"Ah-choo!" Danzo sneezed and rubbed his nose, glaring at the swirling sandstorm before him. With a disdainful snort, he muttered, "This so-called Land of Wind is nothing but a desolate wasteland with more sand than substance."
He was certain that the dissolution of Sand Village was inevitable. With that particular individual involved, how could it not collapse? The peculiar actions of the village—the sudden disbandment announcement followed by demands for money—bore a distinct and unmistakable style, one that reeked of that cunning Akihiko, the leader of Grass Village.
Danzo, who had spent considerable time 'studying' the ways of the Grass and Rain villages, was no longer the naive man he might have once been. He prided himself on knowing his enemies—perhaps even better than they knew themselves. He had become as knowledgeable about that conniving Grass shinobi as he was about his lifelong rival, Hiruzen.
That's why, a few days earlier, upon reaching the gates of Sand Village and hearing that the Grass Village leader was on his way, he didn't hesitate to turn back and flee. Therefore, He knew exactly who had sent those letters—it had to be Akihiko. Though he had outwardly agreed to the plan, he had never intended to stick around. It wasn't because he feared confrontation—after all, he wasn't known as 'The Darkness of Konoha' for nothing—but because now simply wasn't the time to face such a treacherous foe.
As for the other three great shinobi villages? They were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Danzo was confident that Hiruzen would handle the situation. After all, those villages still adhered to some form of shinobi honor. Even the notoriously sly Cloud Village maintained a semblance of ethics, at least on the surface But Akihiko and his faction? They didn't even bother with the pretense of honor.
Danzo sighed internally, leaning on his cane as he glanced at the handful of Root ninjas by his side, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. His own eyes misted slightly as he thought, Finally, I have the funds. Although he had reluctantly spent several hundred million ryō, he had managed to secure nearly three billion for his village. Now, the Root organization wouldn't face disbandment due to lack of funds after all. And His ambitions, his dreams—they could now be pursued without the burden of financial constraints.
The reason he hadn't returned to the village himself was that he had deliberately chosen a route leading away from the Land of Fire and closer to the Land of Rain. Since setting foot in the Land of Wind, he had been plagued by a sense of unease, even after his escape. To avoid any unforeseen trouble, he had taken this precautionary path.
Just then, Danzo stopped in his tracks. The air in front of him began to distort, warping the very fabric of space. He sighed deeply, his expression remaining calm and resigned. "So, I can't avoid this after all?"
Turning to his Root subordinates, he waved a hand dismissively, his voice calm and detached. "There's no need to be… tense." After all, he had encountered too many situations like this to be rattled now.
…
Let's rewind a bit. Despite their old friend Danzo being nearby, he didn't come around to visit, much to the disappointment of Akihiko and Hanzo. With the Allied Shinobi Forces having withdrawn, they had no choice but to leave as well.
The future of Sand Village remained uncertain. According to Hanzo, Sand Village was now effectively theirs, and by extension, the Land of Wind, having lost its hidden village, was also in their grasp. It seemed Hanzo was ready to elevate the Lands of Grass and Rain to the status of the Five Great Nations.
Of course, as Hanzo pointed out, if the Land of Wind didn't swiftly rebuild its ninja forces after losing Sand Village, it could face serious challenges. Even a great nation could not easily withstand such a devastating blow.
Another consideration was the Land of Rivers. It bordered the Land of Rain and, though lacking its own hidden village, was known for its artisans and mountainous terrain. The Land of Rivers had close ties with the Land of Rain, frequently commissioning missions from Rain Village.
According to some 'unreliable' historical records, the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain were once part of the same country, only splitting later on. Hanzo, however, was convinced of this historical connection and even went so far as to declare, "The Land of Rivers has always been a part of the Land of Rain."
Akihiko couldn't help but think that if Hanzo had his way, he might even claim, "The Land of Wind has always been a part of the Land of Rain."
It seemed that as the Grass and Rain villages developed, Hanzo might be aiming to elevate the Lands of Grass and Rain to the status of the Sixth Great Nation. Or perhaps he simply wanted to convey to Chiyo that the Sand Village of the Land of Wind was just a small village, and like Rain Village, was now also a part of the Land of Rain. His intentions appeared to be geared toward overshadowing Chiyo and asserting his dominance.
In any case, the issue of what to do with Sand Village would have to wait. The entire population of Sand Village, under special escort, swiftly departed from their original village. Many Suna shinobi felt a profound sense of loss, and even Pakura's eyes betrayed a hint of sadness. After all, Sand Village had been built through the hard work of generations of Kazekage and countless shinobi. Leaving it behind was no small matter.
However, there were two people who seemed particularly full of regret.
"That Danzo, he has no manners whatsoever." Akihiko sighed, frustration evident in his voice.
Hanzo nodded in agreement, his own disappointment clear. "Exactly. He came all the way here and didn't even stop by for a cup of tea. And to think I went through so much trouble to host him back in the Land of Rain."
"We really need to give him a good scolding. How dare he trick us like this? Doesn't he know we're allies with Konoha? Where's his shinobi honor?" Akihiko's voice carried a note of 'frustration'.
Pakura rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You two have tricked him three times already. No wonder he fled the moment he heard your names."
Akihiko and Hanzo exchanged disapproving glances at her comment.
"What do you mean by 'tricked'?!" Hanzo retorted sternly. "And you, as the head of the Grass Ninja Academy, should understand that it was merely an invitation to be our guest."
"That's right," Akihiko added with a sigh, nodding in agreement. "Besides, I have a feeling we'll cross paths with him again."
Pakura shook her head, incredulous. "You two must be out of your minds," she muttered irritably. "Who in their right mind would want to meet you again—"
Before she could finish, Obito burst in, his face betraying a mixture of confusion and urgency. "I just saw Danzo."
As Obito's words echoed in the room, everyone fell silent, processing the unexpected news.
Even Akihiko was momentarily taken aback but soon sighed with a sense of wonder. "This... must be fate!"
Without missing a beat, he sprang to his feet and ordered, "Quick, prepare the tea! We have an honored guest to welcome!"
…
Danzo was soon invited and, without hesitation or resistance, he boarded the vehicle. However, as he observed the gathering of Suna shinobi with only a handful of Grass shinobi present, he sighed inwardly, "As expected…"
The peculiar behavior of Sand Village now made sense—it was clearly the result of these schemers' machinations. He turned to Akihiko and Hanzo, his expression a mix of complexity and resolve. After a moment of silence, he greeted them, "It's been a long time, Leader Akihiko and Hanzo."
As Akihiko moved to stand up and offer a greeting, Danzo quickly raised a hand to stop him, his concern evident. "No need to trouble yourself. I'll handle it." With that, he reached into his ninja tool pouch and produced a stack of bills.
Standing firm, Danzo addressed them in a steady voice, "Here's exactly one hundred million ryo. I'm signing up for that single-person travel package—I'm registering myself!"
Danzo's smooth and self-assured demeanor left Akihiko, Hanzo, and the others completely perplexed. Why was Danzo being so unusually enthusiastic?
Even Chiyo and Ebizō were taken aback by the casual display of wealth—throwing around a hundred million Ryo as if it were trivial. Was this the reason Akihiko and Hanzo referred to Danzo as a 'beloved friend'? Ebizō was so stunned he nearly pulled out his own beard.
Akihiko stared blankly at the stack of bills, hesitating. "You're not going to put up any resistance?"
"Not at all," Danzo replied, shaking his head resolutely.
"Maybe… you should resist a bit?" Akihiko suggested, still bewildered by Danzo's calm demeanor. His mouth twitched as he struggled to understand.
"Resist what? I'm here to sign up for this tour. Even if you refuse me, I'm still signing up," Danzo said firmly, his body tensing as he glared. "Are you suggesting that Grass Village isn't interested in making money anymore?"
"That's not the issue. But I heard you managed to secure nearly five billion ryo. If you don't resist, it'll be challenging for us to proceed. After all, we Grass ninjas pride ourselves on being civilized," Akihiko said, shaking his head and sighing with a note of pity.
Danzo's face twitched as he wrestled with his irritation. "Civilized? Civilized, My A*s," he thought, fighting the urge to voice his true feelings.
And the sum wasn't even close to five billion—it was only three billion. Who came up with such inflated figures?
"Don't bother looking!" Danzo scoffed, "I've only got this measly hundred million with me."
It was frustrating, but he had to admit he'd had a rough few years dealing with the Grass Ninja Village. That's why he'd come prepared. He split his forces into three groups, not only to mislead the Allied Shinobi Forces but also to ensure that Kakashi could deliver the money back to Konoha quickly.
He had even arranged for Konoha to set up the Flying Thunder God Array, left behind by the Fourth Hokage, to guarantee Kakashi's safe return.
Danzo, feeling a mix of relief and self-satisfaction, spoke in a relaxed tone, "This is all the money I have. I told you, there's no more. So, what else do you want?"
"There's really no more…" Akihiko and Hanzo sighed in disappointment as they took in Danzo's expression. They looked at the shinobi escorting Danzo and shook their heads helplessly.
Just as they were about to speak further, Obito burst in, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Danzo. Turning to Kusama, he said seriously, "The Allied Shinobi Forces are catching up. What should we do? Should we leave?"
"The Allied Shinobi Forces are catching up already? How did you sense them?" Akihiko asked, puzzled, as he couldn't detect anyone nearby himself.
Obito, utilizing his special eyes, responded, "No, they're still a bit away, but they're stirring up a massive amount of sand as they advance. I saw it from a distance… and they looked pretty furious."
Seeing Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan, Akihiko's expression changed. He raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Danzo, finally understanding the situation.
At that moment, the realization hit everyone. They glared at Danzo, their anger unmistakable.
"There's really no more…" Akihiko and Hanzo sighed in disappointment upon seeing Danzo's expression. They exchanged glances with the shinobi protecting Danzo and shook their heads in helplessness.
Just as they were about to speak further, Obito burst in, his gaze shifting between Danzo and Kusama. "The Allied Shinobi Forces are catching up. What should we do? Should we leave?"
"The Allied Shinobi Forces are already on our trail? You sensed them?" Akihiko asked, curiosity piqued, as he himself couldn't detect any approaching forces.
Obito, relying on his eyes, replied, "No, they're still a bit off, but they're making a considerable commotion. Massive amount of sand's being stirred up by their movement, and from what I can see, they look quite angry."
Akihiko, noting Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan, understood the situation and raised an eyebrow. He then turned to look at Danzo.
It was at this moment that everyone realized Danzo's plan. They all glared at him with growing anger.
Akihiko raised his hand to calm everyone down, letting out a sigh as he patted Danzo on the shoulder with a friendly smile. "It's getting late, and while we're glad you came, we have a prior engagement today, so we won't be able to host you. Don't worry, next time we'll make sure to give you a proper welcome."
Before Danzo could respond, Akihiko turned to Obito and commanded, "See our guest out!"
In an instant, Danzo and the Root ninjas found themselves back in the desert. Before they could even react, a loud voice boomed across the sands, "Danzo Shimura, Konoha's Assistant to the Hokage, is here! For three billion Ryo, charge!"
"Damn it," Danzo muttered, stunned and staring at the now-empty space where the distortion had been. He cursed inwardly, exasperated by Akihiko's behavior. Why is this bastard playing so dirty? He was trying to take advantage, thinking they were trying to recruit him again but instead, they had turned the situation against him. What the hell was going on?
He couldn't believe it—did they really not care that he might be caught by the Three Great Shinobi Villages? And.. where about his money? They'd taken his full hundred million Ryo.
As the sandstorm loomed closer, the Root ninja beside Danzo, recalling their recent predicament, shuddered and asked, "Danzo-sama, what should we do now?"
Danzo, already on edge, snapped, "What should we do? We run!" Without waiting for a response, he dashed away with surprising speed.
How dare they deceive him like that? The 'Darkness of Konoha' would not forget this betrayal. Danzo was determined to avenge this affront.
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