can definitely negotiate and make adjustments to certain areas."
Torifu Akimichi Danzo, also spoke slowly.
"Isn't the reaction of the major ninja villages this time the best proof? I think their willingness to come is a very direct indication that war may not bring any benefits, but it will definitely come at a heavy price, even for the victors!"
Akimichi Torifu's words carried considerable weight, given his clear opposition and his status as the current head of the Akimichi Clan Torifu Akimichi, representing both the Nara and Yamanaka clans. He was also a direct disciple of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Moreover, in terms of individual strength, Torifu Akimichi, who is still clinging to the last part of his personal peak, has the strength of Elite Jonin to the level of Quasi-Kage!
To put it bluntly, among the current high-ranking officials of Konohagakure, Torifu Akimichi's status and importance are second only to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage Danzo. If Danzo did not have the Root under his command as a base of power, his influence would be far less than that of Torifu!
"Yes, Torifu said makes a lot of sense. We cannot easily give up on what we should strive for, no matter how difficult it is. Lord Daimyo shares the same view; peace is essential. As long as there is even the slightest possibility, we must do our utmost to prevent the outbreak of war!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated at the head of the table, continued speaking, picking up where Torifu had left off.
Meanwhile, Koharu Utatane and Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu opposite each other, nodded slowly after frowning and thinking for a while. These two Hokage Advisor, who had always been known for their composure, had made caution ingrained in their DNA as they grew older.
They genuinely do not want to see things that are out of control happen.
Inside.
War is the first thing to be affected. You have to understand that Konohagakure's location is both the best and the worst. If it can be negotiated, it would be best to negotiate!
This is why they agreed when Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed jointly hosting the Chunin Ninja Exams, and as things stand, they feel the situation is unfolding as previously predicted.
Everyone wants profit.
But the cost of war will inevitably make everyone wary and cautious, at least from the perspective of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
It can only be said that different positions and angles result in drastically different outcomes.
In this respect, the others present were really no match for Danzo. He might have been a bit of a fool and arrogant, but in this respect, he was truly unmatched.
Of course, to take it to an extreme, one could say that Danzo suffered from persecution complex. In any case, the further Danzo, the less he saw anyone as a good person and the less trustworthy anyone was. He only ever believed in himself, especially in Konoha's external affairs.
Therefore, after hearing the statements from Torifu Akimichi and Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo's expression darkened further.
"Snort!"
This time, however, he didn't refute anything. He merely snorted coldly, leaned back, and remained silent.
Anyway, he had his own plans, and he was just subconsciously offering his opinion. Since they didn't accept it anyway...
He had no intention of saying anything more.
'I need to take control of Konoha!'
A cold glint flashed in Danzo's slightly narrowed eyes.
While Hiruzen Sarutobi was in the main position, couldn't possibly fully grasp Danzo's thoughts, he could at least guess some of them.
They've been close friends for many years; who doesn't know the other well?
That is precisely why.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was eager to promote communication and negotiations between the villages. War was no good; for Konoha, it was entirely detrimental. In any case, Hiruzen Sarutobi was determined to suppress this trend, both internally and externally, even at a slight cost, as long as it did not affect the core interests of their ninja village.
"Of course, we still need to see how things go after the initial contact with each village. Once the situation becomes clearer, we can then make the next judgment!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, then said in a deep voice.
"Also, the Daimyo will likely be attending the Chunin Ninja Exams this year, so we must make sure his security is handled properly. I'll leave that to you two, Torifu and En!"
"Yes, don't worry, Hiruzen!"
"Okay, leave it to us!"
On either side, Torifu Akimichi and Mitokado Homura nodded and returned in unison.
"Then, Koharu, I'll leave the specific reception work to you."
The Three Great Shinobi Villages, along with several other small and medium-sized ninja villages, will be hosting a large number of people from other ninja villages for this joint Chunin Ninja Exams. Therefore, the reception work cannot be taken lightly, and arranging accommodations for each village's ninja members is also a very important task.
"Kindness!"