Konohagakure, Root Headquarters.
Danzo had been having a rough time lately.
According to reports from his subordinates, the village had recently been flooded with all sorts of shady individuals. Claiming to be tourists, these people spent their days snooping around, asking questions about him and his family.
But Danzo Shimura wasn't someone to be trifled with. Enraged, he ordered the arrest of these so-called "tourists" under various pretexts.
However, strange rumors began spreading like wildfire.
Some claimed that Danzo was the mastermind behind the "Iron Crisis."
Others whispered that his younger brother was merely a puppet spokesperson he had pushed into the spotlight.
The most absurd of all? Tales of Konoha mistreating tourists and unlawfully detaining innocent travelers.
To make matters worse, in the Land of Hot Water, a new series of underground doujinshi titled "Danzo's Miserable Chronicles" had begun circulating.
In these stories, the "miserable" Danzo was portrayed as a delicate and tearful heroine.
It was utterly ridiculous!
As night fell, Danzo, his brow furrowed, left Root Headquarters and returned home.
Unlike his old classmate, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had both a loving wife and a crystal ball, Danzo had no such comforts.
His lifelong ambition was singular: to become Hokage and wield absolute power.
But power was an elusive and abstract thing, and this lack of clarity often left his actions inefficient.
In simpler terms, Danzo Shimura wasn't popular enough to qualify as Hokage material.
His home was cold and desolate, devoid of any family. The only people present were the ninjas hidden in the shadows, tasked with his protection.
Alone, he boiled water. Alone, he made tea. Sitting in his tea room, he drank in solitude, like a lonely old man.
Suddenly, a kunai pressed against his neck. A cold voice whispered in his ear:
"Lord Danzo, could you kindly tell me where your brother is?"
Danzo froze, his hand holding the teacup pausing mid-air. Slowly, he set the cup down, his face darkening.
Thirty-nine times.
This was the thirty-ninth assassination attempt!
Danzo's thoughts spiraled in frustration:
I've already spent 980,000 ryō on home repairs! Can't you assassins pick a different venue? Why do you always target me at home?!
Why not try attacking me at work? At least then I could use the damage to Root Headquarters as an excuse to demand more funding from Hiruzen!
The more he thought about it, the darker his expression became.
Enough was enough. Even the most patient man had his limits!
With a heavy slap on the table, Danzo swung his right arm backward with force.
Behind him, Kakuzu hadn't anticipated such a bold reaction. Without hesitation, the kunai in his hand plunged downward.
No matter, Kakuzu thought. Danzo's head is still worth a million ryō at the exchange office. It's not much, but it's better than nothing.
The kunai struck its target, but Danzo's body exploded into a puff of white smoke.
"Substitution Jutsu."
Kakuzu didn't hesitate. He immediately retreated, aiming to escape.
As an experienced assassin, Kakuzu knew better than to linger after a failed attempt. This cautious approach was the reason he had survived for so long.
After all, true reckless fools either destroyed the world or ended up six feet under.
But Danzo wasn't about to let him go.
Even if it means more repair costs, a ninja doesn't just sit back and take it!
Emerging from outside the house, Danzo quickly formed hand seals, his chest swelling as he inhaled deeply.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
A massive ball of compressed air shot from his mouth, slamming into the tea room.
With a deafening boom, the recently repaired tea room collapsed once again, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
Amid the chaos, a faint orange glow flickered within the dust cloud.
"Fire Release: Head Burner!"
In the next instant, flames erupted, surging toward Danzo with terrifying intensity.
Danzo's eyelid twitched violently.
Damn it! This bastard wants to burn my house down!
Just as the flames were about to engulf him, a familiar voice rang out.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A figure leaped to Danzo's side, spewing a torrent of water from his mouth to block the incoming flames.
It was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, who had been passing by on his way home from work.
Water and fire collided, generating a thick cloud of steam that obscured the battlefield.
Taking advantage of the reduced visibility, Hiruzen hurled three or four shuriken toward the ruins of the tea room, forming a single-hand seal.
"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Beside him, Danzo instinctively moved to the side, preparing to flank the assassin in coordination with Hiruzen.
Within the wreckage of the tea room, Kakuzu frowned deeply.
He could sense that a highly formidable opponent had arrived. Worse, Danzo was maneuvering to encircle him, and ANBU reinforcements were rapidly closing in.
Kakuzu cursed his miscalculation. After days of observation, he had thought he'd figured out Danzo's capabilities.
But it seemed that Danzo, having faced so many assassination attempts, had become adept at using substitution techniques to escape unnoticed.
Realizing he was outmatched, Kakuzu made a swift decision: abandon his hearts and retreat.
Four of Kakuzu's hearts detached from his body, launching a barrage of ninjutsu.
Fire, wind, lightning, and water jutsu flew in all directions, some even targeting nearby civilian homes.
Hiruzen and the other defenders of Konoha immediately sprang into action.
In a foreign battlefield, collateral damage might be ignored. But here, in Konoha, the Hokage couldn't afford to let civilian lives be endangered.
Walls of earth and water rose to shield the village from the onslaught.
Under the cover of night and smoke, Kakuzu's main body slipped away, leaving his heart constructs to continue the assault.
Eventually, the chaos subsided. Kakuzu's four hearts were destroyed, but he had successfully escaped.
Standing amidst the ruins of his home, Danzo looked around at the devastation, on the verge of tears.
Another night sleeping in the office.
Another day hiring a construction crew.
At this rate, I'll end up becoming a VIP member of the Konoha Renovation Company!
To make matters worse, Danzo remembered that the renovation company was owned by none other than Rinjin Sokuhō and his Konoha Unlimited Responsibility Corporation.
The thought made Danzo's heart ache.
Noticing Danzo's dark expression, Hiruzen scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
"Uh, Danzo, it seems I might've contributed to your home's current state. Sorry about that!"
After all, Hiruzen had been the one who suggested Danzo take the blame for certain incidents.
Feigning urgency, Hiruzen slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh no! I just remembered—Biwa Lake asked me to buy soy sauce! If I don't hurry, I'll be in trouble!"
Without waiting for a response, Hiruzen turned and fled.
Watching Hiruzen's guilty retreat, a single tear of regret rolled down Danzo's cheek.
Hiruzen Sarutobi... Rinjin Sokuhō... You're both absolute scoundrels!
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