Chapter 273: The Daimyo Defense Battle!

Chapter 273: The Daimyo Defense Battle!

"The battle led by one of the Three Sannin, Orochimaru, resulted in the Third Raikage being injured, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki suffering severe wounds, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki perishing, and the Two-Tails itself escaping. Kumogakure's defenses collapsed, and a significant amount of strategic information was leaked."

"And—"

"On the very same day, the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning was once again assassinated!"

"A week later, the Third Raikage, A, will bring his son to Yunming City to personally apologize to the enraged Daimyo!"

"I believe this is an opportunity!"

—

Land of Fire, Konohagakure, Hokage's Office Conference Room.

At this moment, only three individuals were seated in the conference room.

The man sitting at the head of the table was middle-aged, with a long face resembling a donkey's. He wore a fan-like headpiece adorned with three flame patterns and held a small folding fan in his hand.

With the arrival of June, the weather was starting to grow hot. He gently waved the fan to cool himself.

Seated beside him were two of the most influential figures in Konohagakure: Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage, and Shimura Danzo, the head of Root and the Hokage's advisor.

As for the identity of the man at the head of the table, it needed no explanation—he was the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

"So, Danzo, what exactly are you planning this time?"

The Daimyo cast a sideways glance at Danzo and asked in a measured tone, his voice tinged with indifference.

"Right now, the Land of Lightning has suffered a devastating loss. If we strike while the iron is hot, we can ensure that they are completely silenced in the Third Shinobi World War."

"And this final strike... lies in the war funds the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning has promised to Kumogakure."

"Therefore, I wish to request a mission from Your Excellency."

Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing through them.

"Let's invite the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning to visit the Land of Fire for a little chat~"

"Impossible!"

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire's expression instantly turned cold.

Although Danzo had not explicitly stated his intentions, just the mere idea of targeting a Daimyo—regardless of whether they were from an enemy nation—was an act of blatant disrespect toward the position itself.

More importantly, the Daimyo was no fool. He understood the hidden meaning behind Danzo's words.

What set Daimyo and nobility above the vastly stronger shinobi was their control over a nation's power and economy.

Danzo's proposal, under the guise of military strategy, was in fact a move to break down the class barrier that separated shinobi and the ruling elite, weakening their authority.

"Hiruzen, it seems you've been neglecting discipline among your subordinates~"

Rather than addressing Danzo directly, the Daimyo turned his gaze toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was quietly smoking his pipe.

"Danzo, you are not to bring up this matter again."

Sarutobi exhaled a cloud of smoke, preparing to speak further in a more diplomatic manner.

"However, Your Excellency—"

Before he could finish, the Daimyo interrupted with an amused tone.

"Oh, but I must say, this battle was truly remarkable."

"For a single person to stand against Kumogakure's three strongest fighters, creating the perfect opening for his teacher to launch a surprise attack on Kumogakure... This young man, Uchiha Ci, is truly impressive."

"Is he the one you've chosen to be the Fourth Hokage?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.

"This battle's strategy was devised by Orochimaru. As the overall commander, he deserves the greatest credit. Moreover, I have been considering him as—"

Hearing this, the Daimyo let out a sigh, closed his fan, and tapped it against the table twice before speaking again.

"Even though Kumogakure suffered heavy losses in this battle, Konoha's side hasn't fared much better."

"I've heard that your student, Orochimaru, and your grand-disciple, Uchiha Ci, have both gone missing?"

"What a pity... Such a brilliant teacher-student pair, lost just like that."

"This matter... should be discussed another time."

With that, the Daimyo rose from his seat, making it clear he had no intention of continuing the conversation, and left the conference room without another word.

Only Danzo remained seated, his expression dark as he glared at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Hiruzen, I've told you before."

"This method is too weak, and that man was never going to agree!"

"If it were up to me, I would have simply sent someone disguised as a shinobi from another nation to threaten the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, forcing him to halt war funding and eliminate Kumogakure from the game entirely!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.

"You still don't understand."

"At this moment, too many people want the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning dead. And the fact that he brought up Konoha's losses means he's hinting that Kumogakure is not truly crippled yet. If he blames Konoha and fuels his own Daimyo's anger, Kumogakure could still recover enough to fight."

"The Daimyo would never gamble the Land of Fire's position on such a reckless move."

"A king does not directly confront another king—this leaves room for maneuvering."

Danzo frowned and asked, "Then what exactly are you planning?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen smirked slightly as he took a slow drag from his pipe.

Of course, he wouldn't tell Danzo that this was just a way to pressure the Daimyo while also probing his intentions.

As for the situation in the Land of Lightning—

"I already said it: at this moment, there are too many people who would love to pin the blame on Konoha, and Kumogakure's remaining forces could still be pointed in an unknown direction."

"Therefore—"

"The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning must not die!"

"At least, not until he has officially accepted the Third Raikage A's letter of apology."

"For now, we must protect him instead!"

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling the top-secret intelligence Orochimaru had sent back the other day, as well as Kumogakure's original insane plan.

"Absolutely absurd!"

Danzo's face darkened as he stared coldly at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

He had known this man for too long. Just by observing his expression, Danzo could tell—Hiruzen was hiding something.

Bang!

Danzo's face grew even more ominous. He snorted coldly, turned on his heel, and slammed the door shut as he left, leaving behind a final remark:

"Hiruzen, you will regret this!"

—

Upon leaving the Hokage's office, Danzo wasted no time and headed straight toward the southern side of the Hokage Tower.

He might not know what the "monkey" was planning, but he did know that Uchiha Ci and Orochimaru were under his command, and this grand victory was attributed to him as well.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire and Sarutobi Hiruzen were aligned. Today, Hiruzen had deliberately set him up to clash with the Daimyo—clearly an attempt to push him off the board and pave the way for his disciple.

Because this achievement was simply too monumental!

Uchiha Ci and Orochimaru's contributions were so immense that they could alter the entire course of the Third Shinobi World War!

And if he could ensure that the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning refused to fund Kumogakure, the northern threat would be entirely eliminated!

That meant his organization, Root, would have achieved the impossible—a single covert unit defeating one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations!

A feat like this could very well grant him a legitimate claim to the Hokage's seat.

Danzo's gaze turned icy.

"The Daimyo... is nothing but an obstacle!"

"If you dare block my path, even if you're royalty... you must die!"

It was unclear whether he was referring to the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning or the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Lost in thought, Danzo soon arrived before a door bearing two red-and-white fan emblems.

He raised his hand and knocked three times.

This was the residence of the Konoha Police Force Captain—the Uchiha Clan's estate.

Inside, the two men Danzo wished to meet were already present.

Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku.

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