"So, I'm forced into this as well. I wouldn't resort to such measures unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, why would I go to such lengths just to deal with Danzō Shimura?"
It was indeed a headache. Kawaki Aoba had tried nearly every method to dig up dirt on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But as expected, the Third Hokage's record was remarkably clean. Trying to smear his name was like trying to stain polished glass—it simply wouldn't stick.
And after leading Konoha for so many years, Hiruzen Sarutobi was no fool. Challenging him in his area of expertise would only leave Kawaki Aoba disgraced.
As for the Senju Clan matter, at most, it could only be spun into a political scandal against the Sarutobi clan. Some might argue that the Sarutobi were overreaching, greedy even—but that was the extent of it.
Beyond that, there wasn't much.
Then there was the matter of the 5,000 shinobi. These were Konoha's forces—undermining them would offer Kawaki no real benefit. He bore no hatred for them, and there was no strategic value in making enemies where none were needed.
Even if revealed, it would merely give Hiruzen a temporary political migraine.
So Kawaki did what he had planned from the beginning: he played the emotional card.
After all, Hiruzen's loyalty to Konoha was undeniable. Now, all that remained was to wait for the Hokage's final decision.
The response came by evening.
Asuma Sarutobi personally delivered his father's answer.
Hiruzen had agreed to make arrangements concerning the Sarutobi clan. The clan would gradually reintegrate into the Konoha shinobi registry, and certain businesses would begin transferring their assets outside the village to reduce the clan's influence within Konoha.
However, there were conditions.
Hiruzen requested that Kawaki divert a portion of his industries' profits to support capable civilians—specifically, the families of lower-ranking shinobi who struggled to maintain stability after wartime.
He added several minor stipulations, reinforcing the fact that Hiruzen still held the village's welfare close to his heart.
It might have been a small beginning compared to the Sarutobi clan's current power, but it was a beginning nonetheless.
Kawaki Aoba was willing to give them time—even a few years if needed. For Asuma's sake, he was prepared to make concessions.
He would even sacrifice a piece of his own interests, if it was truly for Konoha.
Besides these smaller negotiations, there was another significant—though subtle—development.
Shinnōsuke Sarutobi, Asuma's older brother, was about to become the new clan head.
Back during the Third Shinobi World War, Shinnōsuke had served as Kawaki Aoba's superior. His impression of the man remained unchanged: competent but uninspired.
Mediocre.
Without Hiruzen's guidance, the Sarutobi clan likely wouldn't flourish under such leadership. In pushing Shinnōsuke forward, Hiruzen was quietly signaling his retreat from politics and clan affairs.
As for Danzō, Hiruzen had said nothing. And Kawaki Aoba had no intention of pressing the issue—even though he had asked Asuma to pass along a message to his father earlier.
This was their tacit understanding.
Those who knew, understood.
In their own unspoken way, Hiruzen and Kawaki—a veteran and a rising force—had shaped the future tone of Konoha's internal politics.
If nothing went awry, once Danzō was dealt with, Konoha would likely enjoy a rare period of peace.
At that moment, Minato Namikaze's shadow clone was still handling minor administrative tasks in the Hokage's office.
The real Minato was away at Mount Myōboku, further advancing his Sage Mode training.
Time moved on.
Before long, Danzō had acquired everything Orochimaru demanded in exchange for the enhanced version of the Impure World Reincarnation technique—an improved form of the forbidden jutsu once perfected by Tobirama Senju and later refined by Orochimaru.
Having finally obtained the jutsu he had long coveted, Danzō wasted no time.
"Summoning: Edo Tensei!" A Root operative bit his finger and slammed his hand into the ground. Dark fūinjutsu spread outward in intricate patterns.
A bound and terrified shinobi—a sacrifice prepared for the ritual—writhed helplessly as chakra-infused paper enveloped his body.
The transformation was swift.
The sacrificial body lost its original features and began to resemble another: a long-dead Root Jōnin who had once operated in the Land of Rain.
Root's policy ensured that all its operatives, willingly or not, left samples of their DNA behind for "research purposes." Thus, Danzō had no shortage of material.
"Ugh… what's going on? Didn't I die…?" the reanimated shinobi muttered, disoriented.
But Danzō ignored him for the moment. His attention was on the Root member who had performed the technique.
"Well? Compared to the original version… how is the chakra consumption?"
"The chakra consumption is minimal—similar to a standard summoning technique," the masked Root ninja said calmly. "And the burden is significantly lighter. I estimate I could summon dozens of shinobi without issue.
However, controlling individuals above Jōnin level... that's a different matter. It becomes extremely difficult."
Danzo's brow furrowed. He turned to Orochimaru, his silent gaze demanding an explanation.
Even Orochimaru was briefly at a loss for words.
"Elder Danzo," he said with a twisted smile, "this is already a vastly enhanced version of the Impure World Reincarnation technique. The current version is at least ten times more efficient than the original. Isn't that enough for you?"
He had long known Danzo was greedy, but even this left him speechless.
Did Danzo truly expect to control Kage-level powerhouses with a group of Genin?
That was pure delusion.
Eventually, Danzo accepted the results with a grim nod.
He proceeded to question the Root shinobi who had been resurrected using Edo Tensei about their final mission in the Land of Rain.
Orochimaru, arms crossed, showed interest. Though he had his suspicions, he hadn't received any specific intel. Whatever had happened to Danzo's agents in Amegakure must have been severe.
The resurrected ninja, despite his stoicism, showed a flicker of fear—an unnatural expression for a Root operative.
"Lord Danzo," the shinobi began, "upon arriving in Amegakure, we attempted to contact Hanzo of the Salamander. But the village had already undergone drastic change. We were ambushed before ever seeing Hanzo.
Our attackers called themselves Akatsuki. Their leader… he had the Rinnegan. He could repel and attract with invisible force. All ninjutsu thrown at him were absorbed effortlessly. We were annihilated before we could relay any intel."
Fear still lingered in his hollow eyes, despite the emotion-suppressing effects of the Reanimation.
Danzo, however, focused on only one thing.
"Rinnegan…?" he muttered. His thoughts turned cold and calculating. "It's not Uchiha Madara, then... Has Hanzo been hiding something this entire time? Even Hiruzen was deceived. What's that old war hawk up to?"
Due to his ignorance of the truth, Danzo misattributed the Rinnegan's appearance to Hanzo. In reality, Hanzo had already been assassinated by Yahiko's successor—Pain.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
The Rinnegan—the mythical eyes said to belong to the Sage of Six Paths—existed.
And someone besides Madara or the Sage possessed them now?
The implications were thrilling. More than the Sharingan or Byakugan, the Rinnegan was the ultimate mystery. Orochimaru's curiosity burned, but he kept it buried under his typical calm.
Besides… someone else in the room was hungrier than he was.
Shimura Danzo.
Orochimaru's cold, serpentine gaze rested on him.
This unknown Rinnegan wielder was not to be taken lightly. Better to let Danzo charge ahead and pave the way.
Danzo, on the other hand, was already regretting revealing this information. Had he known the report would mention the Rinnegan, he'd never have allowed Orochimaru to listen.
But Orochimaru wasn't someone he could silence easily—certainly not now.
Danzo turned toward him, intending to intimidate.
Before he could speak, Orochimaru interrupted with a smirk. "Lord Danzo, I heard nothing of importance. Besides, I have research to attend to. I'll take my leave."
Danzo was taken aback. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to be so... cooperative. Still, he grunted, "You better not have heard anything. Stay in the village. The Land of Rain is no place for personal ambition."
Orochimaru bowed respectfully and left. But once out of Root headquarters, even he couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Using a technique I perfected to threaten me… how laughable.
Meanwhile, another player had been watching from the shadows—Kawaki Aoba.
He had his own doubts about Danzo's growing confidence. Was the old warhawk really preparing to challenge Amegakure again?
If so, Aoba had no intention of stopping him.
Under Aoba's silent approval, Danzo began resurrecting Root shinobi on a massive scale using the upgraded Impure World Reincarnation technique. Not content with his original operatives, Danzo began targeting the remains of dead ninja from the Third Shinobi World War—even non-Konoha shinobi.
So long as they were powerful, Danzo added them to his Root forces. With the chakra suppression tags and sealing scripts Orochimaru had provided, he felt invincible.
The only limitation? Kage-level shinobi were still too unstable to control properly. Worse, their souls were hard to bind without suitable sacrifices.
Still, there was one line Danzo had yet to cross.
He hadn't dared to summon the First or Second Hokage.
Tobirama Senju—his former teacher—remained the one man he still held some reverence for.
How long that would last, however, was uncertain.
---
One day, Kawaki Aoba received a visit from Aokusa, one of his lieutenants.
"Lord Aoba," Aokusa said sternly, "those Root operatives have been causing problems lately. They're encroaching on Anbu duties. Even the Uchiha Police Force has had confrontations with them."
Aokusa was clearly suggesting retaliation. Danzo's faction was overreaching.
Aoba shook his head. "No need. Let Root keep jumping around. The higher they jump, the harder they fall.
If you want to break something… you have to let it go wild first."
He stood, hands behind his back, contemplative.
"For now, pull our teams from any overlapping missions with Root or Anbu. It's time they all took a break. Make sure the wounded are compensated. We have enough funds."
Aokusa nodded and left.
As far as Aoba was concerned, Danzo's antics were merely a prelude. The real storm hadn't started yet.
And Danzo… wouldn't be dancing much longer.
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