ocean-life Chapter 314 Hiruzen, save me!
Chapter 314 Hiruzen, save me!
Chapter 314 Hiruzen, save me!
On the screen, Shimura Danzo's cheek was slashed by Hatake Sakumo, leaving a bloody mark. His terrified and disheveled appearance resembled that of a stray dog.
Several gloating sneers immediately rang out from the audience.
Dou pushed up his glasses and squinted at the screen.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
On the other side, Nagato and Konan were also delighted to see this.
Xiao Nan didn't laugh out loud, but a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Nagato nodded slowly. At that moment, the silver-haired figure on the screen was making a fierce move. Nagato stared at him, and the first thought that flashed through his mind was that Yahiko had not misjudged him after all.
Sakumo Hatake is indeed worthy of the height that Yahiko once regarded as his goal, and his character coincides with the "true ninja" that Yahiko spoke of.
Nagato's gaze then fell back on Danzo's panicked face.
Not long ago, he personally attempted to assassinate Danzo.
In reality, Danzo was arrogant and fearless in front of Pain, even showing a hint of contempt, as if he didn't take him seriously.
Nagato always believed that, in terms of pure strength, Pain was definitely superior to Konoha's White Fang.
However, Danzo fears Sakumo but has never been afraid of Pain.
This stark contrast completely confirmed the information he had obtained from Obito during the day.
It turns out Obito wasn't lying to him.
Danzo's ability was not ordinary ninjutsu, but a forbidden technique that required special consumables.
In this dream, Danzo probably lacked that kind of support, which is why he was so terrified.
[Ding! Nagato's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Konan glanced at Nagato but didn't ask any questions. She simply turned her attention back to the screen.
Orochimaru lightly licked his lips and commented unhurriedly, "It seems Elder Danzo is in for a good time today."
"Hahaha!"
Jiraiya immediately burst into laughter and echoed his sentiment.
Tsunade was more direct, crossing her arms and coldly snorting, "Well done."
"Why waste words on this scum who would even harm his own companions and children for personal gain! Sakumo should have gone even further and broken a few of his bones!"
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
Jiraiya chuckled, while subconsciously glancing at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was ashen, his brows were furrowed, and his lips moved slightly.
After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but speak in a deep voice, "Sigh—even if Danzo is guilty, he should be judged by the village's laws, by the Hokage and the elders. How could Hatake Sakumo be so impulsive as to carry out the execution in private? Where does this place the village's laws?!"
By the end, his voice had taken on a reprimand.
In fact, he did sympathize with the plight of Kakashi and his son.
However, his long-standing habit still made him subconsciously defend Danzo a few times.
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, Jiraiya's smile froze on his face.
He awkwardly touched his nose, wanting to retort, but realized that saying anything in this situation would only embarrass the teacher more, so he had no choice but to shut up.
Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed, and she was about to lash out when a cold sneer came from beside her, interrupting her.
Orochimaru slowly turned his head, a mocking look flashing in his golden eyes.
He stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi and said sarcastically, "The village's laws? The Hokage's and elders' judgment? Oh~ my dear teacher, are you referring to the laws and judgment enjoyed by Shimura Danzo, who secretly plotted countless conspiracies and even raised his sword against his own village's ninjas, yet still sat peacefully in the Konoha elder's seat for many years?"
Dou nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his eyes behind his glasses filled with nothing but naked contempt, devoid of any respect.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. In the end, he slumped back in his chair and remained silent.
In that instant, he seemed to have aged several years.
[Ding! An emotional fluctuation from Hiruzen Sarutobi has been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped speaking and just stared at the screen with a complicated expression.
Looking at the father who fought with a knife for his son, and then at his old friend who was in a sorry state and driven to the brink of despair.
He was filled with sorrow and remained speechless.
Nagato, of course, didn't miss this conversation. He glanced at Orochimaru with a hint of surprise.
This Konoha rogue ninja would so ruthlessly tear off the fig leaf from Konoha's leadership at this crucial moment.
interesting.
Nagato narrowed his eyes slightly.
on the screen.
The stinging pain and warm blood on his cheeks constantly stimulated Danzo's nerves.
What's even more deadly is that there wasn't a trace of hesitation in Hatake Sakumo's dark eyes.
Faced with the vast difference in strength and the opponent's relentless killing intent, Danzo's last shred of courage crumbled.
-
Nevertheless, his instincts honed by decades of experience in the art of power still compelled him to make a final, desperate struggle.
However, his voice had long lost its former authority, leaving only a blustering and intimidating tone.
"I...I am an elder of Konoha—"
"Shimura Danzo!"
"You can't kill me! If you kill me, Konoha won't let you get away with it! Hiruzen Sarutobi won't let you get away with it either!"
He shouted these words in one breath, his one eye fixed on Sakumo, trying to find even the slightest hesitation on the other's face.
Sakumo simply raised his short sword slowly, his gaze terrifyingly calm.
"Don't worry, I don't intend to take your life here."
Upon hearing this, Danzo felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders, as if someone had pulled him back from the edge of a cliff.
At that moment, he didn't even have time to think about why Sakumo had suddenly changed his mind.
"Then, what else do you want to do?" Danzo forced himself to speak, trying to adopt the demeanor of a high-ranking official and attempting to regain the initiative.
"Leave here immediately—I can forgive and forget!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he himself felt that they were ridiculously empty.
But he had no other choice.
This is the only way I can use this rhetoric as a last resort, hoping to suppress the matter, force Shuo Mao to back down, and escape from danger.
However, what Sakumo Hatake said next plunged Danzo into an icy abyss.
Sakumo stared coldly at Danzo and said, word by word, "What do you want? I just want Elder Danzo to personally experience the injuries Kakashi suffered."
Upon hearing this, Danzo's face turned deathly pale.
Of course he remembered that Sakumo had personally said that Kakashi had seventeen fatal wounds.
Danzo would rather die in this dream right now, to end this torment and be done with it, than suffer such a humiliating and unbearable fate.
This is a nightmare, what kind of godforsaken place is this!
He now misses Izuna-sensei's world terribly.
At least there, he could still stand and speak, and he could still act recklessly under the guise of being a teacher.
Danzo felt bitter and regretful, wondering how he had been so unlucky as to fall into this dream.
Not only can we not use the Root organization, but to make matters worse, someone comes knocking on our door seeking revenge as soon as we arrive!
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
Sakumo Hatake gave him absolutely no chance to breathe.
The silver light erupted once more!
Faster, more urgent, and with even greater killing intent than before!
Shuo Mao transformed into a blurry afterimage, and a chilling blade of light swept over in an instant!
"what!"
Danzo let out a heart-wrenching scream.
He cast aside all notions of elder authority and conspiracies.
He suddenly threw the kunai in his hand with all his might towards Shuo Mao!
The kunai flew swiftly through the air, carrying his last bit of luck, and used all his strength to turn around and run away.
run!
We must get out!
As long as he escaped this deserted Root base and got to the streets where people lived, he didn't believe that Hatake Sakumo would dare to commit a crime against a Konoha elder in broad daylight and in front of everyone!
At that point, he could even turn the tables and accuse Hatake Sakumo of attacking the elders and plotting a rebellion.
Yes, rush out into the street!
Danzo fled for his life along the dark corridor, desperately running towards the exit of the base that he remembered.
Boom!Boom!Boom!
However, in front of Konoha's White Fang, his hasty escape was no different from a clumsy tortoise crawl.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept in from behind!
Before Danzo could even turn around, a tearing pain shot through his right shoulder blade.
A cold, sharp blade of energy pierced through his body!
Ah!
Danzo cried out in pain, stumbled, and almost fell to the ground.
He braced himself against the wall with both hands, barely managing to steady himself.
Warm blood quickly soaked through his back, and the sticky, damp heat and the burning pain from the wound came at the same time. A strong smell of blood entered his nostrils and rushed to his throat.
Clearly, this strike simulated one of the wounds Kakashi suffered when he was attacked from behind.
The excruciating pain ignited the ferocity within Danzo. He gritted his teeth, breathing heavily and hoarsely, daring not to pause for even a moment, desperately continuing to charge forward!
hateful!
Why isn't the gate here yet?
For the first time, Danzo felt that having too large a root base was definitely not a good thing.
If the scale had been smaller, he probably would have escaped long ago.
The murderous aura behind him was ever-present, and just as he felt the shadow of death approaching again, footsteps came from around the corner not far ahead.
Immediately afterwards, a familiar figure wearing a Hokage robe and a Hokage hat strode out from around the corner.
It was none other than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His expression was solemn, as if he were rushing to the depths of the base when he happened to witness this thrilling scene.
Danzo's single eye gleamed with an almost manic light.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
He had never found Hiruzen Sarutobi so endearing and lovable!
In desperation, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hiruzen!"
"Hiruzen!"
"Help me!"
"Help me!"
"Sakumo Hatake has gone mad!"
"He's going to kill me!"
"He's going to kill me here!"
"Stop him!"
At this moment, Danzo placed all his hopes on his old friend.
He firmly believed that as long as Hiruzen Sarutobi was present, Sakumo Hatake would never dare to make any further rash moves.
However, Danzo did not notice.
The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared, his gaze lingered for a moment on the man's miserable and disheveled appearance, and at that instant, Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed slightly.
Immediately, his gaze passed over Danzo and landed on the silver-white figure standing a few steps behind Danzo, as straight as a drawn sword.
Danzo was only concerned with escaping, like a lost fledgling finding the protection of its mother hen's wings. He scrambled and crawled behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's Hokage robe, which symbolized the highest power in Konoha.
For a moment, he even had the illusion that he was finally safe.
Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi appear, Sakumo Hatake abruptly halted his charge.
The boiling murderous intent in his eyes did not dissipate, but slowly settled into a cold, chilling aura.
He slowly straightened up, flicked his wrist, and with a flick of his wrist, shook off all the beads of Danzo's blood that were stained the blade.
Immediately afterwards, Sakumo calmly and decisively sheathed the short sword back into its scabbard on his back.
Throughout the entire process, his gaze remained coldly fixed on Danzo.
Even though Danzo had already hidden behind the Hokage, Sakumo's cold gaze still made him feel like he was being pricked by thorns.
Only when he saw Sakumo Hatake sheathe his sword did Danzo feel a sense of relief wash over him, and a feeling of utter exhaustion washed over him.
Danzo opened his mouth wide and greedily gasped for breath.
Only then did the pain in his back become more real.
Safe!
Danzo felt a surge of ecstasy.
In front of Hiruzen, this madman would never dare to lay a hand on him again.
He had even begun to rapidly organize his thoughts in his mind, pondering how to frame Sakumo for "attacking an elder" and how to force Hiruzen Sarutobi to immediately order Sakumo's arrest.
However, just as he calmed himself down and was about to open his mouth to Hiruzen Sarutobi and denounce Sakumo Hatake's atrocities, a figure suddenly appeared in the corner of his eye.
It turned out that there was another person standing silently behind Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The man was dressed in the Root clan's dark uniform, wearing sunglasses, with an expressionless face and a completely concealed aura. He was none other than Aburame Ryoma, a trusted confidant whom Danzo relied heavily on.
When Aburame Ryoma saw Danzo looking at him, he immediately stepped forward, bowed slightly, and greeted him respectfully in his usual calm and even voice, "Lord Danzo."
This seemingly ordinary form of address, to Danzo at this moment, was nothing less than a slap in the face.
Danzo's body stiffened abruptly.
His face, which had just regained some color after being rescued, suddenly turned bright red, then quickly faded to a pale blue.
His subordinate had seen clearly and thoroughly his disheveled and scrambled appearance just now!
A strong sense of hatred suddenly surged from Danzo's heart.
He instinctively straightened his still throbbing back, trying to regain the imposing demeanor befitting the Root leader, wanting Ryoma to understand that what he had just witnessed was merely an accident, and that Lord Danzo still held the reins of everything.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +700!]
"Sakumo Hatake!" Danzo roared hysterically in his heart.
How dare you—how dare you make me lose face in front of my subordinates like this!
This is an irreconcilable feud!
I will make you pay the price!
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not immediately respond to Danzo's lament.
His brows furrowed, his face grim. He quickly glanced at Danzo's injuries, then looked at Hatake Sakumo's calm face and slowly asked, "Hatake Sakumo, what exactly happened?"
"Why did you attack Elder Danzo—and so severely?"
on the screen.
The stone chamber deep within the root base was dimly lit.
Danzo took off his shirt, revealing that the wound on his back had been healed by a medical ninja.
He didn't utter a sound, not even a furrow of his brow, yet the cold glint in his single eye was undisguised.
It seems that the Danzo who was being chased and fleeing in the corridor just now was not him at all.
Ryoma Aburame stood behind him, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses, and his expression remained as expressionless as ever.
Danzo has reverted to being the sinister and cold leader of Root.
The flash of silver light, the chill of the short sword as it passed, the man's calm yet almost cold gaze, and the shame of begging Hiruzen for help kept replaying in his mind.
Danzo gritted his teeth.
"Sakumo Hatake—I will remember this humiliation of today."
"Once this matter is settled, see how I deal with you."
He had even started making plans.
Using the channels of the roots, dig up every choice that Sakumo Hatake made on the battlefield over the years, pick out any decision that can be smeared, and create public opinion.
Danzo didn't know why Sakumo Hatake from this dream was still alive.
However, Danzo believed that what has happened will happen again, and what has been done will be done again. Even in this world, he should be able to easily deal with Hatake Sakumo.
"----grown ups."
Ryoma reported: "Today's incident has escalated to such a great extent, and Sakumo Hatake has claimed to possess evidence."
"If we hadn't gone with them to keep an eye on things, wouldn't that have caused the adults some unnecessary trouble?"
"trouble?"
Danzo snorted coldly, his mind filled with a thorough understanding of Hiruzen's character, and said sarcastically, "Ryuma, you've followed me for so long, don't you understand that old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
"He is indecisive, prioritizes the big picture, and values superficial harmony and stability the most."
As Danzo finished speaking, a cold smile appeared on his lips.
He could even picture Hiruzen holding a pipe, shouting that he had made Sakumo Hatake endure humiliation for the sake of Konoha, and that it had always been like that.
"It's true that Sakumo Hatake has evidence, but what does that evidence prove?"
"At most, the mistake of pointing to the root will not implicate me."
Danzo was certain that once this matter reached Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands, he would be safe.
Hiruzen Sarutobi will find an excuse for him himself.
After saying this, Danzo leaned back in his chair and took a breath. Suddenly remembering something, he turned his head and glanced at Ryoma behind him, his voice unusually gentle.
"Oh, right, Ryoma."
"Just now—you were the one who brought Hiruzen, weren't you?"
He was too busy escaping to even see where Hiruzen Sarutobi came from.
But at that time, Ryoma's figure followed closely behind, so the answer wasn't hard to guess.
Ryoma Aburame lowered his head slightly.
"Yes, it is what I should do."
"Hmm, well done."
Danzo nodded, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. Ryoma's loyalty and alertness had once again been proven.
The thought of having such a capable and sensible subordinate made him feel a little better.
However, this good mood only lasted for a short while.
Danzo's face darkened, and he asked in a cold voice, "By the way, Ryuma, where did all the Root people go today? Why is the entire base completely empty?"
At this point, Danzo's anger flared up again.
All the disarray we're in today, in the final analysis, is precisely because we don't have a single capable subordinate in the base.
If there were a few elite soldiers nearby, even if they couldn't stop Hatake Sakumo, they could at least hold him off for a few moments or create chaos, giving themselves room to maneuver.
Why was he chased like a stray dog, and in the end had to rely on Hiruzen Sarutobi to save his life, losing face in front of his subordinates?
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
in the audience.
The stark contrast between Danzo's past and present self left many people speechless with utter disgust, without even needing to adjust their expressions.
Dou pushed up his glasses, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
Orochimaru leaned back in his chair, a playful glint in his narrow eyes, and chuckled, "Heh, Master, it seems our Elder Danzo is quite dependent on you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment.
The pipe he was holding was suspended in mid-air, the smoke dissipating in front of him, and his expression was stiff and unnatural.
Danzo's behavior in the dream not only exposed his own despicable and shameless nature, but also made him feel utterly humiliated.
[Ding! An emotional fluctuation from Hiruzen Sarutobi has been detected! Emotional value +300!]
Tsunade, who was standing nearby, didn't let him off the hook either.
"Hmph, now you know what it's like to feel bad?"
"If you ask me, the reason why Danzo dares to be so lawless, has done so many heinous things, and still shows no remorse, even becoming more and more outrageous, is that you bear the primary responsibility, old man."
Jiraiya rubbed his hands together, acting as a peacemaker, and advised, "Hey, Tsunade, say less—"
Jiraiya actually had some reservations about Danzo and his teacher.
But with Hiruzen Sarutobi right here, it wouldn't be good to kick him while he's down.
Orochimaru clearly didn't intend to let this topic pass.
He nodded slightly, surprisingly agreeing with Tsunade's statement.
"Tsunade is right. You see, Danzo isn't worried about being punished by the teacher at all."
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell completely silent this time, unable to refute.
He leaned back in his chair, as if all his strength had been drained away.
Tsunade and Orochimaru's words were harsh, but they were the truth.
In reality, isn't that exactly how he treated Danzo?
Time and again he put the greater good first, time and again he worked for the stability of Konoha—but in return, Danzo overstepped his bounds time and time again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes; he even had to admit that Danzo was right.
Based on his past style, "he" would indeed not impose any substantial punishment on Danzo.
[Ding! An emotional fluctuation from Hiruzen Sarutobi has been detected! Emotional value +600!]
The Konoha members didn't try to lower their voices during their argument.
He does not mean that.
These words were clearly heard by the Rain Shadow duo standing nearby.
After listening, Nagato slowly turned her gaze away.
He didn't look at the screen, but instead focused his gaze on Hiruzen Sarutobi, his Rinnegan narrowing slightly.
A chill flashed in Nagato's eyes.
Yahiko's death, Konan's tears, Amegakure's blood————
How many of these things were simply overlooked because of prioritizing the bigger picture?
He suddenly understood why Danzo could do so much under Konoha's protection.
It's because there's always a big hand protecting him from the wind and rain.
If you block it for too long, all the dirty water will end up on other people.
[Ding! Nagato's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Xiao Nan sat next to him without saying a word.
She didn't need to say anything; she understood everything Nagato was thinking.
on the screen.
Aburame Ryoma bowed his head and reported, "My lord, have you forgotten?"
"Yesterday, you personally ordered that all available elite troops from the base be dispatched to other areas."
"Go and gather detailed information about Orochimaru's recent movements and any potential weaknesses."
"This order is of the highest priority and requires preliminary results within three days."
Huh? He gave the order?
To deal with Orochimaru?
This aligns with his mindset.
Having suffered such a great loss, how could I possibly do nothing?
-
However, sending them all out seems like taking it too seriously.
Is it really necessary to mention Orochimaru?
Danzo frowned and said, "Even if they're all sent out, what about the base's basic security and logistics?"
"There shouldn't be no one here either."
As he said this, his gaze swept around the room.
Logically speaking, even if there is a shortage of manpower outside, there should still be layers of sentries and patrols.
However, now, apart from Ryoma, there isn't even a single person breathing.
Danzo felt something was wrong the more he looked at it.
This explanation is still far-fetched.
"Sir, the Root organization is already severely understaffed."
"You gave a direct order yesterday, demanding that no expense be spared and all available resources be used."
"so----"
Longma didn't finish his sentence.
It was Danzo's strict orders, coupled with the organization's already limited manpower, that led to the base's current emptiness.
It seems that Danzo himself has to take the blame for this.
"A severe shortage of manpower?"
Danzo caught this crucial information, and disbelief appeared in his one eye.
Will the Root organization be short-staffed?
This was utterly absurd in his mind.
Outside the village, there are too many war orphans in the ninja world.
They have no one to rely on, no place to go. As long as they are given a meal and a dagger, they can be honed into useful tools.
Within the village, every year after the Ninja Academy graduates, there are also many new ninjas who want to join the Anbu.
These are all potential sources of Root; after all, if you want to enter the Dark Side, you can't avoid getting gilded by Root.
The Root organization is ostensibly a "secret training department".
In Danzo's world, Root is the shadow side of Konoha.
The shadows never lack consumables.
He only needs to select, screen, and brainwash people, so how could he lack people?
"Yes, sir."
Ryoma Aburame did not refute his shock.
"This problem has existed for a long time."
"In recent years, the number of graduates from the Konoha Ninja Academy who volunteer to join the Anbu has been declining."
"Many outstanding talents chose to join ———— after graduation."
He stopped there.
Danzo's heart sank, and he quickly asked, "What did you join?"
Ryoma Aburame looked up, but his gaze behind the sunglasses remained unreadable.
"The Akatsuki organization led by Sakumo Hatake."
"The Akatsuki?"
Danzo suddenly turned his head, his heart filled with turmoil.
That dangerous organization in reality, composed of S-rank rogue ninja from various countries, intending to collect the tailed beasts—
In this dream, Konoha is openly recruiting ninjas and has even stolen Root's manpower.
He had indeed seen information about the Konoha Akatsuki organization in the files of this dream before.
As Ryoma spoke these words, he suddenly remembered that in this world, the Akatsuki was a special tactical unit directly under the Hokage.
In his world, the Akatsuki is a dangerous mercenary organization that, in theory, is at odds with none of the five great nations.
But here, they take root in the leaves, stand proudly in the sunlight, and compete with the root organization?
"Yes, sir."
Aburame Ryoma nodded.
This time, there was a hint of helplessness in his tone.
"Moreover, under the management of Yakushi Nonou, the Konoha Orphanage has increased its efforts to take in and shelter war orphans in recent years, making it difficult for us to acquire new blood as easily as before."
"Last time, the organization painstakingly collected a group of promising orphans from the border —"
Ryoma paused, then said with some difficulty, "Before it was even transported back to the base, it was forcibly taken over by Senju Nawaki and a team of Senju clan ninjas and sent to an orphanage. Our people couldn't stop them."
Danzo was completely dumbfounded.
The amount of information was too much, and the impact was too strong.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +600!]
Talented individuals were snatched away by the Akatsuki organization, and orphans were intercepted by the orphanage and the Senju clan.
Danzo even conjured up a ridiculous image in his mind: he reached out to grab someone in the shadows, only to have someone in the light beat him to it, grab the person, and close the door behind him.
This isn't robbery, this is tearing him apart from the root.
He finally understood why he had been so angry in his dream yesterday that he had kicked down the door and even caused a scene in the Hokage's office just because a few orphans had been taken away by Orochimaru.
That was probably not just a few orphans; it was likely extremely valuable fresh blood that the organization could obtain at the time.
In my dream, I was truly furious.
Aburame Ryoma hesitated for a moment, as if considering how to say the more cruel part.
"Originally, with its existing strength and years of accumulated experience, the organization could have barely kept operating."
"However, in the previous operation against the Tenchi Bridge camp where Hatake Sakumo was stationed, "we suffered very heavy losses, losing many of our elite personnel."
"Since then, the organization has been facing a severe shortage of manpower."