บท 27: Muddy Waters
Sarutobi Hiruzen searched the entire desk for a long time before finally confirming that the copy of "Haruno Sakura's Will of Fire" had been taken by Danzo.
However, even going to confront Danzo now would be pointless. Since Danzo had taken it, it meant he had already seen it. There was no more meaning in trying to get the paper back.
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned deeply; he knew Danzo Shimura's character all too well. To say that Danzo wasn't tempted by such a grand strategic plan was like saying pigs would line up to jump into a river. Danzo Shimura's actions had truly caught him off guard.
He didn't expect the man to have enough free time to examine the test paper of a freshly graduated genin.
But now, what to do?
Stop Danzo Shimura? Prevent him from starting to implement this plan?
As the saying goes, a thief can steal every day, but no one can guard against them every day.
Or, make up a false charge and imprison him at home?
At the thought of this, Sarutobi Hiruzen remembered Mito Kado En and Utane Koharu. Though these two alone were no match for himself or Danzo, the situation would be different if they united. They certainly wouldn't sit idly by if Danzo Shimura were imprisoned without reason.
What to do?
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the Hokage's chair, tapping the table with his dry, aged fingers.
At this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't want to do anything else besides guide Sakura. He wasn't concerned about what might happen in the future. He had dedicated his life to Konoha, and he was truly tired, wishing for a good rest.
But this major issue had arisen at such a time.
"Call Sakura over here," said Sarutobi Hiruzen.
An Anbu member appeared, half-kneeling before him, listening to the command and then departing immediately.
Not long after, Sakura, who was on her way to pick up Ino from school, arrived at the Hokage's office again.
"Master?"
Sakura looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in confusion.
Is there something else going on?
"Sakura, regarding your test paper..."
At this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't hide anything and directly explained everything.
He even told her about Danzo Shimura's existence and the lack of harmony in their relationship.
Sakura's emerald eyes widened slightly.
So, Danzo Shimura took my test paper?
At this moment, Sakura's heart was slightly shaken.
The reason is simple: the test paper has weaknesses!
From beginning to end, Sakura had deliberately overlooked one entity: the Akatsuki organization.
This underground organization, dedicated to achieving "peace," was composed of renegade ninjas.
To say that Akatsuki wasn't strong would be incorrect. Sakura believed that if all Akatsuki members were mobilized, conquering one of the five great ninja villages wouldn't be an issue.
They could even conquer two of the five great ninja villages.
If Danzo Shimura truly implemented what was written on the test paper, the first step of raising food prices could proceed smoothly, but issues would arise in the second step.
At that time, three nations—Wind, Earth, and Lightning—would target Konoha, and Konoha would need to ally with the Land of Earth to launch a pincer attack.
Between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire lay the Lands of Grass and Rain! Such a large-scale movement wouldn't escape White Zetsu's attention in the Akatsuki organization.
It's still uncertain what Uchiha Obito or Uzumaki Nagato would do then.
It's highly likely that they'd stir the waters to take advantage of the chaos.
Although Uchiha Obito is an ungrateful person, he still has considerable power.
If White Zetsu acted as a liaison between the Land of Wind and the Land of Lightning, the entire Land of Fire would be dragged into the quagmire of war.
The threat posed by just one White Zetsu is substantial, let alone the entire Akatsuki organization.
At this moment, it's important to note that Kazekage Rasa of the Land of Wind isn't dead yet, and there's still Gaara's Shukaku, Granny Chiyo, the Raikage of the Land of Lightning, and two perfect jinchuuriki—amounting to six Kage-level figures.
Aside from the Nine-Tails, the Eight-Tails is the strongest tailed beast. Without two Kage-level beasts to stop Killer Bee, there's no chance of victory!
Even if the Hidden Rock Village of the Land of Earth and Konoha allied, what would it achieve?
Konoha would still be mired in a quagmire of war.
Just one White Zetsu would be enough to put Konoha in a completely passive position.
Sakura had created "Haruno Sakura's Will of Fire" because she knew that Sarutobi Hiruzen's personality wouldn't allow him to implement this plan.
Unexpectedly, it had now fallen into Danzo Shimura's hands.
Given his personality, it was obvious he'd carry out this plan!
"Master, are you saying that my plan fell into the hands of a very stubborn and powerful elder in the village?"
Stay calm, stay calm.
There's no point in panicking. Sakura just felt that she was incredibly calm right now!
"Yes, Sakura, do you have any good ideas?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the little girl in front of him with some hope.
Since seeing the plan, he had already recognized Sakura's intelligence, so he specifically called her to ask if she had any good ideas.
Sakura sat on the sofa nearby, constantly thinking about how to break the deadlock.
In fact, the easiest thing would be to take down Danzo Shimura.
Moreover, they wanted to detain him without any legitimate reason. If they really did this, with a bit of manipulation, Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation would be ruined.
But that was clearly impossible.
Danzo Shimura had managed to live safely and securely for years, so he obviously had his own methods.
Furthermore, the plan involved manipulating grain prices in the early stages, so even if it was discovered, it wouldn't mean much.
Additionally, the initial plan spanned five years, making it even harder to explain.
It would be helpful if there were someone in Akatsuki like me...
Sakura thought of this subconsciously.
If there were someone in Akatsuki, they could make targeted arrangements right away...
Hmm?
Sakura's eyes lit up slightly.
Uchiha Itachi!
In a way, he's on our side!
Self-interest determines loyalty. Since he's on Konoha's side, it would be wasteful not to use this weasel!
Thinking of this, Sakura felt a bit relieved. She then looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said, "If it can't be stopped," "Then let it run its course."
???
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his forehead in frustration.
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