Chapter 62: Danzo, You Deserve to Die!

Chapter 62: Danzo, You Deserve to Die!

"So it's you again, brat..."

The next day, at an oasis on the border of the Wind and River countries, Ebizō's face immediately darkened upon seeing Haruta.

This kid had already left quite the impression on him—so much so that he completely ignored the masked man standing beside him.

"Lord Ebizō, I didn't expect to meet you again."

Haruta's face lit up with a smile—not a fake, polite one, but a genuinely cheerful expression.

He glanced around, and soon, his gaze landed on a familiar figure behind Ebizō.

With a grin, he waved.

"Lady Pakura, long time no see. Ever since we parted, I've missed you dearly."

"....."

Pakura raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Kabuto, who had been standing quietly, lowered his head slightly, suddenly realizing what Haruta meant by 'adaptability'...

"Enough idle chatter—I have more important matters to attend to."

Ebizō waved his hand, signaling for the ANBU guards to withdraw to the edge of the oasis.

Now only Pakura remained by his side.

Ever since the last incident, Pakura had begun following Ebizō, and he had shared certain confidential matters about the village with her.

Truthfully, if given the choice, Ebizō would have preferred not to tell her anything.

But he knew that if he kept silent, Pakura might flee the village overnight!

Sunagakure was already at a major disadvantage compared to Konoha and even Iwagakure.

Their harsh environment and poor economy had severely hindered their development.

If they could trade Pakura for political benefits, perhaps they could grit their teeth and accept it.

But if the truth got out and they gained nothing in return, then keeping Pakura's trust and loyalty became critical.

So, Ebizō's best option was transparency—only honesty could salvage the situation.

But that wasn't the only thing on his mind.

Something far more urgent demanded his attention.

According to the Swift Hawks' reports, last night in southern Wind Country, an incident had occurred in Rōran—the Dragon Vein had erupted.

And along with this explosion of chakra, a massive tree had emerged.

The first thing that came to mind was Konoha.

But after thinking it over, Ebizō shook his head.

Would Konoha really do something like this?

Sure, it was possible—but not likely.

After all, Minato Namikaze had once sealed the Dragon Vein and showed zero interest in exploiting its power.

Still, Konoha remained the most suspicious party.

But before making accusations, a proper investigation was necessary.

Especially now—because Sunagakure still relied on Konoha...

"Alright, let's get to the point."

Haruta nodded and smiled.

"It's good to see that you've made the right choice. We will fully support you."

Like hell I had a choice.

Ebizō scoffed internally but didn't say anything.

His expression remained cold as he stared at Haruta.

"Of course, cooperation comes at a cost—and Lord Danzo understands that."

Haruta didn't mind the hostility at all. His smile remained as he continued.

As Danzo's representative, both he and Kabuto had reviewed the terms of the agreement.

He also knew exactly where Danzo's bottom line was.

Now, it was just a matter of how he played his part—and of course, his job was to make Danzo look as dominant as possible.

After all, he was just a subordinate.

"But the demands you've made are a bit unreasonable."

Haruta paused, his tone steady.

"According to Lord Danzo, we can provide Sunagakure with a limited amount of grain.

However, when it comes to supporting your negotiations with the Land of Earth, we must remain neutral.

Konoha is a major village in a Great Nation—we do not interfere in the affairs of other nations and their shinobi villages."

Ebizō's eyes widened.

Even Kabuto, standing beside Haruta, lowered his head even further.

In their minds, a single thought echoed—

How the hell did this brat say something so shameless with a straight face?!

"Not interfere?"

Then what the hell have you been doing this whole time?!

And what exactly are you doing right now?!

"We are allies! As our ally, shouldn't Konoha at least cooperate with us?"

Ebizō finally snapped, his voice cold as he glared at Haruta.

"That is Lord Danzo's decision—I have no authority to overrule it."

Haruta shook his head, his expression turning serious.

"And since Lord Danzo anticipated this reaction, he has a question for you.

While Sunagakure is fending off Kirigakure's raids, and at the same time picking a fight with Iwagakure, potentially reigniting a war—

Have you considered that Konoha and Sunagakure are allies?

And that your reckless actions could endanger Konoha as well?"

"....."

Ebizō fell silent, but his rage was boiling inside him.

Konoha was the reason Sunagakure was in this mess!

They had infiltrated their ranks, stolen their intel, and exposed Pakura's mission!

Would Sunagakure have ended up this vulnerable if not for them?!

"But even if we refuse to support you politically, we will compensate you in other ways."

Haruta continued calmly, showing no sign of concern.

"Lord Danzo is willing to increase the number of missions assigned to Sunagakure from the Land of Rivers.

And once he becomes Hokage, he will ensure that all surrounding mission requests are handled primarily by your village."

More empty promises?!

Ebizō almost laughed in frustration.

The Land of Rivers was already split between Konoha and Sunagakure.

Whoever was stronger naturally got more missions.

This was basic economics—clients preferred Konoha because it had better shinobi.

Even if Sunagakure offered lower prices, clients would still choose quality over cost.

Danzo's promise was completely meaningless!

And as for becoming Hokage… when the hell was that supposed to happen?!

"You people from Konoha are going too far!"

If Ebizō wasn't trying to maintain diplomatic relations, he would've stormed off already.

His gaze locked onto Haruta, filled with both fury and killing intent.

"If this is how you intend to negotiate, then there's nothing left to discuss!

And let me remind you—Sunagakure may be struggling, but if you push us too far, we will act.

Konoha might not want a new war, but sometimes war isn't up to you to decide!"

Ebizō's threat was direct—if pushed to the edge, Sunagakure would fight Iwagakure head-on.

And once war broke out, Konoha—as an ally—would be forced into the conflict.

At that point, Iwagakure would retaliate, and Kumogakure and Kirigakure wouldn't sit idly by either.

The consequences would be disastrous.

"Relax—we have two pieces of intel for you. I think you'll find them very interesting."

Haruta didn't seem bothered at all. Instead, he simply smiled.

"...Speak."

Ebizō's expression was grim.

"First—one of your jōnin, Yura, is compromised."

Haruta crossed his arms.

Ebizō and Pakura's faces immediately darkened.

Even Kabuto was briefly startled—but then he realized that this must be part of Danzo's personal leverage.

"Second—this concerns Sasori of the Red Sand."

Haruta snapped his fingers, still smiling.

"He is currently part of a group full of missing-nin.

A group known as Akatsuki, based in Amegakure."

"...Akatsuki? Amegakure? Hanzo the Salamander?"

Ebizō's expression turned even colder.

And at that moment, only one thought filled his mind—

Danzo, you deserve to die!

...