"What?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Absurd!"
Exclamations rang out almost at the same time!
Even Hiruzen couldn't help but show an expression of utter disbelief!
He sharply turned his head, his piercing gaze shooting like a spotlight towards Danzo, who sat in the shadows behind and to his side!
Homura and Koharu's eyes widened instantly. They snapped their heads around, their stares unanimously fixed on Danzo seated on Hiruzen's other side!
Danzo, who had been sitting with his single eye closed, half his face hidden in shadow and bandages, maintaining an air of detached composure, was jolted.
At this time, his single eye snapped open, pupils contracting sharply like a startled venomous snake!
The skin under his bandages twitched violently. For the first time, he revealed an expression of unconcealed, complete bewilderment and absurdity!
He opened his mouth as if to issue a stern rebuke, but this sudden, outrageous accusation choked his throat. Not a single word emerged, only the violent flickering of shock and fury in his single eye.
"Special Envoy Dodai!" Hiruzen took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his churning emotions. His voice regained the authority and steadiness expected of a Hokage, but it also carried a hint of coldness.
"Mind your words! Shimura Danzo is a Konoha's Elder Advisor who has dedicated his life to the village! Such a serious accusation, without conclusive evidence, is a great slander and provocation against Konoha and Advisor Shimura himself!"
Danzo finally found his voice. His single eye shot a cold, icy light, his voice hoarse and full of pressure: "I am Shimura Danzo! I have never set foot in your Land of Lightning in my entire life! I deeply sympathize with the great tragedy that has befallen Kumogakure. But if you think you can throw the blame on me and use it to attack Konoha-"
He snorted coldly, killing intent palpable: "-then produce the evidence! Otherwise, Konoha will absolutely not let this rest!"
Facing the intense reaction from the Konoha leadership, Dodai did not back down. He straightened his posture, his voice resolute and decisive: "Evidence? How about eyewitness evidence?! On the battlefield, that Shura, under the combined fierce assault of the Raikage-sama, Killer B-sama, and Nii Yugito-sama, was forced to reveal his true form! He activated a Tailed Beast Mode! And the characteristic of that Tailed Beast Cloak was nine crystal clear Chakra Tails!"
Dodai's voice suddenly rose, filled with absolute certainty: "In the whole world, aside from your Konoha's Nine-Tails, which other Tailed Beast has nine tails?!"
His words plunged the reception room into another brief, dead silence.
But this time, the shock on the faces of Hiruzen, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu was quickly replaced by a sense of absurdity and their own certainty.
Hiruzen slowly shook his head, his tone exceptionally firm: "Dodai-dono, your judgment is clouded by hatred and the chaos of battle. The seal on the Nine-Tails is Konoha's highest secret. However, I can tell you unequivocally that Shura absolutely cannot be Konoha's Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. It is even more impossible for Shura to manifest the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Mode!"
Homura adjusted his glasses, adding in an academic, precise tone: "What your village witnessed must be some unknown Ninjutsu disguise, or perhaps Shura stole some fragment of power related to the Nine-Tails, much like your village's Gold and Silver Brothers in the past. But it absolutely cannot be the true power of the Nine-Tails."
By deliberately mentioning Gold and Silver Brothers, Homura was subtly reminding them, 'Your Kumogakure also once had false Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.'
Koharu also chimed in, her tone skeptical: "Moreover, if Shura were truly Konoha's Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, why would he attack Konoha? And why would he be under Advisor Danzo's control? Envoy Doday, we understand your village's heavy losses and the desire to find an outlet for your grief. But to conclude it is Konoha's Nine-Tails based solely on seeing 'nine tails' on the battlefield, and to accuse our village's elder... that is far too rash. It even raises suspicion that you are using this opportunity to pressure Konoha and shift the blame for your crisis!"
Danzo let out a disdainful snort: "Hmph! A clumsy frame-up! That Shura is secretive and unpredictable, with endless tricks up his sleeve. Imitating a few tails would be child's play for him. Kumogakure was outmatched and suffered a great loss, and now you want to throw the blame on me and Konoha? What a clever scheme!"
The Konoha's elders spoke one after another, their logic clear, their attitude unyielding, thoroughly refuting Dodai's accusations.
They firmly believed the absoluteness of the Sealing Technique Minato left behind and deeply believed in Danzo's 'innocence', at least on the surface.
They were more inclined to believe this was Kumogakure attempting to extort them or divert the blame after their crushing defeat.
Dodai watched these people's certain and unyielding attitude, especially Danzo's undisguised cold killing intent. He knew further argument was pointless and would only tear apart any remaining facade.
However, he had also obtained the crucial intelligence he wanted.
So, Dodai took a deep breath, forcefully suppressed his churning fury. His face was livid, his single eye flashing with unwillingness and humiliation.
"Fine! Fine indeed, Konoha!" Dodai's voice carried a suppressed tremble, "Since your village insists on such obstruction, this negotiation is over! I hope your village knows what it's doing! Let's go!"
He waved his hand suddenly, and strode out of the reception room without looking back, filled with indignation.
C and the other Kumogakure's Ninjas followed closely. Before leaving, C's calm eyes swept deeply over these Konoha's elders, especially Danzo, his gaze carrying a trace of barely perceptible scrutiny.
Watching the Kumogakure's envoys leave in anger, Hiruzen tiredly rubbed the spot between his eyebrows and instructed the Anbu at the door: "See them out."
Once the reception room door closed again, leaving only the four Konoha's elders inside, the suppressed anger finally erupted.
"Outrageous! This is simply beyond endurance!" Danzo slammed the table, his single eye gleaming with cold light, exuding killing intent.
"That damned Shura! He caused such havoc in Kumogakure and dares to frame me! Is he declaring war on Konoha?!" Danzo's face beneath the bandages was twisted with rage.
Danzo couldn't figure out how he had offended Shura.
Hiruzen sighed, picked up his dropped pipe, relit it, and took a deep drag. Amidst the swirling smoke, his voice was both calming and grave: "Danzo, calm down. This is clearly Shura's scheme, intended to stir up conflict between Konoha and Kumogakure so he can reap the benefits. Kumogakure has suffered a heavy blow. Dodai and the others are frantic and have lost their calm judgment, so we must not lose our own composure."
"Hmph!" Danzo snorted coldly and also got up and left the meeting room.
Hiruzen watched Danzo's retreating back, his wrinkled face furrowed in a deep frown. He picked up his pipe again, a wisp of smoke rising.
Homura and Koharu sat upright, their expressions equally gloomy.
…
Meanwhile.
In the inn arranged for the Kumogakure's special envoy group within Konoha, the atmosphere was also oppressive.
After returning to the inn, Dodai dismissed the other guards, keeping only C in the room.
He shed the unyielding mask of the envoy and sat down wearily by a low table. His single eye looked out the window at Konoha's bustling streets, but his gaze was empty and cold.
The [Wise General] of Kumogakure had completely lost the grievous fury from earlier, returning to his usual steadiness.
The blond-haired C knelt quietly opposite him, his posture respectful.
"C," Dodai's voice was slightly hoarse, breaking the silence, "In the meeting room just now, did you sense anything?"
He knew well that C's keen sensory abilities were a crucial reliance for this mission.
C bowed his head slightly, his blond hair glowing softly under the light. Recalling the details of the meeting, his voice was clear and calm: "Reporting, I was sensing the entire time. Shimura Danzo's aura is gloomy, obscure, carrying a heavy feeling like decaying roots, full of calculation and the smell of blood."
"But it was completely different from the aura emitted by that Shura on the Hell Valley battlefield. Shura's aura is… savage, sinister and deep, like a bottomless abyss. It carries a non-human, tangible Tailed Beast' pressure. Their Chakra Natures and mental fluctuations are entirely different. They absolutely cannot be the same person."
Hearing this, a flicker of understanding passed through Dodai's single eye, but he showed little surprise. It seemed to confirm something.
He picked up his long-cold teacup and took a sip. The bitter taste spread on his tongue.
C looked at Dodai's reaction, a trace of confusion appearing on his handsome face, "Dodai-sama, there's one thing I don't understand. Now that Kumogakure has suffered this great disaster, with Raikage-sama and the two Jinchuriki severely injured, we are at our weakest. Shouldn't the purpose of this trip be to seek an alliance with Konoha to jointly deal with that Shura who threatens the entire Ninja World?"
"Or, to guard against a potential attack from the Land of Earth's Iwagakure once they learn of our weakness?"
"Why instead adopt such an aggressive stance to question Konoha, even accusing their elder?"
"Isn't this pushing a potential ally towards enmity?"
Dodai set down his teacup and let out a light snort, its meaning unclear.
He looked at this intelligent but still somewhat inexperienced subordinate before him. A glint of cunning belonging to a seasoned schemer flashed in his single eye.
"Seeking an alliance? Showing weakness and begging for help?" Dodai's voice was low, carrying a hint of ruthlessness, "C, you are still too young."
"The Ninja World has never been peaceful. When you show your wounds, when you display weakness, the surrounding nations watching will only become more excited, like a pack of hungry wolves, pouncing to tear and bite, not extending a helping hand."
He paused, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table. "Iwagakure's Onoki, that old fox called [Both Scales], has a sharper nose than anyone. He cannot be unaware of the major events in Kumogakure. The more we appear desperate to seek external aid now, the more it will convince him that Kumogakure is weak enough to be slaughtered at will! He will not hesitate to pounce and take a bite out of us, or even more!"
Dodai's single eye flashed with a resolute light, "Therefore, we must instead appear even more 'baring our fangs and brandishing our claws'! Like an injured porcupine, the weaker we are, the more we must raise all our quills! Use the most intense attitude, even at the risk of creating friction, to question Konoha!"
"We must let Onoki, and all the other Ninja Villages see, that even though Kumogakure is wounded, we are still fierce! Still possess the madness to drag others down with us regardless of the cost! Only then will they be apprehensive, will they hesitate, will they not dare to easily move against us! This is the way of survival through bluffing!"
"Besides, we are only arguing with Konoha now, not at war. Onoki won't be the first to stick his neck out."
"After all, in the last war, Iwagakure also lost nearly an entire generation."
C's eyes widened in sudden understanding, a flash of admiration in them: "So that's it! Dodai-sama's foresight is so deep! Then… your insistence on accusing Shimura Danzo and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki…"
"That was another purpose. A probe!" C's gaze turned sharp. "Through the reactions of the Konoha's higher-ups, especially Sarutobi Hiruzen's, I was able to confirm two things."
"First, they knew nothing about the battle at Hell Valley. I intentionally got so many details of the battle wrong to observe their reactions."
"Which leads me to my second conclusion: Konoha's Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki is very likely missing!"
"Or, at the very least, is in some state of being out of control!"
C showed a confused expression again: "Missing? Out of control? Why do you say that? Didn't they insist-?"
C shook his head, a knowing, cold smile appearing: "C, not all Jinchuriki are like Killer B-sama and Nii Yugito-sama, able to reach a reconciliation with their Tailed Beasts and become Perfect Jinchuriki."
"The vast majority of Jinchuriki are tragedies."
Looking at the handsome young man before him, Dodai seemed to recall his own youth following the Third Raikage.
In the blink of an eye, he had grown old. The Fourth Raikage needed more young people around him, and C, this all-round Ninja proficient in the three rare abilities of Genjutsu, Medical Ninjutsu, and Sensory Ninjutsu, was a key focus of the village's resource.
Dodai hoped he could grow into the Fourth Raikage's 'left hand'.
So he patiently analyzed the situation of the great nations, the relationships between Ninja Villages, and the state of Jinchuriki for C.
"Jinchuriki from the major villages, due to uncontrollable rampages, are always seen as monsters by the villagers. They are feared, shunned, even hated. They themselves also endure the erosion of Tailed Beast Chakra and the influence of negative emotions, their spirits in long-term pain and torment."
His voice lowered, carrying a trace of barely perceptible pity: "Such people inevitably have a huge rift with their village. When their power grows to a certain extent, when the inner pain and resentment accumulate to an unbearable level..."
"Choosing to leave the village, or even coming to hate the village, are both extremely likely possibilities. The Konoha's leadership's certainty and avoidance regarding the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki's condition precisely indicates they are deeply secretive about it. It's very likely they have already lost control over that Jinchuriki!"
"That Shura might have some connection to this out-of-control Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki that we are not yet aware of!"
"This is the biggest gain from this trip, aside from the 'bluffing'!"
Silence fell in the room.
C digested Dodai's analysis, his handsome face grave.