Naruto: I, the villain template, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 107 The Dark Scheme of the Hidden, the Turmoil in the Land of Rain (Long Chapter, Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the tent curtain was lifted.

The wind and rain behind him vanished in an instant, and Danzo walked into the tent with his head held high, raindrops sliding down his hood.

The curtain was gently closed after being lifted, instantly cutting off the torrential rain and the noise of battle outside the tent.

"We encountered some minor problems along the way."

Danzo took off his raincoat and casually handed it to the guard beside him, revealing his bandaged right arm. He said calmly, "I'm not late, am I?"

"You are an elder; how dare I, a junior, speak to you?"

Orochimaru stood before the table, narrowing his long, thin eyes, and asked in a sarcastic tone, "But I still want to know, what trouble did you encounter during your trip of a day or two that made you arrive so late?"

"You dare..."

Upon hearing this, Danzo's bodyguard in black robes stepped forward, about to say something, but Danzo stopped him with his arm and shook his head, saying, "We just encountered a ninja squad from Takigakure chasing down rogue ninjas."

Having said that, Danzo looked at the menacing Orochimaru and calmly asked, "You should know about the Land of Mountains, Kagerou Village, right?"

The Land of Mountains, Kagero Village?

Orochimaru frowned, as if remembering something, and his eyes flickered slightly as he said, "The Mountain Country, located between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass? Yangyan Village is a small ninja village in the Land of Mountains, right? Sakumo-senpai mentioned it in his letter to me."

"It seems to be a village that is good at making and using explosive tags. Before I took over as the commander of the battlefield in the Land of Rain, it caused some trouble for the troops led by Senior Sakumo."

"They must be a force hostile to Konoha, right? Is this Takigakure village you mentioned related to them?"

"It's alright." Danzo first shook his head frankly, but then quickly revealed a cold smile. "However, it can be alright."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's interest was piqued upon hearing this. "What do you mean?"

Danzo didn't rush to explain anything. Instead, he placed a piece of information on the table and pushed it toward Orochimaru across the table.

Orochimaru frowned and opened the intelligence report. After glancing at it, he instantly became serious and subconsciously stuck out his tongue to lick the corner of his mouth.

"Kakuzu? An immortal ninja who has lived since the chaotic era, and even accepted a mission to assassinate the First Hokage?"

The rogue ninja that Takigakure is hunting is an elite named Kakuzu, who once accepted a mission from the higher-ups of Takigakure to assassinate the First Hokage.

After infiltrating the Land of Fire, he engaged in battle with the First Hokage, risking his life for his village, but ultimately he was undoubtedly defeated by the First Hokage's Wood Release and nearly lost his life.

After the other party fled back to the village in a very sorry state, they not only did not receive the treatment they deserved, but also had to face the blame and punishment for failing the mission.

Driven by resentment, Kakuzu escaped from prison, took the secret technique that Takigakure treasured, and used it to steal the hearts of all the village's high-ranking officials. Now he has become a bounty hunter traveling to various countries.

"How could a ninja from a small country possibly have a chance to escape back to the village alive unless the First Hokage showed mercy to that guy, or merely tested him by throwing kunai from a few kilometers away?"

Orochimaru was highly skeptical of the veracity of this information, but what he cared about most was the "Secret Technique: Earth Grudge Fear".

How could a ninja from a small country, nearing seventy years old, still be active as a bounty hunter in the ninja world? Could it be related to this so-called secret technique?

"On our way here, we spotted a pursuit team from Takigakure and quickly realized who their target was."

Looking at Orochimaru, who seemed lost in thought, Danzo's single eye flashed with a cold light as he calmly said, "So I had people imitate Kakuzu's killing methods and follow behind them to rip out the hearts of several people."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru slightly raised his eyelids, seemingly understanding his intention, and asked in surprise, "You disguised yourself as Kakuzu to lure the Takigakure pursuit team to Kagerou Village?"

"No."

Danzo shook his head unexpectedly and sneered, "I also sent people disguised as a pursuit team from Takigakure to kill the family of the leader of Kagero Village, and then dismembered the bodies of his wife and children and scattered them in his office."

Upon hearing this, the Jonin inside the tent couldn't help but grit their teeth, feeling the deepest sympathy and pity for the leader of Kagero Village whom they had never met.

The leader of Kagero Village, now blinded by rage, has probably already killed the Takigakure Village's pursuit team.

"You…" Orochimaru's eye twitched as he looked at Danzo, who seemed proud of himself rather than ashamed, and he subconsciously asked, "What else did you do?"

"Hmph!" Danzo sneered, looking surprised that "you actually guessed it." "The people of Takigakure should have received the intelligence we provided and are organizing troops to retaliate against Kagerou Village."

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Orochimaru, looked at Danzo, who was speaking eloquently, and showed a complex expression that was hard to describe.

From a certain perspective, both Takigakure and Kagerou are indeed enemies of Konoha, and this move will likely wreak havoc on Kagerou.

But Danzo's methods were truly despicable.

That's even more despicable than the lowest of the low; I've never seen such a disgusting person.

"What kind of looks are those?" Danzo frowned, displeased at the way everyone was staring at him. "When we went to Kagerou Village, we found them mobilizing their forces, and their target was our Konoha!"

In other words, his unintentional act turned out to be a case of catching willows unintentionally and causing them to flourish. It also nipped Yangyan Village's plan in the bud and helped Konoha avert a crisis that was neither too big nor too small.

"Elder Danzo, you really are..." Orochimaru's face crumpled as he carefully chose his words to be tactful: "Of all the people I've met in the entire ninja world, you are the one with the most sinister methods."

"If all else fails, you can just call yourself 'The Darkness of Ninja' from now on."

Orochimaru suddenly understood why Sarutobi-sensei had sent Danzo out.

If such a filthy and despicable person were left in the village, he would definitely cause some disgusting things.

It would be better to release him; even if he does something disgusting, it's someone else who will be disgusted.

High emotional intelligence, patience in the dark.

Low emotional intelligence, a troublemaker.

"Um?"

Danzo didn't catch the sarcasm in Orochimaru's words. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and murmured with interest, "The Dark Ninja? Sounds like a fitting description for me."

Sarutobi at least has the title of "Professor of Ninjutsu," so shouldn't he, as the Root buried deep underground, also have a title?

The darkness of forbearance.

Isn't this title more impressive than "Ninja Technique Professor"?

Thinking of this, Danzo found Orochimaru even more agreeable and nodded with satisfaction, smiling, "Orochimaru, weren't you worried about the Sand Village's offensive?"

"I happen to have a plan here that can help you solve this problem."

Orochimaru felt a sudden jolt in his heart, a sense of foreboding washing over him, and instinctively wanted to refuse.

If he really used Danzo's scheme, he was afraid that his reputation would be ruined and how his subordinates would view him in the future.

However, just as he was about to refuse, he suddenly remembered the tense situation at the front and swallowed back the words he was about to say.

"..."

After a long silence, Orochimaru sighed inwardly, then looked up at the Jonin and said calmly, "You can all leave now."

The people present were taken aback at first, but quickly realized what was happening. They exchanged glances, their expressions turning somewhat strange, and silently got up and left.

The strange looks from the crowd made Orochimaru's lips twitch; he was already starting to regret his actions.

"Speak, what treachery... cough, what scheme?"

Orochimaru glared at Danzo and said bluntly, "Even if all the men you brought were elites, and you combined all the remaining forces, they wouldn't be able to fight Sunagakure head-on."

"The disparity in troop strength is too great; we can only barely put up a resistance."

Orochimaru was actually very calm and did not feel joy because of Danzo's support.

The formidable challenges he faces now are not easily overcome.

"Hmph, you weren't even born when I was fighting!" Danzo said calmly, sitting in the chair opposite Orochimaru. "Don't be fooled by how fierce and frenzied Sunagakure's offensive is right now; they can only sustain it for a very short time."

"After all, Sunagakure is not as wealthy as we are. The military equipment and food they are consuming now are the result of hard work in accumulating resources after the village was established."

Do you understand what I'm saying?

--------

Meanwhile, in Dawn City of the Rain Kingdom.

"Xiao Nan, are you sure the boss is here?"

Looking at the small house of about 60 or 70 square meters in front of him, Yahiko, who had a katana hanging at his waist, scratched his head.

"Yes." Xiao Nan nodded, her tone certain, "I saw Brother Yun Chuan walk in here this morning."

Her long, blue-purple hair rippled slightly, and the white paper flower inserted in her hair swayed, yet remained tightly clustered together without any sign of dispersing.

"Oh, okay." Yahiko didn't think too much about it and reached out to knock on the door.

Boom!dong dong!

"Boss! It's me, boss!" he shouted, knocking on the door. "Nagato asked me to ask you something! I... ouch!"

Before Yahiko could continue shouting, the door was suddenly pulled open from the inside, causing him to stumble and fall forward.

But before Xiao Nan could help him up, he skillfully regained his balance.

"That was close! That was close!"

Yahiko patted his chest, breathed a deep sigh of relief, and subconsciously looked up, only to suddenly freeze in place.

Upon entering, the first thing he saw was not Yun Chuan, but the bookshelves that filled the room and the dazzling array of books on them.

Xiao Nan turned her head to look at the window, where her pale orange eyes reflected the figure of someone reading a book with their head down.

"Coo coo coo!"

The white doves, their wings still damp with the night, nestled quietly in their nest in the corner of the bookshelf, preening their feathers.

Yun Chuan, dressed in white, sat by the window, lazily propping his chin on his hand and turning the pages of a book. His face was turned towards the shimmering blue sky outside the window, making his long, dark eyelashes appear white.

He reads at an astonishing speed; rather than reading, he flips through the pages casually, his thumb lightly brushing the pages, averaging one page every ten seconds or so.

What a peaceful and serene scene! The only sounds are the turning of pages and the sunlight streaming through your fingers, making it almost too beautiful to disturb.

Xiao Nan subconsciously turned her body to the side, and the sunlight blocked behind her shone on Yun Chuan's face. At that moment, the room seemed to become brighter, and Xiao Nan couldn't help but open her eyes slightly.

"Boss! We've finally found you!"

A surprised voice came from beside her, immediately interrupting Konan's thoughts, and her eyes instantly turned somewhat resentful.

"What are you yelling about?"

Yun Chuan also slightly raised his head, looking at Ya Yan calmly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Your progress in strength is not bad, but when will you be able to stabilize yourself?"

"It seems that you and Nagato are two extremes. One is unhappy and the other is clueless. Your personalities can complement each other perfectly."

Upon hearing this, Yahiko immediately straightened his back, muttering with a resentful look, "Who wants to complement that guy? A red-haired, arrogant, expressionless brat!"

"Oh, right, boss!"

As if remembering something important, he quickly looked at Yun Chuan and asked, "Nagato said that Sunagakure is borrowing passage from the Land of Rain more and more frequently, and they're also sending more and more people to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain!"

"Those Sand Village ninjas are unruly; when they pass through the Land of Rain, they often raid villages, and the number of refugees is increasing!"

"Furthermore, Konoha's decline in the face of Sunagakure is becoming increasingly apparent..."

Before Yahiko could finish speaking, Yun Chuan shook his head.

"Wrong." Yun Chuan lowered his head again, turned the page of the book, and said in a low voice, "This is all an illusion. It's just a bluff by Sunagakure."

"It's a false prosperity deliberately created by that shrewd old man, Chiyo."

"Huh?" Yahiko blinked, somewhat bewildered. "Why?"

Chiyo's Sand Village forces are showing no signs of weakness. Despite suffering considerable losses, they have pushed Orochimaru's Konoha forces all the way to the border of the Land of Fire.

"I told you to read more books, but you just won't."

Yun Chuan slightly raised his eyelids and said somewhat irritably, "The Sunagakure's military strength is indeed no weaker than Konoha's, but more troops mean more resource consumption, and the Sunagakure's supplies are far inferior to Konoha's."

"With Konoha's terrifying resource replenishment speed, even if they run out of all their current resources, they can still get more resources from the rear."

"However, the Sand Village's resource replenishment speed is such that once the existing resources are exhausted, it simply cannot meet the needs of all the ninjas. And the Sand Village ninjas, starving, will collapse without even a fight!"

"To put it bluntly, Chiyo is gambling right now!"

At this point, Yun Chuan suddenly paused, then smiled with interest, "However, her plan may have backfired."

He did not sense Danzo's presence when he was commanding the Sky Legion to attack Konoha.

According to information from Yakushi in Konoha, Danzo may have gone to one of the two battlefields, most likely Orochimaru's battlefield in the Land of Rain.

Although Danzo's character was questionable, he had at least experienced the First Shinobi World War. This kind of trick might fool Orochimaru, but it definitely wouldn't fool that old man Danzo.

"Hmm." Yun Chuan stroked the fine lines on the title page, and said thoughtfully in a low voice, "Now that I think about it, the best option Danzo and Orochimaru could think of was probably just using someone else to do their dirty work and diverting the trouble elsewhere, right?"

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but chuckle and mutter to himself, "Looks like things are about to get lively. I'll try to get involved too."

----------

"That old man Chiyo has always liked to take risks."

"After all, you were forced into the position of commander-in-chief and had no prior experience in commanding large-scale battles, so she was betting that you would not be able to withstand the psychological pressure and would completely collapse before their resources ran out."

Listening to Danzo's clear and logical analysis, Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly, and he whispered, "So that's how it is?"

Actually, he could figure this out once he calmed down a bit.

But Chiyo didn't give him any chance to think.

He either summons the giant snake from Ryuchi Cave on the battlefield to fight, or he calms down to recover his chakra after exhausting it, preparing to fully recover before the next Sunagakure attack.

His mind was constantly on edge, leaving him no time to adjust or rest.

"...I was too impatient, and I was blinded by my own involvement."

Having figured this out, Orochimaru's tense body immediately relaxed. He looked at Danzo in front of him, abandoning his underestimation, and said in a deep voice, "Continue. What is the scheme you mentioned?"

We can't just fight a war of attrition with Sunagakure and wear them down, can we?

Although it seems usable, the cost-effectiveness is too low and it consumes too much energy.

"In this critical moment, the key to breaking the deadlock lies in the Land of Rain, of course," Danzo said, touching the scar on his chin.

"The Land of Rain?" Orochimaru frowned, then seemed to understand, narrowing his eyes and pondering, "You mean to drag Amegakure into the water, to distract Sunagakure's forces?"

"That's right, just as you thought." Danzo nodded in satisfaction. "Drag Amegakure into our battle with Sunagakure, and let Amegakure share some of the pressure for us."

Orochimaru closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.

But soon, he opened his eyes, shook his head, and said, "That is indeed a good idea, but the current leader of Amegakure, that old guy named Musashi, is an extreme conservative. How could he possibly rebel against Sunagakure?"

If the leader of Amegakure had been even slightly more assertive, how could Sunagakure have so easily taken a shortcut to invade?

That guy not only didn't resist Sunagakure, but he also swallowed his anger when his villages were plundered. He was incredibly weak and clearly intended to be a coward.

"No, just because that old man Musashi doesn't want to make a move doesn't mean that others won't."

Danzo shook a finger and said with a cold laugh, "In this ninja world, there is never a shortage of passionate and fearless young people. They all dislike Musashi's weakness, but no one has ever stood up for him."

"And now, that man named Hanzo has stepped forward, and his ambition is now crystal clear."

"What we need to do is give him a little push, further escalating the conflict between Sunagakure and Amegakure. Hanzo will then naturally stage a coup and lead the hardliners in resisting Sunagakure's atrocities!"

This would not only alleviate the pressure and threats from Sunagakure, but also allow the battlefield to be shifted to the Land of Rain, making the environment around Konoha more stable.

But isn't this just a copy of Takigakure Village and Kagerou Village?

"As expected of you, Lord Danzo, the Darkness of the Ninja."

Orochimaru's eye twitched, then his expression turned serious. "Then let's do it this way. I need your help to completely ignite the war in the Land of Rain!"

As for whether this would sacrifice the civilians of the Land of Rain, and whether the civilians of the Land of Rain were innocent or not, Orochimaru selectively ignored these questions.

The biggest difference between him and Jiraiya is that no matter how despicable the scheme, he would stop at nothing to bring victory to Konoha.

It's just simple addition and subtraction.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru's chilling aura intensified, and his snake-like eyes became even more like those of a cold-blooded animal.

"very good."

Sensing this change keenly, Danzo nodded appreciatively: "Don't worry, that's exactly why I came."

"Root, we will bear this darkness together with you!"

(End of this chapter)