"Danzo-sama, a message from Yamanaka Akira."
Just as Danzo was considering whether to personally head to the battlefield to search for Takeshi's whereabouts, a Root shinobi appeared at the doorway, respectfully handing over a scroll to him.
"I see. Leave it there—hmm? Who did you say it's from?!"
Danzo abruptly turned his head, staring intently at his subordinate.
"From Yamanaka Akira..."
Before the ninja could even understand what was happening, the scroll in his hand was already snatched up by Aburame Tatsuma, who quickly handed it to Danzo.
Danzo eagerly unfurled the scroll, took a deep breath to mentally prepare himself, and began reading its contents.
It didn't take him long to finish. Once he did, a gleam of joy flashed across his face, and he slapped the scroll down hard on the table, producing a loud thud.
His son had not only seriously injured the son of the Third Raikage but had also ambushed and outwitted the Magnet Release user, Toroi!
With just this single battle achievement, he could easily convince Hiruzen to promote Takeshi to Jōnin.
"Tatsuma, your training was effective."
Danzo glanced at Aburame Tatsuma and passed him the scroll.
After reading through its contents quickly, Tatsuma was visibly moved.
"I only did a small part. Takeshi-sama's talent is remarkable on its own."
"Hmm."
Danzo nodded, saying nothing more.
He was now thinking about how best to use this victory to pave the way for his son's future as Hokage.
At the same time, a certain old friend came to mind—after all, that person was Takeshi's true teacher.
"Spread this news throughout the village. I want everyone to know about this battle!"
Retrieving the scroll from Tatsuma again, Danzo began laying out his plans.
...
Hokage's Office
Hiruzen and his two advisors were waiting for Danzo's arrival.
Due to the war, their meetings were now far more frequent than before. Hiruzen hadn't had time to visit the hot springs lately and looked rather drained.
"What's Danzo doing? The meeting should've started already."
Koharu Utatane glanced at the clock on the wall and grumbled impatiently at Danzo's absence.
"Let's wait a little longer. Danzo's also in charge of the village's intelligence operations—it's natural that he's busy," Mitokado Homura spoke up to smooth things over.
Just as he finished speaking, the door creaked open. Danzo entered with a scroll clenched tightly in his hand.
"You're finally here, Danzo."
Seeing him arrive, Hiruzen, who had been silently smoking his pipe, put it away. He removed his Hokage hat and set it aside, preparing to engage seriously.
"Hmm."
Danzo said nothing about his tardiness. He simply sat down and gently placed the scroll on the table.
The others glanced at the scroll curiously but refrained from asking. Finally, Hiruzen cleared his throat and initiated the meeting.
"Signs of a small Mist ninja unit have been spotted. Our patrol teams have already clashed with them. This likely means the main Mist force is arriving soon."
"Danzo, do we still have no intel from Kirigakure about their movements in this war?"
Upon hearing that Mist shinobi had already landed in the Land of Fire, Koharu sighed. She knew well how difficult it was to gather intel on Kirigakure, but still asked Danzo in the hope of some breakthrough.
"None."
Danzo shook his head. Ever since Kirigakure declared war, the intelligence agents he had sent out had either gone missing or been killed. They hadn't brought back anything useful.
"But just as Hiruzen said, since the enemy has already shown up in small numbers, the main force must be on its way. Right now, what's most urgent is appointing a commander and constructing defensive positions."
Danzo turned toward Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen, it's time to make a decision."
Seeing Danzo look at him, Hiruzen reflexively picked up his pipe and put it to his lips, then shifted his gaze to Mitokado Homura seated beside him.
Catching Hiruzen's look, Homura instinctively straightened his posture.
"Homura, you're not rusty yet, are you?"
Hiruzen's question was almost teasing. Homura gave an awkward smile.
"Come on, Hiruzen, I'm still sharp. I might even go toe-to-toe with the Nine-Tails if needed."
"Hahaha, in that case, I'm assigning this mission to you. Start by organizing the local patrol units. I'll send reinforcements to the front as soon as possible."
Seeing Homura accept without complaint, and knowing his capabilities, Hiruzen felt confident in his choice.
"As for reinforcements, I suggest we send elite Jōnin from the Uchiha, Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans to the front. According to current intel, Kirigakure is using elite troops. Ordinary shinobi likely won't be able to stop them."
With the commander chosen, Danzo proposed the next step.
"The Uchiha clan, huh?"
Before Hiruzen could speak, Homura frowned.
Those headstrong warriors were notoriously difficult to command.
"The Uchiha usually only respond to commands from within the clan. If we're sending them to the battlefield, we'll need Fugaku to lead them, or we might face complications."
Having dealt with the Uchiha many times, Homura didn't have much faith in the plan.
"It's fine. Let Fugaku go too. They've always wanted to prove their value to the village. Now that war has broken out, assigning them only to security duties would be a waste of their potential."
...
Danzo's lone eye narrowed slightly, his expression returning to the usual calm and unreadable demeanor.
"I'll speak with Fugaku about it. Let's tentatively include them in the plan for now."
Taking a puff of his pipe, Hiruzen also agreed that the Uchiha should contribute more to the village, so he raised no objections.
"According to intel sent by Orochimaru, the situation in Kumogakure remains deadlocked. Even though they're fighting on two fronts, we haven't gained any advantage. That alone proves how formidable the Cloud shinobi are."
Mentioning Kumogakure brought back memories for Hiruzen—of the time he and his group were chased down by the elite Golden and Silver Brothers unit.
It was time.
Seeing Hiruzen bring up Kumogakure, Danzo could finally steer the conversation toward the scroll he had brought.
"Speaking of Kumogakure, I've just received a new piece of intel."
As he spoke, Danzo opened the scroll and spread it out on the table.
...
"Have you heard? We've got a genius ninja in the village—only twelve years old and already took on three Jōnin at once."
"No way. When did that happen?"
"I just heard about it. A friend of mine is stationed on the front lines near Kumogakure. He sent a letter home saying that Shimura Takeshi, the disciple of the Third Hokage, defeated three elite Cloud Jōnin—one of them was even the son of the Third Raikage!"
"The Third's disciple? That must mean one of the Legendary Sannin, right?"
"No, not the Sannin—it's a new student beyond them!"
While Danzo and the others were discussing their war strategy, under the guidance of Root operatives, word of Takeshi's exploits began spreading through the village streets and alleys.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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