Yes, the Hokage

"You're just a smooth talker," Danzo sneered. "The prisoner escaped from your territory, so of course you bear undeniable responsibility!"

The relationship between Feng Lan and the Uchiha clan is common knowledge. It wouldn't be surprising if Feng Lan ran away from his territory. If Feng Lan tries to distance himself from the relationship, he gives others an excuse to directly confront the Uchiha clan.

So he readily admitted, "Of course, so I have fulfilled my duty as the Hokage's advisor, severely reprimanded Lady Tsunade for committing this crime, and placed her under house arrest in the village. She is not allowed to leave until Orochimaru is brought back."

Feng Lan paused for a moment, then said with a smile, "Of course, if you all feel that this punishment is not severe enough, you are welcome to deal with her yourselves. Although I have become her disciple, I will absolutely not show any favoritism."

The Konoha F4 looked at each other in bewilderment. Feng Lan said he wouldn't cover it up, but in reality, every action he took was one of covering it up. But... what could they do?

Of these four, aside from the Third Hokage, who dares to say they can defeat Tsunade? Besides, severely punishing one's own village's Kage-level fighters is just because they're afraid Konoha doesn't have enough rogue ninjas. Only a fool would do something that would be applauded by other villages.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance, remaining silent. The Third Hokage, head down, smoked as if he hadn't heard. Feng Lan's suggestion that the Third Hokage send the Anbu to capture Orochimaru was already a huge favor to him, so the Third Hokage naturally didn't want to make things difficult for him over such a trivial matter. Besides, the Third Hokage himself couldn't bear to punish his own disciple, Tsunade, could he?

Danzo's face turned ashen, but he couldn't retaliate—Me, hit Tsunade? Really? Without Izanagi, he'd probably have all his bones shattered with a single punch.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" Feng Lan tilted her head and grabbed the weakest Danzo. "Danzo-sama always talks about Konoha. When Tsunade-sama made a mistake, you went and punished her righteously. Isn't that a perfect example of the spirit of fairness and justice for Konoha?"

Danzo's lips twitched uncontrollably, unable to utter a word.

In the end, the Third Hokage smoothed things over, saying, "Alright, Tsunade acted impulsively, which is understandable. Since Feng Lan has already dealt with this matter, let's leave it at that."

"Since this matter is over, let's discuss the next thing." Even though the other party had already used his magic, Feng Lan still wanted to continue the pursuit. He directly took out a document from his pocket. "Lord Danzo, your actions at the orphanage have been recorded in their entirety by my subordinate, Uchiha Itachi. Summoning large summoning beasts to damage public property, threatening civilians, attacking the Hokage's advisor... Please explain each and every one of these matters clearly, otherwise... it might not be so easy to fool you today."

Danzo's face darkened completely: "You..."

He felt incredibly frustrated, as if he wanted to vomit blood. It was a small matter that Feng Lan let an S-level wanted criminal go, but it was a big deal that I was showing off at the orphanage.

In response, Fenglan said, "Who told me to leave no evidence when I do things, while Lao Deng gets caught red-handed every day? The difference is obvious, you can't argue with that."

"Lord Danzo."

Minato also spoke in a deep voice: "Your leaving the village without reporting it, under the pretext of inspecting the Land of Fire, is already a violation of regulations. You also caused such a big incident at the orphanage and tried to kill Feng Lan. I need an explanation."

Danzo gritted his teeth: "I did this to investigate the situation in Iwagakure..."

"How did your investigation of Iwagakure lead you to an orphanage? And you even need to summon Baku?" Fenglan interrupted him rudely. "You need to threaten the orphanage to cut off its funding? You need to kidnap their children? And after I discovered all this, your first reaction was to silence them, Lord Danzo... You really are used to acting recklessly in Konoha!"

He slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang: "Is Konoha your master or the Hokage's master?!"

"You, you're spouting nonsense!" Danzo slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"Don't try to deny it," Feng Lan sneered. "The orphanage staff and Lady Tsunade can testify. They are not my subordinates, but completely neutral individuals. I think their testimonies carry considerable weight."

"All right."

The Third Hokage sighed, "Feng Lan, Danzo was indeed wrong this time. Considering his past contributions, let's be lenient with him."

Although he spoke of leniency, his words were always harsh: "How about this, we'll cut the organization's manpower budget in half, and you can manage and distribute the extra portion. What do you say?"

"Hiruzen!" Danzo roared, "I was just confused for a moment, and you treat me like this?"

"A moment of confusion?" Feng Lan sneered. "You're confused in the village, and you're confused outside the village. When will you ever wake up?"

"Let's do it this way."

The Third Hokage sighed, making a definitive statement: Danzo had indeed not yet come to his senses. In the past, he could act recklessly because the Third Hokage turned a blind eye to his actions. But now that the Fourth Hokage was in charge, and although Minato was originally on his side, under the continued influence of Feng Lan... times had changed.

His confrontation with Fenglan began the moment Orochimaru was paraded through the streets. To protect his disciple, he had to back down. Now, Fenglan had given him face and allowed Orochimaru to escape. He himself had become Tsunade's disciple, gaining the protection of the Sannin. He was at the height of his power and unstoppable influence.

Therefore, we should temporarily withdraw and wait for the storm to pass before making further plans.

Yan and Xiaochun realized this and began to restrain themselves, not giving Fenglan any advantage. Only you, who couldn't see the situation clearly, kept jumping around, and you deserved to have your leg broken.

“This is probably not enough.” However, Feng Lan knew that this was the last chance to make money by taking advantage of Orochimaru and Danzo’s mistakes, so she had to suppress them as much as possible. “Third Hokage, you see, my injury is not fully healed yet. Should we have a medical ninja examine it?”

He was clearly grazed by Tsunade's fist, but now he's blaming it all on Danzo: "If Lord Danzo isn't restricted to some extent, I'm afraid I won't be able to live in the village with peace of mind."

Before F4 could speak, Feng Lan quickened his pace: "Therefore, I propose that from now on, any action Danzo takes, especially leaving the village, must be reported to the Hokage's office, and he must not act without authorization."

"Impossible!" Danzo exclaimed in fury, smashing the table with a single slap.

"Oh, so the loss of this table will also be charged to Root." Feng Lan said coldly, "Lord Danzo, all Konoha ninjas must report when entering and leaving the village. Do you think you can be an exception?"

"But……"

Danzo turned his head away, wanting to say that the Third Hokage and the others didn't need it at all, but at least he still had some sense and swallowed his words back.

Feng Lan thought to himself that it was a pity. He really wanted to see if the other three would beat this pig teammate to death for what Danzo had blurted out.

"Danzo".

Before this guy could sabotage his teammates again, the Third Hokage coldly said, "Apologize."

His words effectively sealed the fate of Danzo and Root.

"Hiruzen..." Danzo's exposed eyes were already bloodshot.

"Apologize!"

"Yes..." Danzo trembled as he said, enunciating each word clearly, "I'm sorry, Advisor Fenglan, I mishandled the orphanage matter. I'm sorry... From now on, I will report all my actions to the Hokage's office in advance."

【Niiiiiiiiice——！】

Feng Lan mentally struck the signature celebratory pose of the Two Qiaos, but on his face he wore a smiling Konoha expression: "As the saying goes, it is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. Since Lord Danzo has already apologized, this matter is naturally over. In the future, as a junior, I will have to learn a lot from you regarding 'for Konoha'."

He emphasized the words "for Konoha" with particular force, his sarcasm obvious.

This time, however, no one spoke up for Danzo. Only Fugaku, who was in charge of recording, wrote down his thoughts at lightning speed, his mouth practically stretched to the back of his head in a wide grin.

……

After the high-level meeting ended, Feng Lan did not rush to leave. He slowly finished the last sip of tea before standing up under the uncertain gazes of the Third Hokage and Danzo.

"Then, Third Hokage, according to your promise, am I now entitled to take over half of the Root organization's manpower and budget?"

The Third Hokage didn't look at Danzo, but simply nodded: "That's right."

“Very good, very good.” Feng Lan smiled and looked at Danzo. “Lord Danzo, please hand over the personnel list and resource list. Oh, and the corresponding venues as well. I need to check them one by one so that you don’t hide the good stuff.”

Danzo took a deep breath, struggling to swallow the resentment in his eyes: "Fine!"

……

Feng Lan wouldn't go to the meeting alone like Guan Yu. Firstly, he doesn't have Guan Yu's skills and domineering presence. Secondly... if he really dies, who will play Guan Yu's song for him?

Hijiri and Obito are currently outside the village, so in addition to protecting Shisui, he also called Dai and Teppei. Although Tsunade couldn't get them to join, a mysterious man in sunglasses also joined.

Yu Nu Zhiwei stood silently behind Feng Lan. His eyes behind his sunglasses revealed no emotion, but his clenched fists betrayed his nervousness. He knew why Feng Lan had brought him here, and he was happy to accept it.

The Root organization's base was rather deserted at the moment. A group of young people stood helplessly in front of Feng Lan, their faces mostly filled with confusion and unease. They had been adopted and trained by Danzo since childhood, and upon joining Root, they had already abandoned their identities, unable to return home or see their relatives.

Feng Lan's position at this moment was very delicate; he was standing right in the sunlight at the entrance of the base, with a bright light behind him.

The Root members, who were used to hiding in the darkness, were suddenly illuminated by the light and didn't even know what they could do.

Feng Lan didn't rush to take inventory of the supplies, nor did she offer any words of encouragement or inspiration to these confused young people. Instead, she let the facts speak for themselves.

"Mr. Zhiwei, could you please confirm which of these are the children of the Aburame clan?"

Aburame Shii took a deep breath and stepped forward under Danzo's gloomy gaze. Her eyes swept over the young faces, her fingers trembled slightly, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Those who were "borrowed" by Danzo years ago can finally see the light of day again, all because he betrayed Danzo's information to Fenglan...

“You, you, and you.” Zhiwei pointed out the three people. “You are all from the Aburame clan.”

The three young men exchanged glances, and one of them hesitated before saying, "But... Lord Danzo said we've already been expelled from the clan..."

"Just ignore Danzo's words." Feng Lan cursed in front of the entire Root organization. "Now you're free. Go home with Mr. Zhiwei."

"Come back." Zhiwei's voice trembled slightly. "Your parents... miss you very much..."

The lips of the three young men moved violently, instinctively wanting to step forward, but the organization's long-standing strict discipline and brainwashing rules bound them tightly, and none of them dared to move first.

"Come on over with peace of mind." Feng Lan spoke calmly again. "From now on, the Aburame clan will have my protection. Even if someone had three times the courage, he wouldn't dare to cause trouble again."

Hearing this, the longing for family finally broke the brainwashing. One of the young men gritted his teeth, didn't look back at Danzo's ashen face, and ran straight into Zhiwei's arms. Only after confirming that he was alright did he finally breathe a sigh of relief and burst into tears.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

Zhiwei patted his back, his usually calm voice choked with emotion. Ten years! The little kid who used to follow him around had been snatched away by Danzo for ten years. He had grown into such a big young man, yet he hadn't even been able to see his parents one last time.

With him as a role model, the other two young people also mustered up their courage and came to Zhiwei's side. The three of them hugged each other and cried, feeling relieved that they had finally been freed from this dark and hopeless situation.

With these three people setting an example, Feng Lan's task became much easier. She simply raised her hand and waved, "Anyone else want to go home? Come on over!"

At first, Danzo was full of confidence, thinking that the three young women from Aburame dared to betray him because Aburame Shiki had come in person, and that none of the others would dare to make a move under his pressure.

But to his surprise, one by one, the younger members of the Root organization ran towards Feng Lan, arriving at the spot behind him where the sunlight shone. Most of them knelt on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, shouting out their most primal desires:

"Dad, Mom, I'm home!"

"I want to see my sister!"

"Grandma, you were so angry when I was taken away... Now I can finally lay a bouquet of flowers on your grave!"

"..."

"You...you!" Danzo rolled his eyes in anger. "You are members of Root, you live and die as Root people! How could you so easily side with that Feng Lan!"

His response was a cold, hard remark from Feng Lan: "Because I treat them as human beings."

Taking such young children away from their families and throwing them into such a dark place, isolating them from the world, training them in various killing techniques, and then controlling them through high-pressure laws and brainwashing—this is even more despicable than human trafficking and more vile than northern Myanmar! The Will of Fire that the third generation of the sect promotes is all about bonds, isn't it? You can't see that at a time like this, can you?

"The First Hokage founded the village with the intention of protecting children, and you, Danzo..."

At this moment, a genuine killing intent surged in Feng Lan's eyes: "You have betrayed the First Hokage's will, and you have betrayed Konoha!"

Although the two sides have completely broken off relations, they cannot resort to violence directly. However, after seeing the children's reactions, Feng Lan made a vow in his heart:

Danzo, I'll make sure you suffer a terrible death!

Chapter 41 Offering Loyalty

Danzo's face turned pale and then red after being rebuked by Feng Lan. His fingers twitched slightly, but under Shisui's cold gaze, he ultimately dared not form a hand seal.

Soon, the young people who wanted to go home had arrived at the land of light behind Feng Lan. Most of those who remained still were older loyalists. Even if they really tried to abandon the darkness and join the light, Feng Lan would not use them. After all, Danzo was best at arranging undercover agents.

"There's one more."

He coldly raised his hand and pointed behind Danzo, where Aburame Ryoma was located.

"Feng Lan..." Danzo slammed his cane down angrily, "Don't go too far!"

"Shh-!"

The next second, a gleaming blade was already pressed against his neck, and Shisui's crimson Sharingan coldly stared at him: "You should listen carefully to what Lord Fenglan says and do as he says."

Logically speaking, Shisui wouldn't do such a thing to higher-ups, but seeing the disgusting things Danzo, that old devil, did, even Buddha gets angry. This time, without waiting for Fenglan's order, he impulsively made a threatening gesture.

Danzo was startled and couldn't react... Even with his Sharingan and a large group of people behind him, he still couldn't react in time. Shisui's Body Flicker... was just too fast!

Compared to guards, Shisui is clearly more skilled at assassination. With his speed and mastery of illusion, even if you are surrounded by thousands of troops, you will not feel safe at all.

"Ryoma, come back." Aburame Shiki called out again.

"Lord Danzo, I..." Aburame Ryoma hesitated for a couple of seconds, which made Danzo somewhat relieved, but... it was only for two seconds. He quickly made up his mind, "I'm sorry!"

He bowed deeply to Danzo, then ran towards Fenglan to embrace the light.

Although Danzo valued Ryoma highly and entrusted him with important tasks, after following him for so many years, Ryoma knew very well that Danzo only truly trusted him. Now that he was entrusted with important tasks, he knew too much and would be discarded and eliminated sooner or later.

And now... the chance to survive is right in front of you!

Seeing that even Ryoma Aburame, whom he considered his right-hand man, had run away, Danzo really wanted to use the Reverse Four Phases Seal on Furan directly, but with Shisui's knife to his neck, he dared not act rashly no matter what, and could only watch helplessly as Furan continued to act recklessly.

Feng Lan ignored him and continued to inventory the supplies. Ninja tools, funds, sealing scrolls... he checked them one by one, not even letting a kunai go unchecked. He even had the three young members of the Aburame clan who had turned to the light help him record the information. With the help of these Root organization members, the efficiency was naturally extremely high.

After everything was accounted for, Feng Lan leisurely left with the people and belongings. Only after they had all gone far away did Danzo finally explode, kicking over the table.

"Damn it! That little beast! And Aburame Shiki, Aburame Ryoma... they're all ungrateful bastards!"

The other die-hard fans could only stand awkwardly to the side, not daring to utter a sound.

"That brat thinks he's won just like that?" Danzo panted heavily. "He's dreaming! Go, contact the people in Kumogakure and tell them that Konoha is willing to talk! Hiruzen owes me so much; it's time for him to bleed a little!"

"Yes, sir." The subordinate beside him hurriedly replied and left.

……

On the other side, Fenglan first sent Tiehuo and Daohuo to deliver the supplies to the garrison's warehouse, and then led a large group of people to parade through the city. Since they had done a great thing today, they definitely had to boost their reputation.

So he personally escorted these young people who had broken away from Root back to their homes one by one, watching them reunite with their families and weep in each other's arms. He then righteously and angrily denounced Danzo and promised that such things that harmed the villagers of Konoha and shook the foundation of Konoha would never happen again.

After this round, Feng Lan's reputation among the villagers reached a whole new level, almost second only to the Fourth Hokage, while Danzo's name was basically stigmatized, the kind that even passing dogs would spit on before moving on.

Feng Lan was very satisfied with this. As the saying goes, even a pair of underwear and a piece of toilet paper have their value. You bunch of Konoha scoundrels like to bully, so go bully Danzo and his subordinates. Isn't this a kind of waste utilization?