The son of the Fourth Hokage?
Demon fox?
Died in the line of duty?
hero?
Who are they talking about?
Standing in the middle of the street, Naruto listened to the various words coming from people's mouths from all directions and fell into an extremely confused state.
His original plan was just to go out and enjoy a meal of Ichiraku Ramen, but the change in the direction of the village caught him off guard.
So much so that, along the way, he subconsciously never regarded himself as the central figure in the storm of public opinion.
Because it's so weird.
After all, he had always been regarded as a demon fox by the villagers. He finally took advantage of the opportunity of the Chunin Exam to slightly change the villagers' view of him... But now someone suddenly told him that he was the four who sacrificed their lives to seal the demon fox. Son of the Hokage…
The idol you worship is your father?
You are not a demon fox?
But the son of a hero?
Is this a joke?
So, what’s the point of all the suffering I’ve suffered over the years and the blank stares I’ve suffered in the past?
Why do you want to attract other people's attention by playing the role of a clown in a ninja school?
Countless days and nights I enjoyed being alone, with puppy-like eyes, envious and longing for those peers who could rely on their parents...
If you do this, don't you look like a real fool?
So, this must be fake!
This is very strange!
How could he be the fourth Hokage's child?
Naruto's heart was filled with self-denial.
It's that child...I didn't expect that he would be the fourth generation adult..."
"I used to roll my eyes at him like that. If the Fourth Generation Master Izumi knew better, he would definitely blame me to death."
"Yeah, who knew he would be..."
The whispers of the villagers still reached Naruto's ears intermittently.
His tone was full of regret and self-blame, and there was no such bad words as before, and he wished he could give him all the good things.
However, to Naruto's ears, this made him feel more complicated than the previous harsh words.
He would rather these people still treat him with the same attitude as they treat the demon fox, instead of being like this... so beautiful that it's unreal.
"This is all the fault of the Third Generation. I heard that he blocked the news that Naruto is the Fourth Generation's child. If this matter had been announced earlier...
"No wonder I see how Naruto looks so much like the Yondaime-sama, even his hair..."
"Do you think so too? I think so too. The two of them are really similar..."
"Not only that, the Fourth Generation's untimely death was also framed by the Third Generation."
"It's completely incomprehensible that such a loving Third Generation Sir actually killed the Fourth Generation Sir."
"Back then, the two Hokage-sama seemed to get along very well, but in the end, the Third Hokage...sigh...
Such remarks continued to pour into Naruto's ears.
Along the way, such remarks were everywhere, as if this had become the most popular after-dinner conversation in Konoha Village.
As long as you don't discuss this kind of thing, you seem to be isolated.
Although these villagers were talking like this, no one dared to come forward and talk to Naruto.
There was also awe and regret in his eyes.
Such a sudden change made Naruto feel very uncomfortable.
Sure enough, I couldn't accept this fact.
These are all false.
Not a real thing at all.
He is not the son of the Fourth Hokage at all.
His beloved Grandpa Hokage was definitely not such a despicable person!
Someone must be up to something here!
Naruto didn't want to hear such slanderous remarks again, and as if to avoid such remarks, he hurried back towards his apartment.
However, the words discussed by the villagers just now were like maggots on his tarsus, clinging to him, echoing in his mind, repeated over and over again, forcing him to accept this fact.
Naruto began to question the real world like never before.
This is a dream.
Hokage Building.
From what I heard, I knew something must have happened to Hiruzen and Shikaku.
Otherwise, he should have returned to take charge of the overall situation and would not have allowed external rumors to expand to this extent.
"It failed..."
"There is nothing we can do about it. It seems that the Dark Ninja is more decisive and moves quickly than we thought..."
Rumors were used to force Hokage to negotiate, but the negotiation itself was a carefully designed trap. Although Ding Zao and Haiichi could not deduce the detailed process, Danzo's general strategy was already clear.
But what’s the point of understanding it now?
When they understand this, it already means that the direction of things has been dominated by the roots.
They lost.
Next, just wait for the verdict of fate.
Their life or death depends on the expression on that ninja's dark face.
Just when they were thinking this, a figure suddenly walked out of the corner of the corridor and walked towards them.
"Hokage-sama!?"
Seeing the true face of this figure, it was none other than the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen whom they had longed for. Choza and Haiichi looked surprised and happy when they saw this scene.
However, before they could come forward to greet him, several more figures suddenly appeared behind Hiruzen.
A ninja at heart.
The two stepped forward with a sudden pause, their expressions changed, and confusion and confusion appeared on their surprised faces.
How is this going?
Why did Hiruzen, the Hokage, come together with the root ninja?
Things have developed to this point, leaving the two of them confused and unable to understand.
Not only that, Kakashi, Shikaku and the other four accompanying ANBU jounin were mysteriously missing.
Where did they go?
How's the negotiation going?
Who won?
What is the purpose of following the roots here?
Too many reasons filled Ding Zuo and Haiyi's brains, and they were at a loss.
"Thank you for your hard work, Dingzuo, Haiyi, I'm fine.
Seeing Ding Zao and Hai Yi waiting for his return, Hiruzen smiled peacefully to show his comfort.
"Hokage-sama, may I ask this..."
Ding Zao and Hai had something to say, and looked warily at the root ninja behind Hiruzen.
"Oh, don't worry about this matter. Danzo and I have already reached an agreement. The farce in the village will soon subside."
Hiruzen said with a smile.
The smile was very peaceful, and it felt no different from the usual Hokage-sama.
But...this strange feeling that made the two of them feel slightly inconsistent could not be dispelled from their hearts.
Haiyi glanced at Hiruzen's face a little impolitely.
It was found that Hiruzen looked slightly paler than usual, as if he had gone through a hard battle and had exhausted his energy and chakra, but everything else was normal.
"Haiyi, are you suspecting that my Hokage identity is fake?"
When Hiruzen said this, he still had a gentle and loving smile and a calm attitude.
"Don't dare."
Haiyi trembled and lowered his head, not daring to look at Hiruzen.
He had just used the secret perception technique of the Yamanaka clan to carefully sense the chakra on Hiruzen's body, and found that it was indeed Hiruzen's original chakra aura, and it was definitely not disguised by others using transformation techniques.
In other words, this is indeed Naruto himself.
But...what's going on with this unusual feeling of discord?
What went wrong?
"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, Shikaku and Kakashi..."
Dingzuo asked.
However, before he could finish speaking, a root ninja stepped forward and interrupted in a cold voice: "You are not qualified to question Mr. Hokage, get out of the way!"
Ding Zuo was not afraid at all, he just stared at these root ninjas coldly, powerful chakra erupted from his body, and he went tit-for-tat with the root ninjas.
"Stop messing around, stop it all. Do you still see me as the Hokage in your eyes?"
Hiruzen suddenly looked serious and asked sharply.
More powerful chakra erupted from his body, suppressing Ding Zuo and the root ninja behind him, causing their breath to stagnate for an instant.
Ding Zuo and the root ninja could only snort at each other and withdrew their chakra, not daring to act recklessly here.
"Due to an unexpected incident, I have sent Shikaku and Kakashi out to perform a confidential mission. They will return after the mission is completed.
Is this okay? "
Hiruzen looked at Ding Zuo, as if he was dissatisfied because of Ding Zuo's question.
"But one"
Ding Zuo, who was worried about his friend's safety, was about to ask another question when his sleeve was suddenly tugged.
Ding Zao turned his head and saw Haiyi shaking his head slightly at him. He had to take a deep breath and get out of the way to let Hiruzen and the root ninja pass.
Hiruzen and his party quickly disappeared from the turning corner of the aisle ahead.
Ding Zuo punched hard and made a hole in the wall next to him, his face turned livid, to vent his inner humiliation.
"That guy Danzo"
Haiyi could sense that Hiruzen was abnormal, and he could naturally feel that Hiruzen was acting abnormally compared to usual.
"It's useless to be angry like this. It seems that Shikaku and Kakashi have been controlled by them... The state that Hokage-sama is in is controlled by genjutsu."
Haiyi sighed.
"You mean genjutsu? How is that possible? Hokage-sama is a doctor of ninjutsu. How could he be controlled by a mere genjutsu? Even the genjutsu of the Sharingan cannot do this!"
Ding Zuo lost his voice.
"I just doubt whether it is an illusion or not. Let the Hyuga clan come and take a look. The Shinobi's dark methods are really scary."
Hai's eyes flashed with solemnity.
"In that case, I'll go to the Hyuga clan and leave this to you."
"Be careful on the road and bring more people with you."
Seeing Dingza running non-stop out of the Hokage Building, Haiichi could only pray that his trip would go well.
⊙In a room at the root headquarters.
"That's just the way it is."
After the root ninja reported the news, he stood aside meticulously, waiting for Danzo to give orders.
"In other words, Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Kaiichi are not going to give up yet?"
There was no joy or sadness on Danzo's gloomy face, and he couldn't see any joy, anger or sorrow. It was just the gloomy aura that made people think of bad things.
Yes. "
The root ninja asked tentatively.
"They are loyal to the Sarutobi clan... the ninja clan."
Danzo closed his eyes, seemed to be thinking about something, and kept mumbling this sentence.
"Danzo-sama, do you need to move them?"
The murderous intent in the root ninja's eyes flashed away.
Now that the great cause is about to be accomplished, anyone who stands in the way must be eliminated without mercy.
"No, these are Konoha's precious heritage. Even if they die, they must die on the battlefield. Strictly speaking, they are not enemies."
The strength of the martial arts faction alone cannot fully operate the giant ninja village machine of Konoha.
Although Danzo doesn't like the grouping of forces like the Ninja clan, in many cases, he has to admit the importance of these Ninja clan to Konoha.
"But if they are causing trouble secretly..."
"Terai, don't just focus on the immediate gains and losses, think about the future."
"The future? Lord Danzo means the Kingdom of Demons in the west..."
The root ninja named Terai seemed to have thought of something, and his expression condensed.
"The more chess pieces that can be played, the better. It's not time to clean them up yet. In comparison, this is where I am more gentle than Chiba Shiraishi, and I will leave them some breathing space."
Danzo opened his eyes, flashed a sharp look, and said meaningfully.
"I see."
Terai came to his senses.
The pressure from the Kingdom of Ghosts cannot be underestimated.
Only considering the general environment of Konoha and uprooting the power of the ninja clan as soon as possible, although Konoha will be extremely weak in the short term, in the long run, it will be more beneficial to Konoha.
Unfortunately, Konoha is not the only ninja village in this world.
The complicated international situation does not allow them to target the ninja forces like this.
Once he takes action, Konoha will be in danger of destruction.
Especially the Kingdom of Ghosts, they will never let go of this opportunity to add insult to injury.
The Ninja clan can limit or even weaken their voice in the village and put more power in the hands of the Hokage, but they must not force them into a dead end.
At least not now, they need to contribute useful bodies to Konoha.
"Go down and continue to monitor the target. Don't act rashly without my order. Also, call Kakashi over."
"yes!"
Terai lowered his head slightly and disappeared from the room.
The candle burned quietly on the candlestick, continuing to bring some light to the dark room.
After sitting and waiting in the room for about three minutes, there was a knock on the door, and Danzo said, "Come in."
Opening the door, Kakashi in ANBU uniform walked in from the outside, and then closed the door with his backhand.
"Lord Danzo."
Kakashi bowed his head slightly and saluted respectfully.
"How's the situation over there with the ANBU?"
"Most of the people have been controlled and are waiting for disposal. The remaining people are still being arrested."
Kakashi gave an emotionless answer.
"That's good. Next, you have a new mission."
"Please give me your instructions, Danzo-sama."
Kakashi remained respectful.
""Lead the third and sixth teams to the Sarutobi clan to monitor their movements. "
Danzo's voice was cold and hard.
"The Sarutobi clan?"
"The Hokage, ANBU, and the Ino, Deer, and Butterfly clans all no longer pose a threat under my arrangement. The only remaining threat is the Sarutobi clan. They have gained a lot of benefits from relying on Hiruzen over the years, so they must You won’t be willing to let me take away the position of Hokage.”
"yes.
"In a few days, it will be the day when I will take over as Hokage. This matter is not allowed to be messed up. Go ahead."
Kakashi nodded solemnly, turned and walked to the exit, put his hand on the door handle, and was about to open the door.
Poof!
The sound of the blade piercing flesh was heard.
Blood spurted out from Kakashi's chest without warning, pouring wine on the door and wall, like a blood moon.
The candlelight on the candlestick swayed for a moment, and the light seemed to be dimmed a lot, with a ferocious color.
Kakashi's pupils widened, he turned his eyes in disbelief and looked back.
What he saw was Danzo's gloomy, bandaged face.
Revealing decisive and cold killing intent.
"Dan...Danzo-sama..."
"I originally planned to use the Sharingan to control you, but unfortunately, the other gods are still cooling down, so I can't use it a second time in a short period of time. I have to make this last resort."
"Why...why...me"
Kakashi was coughing and bleeding, and the more he suppressed it, the more painful the sounds leaked from his mouth.
"According to the spy report I placed with Orochimaru, you secretly met with Orochimaru many times during the Chunin Exams, and you were planning some conspiracy. And you did not report this to the root."
"Damn it... Orochimaru-sama... won't let it go..."
Kakashi wanted to struggle.
Danzo turned the blade in his hand.
Kakashi's body stiffened, his heart was crushed, his eyes dimmed, and he lost his divine light.
"I've hinted to you many times, don't try to tread two boats like this. It's your own fault for such consequences, Kakashi. In the end, you chose the wrong path."
Pulling the blade out of Kakashi's body, losing the support of the blade, Kakashi fell to the side, motionless.
"It's a pity, but since he is a traitor, there is nothing he can do about it. Orochimaru hum."
Danzo glanced at Kakashi's body lying on the ground without mercy and sneered, feeling disdainful of Orochimaru's plan.
"You are a hundred years too early to plot against me, Orochimaru."
The purpose of tools is that they can be discarded after use.
According to this principle, although it is a pity for a talent like Kakashi, Danzo is still determined to eradicate it to avoid long nights and dreams.
At this time, two figures fell down, it was the root jounin who had been guarding in the dark.
"Lord Danzo."
"Send Kakashi's body to the anatomy room for analysis. Also capture Kabuto. There is no use keeping him anymore. Let him go with Nonou.
A sharp look flashed in Danzo's eyes.
The position of Hokage is already within reach.
Then, all the darkness here must be covered up.
All ties with Orochimaru must be cut off without mercy.
Kakashi and Kabuto used the power of the root to install Orochimaru spies in the village, and they wanted to kill them all without leaving a trace.
"Next, it's time to go there..."
As if he thought of something, a complex look appeared in Danzo's cold eyes.
Accompanied by several root ninjas, Danzo came to a secluded corner of Konoha Village.
Compared to the turbulent environment outside, this place has always maintained a simple side and is unknown to outsiders.
And this is also where Danzo’s original roots came from.
Shimura clan.
The family that raised him.
This huge family, which should have been able to compete with the Sarutobi clan by virtue of his status as an elder, is now in a state of disarray, and has reached a difficult stage where Konoha has almost removed the name of the ninja clan.
Visible to the eye are old people, children, and elderly women. Other than that, young adults are almost invisible.
"Grandpa, what are you doing here?"
Hearing the boy running up to him asking him the purpose of his visit with innocent eyes, Danzo subconsciously reached out his hand and tried to make the smile on his face gentler, but no matter how hard he tried, the smile on his face was full of coldness.
It's as if the body has lost the ability to smile.
"Don't touch him!"
The woman sternly stopped Danzo's actions, quickly picked up the boy, and hid in the house as if escaping from the plague, closing the door tightly.
The eyes that looked at Danzo were filled with hatred and fear.
"Lord Danzo..."
The root ninja seemed to want to say something.
Danzo shook his head, retracted his hand that was suspended in mid-air, and the loving smile on his face disappeared, returning to his usual gloomy look.
The reaction of the adults here was within his expectation.
Because of his iron-blooded policy, not only did the Shimura clan not achieve a status similar to that of the Sarutobi clan, but during the war, they continued to send young men to the battlefield or absorb them into their roots to complete the mission of narrow escape.
This also led to the complete decline of the powerful Shimura clan in the early days of the village's establishment.
But Danzo didn't think this was wrong.
Sacrificing their lives for Konoha, these clansmen deserved their death.
As the leader of the martial arts faction, he can only choose to bear the darkness in these people and move forward.
"Danzo."
An old and trembling voice sounded, and an old man stood in the middle of Danzo and others' path, preventing them from moving forward and going deep into the hinterland of the Shimura clan.
Danzo recognized this old man and nodded to him as a greeting.
"There are no tools you need here. Do you even want to absorb these children into your roots?"
"You must have heard the noise outside, right?"
Danzo asked rhetorically without answering.
"It seems that you finally got what you wanted. In this way, the sacrifices of the Shimura clan are worth it. With the support of the Hokage, our clan will soon surpass the Sarutobi clan..."
The old man sighed with relief.
"The pensions that belong to the Shimura clan will be sent here one after another. But I also hope that we will not expect things that do not belong to the Shimura clan."
Before the old man could think about those beautiful visions, Danzo suddenly interrupted.
"What's the meaning?"
The old man's body trembled, and he looked at Danzo as if he were a stranger, feeling an unpleasant premonition in his heart.
"Over the years, Hiruzen has been trapped in the balance of the Ninja clan and cannot escape from the quagmire. I don't want to be like him, becoming a Hokage in name only. The power of the Ninja clan is too strong and must be weakened."
"...Then what are the sacrifices made by the Shimura clan over the years?"
the old man asked tremblingly.
"After the subsidy is paid, you can just keep your peace and keep the blood of the clan safely. Those clan members who died on the battlefield sacrificed their lives for the village. They were glorious and proud. I have never treated their families unfairly in terms of pensions."
Danzo's tone was calm.
"But their last name is Shimura!"
"No, they are Konoha ninjas!"
"What if I say no? Will you target the Shimura clan in the same way as you did the Uchiha clan?"
The old man suppressed the anger in his voice, as if he wanted to eat Danzo alive, his eyes full of hatred.
"If that's what you want it to be."
Danzo's voice was lukewarm and he looked directly at the old man.
"Danzo Ichi"
"Having said this, I hope you will think twice before taking action."
"Danzo, you one"
The old man was about to curse angrily when his body suddenly stiffened.
Danzo's emotionless eyes stared at him coldly. As if he felt some huge terror, the old man was strangled by the neck, his lips pressed a few times, and he couldn't say a word.
"Let's go, there's nothing worth remembering here anymore."
After Danzo said this, he turned around and left without any further delay.
The Root Ninja followed closely behind, gradually fading away.
The old man stared blankly at Danzo's leaving figure, turning into a soulless puppet, motionless.
Losing the hope of a clan's rise was a cruel blow to the old man of the Shimura clan.
What caused this situation was Danzo, whom he had placed high hopes on. There was no more desperate fact than this.
Walking on the way back, far away from the remote area of the Shimura clan, Danzo forgot his previous unhappiness and looked up at the sun above his head. He could not help but narrow his eyes because of the sunlight.
His mood improved a lot.
This was different from the dark scene, which made him yearn for it extremely.
The light that was once longed for but not available is now within easy reach.
Nothing made him more happy than this.
"Today's sunshine is much more dazzling than the past few days."
"Not only that, but it will also be sunny for the next few days."
"Really? That's really good news. It's like celebrating my victory. It turns out that walking in the sun is so pleasant both physically and mentally."
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