Danzo unsealed the scroll, and in a puff of chakra smoke, the severed head appeared before him. There was no hesitation in Danzo's movements as he placed his hand over the head, and activated jutsu of yamaka clan.
With a sharp intake of breath, Danzo focused, sifting through the broken memories of the Cloud operative, feeling the fragmented remnants of his thoughts and intentions.
Vague images flashed through his mind—the Hidden Cloud Village's Raikage giving orders, foreign intelligence gathered from the lands surrounding Konoha, and the primary objectives that had driven this spy deep into enemy territory.
Danzo's expression darkened with satisfaction as he unraveled the spy's mission. He now knew exactly what the Hidden Cloud sought from Konoha—and it was something far more valuable than military tactics or maps.
The image became clear: the Cloud's interest lay in obtaining a live Uchiha or Hyuga clan member—either to harness the Uchiha's Sharingan or the Hyuga's Byakugan.
With such powerful dojutsu, the Hidden Cloud's strength would increase exponentially, providing them with a distinct advantage against any other village.
Danzo removed his hand from head, "If the Hidden Cloud desires a live Uchiha or Hyuga, then I will give them a reason to turn their ambitions in my direction."
…
Nova's voice chimed softly in his mind. "You're awfully calm for someone who's about to eavesdrop on one of the most dangerous men in Konoha."
Hiroshi smirked, resting his chin on his hand. "Danzo's dangerous, sure, but he's predictable. …stereotype. "
He sat in the quiet of his underground lab, surrounded by glowing seals and faintly humming equipment.
In front of him floated a small orb of light, a projection from one of the many seals he'd planted on Hidden Cloud spy's.
The orb flickered for a moment, then solidified into a scene: Danzo Shimura sitting at a small, dark table, In front of him was the head of a Hidden Cloud spy.
"If the Hidden Cloud desires a live Uchiha or Hyūga, then I will give them a reason to turn their ambitions in my direction," Danzo said with smirk
Danzo leaned back in his chair, as he addressed the shadowy figure standing near the edge of the room.
"The Raikage wants a member of the Uchiha with a mature Sharingan and a member of the Hyuga main branch. If I give them what they want, I'll secure their support. With the Cloud at my side, I'll have the leverage to claim the Hokage seat,
When current Hokage will die because of 'unfortunate circumstances'."
Hiroshi's brow furrowed as he listened. "He's planning to kill Minato?"
"I don't care if whatever you do, but you have to give me my test subject… I need live specimen to complete my research"
"We have deal, but you have to help me," Danzo continued, "The Uchiha are already under suspicion for the Nine-Tails incident. It won't take much to turn the village against them.
As for the Hyuga… they've become too rusty because of that slave seal, there are no use to village. …Sacrificing one of them is a small price to pay for Konoha's future."
Shadowy figure removed his hood, reaveling snake like feature,
"Orochimaru!" Hiroshi murmured.
"The boy, Hiroshi Hyuga, is the most viable target. He's young, impressionable, and powerful enough to be worth their Interest. Also his mother is pregnant, if we give both of sibling to The Raikage …Its a perfect bargaining chip.
I'll orchestrate a scenario where they can be captured without raising suspicion."
Hiroshi's smirk widened as he listened. "Oh, Danzo, you have no idea who you're dealing with."
Nova laughed his mind. "The irony is delicious. He's plotting to sacrifice you… only if he knew."
Danzo's voice dropped to a whisper. "As for the Uchiha, I'll arrange for one of their prodigies to be sent on a high-risk mission. They'll never see it coming, and their capture will appear as nothing more than an unfortunate casualty of war."
"Do you truly believe this will work? The Uchiha and Hyuga clans will not take this lightly." Orochimaru said
"It doesn't matter what they think. Once I'm Hokage, I'll deal with them as I see fit. The village's future depends on strong leadership, and Minato's soft-hearted approach has made us vulnerable. I'll do what needs to be done."
The projection flickered, and the scene faded as the seal deactivated. Hiroshi leaned back against the cool stone wall, his arms crossed. His mind was already racing with possibilities.
"So, what's the plan? You're not just going to let him continue this, right?" Nova asked,
"Of course not. But killing Danzo outright would be too easy—and too boring. No, I think I'll make him my puppet instead."
Nova's voice took on a curious tone. "Puppet, huh?"
"Danzo craves control," Hiroshi said, "So I'll give him the illusion of it."