Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 122 Don't disappoint me, Lord Orochimaru!
"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi silently smoked his cigarette, the smoke rising and enveloping his wrinkled face.

After a long silence, he looked up at Shimura Danzo and said calmly, "So, Danzo, what do you want to say?"

"Or rather, what do you want to do?"

When confronted with Hiruzen Sarutobi's question, Danzo Shimura did not answer directly. Instead, he slowly walked to the window and looked out at the seemingly peaceful and serene Konoha.

"Hiruzen, this is not the time for me to do anything."

With his back to Hiruzen Sarutobi, he said, "Instead, we must do something."

"You should already know that Kusagakure was destroyed by 'vengeful spirits' not long ago."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's fingers, which were holding the pipe, trembled slightly, and ash fell in a flurry.

He narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Has the credibility of the information been confirmed?"

They had received intelligence not long ago that the Hidden Grass Village had been wiped out by an unknown entity, but the details mentioned in that intelligence were vague and somewhat inexplicable.

The idea of ​​vengeful spirits killing people or the dead seeking revenge is utterly absurd.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't take it too seriously at the time, but Danzo's words revealed that the matter was actually true.
"Yes, I have already sent someone to verify the authenticity of the intelligence."

Shimura Danzo's tone was completely flat: "Most of the core strength of Kusagakure was completely destroyed overnight by some inexplicable force."

"There were very few survivors; only a few dozen Kusagakure ninjas who were on missions elsewhere escaped the disaster."

"Who did this?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was slightly hoarse. "They almost wiped out the entire Kusagakure village overnight..."

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could finish speaking, Danzo Shimura interrupted him.

“It’s a 'vengeful spirit',” he said.

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Koharu Utatane showed expressions of astonishment, with the latter blurting out, "Is it a ninja codenamed 'Wraith'?"

“No.” Danzo exhaled and said in a deep voice, “It is ‘vengeful spirit’, literally, ‘vengeful spirit’.”

"According to the survivors of Kusagakure, that thing has no physical form, cannot be seen, and cannot be stopped, but wherever it goes, it will steal the soul and kill the person instantly."

“I couldn’t believe it, just like you, so I had the Root bring back a few bodies, but after several examinations and autopsies, I’m certain there were absolutely no injuries.”

"No external injuries, no internal injuries, no poison..."

"He really just died suddenly."

Danzo turned to look at the two people with surprised and suspicious expressions, and continued, "I sent the corpses to the mountain clan, and they said that the cause of death of these corpses was that their spiritual energy was drained."

"Spiritual energy is the soul."

A chill ran through Hiruzen Sarutobi and Koharu Utatane.

There are actually some ninjutsu in the ninja world that involve the soul, such as the secret techniques of the Yamanaka clan, and the "Spirit Transformation Technique" which is an S-rank forbidden technique...

However, all these techniques involve possessing and controlling others, then damaging their physical bodies to cause harm; even "spiritualization techniques" are no exception.

This ability to extract all spiritual energy, or soul, out of thin air is simply unheard of.

“No wonder outsiders call it a ‘vengeful spirit’,” Koharu Utatane murmured. “This is indeed something that only legendary ‘vengeful spirits’ can do.”

"Hiruzen."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, but Danzo Shimura suddenly spoke up: "Do you know who that 'vengeful spirit' is?"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment, but quickly realized that since it was a 'vengeful spirit,' it must be someone who died with resentment in their heart...

“He is a member of the Uzumaki clan,” Danzo Shimura said coldly. “Because of his ‘physical healing’ ability, Kusagakure hid him and used him to treat his injuries.”

"I suspect that, out of resentment, she may have used some forbidden technique to destroy Kusagakure after her own death, at the cost of her own life."

With the terrifying foundation of the Uzumaki clan for nearly a thousand years, they can even summon the "Death God" with the "Dead Demon Seal," and it is not impossible for them to become "vengeful spirits" after death.

"The Uzumaki clan?" Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his lips were dry and whispered, "How could this be..."

"That's the truth!"

Danzo interrupted him sharply, his tone becoming aggressive: "Hiruzen, the fate of Kusagakure is laid bare before our very eyes."

"Such a ninja village with military power can be destroyed from within in just one night, with just one vengeful spirit that harbors resentment and possesses forbidden techniques!"

As he spoke, he took a sudden step forward, his body leaning slightly forward, a dangerous glint in his single eye. His voice was extremely low, yet every word struck Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart like a heavy hammer:

"Hiruzen, tell me, is there such a group within our Konoha, right under our noses?"

"They've harbored resentment and discontent for decades!"

"They possess evil power capable of overthrowing the village!"

"They're becoming increasingly unstable, like a powder keg!"

"They are the Uchiha clan!"

Danzo's voice was like a viper's hiss, every word carrying a chilling edge.

"Once their resentment fully erupts, once someone discovers the true power of those eyes, once they use them against the village..."

Shimura Danzo stared into Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, pointed to the seemingly peaceful Konoha outside the window, and sneered, "Do you think Konoha will have a better fate than Kusagakure?"

"..."

A deathly silence fell over the office. The only sounds were the faint crackling of tobacco burning in Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe, and the occasional bird calls from outside the window sounded particularly jarring at this moment.

Koharu Utatane's face was also very pale. She looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, her lips moved but she couldn't say anything.

Although Danzo's words were extreme, the tragedy of Kusagakure served as a good example, making people subconsciously think in the worst possible light.

Danzo Shimura was indeed very good at this.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly closed his eyes, the pipe in his hand feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

The Uchiha clan's problems are like a deep-seated, intractable disease.

The shadow of war, instead of dissipating, now feels even more painful.

At this moment, Danzo was like someone who had cut open a festering sore, presenting the bloody reality to him.

Finally, after a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke.

"The Uchiha clan, the Uchiha clan of Konoha, Konoha needs the power of the Uchiha."

He looked up at Shimura Danzo and said slowly, "Precautions and surveillance are acceptable, but avoid unnecessary actions..."

"Danzo, we are surrounded by external enemies, and the village cannot afford any internal problems. This is my bottom line, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo's one eye narrowed involuntarily, a cold smile playing on his lips.

The statement "There can't be any problems within the village" wasn't just a warning against him causing trouble; it was also a direct message to the Uchiha clan, telling them not to cause any trouble either.

In any case, the stability of the village should be the top priority. Anyone who dares to cause trouble should be dealt with.

"Hmph." Danzo snorted coldly, mocking, "You're getting more and more indecisive."

Although he disliked Hiruzen Sarutobi's righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor, he managed to get the answer he wanted, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

Thinking of this, he turned to leave, but then, as if he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right, Hiruzen."

"Hmm? What else do you want to do..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi subconsciously looked up at him, but unexpectedly saw a very ugly smiling face. The impatient words he was about to say stuck in his throat, and he couldn't help but shiver.

"What's with that expression?" Hiruzen Sarutobi shrank back and frowned. "Let's talk this out. The way you're acting is making me a little nervous."

"..." Shimura Danzo's smile froze instantly, then returned to his usual cold indifference as he stated bluntly, "Send Hyuga Kumokawa to Root. I will train him to be the best..."

"and many more!"

Before he could finish speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand to interrupt him, a smile appearing on his face.

It wasn't a happy laugh, it was a laugh born of anger at him.

"Are you dreaming, Danzo?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile faded, turning cold. "He's a good kid. I'm warning you, don't touch him."

"I know what you did to him in the past, and I don't care. But if I find out you've done anything to him again, don't blame me for being heartless!"

When he said this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone was extremely cold, and neither Koharu Utatane nor Danzo Shimura doubted whether he was serious.

Even the usually audacious Danzo Shimura, faced with the cold and indifferent Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't help but have an uncertain expression and dared not argue.

After a long silence, Danzo finally spoke: "Then I want Itachi Uchiha. I know Fugaku Uchiha wants to send him to the Anbu."

"can."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded without hesitation, as if it was acceptable as long as it wasn't Hyuga Kumokawa.

This attitude made Danzo's face twitch. The joy he should have felt for getting a handy tool was nothing compared to losing Hyuga Kumokawa.

At most, Itachi Uchiha could become the blade that would later be used to stab the Uchiha clan, but Hyuga Kumokawa could push him to that coveted position.

It is already quite obvious which of the two is more important.

"Humph!"

Danzo snorted coldly, turned around and left without saying goodbye.

Amidst the swirling smoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi cast his gaze out the window.

The attacks by Sunagakure and Kumogakure resulted in the annihilation of Kusagakure overnight. Meanwhile, news broke of the Uchiha clan's movements, including the fall of Hozuki Castle and the capture of its lord by an organization called 'Akatsuki'...

The ensuing chaos was like a tightening noose, making Hiruzen Sarutobi feel like his neck was being strangled and he couldn't breathe.

He had a feeling that a cold, venomous snake was lurking on the edge of the chaotic battle, making him increasingly uneasy.

At the same time, Hinata Kumokawa, the "good boy" being fought over by the two, had quietly arrived at the secret room in the basement of the mansion.

As Hyuga Kumokawa looked at the Chest of Elysium, which had shrunk to the size of a Rubik's Cube and was now covered in shadow, his eyes flickered.

"I've got the core of the virtual world I envisioned. Orochimaru, let me see how your progress is going," he thought to himself.

Don't let me down, Lord Orochimaru.

With this in mind, Hyuga Kumokawa attempted to link with the "Otsutsuki Scroll" in Orochimaru's possession.

The next moment, he heard a hoarse laugh that was both tired and wild.

"Hahaha! It's done! It's done! With this technique, I'll have everything I need for immortality!"

(End of this chapter)