"Danzo-sama, Yakushi Nono taken away by Tsunade, ranks only C-level in our Root's talent pool, with a very simple background and estimated low value."
Inside the tent, hearing the report from his subordinate, Shimura Danzo's face showed no relaxation, remaining stern, even a bit displeased. He spoke, "Clean background, low value. Tell me, who were the first two people to receive such evaluations?"
"Well..."
Being questioned like this by Danzo, the Root ninjas were somewhat speechless, because the first two people to receive such evaluations were named Minato Namikaze and Sakamoto Tatsuma. Of course, due to the extraordinary talents displayed by the two, their assessment level in Root's talent pool reached B-level, within the range of talents worth recruiting.
Beyond this, there were A-level talents worth heavily recruiting, and S-level talents that must be recruited or neutralized. However, due to Tatsuma and Minato not demonstrating any Kekkei Genkai or having family backgrounds with Secret Jutsu, they could only be assessed as B-level at most.
Moreover, this set of evaluation criteria was originally formulated by Danzo himself. These subordinates of his are simply judging the new forces in the village according to the standards set by Danzo. The fundamental reason for missing out on Tatsuma and Minato, who are considered the most excellent ninjas of the new generation, is that the evaluation criteria set by Danzo went wrong. After all, it's because Danzo-sama, you didn't value civilian ninjas in the first place!
But as subordinates, how could they possibly say such things? They could only grit their teeth and bear this blame.
However, in the eyes of this Root ninja, their assessment of Yakushi Nono was not wrong. After all, under similar family backgrounds, Nono's displayed talent was not high, and her future achievements might be limited.
Their assessment of her as C-level (recruitable as inactive Root ninja) was not wrong. Danzo-sama is just too sensitive. After consecutively missing out on those two kids, Tatsuma and Minato, he's a bit confused.
Danzo looked at the subordinate kneeling in front of him, unable to utter a word, and "hmphed," saying, "Your evaluations better not be wrong again!"
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
The Root ninja bowed even lower, and Danzo's expression softened slightly as he said, "Pay close attention to the children of Sakumo, Shinku Yuhi, and the upcoming or already born children of the major clans in the village. If another incident like missing out on Sakamoto Tatsuma and Minato Namikaze happens again, then you will no longer be necessary!"
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
"And as for Sakamoto Tatsuma, stop surveillance. Only gather information on the battlefield. There's no need to keep an eye on him once he returns to the village."
Thinking of Tsunade's previous warning, Danzo furrowed his brows again. He believed that continuing to send Root ninjas to monitor Tatsuma, even if Tatsuma moved into Tobirama-sensei's residence, Sarutobi wouldn't actually hold him accountable. But Tsunade's warning wasn't so simple either. After all, Tobirama-sensei's residence wasn't far from that person. Tobirama-sensei had passed away, but that person was still alive and well.
If Tsunade decides to make an issue out of this, even his relationship with Sarutobi won't exempt him from having to apologize and withdraw his subordinates. Since it's futile, there's no need to provoke unnecessary trouble.
Moreover, that child Tatsuma will surely understand the ninja path he inherited from Tobirama-sensei and naturally stand on his side. Thinking of this, a glimmer of anticipation appeared in Danzo's eyes.
Why should Sarutobi sit firmly in the position of the Third Hokage? Is it because he relies on sensei's verbal commands? That's important, but not everything. When they returned to the village and announced sensei's last wishes, they faced considerable opposition, especially from the evil Uchiha.
Sarutobi only managed to ascend to the position of Hokage smoothly because that person organized the whole situation and pushed him up. Why does that person have such influence? It's because they're the main family of that clan, even though the clan no longer bears the name Senju. Their influence remains, and as long as they reach a unified opinion internally, the village cannot raise any objections.
And that guy Sarutobi, after sitting in the position of Hokage, it was Shimura Danzo who helped him secure it. At that time, with internal and external threats, without his assistance, Sarutobi wouldn't have been able to hold onto his position. But what did he do after firmly taking the position of Hokage?! He took in the most legitimate heir of that clan as his disciple, and even molded her into someone who despises him.
"That person only has at most five years left. Counting another five years after that, their influence should fade away. In ten years' time, that kid Tatsuma should have grown up. If he can become the influential figure of that clan... Hmph, Sarutobi, I wonder what you'll use to compete with me then!"
In an instant, countless thoughts raced through Danzo's mind. He even envisioned himself becoming the Fourth Hokage, governing the village inside and out, pushing the village to new heights. Then, the scene of passing on his ninja path, his will, and everything to that child on his deathbed involuntarily appeared in his mind. A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Shimura Danzo will surely leave his name in Konoha's history!
The Root ninja, half-kneeling before Danzo, breathed a sigh of relief at his words, nodded, and replied once again, "Yes, Danzo-sama."
Danzo waved his hand, casting a slightly displeased glance at the subordinate who interrupted his future contemplation. If it weren't for the tight manpower in the war, he would have dealt with him!
Seeing Danzo wave his hand, the Root ninja quickly departed. In the empty tent, Danzo tapped his fingers on the table, recalling the ten-year-long layout in his mind. It was beautiful, but to achieve it, he had to step out of the darkness step by step. Only when his reputation surpassed that of Sarutobi could he overthrow him during peacetime.
The thought gave birth to an idea in Danzo's mind, temporarily named "Becoming the Fourth Hokage, starting from the defeat of Hidden Sand Village"!
He waved his hand and said, "Summon Rima, Shima, and the head of the Hyuga clan. I have an important battle plan to discuss with them!"
In the originally empty tent, a fleeting shadow seemed to pass by and disappear without a trace. Danzo remained calm and composed, sitting in his own place, waiting for the arrival of those few individuals.
Meanwhile, Tsunade and her group, who had just left the campsite early this morning, en route to another battlefield, encountered a group of Rain Ninjas.
"Find cover, hide!"
The moment the enemy was sensed, Tatsuma issued the command. Chunins immediately sought cover or retrieved the pre-prepared Cloak of Invisibility from their ninja pouches. However, some of the Genins were still bewildered. Only a few, like Ino-Shika-Cho, managed to conceal themselves.
The other Genins instinctively looked towards Tsunade. In their eyes, as a Jonin, Tsunade should be the one qualified to give orders, as that's what the books taught them.
Tsunade's brow furrowed as she shouted, "Didn't you hear him?! Or can't you even do this?!"
Tsunade was never a gentle person. Her gentleness was always fleeting, extremely so. Not only towards these unfamiliar Genin, but even towards her own brother, she rarely showed any tenderness.
Being scolded by Tsunade, these Genin suddenly knew what to do. They scrambled for cover, but the better cover around had already been occupied by Chunin and a few quick-reacting Genin. They spun around in a panic, not knowing what to do.
Without anyone leading them, they didn't dare to easily spread out. Tatsuma and Minato exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of disappointment in each other's eyes. These Genin were too inexperienced.
The battlefield was not a game of hide and seek. The Rain Ninjas wouldn't wait for them to hide before leisurely arriving. Tsunade jumped onto the crown of a large tree, coldly observing below. As ninjas, this was a necessary experience, and she believed Tatsuma and Minato could handle it.
Seeing that there were still a dozen or so Genin who hadn't found good cover, and their makeshift cloaks were poorly made, Tatsuma and Minato shook their heads and used Body Flicker to leave their original positions, leaving the remaining dozen or so Genin increasingly panicked.
Soon, a group of six Rain Ninjas rapidly approached. Seeing about a dozen Genin scrambling in a panic, and a few clearly crouching on the ground, they couldn't help but feel a sense of humiliation.
However, the leading Ninja quickly issued orders: "Stay alert, beware of their leading Ninja!"
As a major ninja village, Konoha couldn't allow a dozen Genin to run amok outside without a leading ninja. Surely, there would be a leader, and the fact that they could lead so many people indicated they were at least a Special Jonin, with the possibility of being a Jonin.
However, perhaps the Ninja Squad Captain didn't realize that within this small forest, there weren't just the dozen or so panicked Genin, but also around fifty Chunin, one Jonin, and nearly three hundred Genin.
Time was short. Just a little more time, and they might have noticed something wrong with this forest. But Tatsuma didn't intend to give them the chance.
"Earth Release! Swamp of the Underworld!"
Tatsuma, hiding on the side, formed hand seals. A swampy terrain appeared under the feet of the Rain Ninjas and some Konoha Genin. However, amidst the rainforest, they didn't notice it immediately.
By the time those few Ninjas heard the Squad Captain's orders to investigate the surroundings, Tatsuma had already completed the jutsu. Chakra surged into the ground, turning the already muddy terrain into a treacherous pit of quicksand resembling a swamp.
The lower halves of the six Rain Ninja were suddenly submerged in the swamp that appeared out of nowhere. The chakra clinging to the swamp made it difficult for them to break free, and in an instant, they all became panicked.
"Stay alert!"
At the Squad Captain's command, just as they were about to use Water Release to disperse the swamp, a yellow blur flashed before his eyes. It was the last thing he saw.
Minato, holding a kunai, emotionlessly swept the kunai across the throats of each ninja, swiftly leaving the range of the swamp. Meanwhile, Tatsuma inputted chakra into the ground once again.
The ground surged, swallowing up all six Rain Ninjas. Only a few ninja pouches and scrolls remained on the ground. Tatsuma then emerged from his hiding place, stating, "The enemies have been dealt with."
As his words fell, Tsunade also descended from the treetops, looking satisfied at her disciple. Minato also wore a warm and reassuring smile as he asked the dozen or so Genins who hadn't managed to hide and were frightened, "Are you alright? Did we scare you?"
The dozen or so people who had just thought they might be abandoned realized, upon seeing Tatsuma and Minato swiftly deal with the enemies, that Tatsuma and Minato weren't disregarding their lives. It was just that facing a few Rain Ninjas didn't require all of them to hide.
Even Shikaku, who had hidden nearby, patted the mud off his clothes. He suspected that Minato and Tatsuma left behind the dozen or so Genins not only to lure the Rain Ninjas but also to prevent them from getting scared and avoiding getting too close.
This realization wasn't limited to Shikaku alone; many Chunin also understood. The six individuals earlier were all wearing vests, leading them to believe there might be a Jonin among them who they were hesitant to attack. But now, it seemed they were all just Chunin.
However, the seamless coordination between Tatsuma and Minato, which led to the swift elimination of six Chunin, left them somewhat astonished. Yet, they quickly let go of their astonishment. After all, these two were known for their exceptional abilities; they had previously faced hundreds of Chunin single-handedly.
At this moment, Tsunade picked up a few scrolls and glanced at them. One was a mission scroll for patrolling the Land of Rain, expelling or eliminating foreign ninjas. The remaining scrolls were all just sealing scrolls, nothing worth paying attention to.
She tossed the scrolls to Tatsuma and addressed the somewhat shaken Genin, "As you continue deeper, encounters with Rain Ninjas will become more frequent, and their numbers and strength will gradually increase.
The chaos we experienced today, I do not wish to see it repeated. If I haven't given an order, then consider the commands of Tatsuma and Minato as valid! I don't want any casualties before we even reach the camp! Do you understand?!"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!"
The group of young shinobi shouted loudly, especially the dozen or so who were so panicked that they couldn't conceal their whereabouts, shouting even louder.
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