Chapter 105: Danzo: The Shinobi World is in My Hands

"What? A jonin?!" The group immediately assumed defensive stances.

"Could they still be examinees? Just incredibly strong ones?" Temari questioned.

Karin continued sensing, shaking her head at Temari's suggestion.

"No, they're not. I'm detecting three jonin-level enemies. On top of that, there are five chunin. These are definitely not examinees."

"Is it them again?" Kankuro growled, visibly irritated.

The reaction piqued the curiosity of Kurotsuchi and her team. Based on the Sand siblings' earlier hostility toward Konoha, it seemed they knew something. But with an enemy approaching, there was no time to dwell on it.

Whoosh!

The sharp whistle of air cut through the battlefield as air bullets came hurtling toward them. If it had been Deidara, he'd have casually swatted them aside. But for the six inexperienced shinobi, these attacks were terrifying.

Thud!

A low rumble resonated as a sand barrier formed in front of the group. The air bullets struck it, leaving dents but failing to penetrate.

"Wind Style: Great Sickle Weasel!" Temari unleashed a powerful wind-style jutsu with all three stars of her fan fully opened. A ferocious gale tore forward, laced with countless razor-sharp wind blades. Not only did it nullify the fire-style attacks trailing behind the air bullets, but it also ripped through the enemy's cover, forcing their silhouettes into view.

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

A massive rock barrier rose to meet Temari's attack, but her wind blades shredded it almost instantly. Still, the wall absorbed enough of the damage to neutralize the jutsu's threat.

"It is them!" Kankuro exclaimed as he summoned all three of his puppets—Crow, Black Ant, and Salamander. "You've probably seen them before, but trust me, facing them head-on as enemies is a different story."

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"

The enemy leader unleashed a high-density wind attack, its destructive force dwarfing Temari's earlier technique, even with her fan's support.

"Sand Shield!" Gaara stepped forward, extending his right hand. His sand formed a durable shield, protecting the group. Though the terrain wasn't a desert, the surrounding earth provided enough particles for him to work with.

"I'm going in!" Suigetsu yelled, gripping his sword tightly. He charged at one of the jonin, his right arm swelling grotesquely before swinging a massive strike. However, the attack missed as the jonin dodged with ease, Suigetsu's blade embedding itself uselessly in the ground.

"Suigetsu, you're too reckless!" Kurotsuchi scolded, quickly providing support. 

From her mouth, she spewed a stream of quicklime, ensnaring one of the careless enemies and buying Suigetsu space to recover.

Rustle. Rustle.

The sand mixed with yellow soil snaked its way across the battlefield, latching onto the legs of two more enemies. At the same time, Temari and Kankuro launched coordinated follow-up attacks.

The battle was intense and chaotic, but slowly, the tide began shifting in their favor.

In the shadows, Deidara observed silently. He smirked.

"Not bad. They are the best talents from their respective villages. Still, typical of Danzo to pull underhanded tricks like this."

Sending assassins to eliminate other villages' candidates during the exam? Shameless. Even for Danzo.

Hours later, the group regrouped at a hidden location. Suigetsu glanced at Gaara's team, breaking the silence.

"You guys seemed like you knew the enemy back there?"

Despite their victory, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro remained somber. Temari and Kankuro didn't even respond, staring blankly. Finally, Gaara spoke.

"They were from Sunagakure... our comrades. Recently, they were taken by Danzo."

"Taken?!" Suigetsu frowned.

Gaara's voice grew colder. "They've been brainwashed into killing machines and forced to turn against their own people."

"We were attacked by them last night too," Suigetsu muttered bitterly. "That old geezer Danzo is unbelievable. Cheating so blatantly during the exams…"

"If you know the truth, why don't you protest?" Karin asked. "You could refuse to participate."

Gaara let out a bitter laugh. "We're prisoners, just like the others. We don't have the luxury of refusing."

"And if we try to resist, the lives of our comrades are forfeit," Kankuro added grimly.

"Don't worry about that. I'll handle this." A familiar voice rang out as Deidara emerged from the shadows. "With Danzo pulling stunts like this, this exam is already meaningless."

"Deidara-sama!" Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro's faces lit up with relief.

Of course, Kurotsuchi was the happiest to see him. But she crossed her arms, feigning irritation.

"Didn't I tell you not to come?"

Deidara shrugged nonchalantly. "I was worried about you."

"Hmph. Who asked you to worry about me?"

"Don't want it? That's fine! But I could use Deidara's support any day!" Suigetsu teased, earning a sharp glare from Kurotsuchi.

...

Meanwhile, at Root Headquarters,

Representatives from Kusagakure, Hoshigakure, and Takumi Village stood before Danzo, who sat imperiously at the head of the room.

"It's tragic, really. All your villages' candidates perished during the exams," Danzo said, his voice devoid of genuine sympathy.

Scattered in the center of the room were the lifeless bodies of their fallen comrades, faces frozen in fear and despair.

"How could this happen?!" Takumi's representative's voice trembled with fury. "We sent our best... Now they're all gone."

Danzo's subordinate, Aburame Ryoma, stepped forward.

"Their deaths are unfortunate, but this could also be an opportunity. With your villages' futures in jeopardy, why not join Konohagakure? Under Lord Hokage's leadership, you'd find true strength."

"Never!" Kusagakure's representative shouted, cutting Ryoma off. "We know exactly what kind of man Danzo is. Those deaths... I'd bet my life that you orchestrated them!"

Danzo chuckled softly.

"And if I did? What can you do about it? Your candidates are dead, and your villages will hold you responsible. Whether you join Konoha or return to disgrace is your choice."

The room was silent. Despite their rage, the smaller villages couldn't deny the truth in his words. Resistance seemed futile.

Suddenly, the representative from Kusagakure fell silent as his deputy plunged a kunai into his back.

"Forgive me," the deputy said, kneeling before Danzo. "I won't risk my life for your stubborn pride."

One by one, the others followed suit, kneeling. "Lord Hokage!"

Danzo rose, smiling triumphantly. "Excellent. Take them away. Prepare them for tomorrow's meeting."

As they left, a Root shinobi rushed in. "Lord Danzo, Ame and Iwagakure have withdrawn from the exams in protest, accusing us of cheating."

Danzo sneered. "It doesn't matter. Of the seven small villages, all except Otogakure are now under my control. Inform them that the alliance summit is tomorrow."

His hand clenched into a fist. "Tomorrow marks the final step. Once I secure Iwagakure and Akatsuki's representatives, the shinobi world will be in my grasp."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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