Chapter 160: Danzo's Delulu

Having thought it through, Zetsu decided on the spot to casually put Obito off, then slip away.

As far as he was concerned, both Obito and Uchiha Madara were far too weak.

Pinning hopes of reviving his mother on those people was beyond unreliable.

Consider that Uchiha Madara was the most gifted Indra reincarnation in all history—yet after decades of struggle, he'd only barely awakened a pair of Rinnegan and was still nowhere near truly bringing his mother back to life.

Feigning a sigh, Zetsu said to Obito, "I get it about that 'Narusuke' matter. I'll keep an eye on it. From now on, you don't need to worry so much about the outside world—just train here and leave everything else to me."

Right now, he felt that even though Obito might not be of great use, he still had a bit of value.

Conning Obito into staying at the Mountain Graveyard to train was the best approach.

That way, Obito wouldn't roam around and mess up Senshi's mission progress.

If that kid lacked awareness and happened to provoke Senshi into killing him, then if later Zetsu needed Obito to do something, he wouldn't even be able to find him.

So a well-behaved, training-bound Obito was exactly what Zetsu wanted!

After tossing out those halfhearted lines, Zetsu instantly used his Mayfly Technique, sinking underground and vanishing.

He had no time to waste on Obito. Better to go around collecting gold and silver.

After all, once his mother was resurrected, who knew what else Senshi might be asked to do?

He had to save up money, so he wouldn't get embarrassed by being unable to pay commissions later.

When Zetsu disappeared, Obito was so furious at the man's dismissive attitude that his nostrils flared.

He couldn't fathom Zetsu's behavior and cursed him repeatedly in his mind.

"Isn't he supposed to have been created by Uchiha Madara? Why doesn't he care about the Eye of the Moon Plan at all?!"

"And lately, this guy's obsession with scavenging junk seems deeper than pushing forward the plan!"

Zetsu's unusual conduct baffled Obito, but the only plausible explanation he could muster was that something had gone wrong during Madara's process of creating Zetsu.

After mulling it over, Obito resolved not to rely on Zetsu anymore.

That little creep was entirely untrustworthy.

Better to rely on himself!

But nowadays, the ninja world was already in upheaval, so even if he was a talented youngster with dual Kamui and could use Susanoo, he couldn't do the same old "mysterious manipulations" as before.

Particularly with the strongest ninja in the current world, Uzumaki Senshi, standing opposite him.

Making things worse, none of Obito's supposed allies were dependable.

Indeed, in the scramble for the nine Tailed Beasts, Nagato had his own plan, Uchiha Madara had his, and Obito had yet another.

Unknown to Obito, Zetsu also had his own plan.

So these four people could practically host seven or eight group chats.

While Obito felt himself in dire straits, over in the Konoha, the days of the First "Pot-Kage," Danzō, were going no better.

Danzō's craving for the Hokage seat had reached near-maniacal proportions.

Yet fortune always seemed to sabotage him, as though fate were toying with him.

Back then, before the Second Hokage Tobirama met his end, Danzō had hesitated at a crucial moment and failed to volunteer first to hold off their pursuers so the others could escape.

Otherwise, Tobirama probably would have pointed at him and said, "Danzō, starting tomorrow, you're Hokage!"

And his close friend Sarutobi Hiruzen would have patted him on the shoulder and sincerely said, "Danzō, you'll be Konoha basking in sunlight, while I remain in the shadows to support the entire great tree with my roots!"

Alas, a single moment's hesitation, one misstep, and it became a lifelong regret.

That tiny instant's indecision haunted him forever.

But Danzō was never one to accept failure or resign himself.

Quite the opposite: he'd never admit defeat, never yield.

Even now, he plotted in the shadows, trying to seize the Hokage seat.

It was just that, ever since the Chūnin Exams ended, his plan had grown harder to implement.

Konoha's performance in this recent exam was nearly flawless, reflecting well on the Fire Daimyō and many officials.

Naturally, the leaders of the Land of Fire would give Hiruzen Sarutobi even stronger support going forward.

"Unless Sarutobi Hiruzen willingly steps down, I'll never have a chance." Danzō's face was grim, thoughts churning. "And I've waited so long already—I can't keep waiting like this!"

Leaning on his cane, he paced back and forth in Root's office, a thousand schemes raging in his head.

The tap of the cane on the floor reverberated like the soundtrack to his restlessness.

"Hiruzen is too soft, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado are short-sighted!" Danzō seethed with dissatisfaction and resentment. "Only I, only I can lead Konoha to greatness! No one else truly understands how to develop and build a powerful village!"

As these thoughts circled, a daring plan formed in his mind—

He would kidnap Sarutobi Konohamaru!

Being Hiruzen's grandson, the Third Hokage's beloved heir, Konohamaru had gotten every favor.

Hiruzen had even spent a fortune to let Konohamaru acquire Wood Style from Senshi.

If Danzō could seize Konohamaru, he could:

– Force Hiruzen to abdicate,

– And also study Wood Style on Konohamaru.

"Since Senshi could give Konohamaru Wood Style, once I figure it out, other ninjas, even myself, can also have it!"

A sinister glow lit Danzō's eyes, and his lips curved in a cold smile.

"That's it, then! Hiruzen, don't blame me for being heartless. For Konoha's future, I must do whatever it takes!"

…

In the forest near the Sarutobi Clan training grounds, Konohamaru was practicing ninjutsu under his private tutor, Ebisu.

Konohamaru had only just turned six, exactly the age when children love to play.

He found little interest in dull ninjutsu practice.

It was far more appealing to hang out with Moegi and the others, or to run missions in the black market like "big bro" Naruto, Sasuke, or "Boss" Karin did.

That sort of adventurous training was much more fun than his current exercises.

Wielding a kunai, Konohamaru occasionally stole glances around, trying to find something—anything—to distract him from practice.

Finally, he couldn't stand it, so he halted, looked at Ebisu, and asked, "Ebisu-sensei, how much more practice do I have to do today?"

Ebisu checked the time, adjusted his glasses, and said sternly, "Lord Konohamaru, you have a four-hour training schedule for today. You've practiced for one hour and fifty-seven minutes, so there are still two hours and three minutes left before you may do something else."

"Huh?!"

Konohamaru gasped, flopping right onto the grass in a big "大" shape, "giving up" on the spot.

He felt he'd already been at it forever—yet he wasn't even halfway done.

This was agony!

He inwardly wailed, "When can I be like big bro Naruto and them, going wild on the black market? That's real practice!"

While Konohamaru was spacing out, Ebisu's voice came again: "Lord Konohamaru, you've just wasted two minutes of training. If you'd used it for practice, that'd be two fewer minutes to go… oh wait, now it's three minutes!"

Ebisu spoke in his usual precise, serious tone.

Konohamaru sighed, reluctantly getting to his feet to continue.

He did appreciate having Wood Style, that legendary First Hokage ability, but going through relentless daily training was unbearably dull.

He even daydreamed, "If only Senshi-sensei would poke me on the forehead again so I'd instantly master all Wood Style… then I wouldn't have to struggle like this…"

Just as Konohamaru was resignedly about to resume training, a figure flickered past and appeared near Ebisu and Konohamaru.

Whoosh!

A masked Anbu ninja materialized.

Seeing an Anbu abruptly show up puzzled Ebisu, but didn't alarm him.

The Anbu addressed Ebisu at once: "Ebisu, Lord Hokage orders you to assist our squad with a covert mission south of the village."

Ebisu frowned. "What mission?"

The ninja's tone was cold and impassive: "No comment."

Ebisu wasn't surprised. Since it was a secret mission, details wouldn't be disclosed.

He pressed on, "May I bring Lord Konohamaru along?"

The Anbu declined without hesitation: "This mission is dangerous, and outsiders cannot take part."

He then grew stern: "Ebisu, do you plan to disobey Lord Hokage's orders?"

Ebisu shook his head in frustration. "I have no intention of disobeying. But at least tell me how long I'll be away?"

The Anbu responded crisply, "If all goes well, we'll finish in twenty minutes."

Hearing that, Ebisu relaxed somewhat.

A short mission just outside the village wouldn't take too long.

So he turned to Konohamaru: "Lord Konohamaru, I need to step away for a bit. Go back to the Sarutobi training ground and practice; I'll bring you back to the forest in a while."

Konohamaru was hardly willing.

Training at the clan grounds was even more boring than this.

But he knew Ebisu's personality: if he said "no," it'd end in a lecture.

"Alright…" Konohamaru answered meekly on the surface, but mentally he was scheming.

He planned to return with Ebisu for now, wait until the teacher left, and then sneak back into the woods.

As long as he returned to the training ground before Ebisu came back, no one would notice!

Hence, Konohamaru obediently followed Ebisu back to the training ground.

Ebisu saw him walk inside the gate and felt assured, then departed with the Anbu ninja toward the village's southern area.

The moment Ebisu vanished from sight, Konohamaru smirked slyly: "Hehehe, Ebisu-sensei's so gullible! Time for me to have some fun in the woods!"

Laughing, he promptly slipped out of the training ground, darting into the adjacent forest.

Yet he barely got a few steps when a figure blocked his way.

An old man wrapped in bandages on his face stood before him, glaring coldly.

Konohamaru paused, thinking the man looked vaguely familiar—maybe a friend of Grandpa's?

"You're…?"

He just managed to say a few words before Danzō interrupted.

Danzō wasted no time, lunging for Konohamaru.

Konohamaru didn't even have time to react, seized by Danzō's grasp.

"A brat is a brat—Wood Style or not, you're nothing." Danzō's lips curled in a smug grin, voice scornful.

But just as Danzō believed he'd succeeded, the Konohamaru in his grip went poof, dissolving into white smoke.

Next instant, the "Konohamaru" he'd caught turned out to be a wooden dummy—a "Big Brain Konohamaru Wooden Substitution!"

Danzō's triumphant look froze, replaced by irritation and shock.

"Huh? A Wood Substitution?"

Staring at the wooden figure in his hand in confusion, Danzō's pupils abruptly shrank—he saw an activated explosive tag stuck to it!

Boom!

Without hesitation, Danzō hurled the dummy away.

A moment later, it exploded midair, becoming a scorching fireball that blasted the nearby trees to bits.

Meanwhile, the real Konohamaru, armed with a kunai, emerged from behind a tree some distance away, charging at Danzō.

Konohamaru was tense and excited, heart pounding.

At last all his training in Wood Style was paying off!

"Tch, this kid does have some tricks," Danzō sneered, shifting sideways, casually evading the boy's kunai.

Konohamaru's strike missed, and a chill ran through him—he had no time to react before Danzō's hand again darted toward his neck.

Startled, Konohamaru dropped and rolled awkwardly, pulling off a desperate dodge.

"You can't run, brat."

Danzō's voice was icy, his figure flickering like a ghost, pressing Konohamaru relentlessly.

Konohamaru landed on his backside in the grass, seeing Danzō lunge once more, so he swiftly formed seals.

"Wood Style: Silent Strangle Jutsu!"

At the finishing sign, the ground beside Konohamaru ruptured, two thick, square-shaped wooden pillars shooting upward like giant serpents, rushing to ensnare Danzō.

Swish!

Danzō sprang backward with agility, avoiding the Wood Style assault.

Greed and delight flickered in his eyes. This boy is no joke—his Wood Style is more refined and lethal than that half-baked Root test subject's.

Danzō watched Konohamaru as though eyeing an immeasurably precious treasure, strengthening his resolve.

Capturing this kid wouldn't just force Hiruzen to step down—it would also let him unravel the complete Wood Style!

To Danzō, Konohamaru's performance far exceeded that of any typical six-year-old, even reminiscent of a future Hokage.

Even so, Konohamaru wasn't yet a match for him.

Danzō flickered forth again, clawing for the child like an eagle. "Brat, stop resisting and come quietly!"

Konohamaru gritted his teeth, speedily forming seals, eyes resolute.

"Wood Style: Great Spear Tree!"

Swish! Swish!

Just before Danzō's hand seized Konohamaru, a sharp wooden spike burst from Konohamaru's left shoulder, lunging at Danzō like a spear.

Danzō's brow twitched as he pulled back and angled aside, narrowly avoiding the sudden thrust.

A ripping sound hinted at how his robe was sliced by the wooden spike's tip.

"Hmph, kid. Without enough training, even Wood Style is a waste on you," Danzō sneered. "Don't bother resisting. Come along with me before you get hurt."

Speaking thus, his hand grabbed Konohamaru by the back collar, lifting him like a kitten.

Konohamaru's face turned pale with fear, but his eyes soon flashed with cunning. He blurted happily, "Grandpa, help me!"

At this, Danzō's heart skipped a beat.

Even suspecting trickery, he couldn't help scanning the area peripherally.

He was prepared that if Hiruzen really did show up, he'd feign innocence.

"Hiruzen, let me explain—I was just playing around with Konohamaru."

But as it turned out, Konohamaru was indeed bluffing. Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't around.

During Danzō's split-second distraction, Konohamaru's hands formed seals again.

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Creation!"

Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!

The ground cracked open, innumerable wooden limbs burst forth like a serpent swarm, swiftly growing full canopies of lush branches.

In a blink, the space became a dense forest, with branch tips like blades converging on Danzō.

Danzō gave a cold snort, leaping up with Konohamaru in tow, trying to out-maneuver the wooden branches.

But he was just a bit too slow.

A sharp twig grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow cut.

His robe was torn; he now had several bloody scratches on his legs and arms.

Though only superficial injuries—nothing serious—the fact a kid had forced him into this sorry state enraged Danzō.

His gaze hardened, dark with fury as he stared at Konohamaru. "Brat, you're courting death!"

With no hesitation, he dealt a swift chop to Konohamaru's nape.

Konohamaru let out a muffled grunt, losing consciousness and slumping in Danzō's grasp.

Danzō's expression was grim. His craving for Konohamaru's Wood Style grew, but so did his wariness toward Senshi.

"Senshi… so his tricks truly are remarkable," Danzō muttered, his eyes flickering with complicated emotions.

Hauling the unconscious Konohamaru away, Danzō quickly left the woods.

Along the way, his mind churned: If I had such Wood Style…

With his years of ninja knowledge and vast chakra reserves—and his capacity to learn and apply new jutsu—he could definitely perform many advanced Wood Style techniques. Then, faced with that weak-minded Sarutobi Hiruzen and the perpetually troublesome elders Koharu and Homura, he'd handle them one by one.

He would use Wood Style: Tenth Edict On Enlightenment to "tap them on the head" (i.e., forcibly suppress them), making those old fossils shut their mouths and watch how he, as Hokage, restored Konoha to glory!

…

On a street in Konoha, Ebisu was sprinting madly.

He used the Body Flicker technique multiple times in a row, his silhouette flickering through the street as he headed for the Sarutobi Clan compound.

About ten minutes ago, an Anbu ninja had approached him, claiming the Hokage urgently needed his help on a secret mission.

After Ebisu confirmed the ninja's authenticity and confirmed he wasn't some spy, he followed the man outside the village. Yet as soon as they left, that "Anbu" vanished!

Initially puzzled, Ebisu quickly turned pale—he'd been lured away!

Surely, someone deliberately drew him off, likely targeting Lord Konohamaru!

Konohamaru wasn't just the Hokage's grandson but also possessed the precious Wood Style ability, so plenty of people coveted him. Possibly even someone within the village.

Though presumably, no one would openly charge into the Sarutobi training grounds to harm Konohamaru, Ebisu's sense of dread only grew.

"Lord Konohamaru, don't let anything happen to you!" Ebisu thought anxiously, pushing himself faster.

When he arrived at the Sarutobi training grounds, he was met with a chilling sight—the grounds were deserted, Konohamaru missing!

"Lord Konohamaru! Where are you?" Ebisu shouted, panic-stricken, scouring the area.

Before long, he spotted obvious signs of battle in the nearby forest.

Upon close inspection, he realized one side was definitely Lord Konohamaru, while the other left almost no ninja traces and carefully cleaned the scene, making it impossible to identify them.

"Damn!" Ebisu's face was a mix of shock and anger, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"I must report this to Lord Hokage at once!" Clamping down on his self-reproach, Ebisu hurried straight for the Hokage's office.

…

Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood at the window, leisurely puffing his pipe, in high spirits.

Recently, Konoha's development had been practically unstoppable, bringing him unprecedented relief.

Reflecting on the tough predicaments Konoha once faced, Hiruzen felt a rush of emotion.

At one time, he was indeed troubled and almost overwhelmed, but fortunately, through various collaborations with Senshi, he had reversed the situation.

Now, in addition to a brilliant performance at the Chūnin Exams boosting Konoha's reputation, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire and many officials praised them.

Furthermore, the "Eternal Chakra Elixir" that Orochimaru and Kabuto were researching gave Konoha a huge strategic advantage. If successful, ninjas would remain at their peak even in old age.

Most pleasing of all, his grandson had mastered Wood Style.

As long as Konohamaru kept growing, one day his achievements might rival even the First Hokage's.

Then Konoha's position in the ninja world would be truly unshakable!

"Everything's turning out better and better—an unprecedented high!"

Hiruzen took a deep puff of his pipe, eyes filled with hope.

He believed that if he lived long enough, he would personally witness Konoha claim the ninja world's summit.

Yet this happy mood was soon interrupted by a series of urgent knocks at the door.

~~~

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