Chapter 145: The Birth of the Scapegoat King

Chapter 145: The Birth of the Scapegoat King

Ino returned to the prison only to discover that Baki had already escaped with a group of inmates. She followed their trail, keeping her distance for the first two days. It wasn't until the third day, as the prisoners were about to leave the Land of Fire, that she pretended to stumble upon Baki and Idate Morino.

"You look familiar. Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" Ino asked.

Idate Morino glanced at Ino's Konoha forehead protector but remained silent.

"The way you walk, the way you hold your kunai it all points to one thing: you're a shinobi from Konoha. A missing-nin!" Ino declared with the certainty of a seasoned detective.

"I'm not! I just"

"Just what?" Ino wasn't interested in his excuses. If she couldn't catch a big fish like Orochimaru, at least this small fry was easy prey.

Without even resorting to ninjutsu, she took him down in just two moves.

"Come back to the village with me. Let Morino Ibiki give you a proper interrogation"

Before she could finish, Idate gasped, "Big Brother… is still alive?"

Meanwhile, in the capital of the Land of Fire…

The Third Hokage, accompanied by his guards Kakashi and Shikaku, arrived to meet the Daimyō.

The Daimyō, usually one to play the fool, was now visibly furious and even more so, terrified. Without a word, he presented them with Danwa's corpse.

They were shinobi, not coroners. What could they possibly deduce from a single fatal slash wound?

What truly mattered was the testimony of the surviving shinobi.

Danwa had recognized Danzō, but the witness hadn't. From a distance, he could only roughly describe the attacker's appearance, emphasizing the massive Wind Release ninjutsu used at the scene.

"...Danwa-sama recognized the enemy. He called him 'Danzō.' They only exchanged a few words before Danzō killed him."

The three Konoha representatives felt a wave of unease wash over them.

They weren't worried about the Daimyō ambushing them with five hundred swordsmen even five thousand ordinary men wouldn't faze them.

The real problem was how messy this situation had become.

The Third Hokage immediately denied the accusation. Konoha couldn't accept the blame for this.

"This is clearly a clumsy attempt to frame someone, meant to drive a wedge between the Daimyō and the shinobi village. Danzō is… innocent."

Even uttering the words "Danzō is innocent" made him feel sick.

Suppressing his anger and fear, the Daimyō maintained his usual dignified demeanor. He tapped his folding fan against the table.

"Where is Danzō? Why hasn't he come?"

If only I knew where that bastard was!

The Third gritted his teeth. "Danzō is recovering in the village due to complications from his ninjutsu training."

He had already decided: if the Daimyō insisted on seeing Danzō, he'd have someone use a Transformation Jutsu to impersonate him.

The Daimyō said nothing. The silence was suffocating.

The Third tried to steer the conversation back on track. "I can arrange for a member of the Yamanaka clan to examine the body. Often, the dead do not lie."

A Yamanaka? Another Konoha shinobi? What could they possibly uncover?

The Daimyō knew he wouldn't get anywhere today. Konoha would never admit to this. He had backed down countless times before today would be no different.

"No need. Danwa's death shall be recorded as 'sudden illness.' That's all." He stood and left without another word.

The Third, Kakashi, and Shikaku remained in place, their expressions grim. Not a word was exchanged on the way back.

Once in the village, they summoned Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane to discuss the matter.

Kakashi remained silent as usual, blending into the background like furniture.

When they heard Danzō had killed Danwa, Homura and Koharu's first reaction was: Oh? He finally lost his patience?

Danwa's hostility toward shinobi was no secret. To seasoned intelligence operatives like them, his disdain had been obvious.

The idea that Danzō had taken action didn't surprise the two advisors if anything, it felt inevitable.

The Third puffed on his pipe, saying nothing.

Homura pressed Shikaku for details. Was there any evidence at the scene? Aside from a distant witness, was there any concrete proof? When Shikaku confirmed there wasn't, the old man visibly relaxed. No direct evidence? Then it's fine.

Shinobi had an unspoken rule against assassinating political figures but without proof, nothing could be done.

You say it was Danzō? Where's the evidence? Just some random shinobi's testimony? Don't make me laugh.

Koharu's stance was pragmatic, as expected of a shinobi. She considered the matter serious but not catastrophic.

"Hiruzen, since the man is already dead and the Daimyō isn't pushing further, let this end here. Danwa was just a retainer flatterers like him are a dime a dozen. We'll send someone to the funeral, promise to 'investigate,' and leave it at that."

Her unspoken message was clear: Danwa? A glorified bureaucrat, nothing more. A dog of the Daimyō. Even if Danzō did kill him, so what? Should Danzō be executed for killing a dog?

The Third, however, saw further. He knew the relationship between the Daimyō and Konoha was crumbling but what could he do?

Even Ino, a transmigrator, had firmly taken the shinobi's side. Could the Third Hokage betray his own village? His own people?

After a long silence, he issued his orders.

"Shikaku, attend Danwa's funeral. Kakashi, take a squad of ANBU and track Danzō's movements. Report to me once you find him."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

And just like that, a high-ranking official who could sit in on the Daimyō's meetings had "died suddenly."

The blame fell squarely on Danzō's shoulders.

The Daimyō believed it. Konoha believed it. Even the bystander Orochimaru believed it.

Danzō only learned of the incident through the newspaper.

He had known about the Otogakure situation from the start and was now lying in wait with his Root operatives on the route back from Konoha to Otogakure.

In Danzō's estimation, Orochimaru's attack on the Third Hokage would likely succeed the old man's death was imminent.

But Orochimaru would also pay a heavy price. Once the snake was weakened from the battle, Danzō's forces would ambush him, with a high chance of either capturing or killing the rogue Sannin.

With such a monumental achievement, Danzō was certain no one could stop him from becoming the Fifth Hokage.

Now, he waited, his net spread wide, ready for the serpent to slither into his trap.

Between preparations, Danzō practiced calligraphy and read the news. That was how he learned of Danwa's "sudden death."

He had no thoughts on the matter. The two hardliners had never gotten along. Danwa's death didn't bother him Good riddance. Why didn't he die sooner? Whoever did this deserves praise!

And thus, the Scapegoat King was born.

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