"Is that so? He's feeling unwell and will join us later?" The Fourth Raikage's brow furrowed slightly, but he waved his hand dismissively. "Very well, you may go. And ensure a medical ninja is sent to check on him."
Turning his attention back to the other Kage present, the Fourth Raikage expressed his disbelief. It was hard to fathom that the assistant to the Hokage of Konoha would disappear at such a crucial moment. A man of his status from the leading village in the ninja world would not engage in such a disgraceful act. Besides, even if one ninja were to flee, the entire village could not escape. With the combined forces of the three great villages present, it would be impossible for any Konoha shinobi to evade capture.
The focus now needed to shift back to the situation involving the Land of Wind and Sand Village. The original plan had been to profit from the situation and then assist Sand Village in negotiating with the Daimyō of the Land of Wind. However, with the recent developments, they needed to reconsider their strategy regarding the relationship between the Land of Wind and Sand Village. Their true intention had never been to destroy Sand Village outright—they simply wanted to leverage the situation for financial gain.
As the evening drew near and darkness settled over the room, the other Kage grew increasingly impatient. Where was Danzo?
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, scowled and glanced at his peers with visible irritation. "Is the Konoha ninja's constitution really that fragile? I'm several years older than him and haven't fallen ill due to the environment."
They were all veteran shinobi, accustomed to enduring the harshest of conditions on countless missions. The idea that someone could fall ill in a place like the Land of Wind seemed absurd. This wasn't their first time here—illness? Ridiculous.
"Hahaha, perhaps Danzo has simply overexerted himself, trying to devise a way out of our current predicament," the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, said with a chuckle. "It's understandable that he might need a bit of rest. After all, it's been a taxing time for him."
He paused for a moment before adding with a slight laugh, "Anyway, it's not like he could just take the money and run away, right? Hahaha~"
A strange silence fell over the room as everyone exchanged glances, the humor in Yagura's words lingering uncomfortably in the air.
Eventually, Onoki broke the silence. "I doubt it," he said, folding his arms and speaking with a serious tone. "I've dealt with the Third Hokage many times, and his way of the ninja is trustworthy. A man chosen as the Hokage's Assistant by the Third wouldn't be so dishonorable."
The notion of running off with allied funds during an alliance seemed unimaginable. It was hard to believe that a high-ranking official from the most powerful village in the ninja world would stoop to such a shameful act.
"Moreover, Shimura Danzo is a contemporary of mine," Onoki continued. "He may have a reputation for being ruthless and cunning, but he's still a senior figure in the ninja world. He might be ruthless in his methods, but to commit something so disgraceful? Highly unlikely."
"Hahaha, indeed," the Fourth Raikage, A, laughed heartily. "I've crossed paths with both the Third and Fourth Hokage of Konoha. Though we were enemies, they were worthy opponents. It's probably just that Danzo's unwell and needs more time to rest."
"Exactly," Onoki nodded. "There's no way he'd do such a thing—unlike those unscrupulous ninjas from the Grass Village."
"I've fought the Fourth Hokage before—he was a respectable man," Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, chimed in.
"Yeah!" A agreed, nodding at the comments, reassured by the shared respect for Konoha's legacy.
The three Kage continued to exchange remarks, their words gradually easing the tension that had gripped the room.
After all, this was an alliance. If Konoha's people were capable of such dishonorable actions, it would cast a long shadow over any future alliances. Konoha was already facing significant isolation in the ninja world after the 'Cursed Konoha' incident. If they pulled another stunt like this, how could they maintain their standing as the foremost ninja village? They couldn't afford to end up with a reputation like Grass Village's.
But as the conversation wound down, a new tension settled over the room. The Kage fell silent once more, their eyes darting suspiciously from one to the other. Despite their words of reassurance, a lingering doubt remained. Could it really be true? Could Konoha's integrity be slipping away, or was there something more sinister at play? The silence was heavy, each of them silently weighing the trustworthiness of their ally.
At that moment, the seasoned veteran Onoki spoke up, his tone measured but firm. "Well then, since we are now allies and our comrade has fallen ill, how can we, as Kage, stand idly by? Perhaps we should go and check on him ourselves."
The young Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, nodded thoughtfully, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Indeed, the Third Tsuchikage has a point. It's only proper that we pay him a visit."
The Fourth Raikage, A, let out a gruff huff, his eyes narrowing slightly before he gave a curt nod. "Then let's go together."
The three Kage exchanged polite smiles, though each of them was silently cursing the others. As seasoned leaders, they were all too familiar with the layers of pretense and distrust that lay beneath their words. None of them truly trusted the deputy from another village, but they also knew that Danzo's reputation as a powerful and respected figure in the ninja world made it unlikely he would do anything truly disgraceful. Still, the unease lingered, and they all knew that appearances had to be maintained, at least for now.
Shimura Danzo was, after all, one of the key figures who had helped stabilize Konoha during the tumultuous times following the Second Hokage's untimely death. His reputation as a powerful and cunning ninja was well-known throughout the ninja world.
However, just as the three Kage had reached a consensus and began to stand up to visit Danzo's quarters, the ninja who had been sent earlier suddenly burst back into the room, his face a mask of urgency. "Raikage-sama, Tsuchikage-sama, Mizukage-sama, it's terrible! Danzo-sama is gone!"
"What?!" The three Kage were momentarily stunned, exchanging bewildered glances before turning their attention to the panicked ninja.
The Fourth Raikage, visibly irritated, snapped, "What kind of nonsense is this? How can a grown man just disappear? He's probably just stepped out for some air or gone to the bathroom."
"No, Raikage-sama, it's not like that!" The ninja stammered, his voice tinged with desperation. "Danzo-sama's quarters are completely empty—his belongings and equipment are all gone. Based on our investigation, it seems… it seems…" The ninja hesitated, his face contorted with reluctance before he finally blurted out, "It looks like he ran away!"
"…Ran away?" The Fourth Raikage's eyebrow twitched as he let out a cold snort, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Ridiculous! Konoha is allied with our three great villages, and their ninja are still here. Running away? Does that mean the other Konoha shinobi have also fled?"
The ninja nodded gravely, confirming the unthinkable. "They have, Raikage-sama. Since this morning, Konoha shinobi have been leaving in small groups, under the guise of routine activities like bathroom breaks. At first, the numbers were small, and no one paid much attention. But by the time we realized what was happening, they had already disappeared. Even the Konoha ninjas assigned to guard the eastern border of Sand Village have vanished."
The three Kage were left stunned, their faces a mix of disbelief and shock. They stared at each other, trying to process the audacity of Konoha's actions. The realization hit them like a ton of bricks—Konoha had actually run away?
The Fourth Raikage was the first to recover. "Those bastards… Damn it! Konoha has no sense of honor!" he roared, his temper flaring as he began pacing in frustration. "Hurry! Chase them down!"
"Chase? What about Sand Village? Are we still fighting them?" one of the shinobi asked, trying to grasp the sudden shift in priorities.
"Fight? Fight my ass! We're going after Konoha!" A, the Fourth Raikage, snapped without hesitation, his voice echoing through the room.
The sudden shift in focus left everyone stunned. They had been ready to confront Sand Village, but now, in a matter of moments, their target had shifted to Konoha. The bewilderment in the room was palpable, as the shinobi struggled to process how quickly the situation had changed.
…
Meanwhile, back in Sand Village, Akihiko, who was overseeing the preparations for the village's defenses, was handed a letter by Baki. His eyes widened in disbelief as he read the contents. "The Four Great Shinobi Alliance has retreated?"
They had come to annihilate Sand Village, and Akihiko had hoped to avoid engaging such a formidable force at this stage. But the sudden withdrawal was unexpected. Why would they pull back now?
"Why the sudden halt?" Akihiko wondered aloud. "Did we overestimate our demands? They've already reached the Land of Wind, so why would they withdraw now? If they're not targeting Sand Village, who could they be planning to attack? The Daimyō of the Land of Wind?"
As Akihiko mulled over these questions, Baki, recalling the intelligence he had gathered, wore a puzzled expression. "It seems… they're planning to attack Konoha."
What on earth was going on? Why would they suddenly turn on Konoha, their supposed ally? The others around them were just as bewildered, their eyes fixed on Baki, waiting for an explanation.
Before Akihiko could voice his confusion, Baki, still grappling with the absurdity of the situation, hesitated before continuing, "Apparently… their advisor seems to have fled with a large sum of money."
Fled? With the money? Their advisor? Everyone stood there, momentarily stunned, trying to make sense of this bizarre turn of events. Then, almost in unison, Akihiko and Hanzo put the pieces together, exclaiming in disbelief, "Danzo?"