157. Undercurrents
Under Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha's leadership, a large force of Konoha shinobi once again set out, advancing all the way to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass!
The Land of Grass had always been a key buffer zone for the Land of Earth, functioning almost like a tributary state.
Now, with Konoha's army stationed there, it was no different from standing at Iwagakure's doorstep.
As Danzo had predicted, the situation played out exactly as he expected.
---
Having suffered defeat, Onoki was now under immense pressure—
Externally, he faced Konoha's growing military threat.
Internally, he was being criticized by both his village and the Daimyo of the Land of Earth.
Onoki had poured everything into this war.
And the result?
He not only failed to defeat Konoha
He lost one Jinchuriki
And his only remaining Jinchuriki was critically injured
Within Iwagakure, Onoki's reputation had been shattered.
If there were a suitable replacement, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth might have already removed him as Tsuchikage.
Even worse, Onoki had completely lost the trust of his forces.
The Iwa shinobi were demoralized, their will to fight utterly broken.
---
At this moment, a Konoha envoy arrived, delivering Danzo's final ultimatum:
Iwagakure must pay 2 billion ryo in war reparations.
They must permanently withdraw from the Land of Grass.
Failure to comply would result in a full-scale Konoha counteroffensive!
However, Onoki didn't believe Danzo's threats.
Sure, Konoha had won the war, but they had suffered massive losses too.
If Iwagakure strategically withdrew from the Land of Grass and cut off key supply routes, he doubted Danzo would actually launch another attack.
After all, if Konoha truly launched a new war, their supply lines would be stretched thin.
Did Konoha really have the financial power to sustain another large-scale battle?
Onoki didn't think so.
Even if Danzo was determined to fight, Konoha's internal situation wouldn't allow it.
But his opinion didn't matter—his own shinobi were too terrified to fight.
More specifically, they were terrified of Danzo's godlike strategy and leadership.
The moment news of Konoha's offer for a ceasefire spread, Iwagakure's already fragile morale collapsed entirely.
All they wanted was to end the war as quickly as possible, to avoid more casualties.
Seeing this, Onoki could only sigh in frustration.
Retaliation was out of the question.
The only option left was to negotiate for better terms.
---
This war shook not only Iwagakure but also Konoha itself.
When the news of victory reached Konoha, the dark clouds of war that had loomed over the village were instantly swept away!
Villagers flooded the streets, celebrating Danzo's newfound title—"The God of War"!
However, back in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt both joy and deep concern.
The joy was obvious—Danzo had led Konoha's forces to a miraculous victory against overwhelming odds.
The concern… was because Danzo was now pushing for further offensives.
And more than that—his overwhelming strength was starting to unsettle Sarutobi.
For someone once known as the "Strongest Hokage", Hiruzen was beginning to feel uneasy.
When did Danzo become this powerful?
Was it when he awakened Wood Release?
Or when he gained the Mangekyō Sharingan?
Or had he always been this strong but simply hidden his abilities?
Hiruzen had always thought he understood Danzo.
But now… he wasn't so sure anymore.
---
As soon as the front-line reports arrived, the two Konoha elders quickly rushed into the Hokage's office.
"Hiruzen, we must stop Danzo from continuing this war!"
Mitokado Homura spoke bluntly the moment he entered.
He slammed a financial report onto the desk, revealing a devastating truth—
Konoha's finances were on the brink of collapse.
"All the resources we gathered for this war are completely depleted!
If this continues, forget about post-war rewards—we won't even have enough money to compensate the families of fallen shinobi!"
This time, Mitokado Homura wasn't exaggerating
The years of continuous warfare had severely drained Konoha's resources.
Even before this war, Konoha's finances were already deep in the red.
To prepare for battle, they had squeezed every last bit of resources from both the villagers and the shinobi clans.
Now, there was truly nothing left.
Of course, winning the war meant they could extract reparations from the enemy, helping replenish their economy.
But that was a concern for the future.
Right now, the most urgent issue was how to survive this financial crisis.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as he looked at the financial reports in his hands.
Unable to help himself, he lit his pipe.
"What about the Daimyo? Can he provide any more supplies?"
This time, Koharu Utatane spoke up.
"That's exactly what I wanted to discuss next."
"The Daimyo's envoy just arrived, delivering a direct order—
Due to the heavy losses suffered by the northern nobility, Konoha must immediately cease all military operations."
Her tone was extremely serious.
Although the Daimyo was nominally the ruler of the entire country, he rarely interfered in Konoha's affairs.
For him to suddenly take such a firm stance was highly unusual.
The reason?
The noble families in the north had suffered devastating losses.
Before the war, Danzo had forcibly requisitioned supplies from them.
Then, once the war began, the Iwa-Kumo alliance rampaged southward, destroying properties and killing many nobles.
As a result, many influential families were completely ruined.
Even though Danzo's actions were necessary for military strategy, the nobles of the Land of Fire were not so understanding.
To them, Danzo was the one to blame for their suffering.
And with additional diplomatic pressure from the Land of Earth's Daimyo, the Fire Daimyo had no choice but to take a hard stance against Danzo's war efforts.
"I told you Danzo shouldn't have touched the nobles' resources!
Look what happened now!"
Mitokado Homura shrugged, openly placing the blame on Danzo.
When Hiruzen remained silent, Homura continued pressing the issue.
"Hiruzen, don't you think Danzo's popularity is getting… a little too high?"
The room suddenly fell silent.
Hiruzen's face darkened instantly.
"Homura, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"Are you implying that I am the type of man who resents the success of others?!"
Homura quickly raised his hands in defense.
"Of course not! Hiruzen, we all recognize your achievements over the years."
"I'm only saying that Danzo's leadership style is far too aggressive.
Now that the war is over, Konoha needs a calm and steady leader to rebuild."
"But Danzo? Now that he's gained so much prestige, he will definitely aim for the position of Hokage."
"And if he succeeds, Konoha will inevitably be dragged into more wars!"
Homura's analysis was sharp and precise, as if he were genuinely concerned for Konoha's future.
But in reality… his conflict with Danzo had been festering since the Water Country campaign.
Given Danzo's vengeful nature, if he actually became Hokage, Homura knew he would be the first target for retribution.
Hearing Homura's reasoning, Hiruzen's eyes flickered with an unreadable expression.
Then, he waved his hand dismissively.
"The matter of the next Hokage is something I will decide.
You don't need to concern yourself with it."
His eyes narrowed as he gazed at his two old friends.
Then, with a serious expression, he asked:
"Tell me…
Do you two think I'm getting too old?"
At this question, Koharu and Homura exchanged a nervous glance.
They were startled.
Then, almost immediately, they rushed to reassure him.
"Of course not! Hiruzen, you're still in your prime!"
"With your current health, you could remain Hokage for another ten years!"
Hearing their quick responses, Hiruzen exhaled deeply, releasing a puff of smoke from his pipe.
The swirling smoke wrapped around his aging face, making his expression seem even more unreadable.
---
Once they had left the Hokage's office, Koharu turned to Homura with an irritated expression.
"Homura, you went too far today."
But Homura simply smiled.
"I only voiced what Hiruzen was already thinking deep down."
He glanced at his long-time ally, who was no longer as young as before, and said meaningfully:
"Between us… neither of us want Danzo to be the next Hokage, do we?"
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