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Chapter 147: Danzo's Ambition
Konan walked out of her room.
Unsurprisingly, Kameda immediately approached from a distance.
"Lady Konan, it's just dawn. Breakfast will be ready in a moment."
"No need." Konan waved her hand and walked towards the deck. "Keep the Sky Fortress stationed here. Wait for my return."
"Yes." Kameda bowed in response, not asking about Konan's purpose for going out.
As a subordinate, he only needed to do his job well and not talk too much.
Whoosh!
Konan spread her wings, pierced through the white mist, and disappeared into the clouds.
She flew towards Konoha at extreme speed.
.....
Konoha, Root Base.
The sun had fully risen, but the heat of midsummer couldn't dispel the gloom and cold of the underground hall in the slightest.
The chill seeped into the bones, deep into the soul.
The whooshing cold wind blew from the depths, like the screaming of wronged souls.
Since the establishment of the base, countless lives had been lost here. Over time, the entire base remained in a gloomy and cold state regardless of how hot it was in the summer.
Danzo didn't feel any discomfort; on the contrary, he was very accustomed to staying in the base.
This was his personal underground kingdom, where he was the sole ruler.
He had coveted the position of Hokage for decades but never obtained it. Only here could he barely calm the indignation and unwillingness in his heart.
But...
Everything was about to change.
His long-cherished wish was about to be fulfilled!
The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was in a coma. He would go to the Land of Iron to attend the Five Kage Summit as the Acting Hokage.
Even if there was the word "Acting," it was still Hokage!
After decades of obsession, he had finally taken a big step forward and seen the dawn of ultimate realization.
"Hmph!" Danzo calmed his turbulent emotions. "Sooner or later, I will remove this word 'Acting'! Once I return from the Land of Iron, I will become the veritable Sixth Hokage!"
"Lord Danzo." Fu Yamanaka, with his orange hair, stepped out from the shadows.
He held the neatly folded Hokage haori and the Hokage hat symbolizing the position of Hokage in both hands.
"After urgent negotiations with Kakashi and other Jonin, they agreed to let Lord Danzo represent Konoha at the Kage Summit as the Acting Hokage."
He raised the clothing in his hands above his head. "This is the Hokage haori and Hokage hat they sent."
"Kakashi asked if Anbu personnel are needed to accompany and protect Lord Danzo to the Land of Iron?"
"No need!" Danzo picked up the Hokage hat with fervent eyes. "Root will protect me. No need for their hypocritical offer to send guards!"
He had self-awareness and knew that he was very unpopular in Konoha. Not to the point of stopping a child from crying at night, but close enough.
Especially with the ninja clans in the village, the relationship was even worse.
After all, the geniuses of their clans had been forcibly taken by Root since childhood, brainwashed, controlled, and cut off from all relations with their clans.
It was impossible for them not to hold a grudge.
They would be kind enough to escort him to the Land of Iron? It would be good enough if they didn't hope for him to die.
Danzo's rough, aged left hand stroked the Hokage hat, his movements very gentle, as if worried about damaging it.
"Hiruzen, you didn't expect this day, did you..." He couldn't suppress his smugness.
"Even though you desperately suppressed me when you were alive and resolutely refused to let me touch the position of Hokage."
"But so what? You've only been dead for three years, and I'm about to become Hokage immediately. You can't stop me!"
Back then, facing their teacher's test, he was just a step too slow and missed the position of Hokage. Since then, he had been suppressed by Hiruzen for over forty years.
"Hiruzen, you are the leaves bathing in the sunlight, and I am the roots buried deep underground. But now..." Danzo laughed.
"I too will become a leaf bathing in the sunlight! Under my leadership, Konoha will grow vigorously in the sunlight, far surpassing you!"
He would definitely make Konoha bigger and stronger, far surpassing Hiruzen, proving how wrong their teacher's choice was back then.
If he had become Hokage, he would never have let Konoha decline to this state.
The title of the Number One Ninja Village in the Ninja World would have remained consistent from beginning to end, never falling behind.
Danzo held the Hokage hat and exhaled deeply, spitting out all the frustration of the past forty-plus years.
He looked at Fu Yamanaka. "What time is it now?"
"Lord Danzo, just past eight o'clock." Fu Yamanaka's voice was slightly cold. "The journey to the Land of Iron is long; it will take about a week to arrive."
"Lord Danzo, to avoid delay, it is advisable to set off as early as possible."
"We depart at noon sharp," Danzo ordered. "The rest of Root doesn't need to follow. Security will be the responsibility of you and Torune!"
"Yes." Fu Yamanaka lowered his head in response.
A man dressed entirely in purple and black walked out from another shadow. It was Torune Aburame.
Walking to Fu Yamanaka's side, he said respectfully, "Yes, Lord Danzo."
Danzo looked at the two with a satisfied expression.
They were both elite Jonin. Coupled with his own Kage-level strength, there would be no safety issues on this trip.
There were only a handful of strong individuals in the ninja world today, and he considered himself one of the top combatants.
If anyone dared to attack him on the way to the Five Kage Summit, they would only be seeking their own death.
Danzo glanced at his right arm, which was suspended in a sling across his chest under the bandages.
Hmph... Although the Uchiha clan is naturally evil, the Sharingan and their ninjutsu are indeed powerful.
Such power should only be possessed by me alone. Being used as consumables is the only value of the Uchiha.
They should feel honored!
Danzo looked at Torune Aburame. "How is Tsunade's condition now?"
"Replying to Lord Danzo." Torune bowed slightly. "She is still in a coma, but her condition is improving. The Strength of a Hundred Seal is faintly appearing, automatically accumulating chakra, and her aged state is gradually reversing."
"Your subordinate judges that Tsunade should be fine; waking up is only a matter of time."
"Hmph! Why can't she just sleep forever!" Danzo's voice contained killing intent. "Still haven't found any opportunity to strike?"
"Lord Danzo, your subordinate is incompetent." Torune bowed deeply. "Tsunade is protected by the Aburame clan leader. My rinkaichu (phosphorous destruction insects) cannot infiltrate her body. Please punish me, Lord Danzo."
Fu Yamanaka also pleaded guilty. "Lord Danzo, it is also difficult for your subordinate to use the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques. Ino-Shika-Cho are protecting Tsunade closely."
"Since there's no chance to strike, don't force it," Danzo said coldly. "Wait until I return from the Five Kage Summit. By then, the general trend will be set."
"Even if Tsunade wakes up then, she can't change anything. She can only黯然 hand over the position of Hokage."
During this time, he and the entire Root had been actively campaigning in the village.
Coercing and inducing small and medium-sized clans and civilian ninja who were not part of the Hokage faction.
They had already won over a large group of people to support him becoming the Sixth Hokage.
He only needed the political achievement of representing Konoha at the Five Kage Summit. Upon his return, he could directly overthrow the comatose Tsunade.
At a time when the ninja world was in turmoil and Konoha's reconstruction work was tedious, the village absolutely could not let a comatose person occupy the position of Hokage for long.
A leader was needed. Someone stronger and more experienced was needed to lead Konoha through the difficulties.
To protect the village and all the villagers, and give them a sense of security.
This candidate could only be him, Danzo Shimura!
"Torune, you—"
"Ahhh—!"
Before Danzo could finish his sentence, a scream suddenly came from the entrance of the base.
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