Chapter 63: The Scapegoat

Chapter 63: The Scapegoat

"So… what exactly did you do to force him into agreeing?"

—Root Headquarters, Konoha

Danzo stared at the report in his hands, his expression filled with shock.

Then, looking up at Haruta, his disbelief only deepened.

For a brief moment, he even suspected Haruta of lying—because the results of this mission were simply too perfect.

But of course, he couldn't say that out loud.

And he knew Haruta wasn't stupid enough to make false claims about something like this.

Still… this outcome was too ridiculous.

The deal Haruta had secured completely crushed Sunagakure and left Ebizō with no room to resist!

"Lord Danzo, I followed your instructions exactly."

Hearing Danzo's accusation, Haruta immediately felt wronged.

What do you mean, "I forced him"?

Wasn't it YOU who forced him?!

The negotiations with Sunagakure had already concluded.

Whatever Ebizō's personal thoughts were, it was a done deal.

That said, Haruta still felt a bit bitter.

Sunagakure clearly lacked any sense of gratitude—after all, he had saved Pakura's life, and yet…

Not only did he not get a chance to bond with the legendary "Hottest Back in Suna", but Ebizō had stormed off right after the deal was struck.

Still, there wasn't much he could do about that.

After escorting Kabuto to the Land of Iron's border, he immediately returned to Konoha.

But now, Danzo was questioning him and trying to pin all the responsibility on him?

Hell no!

"Lord Danzo, Sunagakure's situation is even worse than we initially thought."

Haruta lowered his head, speaking softly—but in reality, he was just shifting the blame.

"So, I made a minor adjustment to our negotiation strategy. I hope you can forgive my… initiative."

Danzo remained silent, listening.

"I lowered our demands because, in my assessment, Sunagakure is completely trapped.

Kirigakure's raids are ongoing, yet they've lost any real bargaining power to negotiate peace.

Onoki's offensive hasn't slowed down, but due to Kirigakure's interference, the Fourth Kazekage's threats have been all talk—he's unable to take action.

Realistically, they don't dare to start a war, even if Onoki completely annexes those smaller nations.

And as for Ebizō, your trusted ally—he is a cautious man. He won't risk his village's survival.

Right now, the only ally he can rely on… is us.

Besides, the resources we're offering are genuinely crucial to them."

"…I see. But that still isn't enough."

Danzo nodded slightly.

Sometimes, he was overconfident—especially when it came to his own ambitions.

But that didn't mean he was blind to external matters.

As an observer, he could still clearly understand Sunagakure's predicament.

Haruta kept his face neutral, but inwardly, he clicked his tongue.

Now you decide to be smart?

Seriously?

I literally used the intel on Yura and Sasori to seal the deal!

Still, Haruta was prepared for this.

By now, the situation had likely escalated.

"True, it's not enough. But… they're about to face another major crisis."

Haruta spoke softly, keeping his head lowered.

"After our negotiations, I gathered some additional intelligence…

Apparently, something happened to the Dragon Vein."

"…The Dragon Vein?"

Danzo's eyes narrowed.

For a moment, he seemed puzzled, but then his expression shifted—as if something had clicked in his mind.

Sunagakure had always been interested in the Dragon Vein, but due to internal conflicts and external pressure, they had never acted on it.

Now, if the Dragon Vein was compromised, Sunagakure would be in an even worse situation—because they were already dirt poor!

"It seems we should investigate the Dragon Vein situation further…"

Danzo's gaze flickered.

He didn't see this as a problem—in fact, it was an opportunity!

Neither he nor Hiruzen wanted Sunagakure to gain control over the Dragon Vein's power.

"I understand. You were lucky this time, but you did well."

After thinking through the situation, Danzo nodded.

"That said… squeezing them too hard isn't beneficial for us either.

Ebizō might be feeling resentful."

He paused for a moment before waving his hand dismissively.

"But fine, let's leave it at that.

Consider this a reminder for them to stop their daydreaming and accept reality.

However, we should increase their compensation—they need money?"

"Money is needed for everything."

Haruta blinked innocently.

Danzo thought for a moment before decisively nodding.

"Then give them more. That's within my authority.

As for the future… I'll deal with it once I become Hokage!"

His confidence was unshaken, but it was clear that he wasn't stupid.

If he pushed too hard, the situation could backfire.

Haruta smiled inwardly.

Not only had he successfully looted the Dragon Vein for himself, but he had also leveraged it for even more benefits.

The Dragon Vein was truly a gift that kept on giving!

Now, I Need a Scapegoat…

Leaving Root Headquarters, Haruta's mind was already racing.

A massive tree had appeared in Rōran.

Even if no one had seen him, plenty of people had witnessed the tree itself.

On top of that, Haruta needed to find an excuse for using Wood Release in the future.

These two things combined would make it hard not to suspect him.

So… he needed someone to take the blame.

Someone who could absorb all the suspicion, allowing him to use Wood Release freely.

And as luck would have it…

There was someone on his "Revenge List" who fit the role perfectly.

A certain individual who was just the right mix of shady, capable, and infamous.

"Wow… what a great guy you are."

Haruta glanced up at the sky, the bright sunlight almost blinding.

Yet, his mood had never been better.

For the first time ever, he was actually eager for that guy to show up and cause trouble for him…

---

Meanwhile…

"…Weird. Why do my ears feel hot all of a sudden?"

Standing atop a massive tree in the Land of Fire, Obito frowned slightly.

Something felt off.

But he didn't bother thinking about it too much.

He had more important matters to deal with.

"Obito… are you sure about this?"

Beside him, Zetsu let out a weary sigh.

"Yes, Shisui Uchiha might have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but this plan is far too risky.

We still don't fully understand his mindset—contacting him now could lead to unpredictable consequences!"

"Relax… I have everything under control."

Obito shot Zetsu a sideways glance, not bothering to explain further.

This time, his objective was clear—meet Shisui Uchiha.

He had already suffered a major setback thanks to Haruta and Konoha.

To make matters worse, Akatsuki was now targeting him.

His rage had been boiling for days.

He had to strike back.

And through his investigations, he had discovered something very interesting.

Shisui was loyal to Konoha, hoping to unite the Uchiha and the village.

But…

Konoha's actions might just push him over the edge.

"You and I both know the truth about Danzo."

Obito stared at the sky, his tone laced with meaning.

"For an Uchiha, the purer their belief… the harder they fall when that belief shatters."

...

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