Chapter 214 — Danzo: "In the End, It Still Comes Down to Me"
Inside the Hokage's office in Konoha, four figures sat in a closed-door meeting: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane.
Few participants.
Which meant only one thing—
The matter at hand concerned the entire village.
Hiruzen spoke first, laying out the situation on the Land of Rivers front.
"The intensity of the fighting is increasing. We've just received a report from Jiraiya—Sunagakure has already delivered the One-Tail jinchūriki to the front. Based on their assessment, a large-scale confrontation is imminent within the next few days."
Despite the gravity of the news, there was little worry in his eyes.
Koharu immediately asked the key question:
"Has Jiraiya requested reinforcements?"
That was what truly mattered.
"No," Hiruzen replied. "The jinchūriki seems unstable. It's unclear how much of the tailed beast's power he can actually use."
Then he turned toward Danzo.
"Danzo, does Root have any intelligence on this?"
As expected, all eyes shifted to him. Most of Konoha's covert agents in enemy territory were under his control.
Danzo thought briefly, then answered calmly:
"Sunagakure's sealing techniques are crude. After their first jinchūriki, the monk Bunpuku, died, they attempted four more hosts. None lasted long—either killed by their own people or lost to bijū rampage."
"This one should be the fourth. Not a success. Highly unstable. Sunagakure is likely using him as a disposable weapon—otherwise, he wouldn't live much longer anyway."
Silence filled the room as everyone processed the implications.
An unstable jinchūriki on the battlefield—
It could be a weapon.
Or a disaster.
But at least Konoha knew in advance. If they had been caught off guard by a sudden rampage mid-battle, the entire front line could have collapsed.
"If the frontline commander hasn't requested reinforcements," Homura said, "then they must believe they can handle it. We should trust their judgment."
That settled the matter—for now.
Hiruzen nodded and moved on.
"Next—the Iwagakure front."
He handed over a compiled report.
The moment Koharu glanced at it, her expression darkened.
As she read further—
Her face turned ashen.
She passed it to Homura.
Same reaction.
Then Danzo read it—
"Trash," he spat coldly.
It wasn't an exaggeration.
They had known the western front was struggling—daily requests for supplies, constant calls for reinforcements.
But the accumulated losses—
Were staggering.
In such a short time, casualties there were already approaching those of the Sunagakure front.
Unacceptable.
"We need to replace the commander," Koharu said decisively. "The western front is under Mimura Yōken, right? Assign someone else as overall commander—let him serve as deputy. If this continues, no amount of manpower will be enough."
Homura raised the key issue immediately:
"With whom?"
Konoha had talent—but individuals with strength, prestige, and command ability were rare. And with multiple fronts active, such people were even scarcer.
"Then send Orochimaru," Koharu suggested. "The Kumogakure front is stable. He could take over against Iwagakure."
"Impossible."
Danzo cut her off.
"If Orochimaru moves, Kumogakure will act. Don't mistake their behavior—they're not fools."
A valid point.
Orochimaru's presence alone was a deterrent in the north.
Remove him—
And the balance would collapse.
"Then who?" Koharu snapped. "Don't tell me you want Akimichi Torifu to come out of retirement?"
That name carried weight.
A former elite under the Second Hokage.
But everyone knew—
Unless Konoha faced extinction, he would never return.
"Then I'll go."
Danzo spoke calmly.
"I will personally take command of the western front—and bring a portion of Root's elite forces with me."
The room froze.
Koharu and Homura stared at him, stunned.
The head of Root…
Volunteering for frontline command?
Was he serious?
But beneath that calm expression—
Danzo's heart was anything but calm.
He still coveted the Hokage position.
And he knew his weakness.
Root gave him power—
But not reputation.
To the public, his name carried shadows, not glory.
What he needed—
Was undeniable merit.
And nothing built reputation faster than war.
If he could defeat Iwagakure—
If he could secure victory—
Then with that achievement, combined with his existing influence…
The Fourth Hokage seat would no longer be out of reach.
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, silently urging Hiruzen to refuse.
But Hiruzen—
Was thinking.
Originally, he would never have agreed.
He would sooner send Koharu or Homura with advisors.
But then Danzo had mentioned bringing Root forces.
And that changed everything.
Root had grown too powerful.
Too independent.
It was becoming a state within a state.
And now—
Danzo was offering to take them to war.
Losses were inevitable.
Which meant Root would be weakened.
At the same time, the western front would gain reinforcements.
Two birds with one stone.
As for Danzo's ambitions—
Hiruzen saw through them completely.
Becoming Hokage?
That wasn't something Danzo could decide alone.
After a brief pause, Hiruzen nodded.
"Very well. The western front is yours. I'll issue orders—Mimura Yōken will follow your command."
Danzo suppressed the surge of triumph in his chest.
"Leave it to me. I'll make Iwagakure pay—and show Onoki what happens when you provoke Konoha."
Koharu and Homura were still unsettled.
But with the Hokage's decision made—
There was nothing more to say.
Danzo was, after all, qualified.
Their hesitation had only been caution.
Hiruzen continued:
"One last matter—war supply prices are rising again. Our reserves are still sufficient, but we need to prepare ahead. Koharu, Homura—one of you should visit the Daimyō and request additional funding."
His tone was utterly natural—
As if the Daimyō's treasury belonged to Konoha.
Neither advisor objected.
The Fire Daimyō was wealthy.
And Konoha protected the Land of Fire from all threats.
By any logic—
The funding was justified.
"I'll go," Koharu said. "I handled the last negotiation. It'll be easier."
"Good."
The matter was settled.
"That concludes today's meeting," Hiruzen said, lifting his cup.
A clear dismissal.
Koharu and Homura stood and left, though not without casting one last curious glance at Danzo—who remained seated.
Clearly—
There was something else.
Something not meant for their ears.
Once the door closed behind them, Danzo didn't wait.
He reached into his robe—
And placed a scroll in front of Hiruzen.
As the leader of Root, Danzo Shimura's reach extended far beyond Konoha itself. His operatives were scattered across the entire shinobi world, so the rumors spreading from the Land of Wind—whispers that had begun locally but were now circulating widely—had naturally reached him as well.
Curious, Hiruzen Sarutobi took the scroll Danzo handed over and read it quickly. His brows knit slightly. Then he read it again, this time more carefully, before finally setting it down.
He reached for his pipe, methodically packing it with tobacco. Raising his index finger, a small flame flickered to life at the tip. He leaned the pipe into the fire, lit it, and drew in a slow, deep breath before exhaling a thin curl of smoke.
Danzo stood silently nearby, saying nothing.
Only after finishing a full bowl did Hiruzen finally look up.
"Is Sunagakure underestimating us?" he said with a faint, mocking smile. "Do they really think Konoha can't even accommodate a single child?"
He picked up the scroll again, scanning it once more.
"'Encounter him and you may abandon the mission.' Even Jiraiya and Orochimaru never earned that kind of reputation."
At this, Danzo's lips curled into a restrained smile.
"'Shadow Reaper' and 'Yellow Flash'… impressive titles," he said. "More impressive still—they share the same teacher."
He stopped there.
No more was needed.
Without another word, he turned and left the Hokage's office, as if what he'd just done were insignificant.
He did not fear those two.
They were still too young—especially Matsushita Taichi, barely ten years old. No matter how great his achievements, Konoha would never place a child on the Hokage's seat.
At best, perhaps the Fifth Hokage—far in the future.
But Jiraiya was different.
He already possessed the reputation, the strength, the standing.
Add to that two disciples of comparable brilliance—
And the Fourth Hokage position would practically be his.
That—
Was what Danzo truly feared.
After Danzo left, Hiruzen's gaze lingered on the scroll.
There was pride in his eyes.
And caution.
He genuinely liked Minato and Taichi—young, talented, full of potential. In strength and in mindset, both were ideal candidates for Hokage.
More importantly—
They posed no threat to him.
Unlike Danzo.
Hiruzen fully intended to step down someday. His preferred successors had always been between Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
But intention aside—
As long as he still wore the hat, he would not allow anyone to threaten his authority.
"…Looks like I'll need to find a way to bring Taichi back," Hiruzen murmured to himself. "Too much sharpness breaks easily. He needs time to settle… to temper himself."
The quiet office echoed faintly with his words.
…
Meanwhile, in the Land of Rivers—Sunagakure's forward camp.
After two more days of travel, Rasa finally arrived with the massive supply convoy—and the One-Tail jinchūriki.
The moment they reached camp, he ordered the jinchūriki placed in an isolated zone.
A twenty-meter radius was designated as a restricted area.
No one was allowed near.
Outside the jinchūriki's tent, an entire sealing unit stood guard, continuously channeling chakra into arrays etched into the ground—suppressing the tailed beast within.
All of it—
Just to ensure that, at the decisive moment, the jinchūriki could unleash his full power.
Inside the command tent, Rasa sat at the head. Chiyo and Ebizo took seats on either side.
"You've already been briefed on Ryosuke's condition," Rasa said. "He won't last long. Three days, at most. Have you finalized the battle plan?"
Ebizo glanced at his sister. Seeing her remain silent, he spoke instead.
"The timeframe is too tight. We've only managed logistical preparations. Konoha has already learned about the jinchūriki—they're pulling back forces and preparing for a large-scale confrontation."
Rasa narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So your conclusion is…?"
Ebizo answered calmly:
"There will be no tricks. No schemes. Just a direct clash. Both sides line up—and fight. Victory or defeat will be decided on the field."
He paused briefly.
"I suspect Konoha scouts are already watching us closely. They won't give us the chance to use any strategy."
This was a conclusion he and Chiyo had reached together.
Now—
The decision lay with Rasa.
Fight now?
Or wait?
Rasa felt a headache building.
At this moment, the person he hated most was Matsushita Taichi.
If not for him—
Everything would have gone perfectly.
If he had the chance to do it over again, he would rather carry the jinchūriki through the sky himself than crawl across the desert just to prevent Shukaku from rampaging.
That single delay—
Had ruined everything.
Not only had their ambush failed—
Even the jinchūriki, who could have been used multiple times, had effectively become a one-time weapon.
And whose fault was that?
Of course—
Not Sunagakure's flawed sealing techniques.
It had to be Taichi.
Rasa's irritation grew the more he thought about it.
Finally, he made his decision.
"Then we fight."
His voice was firm.
"If battle is inevitable, we strike while the jinchūriki still has strength left."
He looked at them both.
"Three days from now."