I unleashed a Hundred Demons Parade in the Ninja World

"Besides, Danzo has staked all his strength on this operation."

"To hand it over to the Land of Iron directly is simply too disheartening."

Xiaochun broke the silence with a heartfelt remark.

This series of events left her somewhat bewildered, but she knew one thing clearly: Konoha could not do without Danzo, and neither could Hiruzen.

They need someone like this to bear and carry out the dark side of Konoha.

However, there was no immediate response to the voice. The white-haired old man continued to smoke his pipe, seemingly oblivious to what was being said.

"Hiruzen!"

Koharu Utatane clearly could not agree with or be satisfied with her old friend's attitude.

Another urgent, deep shout expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Hiruzen, we really need you to give us an answer."

Mitokazu also added in a timely manner.

This is not just about resolving the matter, but also about getting an explanation.

If even someone like Danzo, who has made immense contributions to Konoha without lifting a finger, is to be abandoned, then who will be abandoned next?

They were comrades-in-arms who came together during the Second Shinobi World War!!

When two urgent and burning gazes fell upon him, it was impossible for Hiruzen Sarutobi to remain silent any longer.

"Daming Prefecture needs an answer."

He stated his position firmly.

He really didn't understand why these two people couldn't see the implications of something that even Shimura Danzo himself hadn't shown any resistance to.

However, after a pause, he continued:

"Once you lose the support of the Daimyo, do you think Konoha can continue to operate on its own for long?"

"Purchasing various ninja tools, training ninjas, border expenses, salaries for auxiliary ninjas, compensation for those who died in the line of duty, and maintenance of daily facilities—all of these require a huge amount of money to operate."

"Do you think relying solely on our ninjas to carry out this mission can offset such a huge expense?"

"Furthermore, who do you think is Konoha's biggest employer?"

"It's the daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire, and all the powerful and wealthy people within its borders!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi also lost his temper; one doesn't know the cost of firewood, rice, oil, and salt when one is not in charge of the household.

Sitting in this position, he has to consider the operation and future of the entire village, not just himself!

"Think about Sunagakure, the village in the neighboring country."

"Why do you think they chose this stage, this time, to hold the Chunin Exams with us?"

Was it just a spur-of-the-moment decision?

"It's to show those daimyo of the Wind Country our strength!"

"Do you know how many of our commissions in recent years have come from the neighboring Land of Wind? The interests of Sunagakure are being constantly eroded, as are the subsidies from the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Wind."

"That's why they're so eager to prove their abilities through this joint exam!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a sense of disappointment and frustration.

If our side were to offend the Daimyo of the Land of Fire due to momentary self-interest or lack of cooperation, the consequences would be entirely predictable.

Ultimately, Konoha was just a massive mercenary army.

The one who truly controls the wealth of the entire Land of Fire is the Daimyo's Mansion of the Land of Fire!

With the third generation leader making such a blatant point, it would be highly inappropriate for the two advisors to say anything that would stir up public outrage.

"Well, you can't just stand by and watch Danzo get taken to the Land of Iron!"

"You know how important Danzo is to Konoha, especially to Konoha now."

"Moreover, the threat posed by Uchiha Ara has not yet been eliminated."

Koharu Utatane's tone softened noticeably, but she still wanted to protect Danzo.

"I have said that I will protect Danzo, but I need time."

Hiruzen Sarutobi responded in a deep voice. His mind was also in turmoil. All sorts of terrible things had come at once, making it difficult for him to remain as composed as he usually was.

Moreover, in this incident, the fact that the one from the Land of Iron bypassed Konoha and went directly to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to issue a accusation already demonstrates the seriousness of the matter. It is simply impossible to gloss over it easily.

Moreover, the fact that thousands of samurai were killed directly left them with no excuses whatsoever!

Because the Land of Iron is not like the Hidden Cloud Village, which has always had friction and hatred with them, but rather the Land of Iron has always maintained a neutral stance and its warriors act rigidly.

If this matter is not handled properly, it's a minor issue that the Land of Iron is sending hostile signals; the real concern is that it will cause a decline in the reputation of Konoha and its ninjas!

This is a matter of vital importance to the development of Konoha, and it must be handled with utmost care.

"Moreover, he may have already made a decision himself."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly put down his pipe.

He must be the one who understands Danzo the most among the four, which is why he was able to find a clue in the other's cold gaze.

That guy would never want to be controlled by someone else.

therefore.........

"Alright, you all go back and rest. I will handle this matter with Danzo."

Composing himself, he began to ask the guests to leave.

What should have been a long, dark night has been broken by the entanglement of many things, and dawn has broken.

Tonight is destined to be sleepless.

We still need to give Cloud Village an answer tomorrow.

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's mood plummeted.

Today is probably the most agonizing night for him since the night of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"Well, then you should go to bed early."

Mitokado Haru stopped Utatane Koharu, who wanted to say something more.

They clearly knew that the one suffering the most tonight was not them, nor Shimura Danzo who was in the eye of the storm, but Hiruzen, who was the current Hokage.

The other party has too many things to consider. If they are not careful, the problem will not only affect one person, but the entire Konoha.

He didn't expect a response from the former, so he gestured for Koharu to follow him.

However, after the Hokage's office fell silent again, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not work on his desk. Instead, he looked out the window towards the village gate.

.........

.........

'Shimura Danzo? '

'Where is that guy going so late?'

Upon returning from the Land of Hot Water, Ara immediately received reports from the free-range insects.

Of course, very few insects are free-range in the village, and they are only targeted at a few important figures in the village.

After all, the Aburame clan ninjas are not only a group of very powerful insect controllers, but also a group of people who love insects very much. If any clues about them are discovered, it will inevitably cause some unnecessary trouble.

Furthermore, since Shisui's other Mangekyou Sharingan was still on that guy's body, he didn't let the insects follow that old fox too much.

However, since that guy chose to go out late at night, I should take this opportunity to give him something in return.

After some deliberation, Ara activated [Mirror of Still Water] and made his way unimpeded to the enemy's stronghold inside Konoha.

Danzo's stronghold was also located on the edge of Konoha, almost diagonally opposite the Uchiha clan.

It's unclear whether the intention was to express genuine disgust or to subtly convey a determination to fight this race to the bitter end.

The base was dark, quiet, and ruggedly simple.

It's like digging a bottomless pit into the ground, with all the structures supported by extremely crude steel bars, without any regard for aesthetics.

This actually makes it easier for him to do certain things.

For example, a detonation tag could be secretly placed where steel bars intersect.

However, to Huang's surprise, this stronghold did not seem to have a warning barrier set up.

The day before yesterday, although he 'passed by' this place, he did not get too close. However, now that he has completely set foot in this deep and vast stronghold, he still has not found anything to guard against it.

Not to mention the warning barrier, there wasn't even a single person in sight; the entire area was practically deserted.

"What tricks is that old fox up to now?"

Huang muttered to himself as he continued walking deeper into the earth.

The two rows of neatly arranged rooms carved into the passageway seem to be places where Root ninjas used to rest, but they are still empty.

As they ventured deeper, a tightly closed portal came into view, presumably the final destination of this stronghold.

[Eye roll.]

A menacing blue vein suddenly appeared at the corner of his right eye, and everything around him, including the obscure details hidden in the rock wall, became crystal clear at that moment.

There was still no one in the room, and no traps were set up at the door.

Everything was undefended.

This bizarre situation once made Ara wonder if he had come to the wrong place, or if this was Shimura Danzo's stronghold!

Pushing open the door, a dark, damp, and musty smell immediately hit me. It was hard to imagine how that gloomy old man could spend all day huddled in this place.

The room looked a bit messy, with some documents scattered on the floor.

However, upon closer inspection, it was impossible to glean any useful information from the few pages that were written in a garbled manner, with no follow-up information available. Alternatively, the pages were written in a special script that required a specific codebook to decipher.

This was the only place that Huang could believe was that old fox's stronghold.

"Has it been abandoned?"

He stood in the room, talking to himself.