Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 437 Danzo's Conservative Faction

The collapse and reconstruction of faith can sometimes happen in the blink of an eye.

The hostility and confusion in Aburame Ryoma's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a more steadfast and fervent light of faith.

He finally knelt on one knee, bowing his head to Umino Sasuke: "Your subordinate... Aburame Ryoma! I swear to serve Lord Sasuke to the death! I will dedicate everything to the restoration of Konoha!"

His voice went from hoarse at first to firm later, and finally turned into the same fanaticism as Danzo.

Sasuke Umino nodded in satisfaction. Danzo was indeed a master at brainwashing. His persuasion was logical, well-founded, and hit the nail on the head, perfectly transferring Ryoma Aburame's loyalty to himself.

He stepped forward and personally modified the Tongue Calamity Seal for Aburame Ryoma, supplementing it with other sealing controls to completely subdue this elite Jonin.

Next, with the full cooperation of Danzo and Ryoma Aburame, Sasuke Umino began to persuade and control the remaining seventeen elite members of Root.

Although the process was tedious and required performing each technique individually, it went relatively smoothly. With the presence of Danzo and Ryoma Aburame as leaders, these Root ninjas offered almost no resistance and readily accepted their new allegiance and even harsher control.

Sasuke Umino always insisted on doing things himself and never delegated the task to others.

The most important matters of state are sacrifice and war!

He knew that to control the core of military power, especially a hidden and powerful force like Root, he had to personally brand it to ensure absolute loyalty and control, allowing no room for negligence. This was the ironclad rule of wielding power.

After completely taking control of the two squadrons of Root ninjas, he did not stop there. He took Danzo and quietly returned to the front-line camp.

Under Danzo's cover, he used the darkness and Danzo's authority to secretly summon the remaining Root members on the front lines one by one, continuing to personally exert control over them.

When the last Root member was placed with the control seal, it meant that the Root power that Shimura Danzo had cultivated for many years had completely fallen into his control.

Inside the tent, Sasuke Umino looked at Danzo, Ryoma Aburame, and several Root captains standing respectfully before him and announced an important appointment:
"From this day forward, Senju Nawaki will serve as the head of the Root Department, overseeing all affairs of the Root Department."

After a brief probing, Umino Sasuke looked at Danzo.

However, Danzo's reaction surprised everyone.

His face showed no dissatisfaction or disappointment; instead, it displayed an expression of "it should be this way," and he even spoke up, his tone calm and approving:

"Lord Sasuke is wise! This appointment is extremely appropriate, and I also believe it should be done."

He looked at Umino Sasuke, his single eye gleaming with insight and understanding: "After all, Root was founded by its subordinates, and almost all of its members have sworn allegiance to their individual subordinates, so its influence is deeply entrenched."

If Lord Sasuke were to still appoint his subordinates as department heads at this time, it would make him appear indecisive and lack the checks and balances and control that a 'Kage' should have, which would inevitably lead his subordinates to look down on him.

Placing Senju Nawaki, a trusted confidant, in this position today is a testament to his political maturity and profound understanding of how to manage subordinates!

Only in this way can we ensure that the Root, this sharp blade, is absolutely in the hands of the 'Shadow', and that there will be no hidden dangers of it becoming too powerful to control.

"Lord Sasuke, your thinking is so thorough, I admire you!"

Umino Sasuke was greatly pleased with Danzo's insightful analysis. If someone else had said this, it might have seemed like flattery, but coming from Danzo, it was very convincing.

As expected of Danzo, who has been involved in dark politics for decades, his awareness, self-awareness, and proactive attitude in cooperating are remarkable. How could Hiruzen Sarutobi bear to let such a good "tool" be used only as a scapegoat?
What a waste of natural resources!
Of course, the reason he chose to subdue Danzo was because he saw him as a good weapon and his "pot-kage" physique. Konoha had deep-seated problems, and there were many issues left over from the time of the First Hokage. In particular, the major ninja clans were too powerful to be controlled. They seemed to support the village, but in reality, they often put their own clan interests above the village. Like a malignant tumor, they kept absorbing Konoha's resources.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who came later, must have seen this as well. He tried to suppress and weaken the major ninja clans, but his methods were clumsy. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too, hoping to gain the support of the major ninja clans while suppressing and weakening them. As a result, he could only play the good cop and let Danzo play the bad cop. His methods were simple and crude. He even used the method of forcibly recruiting ninja clan geniuses into the Root to suppress the emergence of strong people in the major ninja clans. This resulted in him hurting the enemy a thousand while hurting himself eight hundred.

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought his methods were brilliant, but in reality, almost all the ninja clans in Konoha knew what was going on. When the Konoha Collapse occurred, everyone tacitly allowed Orochimaru to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi, which shows how bad the attitude of the major ninja clans was towards him, and they wished their own 'Kage' would die as soon as possible.

In their view, Danzo might not be so hateful. At least, while Danzo claimed to be doing everything for Konoha and targeting them, he first destroyed the Shimura clan, perfectly embodying the principle of "actions speak louder than words." Meanwhile, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was waving his banner, the Fire Release squadron he raised was constantly expanding, almost surpassing the Uchiha clan.

Of course, the major ninja clans of Konoha were no saints either. By using external forces to kill their own "Kage," they were no different from certain civil service groups who let their own bosses "fall into the water." In the end, all the consequences of the turmoil were borne by the lower classes.

Therefore, it is necessary to overthrow Hiruzen Sarutobi and suppress and reshape the major ninja clans, and to do so in a more ingenious and thorough manner. In this regard, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, did a very good job.

Danzo, a sharp blade familiar with all the dark corners of Konoha, was the perfect candidate to carry out this "major operation," and also the perfect "scapegoat" to draw attention and bear the blame.

"Danzo, you've misunderstood."

Seeing Danzo's profound understanding, Umino Sasuke smiled slightly and explained, "My decision to appoint Nawaki as the head of Root is not because I distrust your abilities. On the contrary, I have a more important mission to entrust to you." His gaze was deep as he slowly said, "In my view, although Root is secretive, after years of development, its existence and style of operation are well known to the major ninja villages and many forces within Konoha. Its every move is not without trace. It is no longer a truly 'secret' force."

I hope that you can establish a new, more secretive department for me and for Konoha!

An organization buried deeper than the roots, operating with greater secrecy, and touching upon darker realms! It will be the true shadow blade in my hand, the darkness beneath the roots that even the roots cannot fathom!
That's why the 'shallow' roots, already somewhat exposed above the soil, were entrusted to the rope tree, which still needed further training, so that you could focus wholeheartedly on exploring new territories.

Next, Sasuke Umino began to explain his long-conceived organizational plan:
"I will expand the root into three departments: the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Western Depot."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was reorganized from the current Root organization. Although it operates in the shadows, it is mainly responsible for traditional military covert functions such as external intelligence, infiltration, sabotage, and assassination. Due to its frequent activities, it inevitably attracts attention from all sides. With Rope Tree in charge, we can take advantage of his status as the inheritor of Wood Release and my support to carry out a thunderous reorganization and reshape its soul.

I plan to expand the Eastern Depot based on the Iron Wall Legion's Anbu as its core framework. Its main responsibilities include establishing an intelligence network for the entire ninja world outside of Konoha, strategic infiltration of spies, and long-term infiltration and influence on the high-ranking officials of hostile major powers. I have already completed the initial work on this part, and the Wind Country and Fire Country have already completed the setup.

And the most crucial one is the Western Depot…

Then, Umino Sasuke looked sharply at Danzo: "It only has a preliminary design framework, and it needs you to refine and establish it."

The West Depot's duty is to monitor the interior of Konoha!
It's not just about monitoring illegal and disorderly conduct; it's about closely monitoring the every move of all the ninja clans, all the high-ranking officials, and all the departments in Konoha! We need to gather evidence against them, analyze their movements, and assess their loyalty and value to the village!
I will ensure that no shadow within Konoha escapes my gaze! Any parasite that attempts to harm Konoha's interests or hinder its revival will be exposed and brought to justice under the watchful eyes of the Western Depot!

As Danzo listened to Umino Sasuke's meticulously crafted plan, his single eye grew brighter and brighter, and his body trembled slightly with excitement. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was in charge of military operations, the Eastern Depot was responsible for external expansion and infiltration, and the Western Depot was responsible for internal monitoring and purging. What an incredibly tight system this was!
Once these three institutions are established and operate effectively, coupled with sufficient financial support, the Hokage's power will be consolidated to an unprecedented level, and no force will be able to restrain the Hokage's will, not even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!
Konoha will truly become a highly centralized military organization!

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!!"

Danzo couldn't help but growl excitedly, his gaze towards Umino Sasuke filled with unprecedented fervor and reverence. "Once we complete the centralization of power, what will Konoha not prosper with? What will be the Hokage's authority not be secure with? Your subordinate will do everything in his power to build the deepest, darkest, and sharpest shadow blade of the Western Depot for you, my lord!"

The last trace of resentment he felt from losing his roots vanished, replaced by a desire to throw himself into a grander, darker cause.

My loyalty to Lord Sasuke was indeed the right choice. Only a "Kage" like him can lead Konoha to true greatness!

He then became extremely curious about the "Eastern Depot" structure mentioned earlier, especially the statement that "the structures of the Wind Kingdom and the Fire Kingdom have been completed," and couldn't help but ask:
"Lord Sasuke, you just mentioned the Eastern Depot's operations in the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. To what extent have they expanded?"

Before Umino Sasuke could answer, Tsukiko Yoru, who was standing to the side, stepped forward. As the head of the Eastern Depot, he naturally carried a hint of arrogance that was not easily detected.

"Since Elder Danzo is now one of us, he can know some things. The work in the Land of Fire is mainly being carried out by me and Nawaki, so let me give a brief explanation."

Clearing his throat, Moonlight Night spoke in a calm yet information-rich tone: "Through years of effort, my Iron Wall Dark Division—no, the Eastern Depot—has established a comprehensive intelligence network in the Land of Fire's daimyo prefecture and its major towns, utilizing commercial networks, intelligence infiltration, and even unconventional methods. Currently, the Land of Fire's Finance Minister, Minamoto no Mitsuaki, along with his three treasurers and two powerful officials responsible for tax collection, are clearly members of my Eastern Depot and are under our absolute control..."

"What?! Minamoto no Mitsuaki?! The daimyo's confidant, the one who controls the Land of Fire's treasury?!"

Even though Danzo was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by the news, his scalp tingling. His one eye widened in disbelief, and he exclaimed, "Moreover, Minamoto no Kōmyō is just a high-ranking spy for our Eastern Depot, not a core member. How is this possible?!"

Looking at Danzo's incredulous expression, Moonlight Night inwardly curled her lips slightly. She used to think that this "Darkness of the Ninja World" was unfathomable and had extraordinary abilities, but now it seems that his vision was still too small in the face of Lord Sasuke's grand plans.

He added in a flat tone, "What's so remarkable about that? Not only in the Land of Fire, but also in the Land of Wind, thanks to the previous great victory and the subsequent 'alliance' agreement, we have planted even more people and infiltrated even deeper."

The Minister of Finance of the Wind Kingdom, and more than 60% of his key financial and tax officials, are now people of my Eastern Depot.

It can be said that, apart from the core levels of the Temple of the Wind and the Hidden Sand Village, which we haven't been able to fully penetrate yet, the administrative and financial systems of the Land of Wind are basically under our influence.

Danzo gasped in shock, feeling his worldview had been greatly shaken.

Controlling a country's financial lifeline is beyond his previous understanding of "covert operations"!

This is simply—theft of a country!

Looking at Danzo's almost speechless expression of shock, Moonlight felt a surge of superiority: This is shocking? If I told you that even the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was a stand-in we arranged, and that the Jing Sha New Army of the Land of Wind was also our people, wouldn't you be jumping up in fright?
If these weren't the most core secrets of the Eastern Depot, which absolutely could not be revealed to Danzo, he would definitely have let Danzo know just how deep his Eastern Depot's operations were!
However, he also knew the importance of things. In addition to cooperation, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Western Depot mainly checked and supervised each other.

If it weren't for the fact that he wanted Danzo to support their Eastern Depot's work in the future and to make things easier for them when it came to external intelligence, he wouldn't have wanted to reveal even that information.

Danzo, digesting this shocking information, suddenly turned to Umino Sasuke, his tone filled with unprecedented fear, and even carrying a hint of admonition that he himself did not realize.
"My lord! How dare you control the nobles and officials of the Wind and Fire kingdoms on such a large scale, especially the daimyo's trusted ministers! This... this is far too risky and radical, isn't it?"

A bitter smile appeared on his face as he said self-deprecatingly, "Everyone says that I, Danzo, am a Konoha hawk, acting radically, ruthlessly, and too extreme. But compared to your actions, sir, I seem like a timid and conservative!"

(End of this chapter)