Chapter 106: Danzo: Protect Me! Protect Me!

The next day, the alliance talks officially commenced.

However, Deidara and the others found it rather odd that the only villages present were Amegakure, Iwagakure, and Otogakure, represented by Orochimaru. Weren't there supposed to be six other smaller villages as well? Why was no one else here?

Before they could dwell on it for long, Danzo strode into the hall, followed closely by his right-hand man, Aburame Ryoma.

"Lord Hokage, care to explain the blatant cheating by Konoha during the exam?"

"And where are the others?" Orochimaru, still maintaining his disguise, inquired.

Danzo chuckled lightly. "No need to rush."

"Before we begin our talks, I have a question."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Orochimaru responded with intrigue.

"Submit—or die."

A dangerous gleam flashed in Orochimaru's eyes as he slowly asked,

"Lord Hokage, what do you mean by this?"

Thud!

Danzo's cane struck the ground with a crisp sound, like a signal for war.

In an instant, the entire hall was surrounded by a flood of ROOT and ANBU ninjas, sealing off every possible escape route.

At the forefront of this encirclement stood none other than Tsunade and a masked Yamato.

"Lord Hokage, what is the meaning of this?" Orochimaru's face curled into an ambiguous smile.

Danzo scanned the gathered shinobi with predatory eyes, his answer remaining unchanged.

"Submit—or die."

At that moment, a dozen figures stepped out from the crowd. They were none other than the representatives of the six missing smaller villages.

However, the truly shocking part was their eyes and foreheads.

"Submit, receive the Byakugan transplant, and be branded with the Caged Bird Seal."

"Refuse, and your only path is death!"

So that's his plan!

Deidara finally understood Danzo's entire scheme. He had initially thought that, after suffering repeated setbacks, the old man had chosen to take a more measured approach in expanding Konoha's influence.

But in reality, did anyone really believe that Danzo was the type to compromise?

He had merely been brewing an even more insane plan.

The Joint Chunin Exam was merely a smokescreen, deliberately exaggerated in importance to lure the finest talents and strongest shinobi from various villages. Those who resisted would be eliminated, and those who surrendered would be subjected to Byakugan transplants and Caged Bird Seals for absolute control.

And the plan had been quite successful. Aside from Iwagakure, all the other villages had sent their best young shinobi, along with elite delegations to protect them and handle negotiations.

Danzo's assassination attempts during the exam hadn't been about cheating. After all, this so-called "alliance talk" had been a farce from the very start.

The real purpose was to force the delegations into a corner, splitting their allegiances in advance.

Now, the only ones still resisting were Iwagakure, Amegakure, and Otogakure.

Brilliant.

From a strategic standpoint, if Danzo could also take down Deidara and Sasori, Konoha would gain two more Kage-level powerhouses. With five Kage-level fighters on their side, all of them exceptionally strong, and an influx of high-tier talent from the minor villages, Konoha would be poised to unify the shinobi world.

After all, Danzo had been alive for decades. Since the era of the First Hokage, when had the shinobi world ever seen a village this dominant?

But Danzo's fatal flaw was his belief that he controlled everything when, in truth, he was merely a pawn in greater games. Even his position as Hokage was the result of delicate political maneuvering, making his eventual downfall inevitable.

"Heh… interesting." Orochimaru licked his lips as he stood up, his sinister aura blending with his signature mannerisms. Danzo immediately sensed the shift.

"Orochimaru!" Instead of fear, Danzo's eyes gleamed with excitement. He had expected his biggest prizes today to be the two Akatsuki members, but gaining Orochimaru as well? What an unexpected bonus!

"With all three Sannin under my command, let the new era shine even brighter!"

Failure? Impossible.

Victory was already his!

"Finally! It's about time we started!"

"I was getting moldy from all this waiting!" Hidan was the first to step forward.

"Hidan, Kakuzu?" Danzo remained unfazed even as the two dispelled their disguises.

"Heh, so Akatsuki wasn't entirely unprepared after all."

"But it doesn't matter! Having you two here only makes today's hunt even more bountiful!" He dismissed them completely. Based on their previous battles, a deployment of Nine-Tails Squad ninjas would be enough to handle them.

"Hidan, Kakuzu, looks like they're underestimating you." Kisame grinned, his shark-like teeth flashing.

"Shut up!" Hidan snapped irritably, while Kakuzu radiated a murderous intent that made it clear—today, he would prove them wrong.

"Kisame, Kakashi?" Danzo raised an eyebrow but quickly relaxed.

"So Akatsuki also has ulterior motives, sending six members to join forces with Orochimaru. Are you plotting something against Konoha?"

"Still, while the two of you might give me some trouble, that's all it is—trouble." Tsunade and Jiraiya had both surpassed Kage-level. Either of them could take on two opponents. Yamato could handle one. Kakuzu and Hidan would be dealt with by the Nine-Tails Squad.

Which meant Danzo himself, along with his vast army—including Konoha's forces, captured Sunagakure shinobi, and elite jonin from the smaller villages—had the advantage. Victory was assured.

"Danzo, it's time to settle this." Itachi's crimson Sharingan flared to life. At this point, he fully understood that the Uchiha Massacre had been nothing but manipulation. There had been better solutions, but as a naive child, he had been deceived into a terrible choice.

"Uchiha Itachi?" A flicker of unease stirred in Danzo's heart.

No! No need to panic!

He still had his final trump card! Itachi wasn't necessarily his match. Plus, he had countless devoted ROOT members at his disposal—his ultimate source of power.

"Lord Hokage!"

Suddenly, a ROOT member rushed in with a panicked expression. If someone dared interrupt at such a crucial moment, it could only mean something serious.

Though irritated, Danzo understood the gravity of the situation.

"What is it? The sky isn't about to fall, is it?"

"Lord Hokage! Sunagakure has betrayed us!"

"What?!" Danzo's face darkened.

Stay calm! Stay calm!

Even if Sunagakure had defected, it would only be a setback, affecting a portion of Konoha's forces. He still had ample troops to command.

"Lord Hokage! The Inuzuka Clan, the Aburame Clan, as well as the Kurama and Gekko clans have all defected!"

Danzo staggered, barely catching himself as Aburame Ryoma hurried to support him.

No! No problem!

Konoha would suffer severe losses, but he could still win!

"Hahaha!" Danzo suddenly burst into laughter.

"Akatsuki, Orochimaru, you've done well!"

"But no matter how much you scheme, Konoha is still stronger! I've already won!"

"Oh? How about adding us to the equation?"

"Danzo, it's time to settle old scores for Yahiko's sake." Nagato and Konan shed their disguises.

"Rinnegan!"

"You… you're that brat from back then!" Danzo's head spun in horror.

"Protect me! Protect me!"

"I am the Hokage! I must not remain in such a dangerous place!"

"Escort me back to the ROOT base! Now!" Danzo bellowed.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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