Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

.....

With the Hokage chosen for Konoha, it's time to bring this war to a satisfactory conclusion. The various ninja villages that withdrew from the conflict—essentially the defeated side—sent their "negotiation experts" to Konoha. Kumogakure, not daring to hold another peace ceremony with the Land of the Moon this time, knew that if something went wrong, Konoha had plenty of Hokage candidates, but Kumogakure didn't have nearly as many Raikage talents. So, upon receiving news of Hiruzen Sarutobi's ascension to Hokage, they immediately dispatched their negotiation experts. Now, due to the coup, half of their village's armed forces had been slaughtered by the newly appointed Raikage, and lacking confidence, they had to back down. However, as a prodigy of Kumogakure, he, as a member of the defeated side, naturally wouldn't come personally. They were all strong figures of the same era, their reputations equal; for him to come and speak with Hiruzen Sarutobi as a defeated party would be utterly shameless.

Onoki from the Iwagakure side was the same. Hiruzen Sarutobi was known for being short, so if Onoki came over and stood next to Hiruzen Sarutobi, people would always find that he was a head shorter than Hiruzen Sarutobi. Wouldn't that make the Tsuchikage lose face?

Kirigakure is far from the inland, and without a seasoned veteran like Chiyo to hold the reins, the various clans are fiercely vying for leadership. They have no time to concern themselves with peace talks or who's in charge of Konoha. Besides, they didn't actually go to war with Konoha this time—in fact, they were thinking of doing so, but their leader died halfway through...

Kaizo, the military minister of Sunagakure, has arrived. The struggle for leadership in the village has reached an open level. In their quest for results, they are even fighting tooth and nail over things as if they were the defeated party, coming to Konoha to negotiate. In the end, Chiyo couldn't stand it anymore and selected the Chikamatsu Ten Ninja, specifically ordering Kaizo to go, which finally calmed down the other clans. However, the subsequent struggle for leadership is much more exciting than what happened in Konoha.

“I’m telling you guys, these days, whoever has the bigger fist gets to call the shots. It’s pretty much the same with the Kazekage. You should just set up a ring and let those who want to rise to the top fight it out. Even if they lose, they won’t complain. Look at how well the Hidden Cloud Village has done in this regard. I’ve seen the Third Raikage before. Just look at that awesome body of his, you can’t find another one like him in the entire Hidden Cloud Village.”

In Shinto's residence, after hearing Kaizo's description of the intensity of the power struggle, he couldn't help but complain. While not all the Kazekage candidates chosen by the clans of those villages were ugly or of questionable strength, few of them were good-looking enough to live up to their parents' expectations. If he had to choose, he would choose Sunagawa for the sake of the village's image. At least he was the most handsome Kazekage among the five great ninja villages. Even if his strength was a bit exaggerated, at least he was presentable. Unlike the Hokage of Konoha, who was not only short but also looked rather impatient, with a full beard at a young age.

Raikage is the modern-day LeBron James, he looks like an old man no matter how you look at him. I won't even describe the ugliest one, Onoki, just that bulbous nose alone means he's destined to be a hunk.

He'd never seen the Third Mizukage, who was just a minor character, but he figured that unless he was from the Mizuki clan, he probably wouldn't be too bad-looking...

“Our situation is different from that of the ruthless and aggressive Kumogakure. The Kazekage isn't just about martial prowess; he also needs to command respect. A large part of the reason the Third Raikage was able to rise to power so easily was because he quelled this coup. But do you really think he became Raikage so easily? Sunagawa said that what we lack is a record like the Raikage's. If he could also quell a coup, we could support him to take the position too…”

Kaizo, increasingly resembling an old man, sighed. He understood perfectly what Shinto meant earlier: a tournament was simply a way to put Sunakawa in power. Although Sunakawa's reputation was built on his sister's hype, Sunakawa himself was undeniably the number one among the younger generation. A tournament was no different from supporting his ascension. However, their village's situation was far more complex than Kumogakure's, and there was no coup d'état for Sunakawa to quell. It was all because his sister's Chikamatsu Ten Ninja were too outstanding; those cowards didn't dare to rebel...ヽ(ー_ー)ノ

"If all else fails, let the villagers vote. After all, the person in charge isn't just a matter for you high-ranking officials, it's a matter for the whole village. Now everything is about democracy. The people elected by the villagers one by one will have nothing to say, right? Don't they know what kind of people they usually are?"

Zhen Dou shrugged and said that ever since he defeated nine of those big families' kids at his entrance ceremony, making them call him "daddy," the disciples of those big families have become less arrogant. However, their attitude towards the villagers remains the same. This sense of superiority, accumulated over many years, cannot be changed overnight. It would take him at least several decades of beating them to change it.

In contrast, Sunagawa is different. Like Shamon, he was born into a small family and was an orphan, so he was practically a commoner. Therefore, his attitude towards the villagers has always been consistent. If there is no behind-the-scenes manipulation or vote-buying, his approval rating will definitely be the highest.

"...This method is worth a try, but we'll have to wait until the negotiations are over. How was the situation in Konoha while you were there? Was Hiruzen Sarutobi eager to end the war?"

After nodding thoughtfully, Haizo began to inquire about the current situation in Konoha, focusing on the newly appointed Hokage's attitude towards ending the war. Traditionally, the victorious side can claim compensation for war losses from the defeated side. Although Sunagakure is not short of money, but rather of gold diggers, the amount of compensation is a matter of face for their village. Therefore, it would be best to find out Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude beforehand, so that he would have a better idea of ​​how much compensation to pay.

"He... he probably... is eager to end the war. After all, he's only recently taken office and urgently needs to achieve some political success. This negotiation is exactly what he needs to achieve, so he's definitely more anxious than we are..."

Shindou spoke haltingly, saying that he had been wandering aimlessly in Konoha during this time, and the only serious thing he had done was to give Danzo a boost. Unfortunately, this teammate was unreliable, and who knows what Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking. However, it is normal for a new official to want to make some achievements, and ending this war with heavy casualties is indeed very important to him.

75. If you're not afraid of summoning Death, then come and try.

Inside the Hokage Building, the newly appointed Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with his five companions, was giving a grand reception to the "negotiation experts" from the other three great ninja villages. With Hiruzen's rise to power, the status of his companions naturally rose as well. Moreover, Hiruzen treated his companions quite well. Although there was no Konoha Elder Council yet, it was clear to everyone that Hiruzen's companions held a significantly higher position in the village than the clan heads, as evidenced by their role in the recent peace talks.

Normally, peace talks only require representatives from each village to attend. However, Hiruzen Sarutobi brought five of his friends with him. The "negotiation experts" from the other three great ninja villages trembled at the sight of this lineup. This Hokage is not playing by the rules. Who doesn't send one representative to negotiate? This is six at once. Is this a prelude to a fight?

This is Konoha, after all. If it really comes to a fight, the other side has six members, while their side only has three even if they team up. They simply can't win.

Furthermore, the Azabu clan of Kumogakure is notoriously brainless and physically weak; there are only two and a half of them at most...

However, during the formal negotiations, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his five companions, except for Danzo, who sat in the second seat and looked a bit grumpy, did not make a move. The peace talks went smoothly. Although representatives from all three major ninja villages came, each village had suffered heavy losses in this war. The Land of Earth had its towers stolen twice by the Mist Ninja and the Cloud Ninja. Onoki couldn't even afford to sell his backside to compensate Konoha for the massive war damage. He hadn't even paid off the loan from the Sand Village to buy the Tailed Beasts. They had plenty of minerals, but unfortunately, the value of minerals depends on market demand. Currently, during the war, the value of minerals had depreciated too much, and Konoha itself didn't value them.

The Hidden Cloud Village was already bleeding heavily after the coup and is still recovering. If Hiruzen Sarutobi really opens the floodgates, given the Raikage's volatile temper and unyielding nature, he'll definitely have to fight Konoha again. Besides, the war between the Hidden Cloud Village and Konoha has been mostly minor skirmishes with minimal casualties. The biggest loss was during the peace talks with the Land of the Moon, but they gave an explanation. Half of the Hidden Cloud Village's clan members were buried with their Second Hokage. That funeral was even more impressive than Hashirama Senju's. What more do they want from them?

As for Sunagakure, Kaizo expressed his willingness to pay reparations. Sunagakure has plenty of gold dust, and they're so poor they only have gold dust left. As long as Konoha is willing to send people to the Land of Wind to pan for gold, they can take as much as they want; they will absolutely welcome them with open arms...

Kaizo's words left Hiruzen Sarutobi and the five young men feeling utterly miserable, as if they'd eaten shit. They couldn't find any rebuttal. They'd been to Sunagakure and knew what it was like—a place of endless sandstorms. Even with moisturizer, they couldn't stand it for long. So, they hadn't expected Sunagakure to offer any compensation. Besides, Kumogakure and Iwagakure hadn't spoken up, so asking Sunagakure for compensation wouldn't be appropriate. But for some reason, hearing Kaizo's words made them incredibly uncomfortable.

Why are all the people from Sunagakure so sharp-tongued? ヽ(ー_ー)ノ

Sending people to your Wind Kingdom to pan for gold? What's the difference between that and giving away experience points?

Just as Shinto had guessed, the newly enthroned Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't really demand compensation from the villages. He simply chuckled and skipped the topic. Perhaps he wasn't satisfied with what he said at the coronation ceremony. When it came to the next topic, Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out a ten-page manuscript and began a passionate speech. The entire ten pages revolved around the central idea of ​​the ninja world loving each other and building a better home together. The "negotiation experts" from the three great ninja villages were quite intrigued at first, but they couldn't stand it for long. Everyone present was a prominent figure from their respective villages. If they weren't in Konoha, they would have overturned the table long ago.

......

"Ah... parting is inevitable, so there's no need for you all to see me off. That Sarutobi... Hokage, please tell Tsunade for me that I'll come visit her again when I have time..."

At the entrance to Konoha Village, Shinto waved goodbye to Hiruzen Sarutobi and his five companions. His reluctant farewell made Hiruzen incredibly annoyed. He smiled on the outside but cursed inwardly, "What the hell did I want to see you off? I'd rather you little bastard never come again... If you're not afraid of Lord Koma summoning the Grim Reapers, then come on!!!" ヽ(ー_ー)ノ

That little bastard never brings anything good when he comes to Konoha. Last time he kidnapped Tsunade and caused chaos in the Senju clan. This time he's helping Danzo. He's almost lost his Hokage position.

At that moment, Danzo, standing next to Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked at Shinto with genuine reluctance. He had already figured out who his mysterious teammate who had been giving him assists was—it was none other than the genius boy from Sunagakure standing right in front of him!

What a great teammate! He campaigned for him selflessly, without seeking fame or fortune. It's just a pity that he realized this too late and failed to turn his teammate's assist into a score, wasting their perfect pass.

He genuinely wanted this good teammate to stay in Konoha and continue playing alongside him, but alas...

After three days and three nights of negotiations, the peace talks officially ended. As long as the representatives of each village returned to their villages with the Hokage's signed agreement, the war would officially be over. Although there were no binding restrictions, it was still a formality.

As the hosts, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his group naturally came to see off the representatives of the peace talks. Shinto was going back to the village with Kaizo, so he was also in the group. However, apart from him and his bodyguards, the other three representatives who were negotiating with Hiruzen Sarutobi all looked listless. In just a few days, Kaizo seemed to have aged several years, and crow's feet had appeared on his face.

Shinto and Kaizo left, and representatives from the other two major ninja villages also departed Konoha. This peace conference, which had garnered significant attention throughout the ninja world and even influenced its格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall structure or格局, of the ninja world) of the ninja world, officially came to an end. Upon receiving the news, many secretly breathed a sigh of relief; the war was finally over. The scale of this war far exceeded everyone's expectations, eliminating all the second-generation ninjas in one fell swoop. Such a battle was unprecedented in scale. Some even believed that if these major ninja villages had fought a few more times, the ninja world would have been forced back to the samurai era sooner or later. With all the top leaders killed and tens of thousands of casualties, where would the ninja world find tens of thousands of ninjas...?

76. He could lead a village to its annihilation.

"Phew... that brat is finally gone...!"

Within the Senju clan, upon receiving news of Shinto's departure from Konoha, Tsunade's father breathed a sigh of relief. If Tsunade hadn't been so heartbroken and unable to enjoy herself at the casino, he would have been genuinely worried that his precious daughter would be kidnapped by that brat again. Although his daughter was clever, she was still young and unaware of the evil in people's hearts. Moreover, that brat was incredibly wicked; despite having three squads of Anbu watching him 24/7, he still managed to cause trouble in Konoha. If he stayed any longer, he would surely wreak havoc in the village.

"Heh, just a mischievous brat. It's good he's gone..."

Mito Uzumaki smiled faintly. To be honest, she quite admired this kid. Although he liked to cause trouble, he wasn't a bad person at heart. When he "kidnapped" Tsunade, he was just tricking her into going to the woods. He didn't actually lay a hand on her. This time, he even helped them bring back Tobirama's body.

As for the matter of bringing down Danzo, from his perspective, there was nothing wrong with it. If the ninjas from Konoha were in Sunagakure, they probably would have done even worse. You can't stand firm if you're not ruthless. Only someone like Mito Uzumaki, who has seen a lot and has a wealth of life experience, could reach this level of thinking that is above the village. People like Tsunade's father have seen a lot of big scenes, but they lack life experience.

.....

"What's wrong with you? You seem so listless after the peace talks. Did Hiruzen Sarutobi do something to you?"

On the way back to the village, Masato noticed Kaizo's listless appearance and became curious. It wasn't just Kaizo who looked like this; the other two "negotiation experts" at the Konoha village entrance also looked the same. They were supposed to be ninjas, going three days and three nights without sleep like it was nothing. Masato couldn't help but imagine what they had gone through those three days...

"Don't even mention it. If there's a next time, let whoever comes, I'm not coming again."

Kaizo waved his hand listlessly. He really didn't expect that Hiruzen Sarutobi would be so talkative. A few words could explain things clearly, but he could talk for three days and three nights. If it weren't for the fact that the tea in the Hokage Building was running out, who knows how long he would have talked. They didn't dare to overturn the table on his own turf. Just thinking about it was torture.

"That's because you don't know how wonderful Konoha is. If you have the chance, I'll take you to visit Konoha's tourist hotspot, the Red Bronze Zone. I guarantee you'll want to stay forever... You're such a grown man and still single. You've got no hope for the future, but you can't neglect your little brother, can you... Look at your hands, they're all calloused."

Shinto patted him on the shoulder and said that most of the leaders of this generation, especially those from the three poor villages of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure, put the greater good before their own interests and didn't engage in much infighting. Although each village had a few Shimura Danzos, none of them were as extreme as the Shimura Danzo of Konoha. They sometimes thought about getting something for themselves, but all of this was on the premise that it would benefit the village.

Kaizo is a prime example. Born into a powerful clan and serving as the village's military advisor, he has no shortage of women. However, now in his thirties, he's considered an older bachelor in the ninja world. Even Sasori's father, who was only seven, started bringing girls home, but Kaizo still doesn't have a single one. Looking at his rough, calloused hands, you can tell he's a self-sufficient, seasoned craftsman...

Hai Zang stared at his hands with a bewildered expression: ? ? ? ? When did I get a little brother? I didn't know that. Wasn't it just me and my sister in this generation of the family...?

.......

"Lady Chiyo, the peace talks have ended. After Lord Kaizo returns, the Kazekage will be required to sign the ceasefire agreement. But we haven't even chosen a Kazekage yet, isn't that a bit inappropriate...?"

In Sunagakure, Chiyo's courtyard, once filled with poisonous flowers and plants, is now overrun with people. After receiving news that the peace talks with Konoha had ended, the old folks in the village immediately brought their clan's Kazekage candidates to Chiyo. They've been vying for the Kazekage position for a long time, starting even before the Second Raikage and the Second Hokage died. But now, the Second Hokage and the Second Raikage have both been "killed" by their village's greatest geniuses, and the Third Hokage and the Third Raikage have already taken office. Without Chiyo's intervention, they still haven't reached a conclusion.

Normally, they feared Chiyo's Chikamatsu Ten and dared not bother her. If they continued fighting like this, it would take forever to determine a winner. But now it's different. The ceasefire agreement requires the Kazekage's signature. If the Raikage and Tsuchikage have signed and sealed it, but they haven't signed and sealed it, it would be considered a disrespect for the peace agreement. At that time, Sunagakure might become the target of everyone's criticism. His genius had already "killed" four Kage in a row, which had already led Sunagakure to develop in that direction in terms of political maneuvering.

So these old guys were quite in sync, even their arrival times were within a minute of each other.

It's okay if Chiyo doesn't see them normally, but now that the village's well-being is at stake, she should at least say something, or at least take a stand so we can feel at ease. Her constant refusal to take sides makes them uneasy.

"...We'll talk about everything when Kaizo and Shinto return. You've been fighting for so long, there's no rush. Besides, apart from Konoha, the other three villages don't have the strength to start a war. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the new Hokage, won't start a war either. You have plenty of time to fight."

Chiyo ignored the old folks and continued pruning her flowers and plants. The pruned leaves flew everywhere, making the group of people behind her tremble with fear, terrified of getting any on them—these things were damn poisonous!

It wasn't that Chiyo didn't want to end this power struggle quickly. These guys had made a mess of the village vying for leadership. If there were a good candidate, she'd certainly be willing to resolve the matter as soon as possible. But look at the scoundrels behind these old men—not a single one of them is fit to be Kazekage. If these people really took over, while Danzo of Konoha could lead the village to the moon, these guys would probably drag the village down to its lowest rank...

Sunagawa was originally a good candidate, but unfortunately, he wasn't born into a good family and didn't have any particularly outstanding achievements. Although he brought back a lot of spoils from the Land of Water, those things couldn't be openly discussed. And what she least expected was that the one who became famous in this war wasn't Sunagawa but that kid Shinto. This was really frustrating. Not only was that kid young, but he was also good at coming up with some crazy ideas occasionally. As Kazekage... he could lead a village to its annihilation... ヽ(ー_ー)ノ.

77. If he weren't so young, handsome Scorpio would have been born long ago.

Moreover, although the village is in a mess because of these people, with her around, there won't be too much trouble. Generally speaking, it won't have much impact on the village. Since things have gotten to this point, it's better to let them fight it out until they're both exhausted. By then, they'll be too weak to fight, and who knows, Sunagawa might be able to take over more easily.

"Lord Sunakawa, all those elders have gone to find Lady Chiyo. Are we really not going?"

In Sunagawa's office, a junior employee asked him with some concern.

In the current Kazekage competition, each clan supports its own disciples. Although Sunagawa doesn't have any clan members supporting him, almost all the commoner ninjas in the village are supporting him. This is Sunagawa's capital to compete with those big clans. And this younger brother's worries are also reasonable. Although Chiyo-sama's family has a good reputation in the village, especially his great genius, Shinto, who is known for his confrontations with those clan elders, Chiyo-sama can't compete with the sheer number of people in the other clans.

If you get annoyed enough and accidentally nod in agreement, that would be a huge problem!

"Alas... As the ancients said, 'The greatest struggle is to not contend!' Lady Chiyo is a very rational person and will not change her attitude because of what they are doing. As long as we wait for Lady Kaizo to return, everything should be more or less settled."

Sunagawa put down his masterpiece and looked at his younger brother's worried expression. He was deeply moved. These ordinary people supported him so selflessly and unconditionally without any reward. How could he not be moved?

Because he didn't want to disappoint his underlings, he had been reading extensively to make up for his lack of education, all in preparation for competing for the leadership position. The Kazekage conflict had dragged on for so long without ending, and even though Lady Chiyo hadn't said anything, he had already guessed her thoughts. Lady Chiyo didn't think much of any of the young members of those clans, and while he himself was a good candidate, what he lacked was a representative achievement that wouldn't be enough to keep those old guys in check. However, with Lady Chiyo keeping them in check, their village wouldn't be able to stage a coup like the Hidden Cloud Village. Although he had been on the battlefield, their conflicts with Konoha were just minor skirmishes, unlike the fierce battles between the Iwa and Uchiha clans. Furthermore, he wasn't a disciple of the Second Hokage, so his foundation was still too weak.

So these days he didn't fight and scramble like those other families, but waited quietly. In any case, the final selection of the Kazekage would still depend on Lady Chiyo. And when Lady Kaizo went to Konoha for peace talks, he knew that the day was not far off.

......

"Pah! Damn it, in a few years I'll have to go buy Madara's Wood Release technique. I'm going to turn this whole place into an oasis..."

At the entrance of Sunagakure Village, Masato grumbled as he spit out the sand that the wind blew into his mouth. As the saying goes, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. After living a carefree life outside for half a year, suddenly returning to this place full of sandstorms was really hard to get used to. He had eaten his fill of sand that the wind blew into his mouth all the way here.

"If you don't talk, you won't get sand blown into your mouth. Madara Uchiha died even earlier than the First Hokage, where are you going to find him? Besides, only Hashirama Senju knows Wood Release..."

Haicang said irritably, "This kid's mouth hasn't been heard the whole way; he deserves to have eaten sand the whole way."

"Then you're wrong. Although Uncle Ban is dead, he still lives in my heart. What if one day he knows from beyond the grave that he has a little fan like me and comes up to give me an autograph or something..."

Shindou ignored Kaizo's sarcastic remarks and said seriously, "To be honest, I hadn't thought about this before. Now that I think about it, turning the Land of Wind into an oasis is definitely impossible. After all, not everyone has the hardware of Hashirama Senju. But getting the Awakening of Wood Release from Madara would make turning Sunagakure into an oasis no problem. It just depends on whether Madara will recognize him as a little fan. After all, Madara, the first generation of dance artist, doesn't give face to just anyone."

"Keep dreaming... Fengying Tower is still waiting for me."

Kaizo, too lazy to argue with him, left him at the village entrance and went to work with his gang. Shinto, watching from behind, shook his head. This was a man whose talents were wasted by the village! He was almost certain why Kaizo was holding his head in his hands; it was a classic case of overworking his brain...

.......

“Aunt Chiyo, I think you should keep an eye out for any unmarried girls in the village and introduce them to your younger brother. You’re almost a grandmother, and he’s still single. If this continues, something bad will happen sooner or later. Uncle Shamon and Sunagawa have been the subject of some gossip in the village.”

When Shinto returned home, Sasori's father wasn't there. At this time, he was probably either on a date with someone who was suspected to be Sasori's mother or on his way to a date. Forget about going to school. Since they went to the front lines, although he hadn't mentioned skipping school, he would at most go to school every day to clock in, and then trick Sasori's mother into letting the two of them skip class and go on dates all over the village. As the son of the First Kazekage, Shamon had to be well taken care of before. The homeroom teachers didn't dare to say anything, especially the clan ninjas, who didn't care at all. If they tried to manage this young master, it would probably get back at Lady Chiyo, and they would probably be punished. It was better to just let him be happy. After all, he was a genius puppeteer, and it wasn't someone he could teach.

If it weren't for his young age, he probably would have been born much earlier. He wondered if it was the effect of his little butterfly or if his father was just that kind of person...

"Don't talk nonsense. You've made a name for yourself outside. Now everyone says you're the nemesis of the Kage. Tell me, what's really going on in Konoha?"

Chiyo rolled her eyes at him and then asked seriously, "Now, the younger generation is in charge of each village, and the one Chiyo values ​​most is Konoha. Logically speaking, although Tobirama Senju made Hiruzen Sarutobi the Hokage before he died, the power dynamics in Konoha are much more complex than in Sunagakure. In theory, they should have fought for a while like in Sunagakure. However, Hiruzen Sarutobi was able to take over smoothly in less than a month after Tobirama Senju was buried."

This was somewhat beyond her expectations. She was eager to know whether it was because the newly appointed Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was exceptionally capable, or something else entirely. If Hiruzen was so cunning, then Konoha would be very difficult to deal with in the future. Tobirama Senju was already ruthless enough; and now that Tobirama was dead, what if another exceptionally capable Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared...?

78. Kazekage Election Tournament

"What else could it be? Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't supposed to rise to power so quickly. I even secretly campaigned for Danzo Shimura. But that Danzo Shimura was a terrible teammate. The ball was practically in his head, but he just wouldn't move. Konoha realized I was behind it, so they were worried about things getting complicated or the Shimura clan having something to say. That's why the Konoha higher-ups rushed Hiruzen Sarutobi into power. New personnel, new style, right? I don't know anything else, but I do know that after Hiruzen Sarutobi took over, he immediately increased the power of his cronies. But Danzo Shimura must be really unhappy. Ever since that day, he's had a sour face every day, like everyone owes him millions. If... I mean, if we have any ideas about Konoha, maybe we could team up with Danzo Shimura. I see a lot of ambition in his eyes."

He was speechless when Danzo, that terrible teammate, was mentioned. But perhaps Danzo was still in the process of turning to the dark side and wasn't used to doing such things yet; it was normal for him to be slow to react. In a few years, when Danzo was completely corrupted and had done many despicable things, it would become second nature, and then Danzo would still be a good teammate...

"...It seems the threat to Konoha isn't just the Uchiha clan. That's for the best..."

After hearing Masato's introduction of Danzo, Chiyo nodded knowingly. She wasn't afraid of Konoha's strength, but she was afraid that if Konoha became united, they would really lose all hope of leaving the desert. There was already the Uchiha clan, and now there was Shimura Danzo, which was good news for Sunagakure.