Chapter 43: Danzo's Focus on Byakuya
Compared to the lazy and indolent Hanzou, Danzo, who was active in the Kusagakure area, was far more diligent and conscientious.
The reason was simple: ever since Minato Namikaze had single-handedly reversed the disadvantage on the battlefield and secured victory at the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, this young man in his early twenties had emerged as the leading figure of the younger generation in Konoha.
His reputation and status had subtly surpassed those of other Jounin, reaching a level on par with the legendary Sannin.
This development left Danzo, whose reputation had never quite matched that of the Sannin and who had always operated in the shadows, with an acute sense of urgency.
If Minato Namikaze were to participate in the election and secure Jiraiya's support to become the Fourth Hokage, then the already aging Danzo knew he wouldn't survive until the time of the Fifth Hokage election.
Thus, after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge ended and the conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure gradually subsided, Danzo and the Root organization were constantly active at the borders of various countries.
They aimed to see if they could escalate the war, thereby allowing Konoha to gain greater benefits while trying to diminish the significance of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.
Unfortunately for Danzo, these actions by him and the Root organization had not yielded much success. Neither Iwagakure nor the surrounding shinobi villages had any intention of expanding the war.
Maintaining the frontlines was merely a means of seeking a suitable opportunity for peace talks.
However, the past few months were not without any gains. At the very least, an Uchiha under Minato Namikaze's command had died. That Uchiha, named Obito, killed an Iwagakure Jounin before dying, making the greatest contribution to the village.
After all, if Obito had grown up to become a Jounin under Minato's mentorship, he might have entered the village's core circle in the future—something Danzo could not tolerate.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, once said that only a dead Uchiha was a good Uchiha. As Tobirama's most dedicated student, Danzo adhered strictly to his teacher's teachings, always committed to suppressing the Uchiha. He believed that their narrow and sensitive nature would always threaten the Hokage office if left unchecked.
The only regret was that they had not found Obito's body; otherwise, they could have recovered a Sharingan, allowing Obito to continue contributing to the village in a different form. The thought of an unchecked Uchiha with awakened Sharingan slipping through his fingers irked Danzo deeply.
As he reflected on these matters, Danzo continued to ponder ways to reignite the conflict. He needed to create a situation that would overshadow the significance of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and solidify his position. At that moment, Ryoma Aburame walked into the dimly lit room where Danzo was seated.
Ryoma, holding a scroll in his hands, approached the desk with a respectful bow.
"Lord Danzo, this is the information you asked me to collect about the Land of Rain."
Danzo glanced up at his right-hand man, then picked up the intelligence scroll. As he casually flipped through it, he noticed several key pieces of information about the Akatsuki. His eyes narrowed with interest as he read that the Akatsuki had emerged within the borders of the Land of Rain and did not obey the orders of Amegakure.
Danzo pondered deeply, his mind racing through possibilities.
Although Danzo had a decent private relationship with Hanzo and had been secretly cooperating with him, he didn't mind using the Akatsuki to create some trouble for Hanzo.
If this could cause internal strife within the Land of Rain, all the better. After all, if the Land of Rain fell into chaos, neighboring countries like the Land of Grass and the Land of Fields wouldn't remain stable either. And if he could further direct the internal conflict towards Iwagakure, it would be even better.
At the very least, Konoha wouldn't have to worry about pressure from the north for several years.
Danzo had already thought of several ways to use the Akatsuki organization to create chaos. Such rogue ninja organizations ultimately aim to overthrow the current village leaders and become the new leaders themselves.
As long as he sent someone to reveal their identity and offer enough benefits, he could persuade them. If they could actually overthrow Hanzo, it would be ideal. If not, he could simply inform Hanzo of part of the plan, earning Hanzo's gratitude.
This way, he could weaken the Land of Rain without shedding a drop of blood and possibly even turn Amegakure into a vassal of Konoha.
When he saw the names Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, Danzo suddenly felt something was amiss and asked Ryoma.
"Do you have information on Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan?"
Ryoma quickly nodded and described the characteristics of the three. Danzo visualized their images in his mind and soon thought of Jiraiya, who had spent three years in the Land of Rain. These people could very well be Jiraiya's disciples.
Thinking of this gave Danzo quite a headache. Why did it have to be related to Jiraiya?
Among Hiruzen Sarutobi's three disciples, Tsunade was the granddaughter of the First Hokage but had unfortunately picked up the bad habit of gambling.
Orochimaru, despite his temperament, could still occasionally communicate with him.
But Jiraiya was the only one who wasn't on the same page as him. This guy was always obsessed with the Child of Prophecy and world peace. After the Second Great Ninja War, he left the village and his duties as a ninja, stubbornly staying in the Land of Rain for three years before returning.
If the top members of this Akatsuki organization were all Jiraiya's disciples, then his plan might not be very effective, considering that these people could very well be just as stubborn as Jiraiya, all dreaming of world peace.
In Danzo's eyes, world peace was just like the Will of Fire—merely a slogan.
As long as ninjas existed, there would be no peace in this world. Instead of wasting time thinking about such idealistic notions, it was better to focus on securing tangible benefits for the village and himself, climbing to a higher position in the process.
His dream was to become the Hokage and lead Konoha to dominate the ninja world.
As Danzo continued reading the intelligence reports, his attention was drawn to information about a lesser-known Akatsuki member named Byakuya.
Byakuya didn't hold a high position and wasn't particularly powerful, but his methods were more in line with what a ninja should be: efficient and decisive. His approach to many matters resonated with Danzo, who subconsciously nodded in approval.
Danzo decided to use Byakuya as a breakthrough point to infiltrate the Akatsuki. If he could reach an agreement with Byakuya, he might be able to secretly influence the future direction of the organization.
Danzo wasn't worried about whether he could buy Byakuya's loyalty. Given Byakuya's personality, he was likely marginalized within Akatsuki and probably harbored significant resentment towards the leader, Yahiko.
Danzo believed that by providing Byakuya with enough resources for his development, Byakuya would naturally turn against Yahiko when the time was right, becoming a pawn for Danzo in the Land of Rain.
With this in mind, Danzo turned to Ryoma before issuing the order.
"Ryoma, find Byakuya and make him one of ours."
Hearing Byakuya's name, Ryoma was momentarily stunned. He knew Danzo would be interested in Akatsuki and might even reach out to its leader, Yahiko, but why choose Byakuya, who lacked strength and status?
However, as a member of Root, he did not question Danzo's authority. He could only nod in agreement and obediently carry out the task.
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