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Akihiko stood there, baffled by the sight before him. Danzo was bundled up like a dumpling, secured with Paper Jutsu. He gazed at the four individuals who had brought Danzo in with the same bewildered expression. What on earth was happening here?
Initially, when he received word that Danzo had vanished overnight, along with a staggering 50 million Ryo, he had been deeply concerned. Such a sum was not insignificant by any means. However, by the time they received this alarming information, it was already too late. The Land of Rain was in close proximity to the Land of Fire, therefore, it had become evident that they were too late to react.
Furthermore, Konoha's ninja forces were actively engaged in combat within the Land of Rain. Adding to the complexity of the situation, and Danzo was the leader of the Root, boasting counterintelligence skills that exceeded those of ordinary shinobi. Hours had passed since his escape, and tracing his whereabouts seemed like an insurmountable task.
Akihiko was nearly ready to concede defeat, acknowledging the futility of the situation. He himself lacked Space-Time Ninjutsu abilities otherwise he would have caught Danzo himself. Therefore, he contemplated summoning White Zetsu for assistance. These creatures excelled in reconnaissance and possessed exceptional mobility. However, just as he was about to Knock on the floor to summon White Zetsu, Aso burst in with unexpected news that they had successfully Captured Danzo.
"We encountered him on our journey and found his behavior suspicious, so we took him into custody," Hanzo explained, his gaze shifting from the bundled Danzo to Akihiko.
Recalling Aso's revelations earlier, Hanzo couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth as he stared intently at Akihiko. How far would this guy go with his shameless schemes? Engaging in fake battles was one thing, but resorting to such a grand deception was quite another. Akihiko had essentially used Hanzo's name to swindle almost 100 million Ryo out of someone.
Hanzo had always held himself to a standard of integrity and honor. Even in the face of enemies, he was known for his generosity and inclination to spare lives. It was a matter of principle. Thus, the accusations of despicableness, shamelessness, hypocrisy, and swindling were nothing short of an assault on his reputation. He had never anticipated that one day, his esteemed name would be tarnished to such an extent.
"To think they called me all sorts of names, accused me of swindling, and alleged I scammed them out of nearly 100 million Ryo. So, I've apprehended him, and I'm sure he's currently reflecting on his hasty judgments," Hanzo declared, recounting the names and accusations hurled at him by Danzo when they first encountered him.
His three young companions gazed at Akihiko with admiration, voices filled with awe. "Akihiko-sensei, you're even better at making money than Minister Kakuzu!"
They couldn't help but be impressed by Akihiko's schemes. To think that Konoha ninjas had been deceived and swindled out of such a substantial amount of money.
Akihiko chuckled heartily at their admiration. "Haha, you shouldn't call this a scam, my young ones. This is what we call a win-win-win situation, you see?" He clapped his hands together and laughed. He brushed off the contemplative gaze from Hanzo, who probably deemed him shameless, and then lowered his gaze to the captive Danzo at his feet. With a sigh inwardly, he raised his hands and uttered, "Release!"
The Paper Jutsu bindings restraining Danzo instantly dissipated, freeing him from his confinement. However, Danzo didn't immediately launch into a ninja technique now that he had regained his mobility. Instead, he took a moment to look at the Grass Village leader, Akihiko, who was grinning ear to ear. Then, his gaze shifted to Hanzo, the Shinobi Demi-God, who stood by Akihiko's side.
A complex mix of emotions filled Danzo's heart. At this moment, it seemed like he was beginning to grasp the truth. These past few days, who was the scoundrel who had duped him into handing over his funds to strengthen the Land of Rain? Back then, he hadn't given it much thought, but now, he could sense the foul odor of deception emanating from the Grass Village, those cunning tricksters.
Inwardly, Danzo couldn't help but curse these swindlers. Could there really be ninjas so deceitful, impersonating a village leader and obtaining support from another village's ninjas under that impersonated identity? What kind of operation was this?
Danzo had lived half his life as a shadow of Konoha, witnessed the God of the Shinobi World, received guidance from his teacher, and been friends with the Third Hokage. He had traveled the darkness, silently safeguarding Konoha. What hadn't he seen? What kind of darkness hadn't he encountered?
But today, the darkness was unlike anything he had ever known. It was profoundly dark. The fact that both the Grass and Rain Villages not only staged fake battles but also deceived him, their ally, was utterly despicable.
"Oh my, oh my, what on earth have you youngsters been up to? Don't you realize that Mr. Danzo here is our esteemed guest?" Akihiko quickly assisted the bewildered Danzo to his feet. He gently scolded the three young ones who were inexplicably gazing up at the sky and then turned his attention back to Danzo, his tone taking a more somber turn.
"Danzo, my friend," he began, "I must address something. Why did you sneak out like this? With a war raging outside, it's utter chaos. What if something unexpected were to happen to you?"
A range of emotions danced across Danzo's face, causing it to shift between pale blue and ghostly white. This individual was truly a cunning rascal, more so than any Grass Village ninja he had ever encountered.
Finally, After taking a deep breath, Danzo fixed his gaze on Akihiko and remarked, "You undoubtedly live up to your reputation as the leader of the Grass Village. You not only brought an end to the chaos in the Land of Grass and rebuilt our village, but you've also managed to deceive all five major ninja villages. You've even thoroughly fooled me!"
This man's intelligence and cunning schemes were nothing short of terrifying, Danzo thought to himself.
"No, no," Akihiko waved his hand dismissively. "It was just a small sum of money, nothing significant, really."
Danzo stared at him in disbelief. A small sum of money? They had almost tricked him into giving nearly a hundred million in just a few days.
He cursed inwardly once more and then regarded Akihiko with a thoughtful expression. "I don't know why you've captured me, but don't think you can use me to threaten Konoha. I am the Darkness of Konoha, and I-"
However, Before Danzo could finish his sentence, Akihiko interjected, his expression suddenly turning profound as he sighed. "The Darkness of Konoha, you mean?" he said, using a tone that was filled with deep admiration. "Hiding beneath the ground to support the great tree, lurking in the shadows of Konoha's influence, walking in the darkness of Konoha, silently guarding Konoha. A hero who has contributed selflessly to Konoha."
Everyone, including Danzo, was utterly baffled by this sudden display of sentiment. They couldn't comprehend what Akihiko was up to.
"In the darkness, you have selflessly given to Konoha. If Konoha is a towering tree, you are the strong root underneath, tirelessly absorbing nutrients to nurture Konoha. What a noble spirit, what a noble sentiment. However, your selfless dedication is often misunderstood by others," Akihiko said, showing a surprising level of admiration.
Danzo's face changed as he listened. He became confused, wondering why Akihiko was suddenly praising him.
Ignoring Danzo's reaction, Akihiko continued, "You are a ninja with noble sentiment."
Danzo's expression became even more perplexed. He couldn't fathom where this praise was coming from. Where were his intentions of noble sentiment?
Akihiko went on, "You are a hero walking in the darkness."
Danzo was now thoroughly bewildered, unable to grasp Akihiko's intentions.
Finally, Akihiko concluded, still maintaining an expression of admiration, "You are the root of Konoha!"
Danzo was rendered completely speechless. This guy... his words were like sweet music to the ears. No wonder he had become the leader of the Grass Village. Even though he understood it was mere flattery, Danzo couldn't help but feel a momentary flutter in his heart. His eyelids twitched, and a fleeting smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. But it vanished just as quickly as he continued to regard Akihiko, who appeared genuinely admiring.
Danzo cleared his throat to regain his composure and asked, "Ahem. Flattery won't work on me. What is your purpose in capturing me, Grass Village Leader?"
"Flattery? No, this isn't flattery!" Akihiko shook his head, his expression turning serious. He then turned his back to Danzo and cast a stern look at the three youngsters who were struggling to hold back their laughter, as well as the bewildered expressions of Danzo, Aso, and the Shinobi Demi-God Hanzo. The three youngsters fought to suppress their laughter as they observed the bewildered expressions of everyone present.
Then, Akihiko let out a long sigh and continued with an admiring tone, "In my heart, there are only a few people considered to be called heroes, and my friend, you are the one I consider the most deserving of that title."
With those words, everyone, aside from the three youngsters, stood frozen, unable to understand how to respond.
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