(T/N: Please consider reviewing this Fanfic, Thanks and appreciate all who support me)
(T/N: Enjoy!!)
<><><><><><>
"So, what method did you use to force him into agreeing?"
Danzō stared in astonishment at the report in his hand inside the Root base in Konoha.
Then, unable to believe it, he lifted his gaze to Shuuzawa standing before him.
For a moment, he even suspected that Shuuzawa was lying to him because this mission had been completed far too perfectly!
But the whole situation was simply absurd. The result Shuuzawa had brought back had completely crushed Sunagakure and utterly cornered Ebizō!
"Lord Danzō, I strictly followed your instructions." Shuuzawa felt indignant upon hearing Danzō's words.
What did he mean by asking what method he used to force Ebizō? It was Danzō himself!
The negotiations with Sunagakure were over, and no matter what Ebizō's motives were, the matter had been settled.
Shuuzawa couldn't help but inwardly curse Sunagakure for its lack of gratitude.
They didn't even allow him to interact with the so-called "most beautiful back in the Hokage's era."
After all, he had saved Pakura's life, yet as soon as the negotiations ended, she stormed off in a rage.
But there was nothing he could do about it. After escorting Kabuto to the border of the Land of Iron, he returned to Konoha.
However, being blamed for this matter by Danzō was something he could not accept.
"Lord Danzō, Sunagakure's situation is actually worse than we initially thought. Because of this, I took the liberty of adjusting our bargaining chips. I apologize."
He lowered his head and spoke softly, but his true intent was to shift the blame.
"I reduced our demands because I assessed that Sunagakure is in a dire predicament. Kirigakure's harassment continues, yet they have lost the leverage to negotiate with them."
"Onoki's offensive hasn't eased up either, but due to Kirigakure's interference, the Fourth Kazekage, despite his loud words, has halted all military actions."
"If nothing unexpected happens, they won't dare to go to war. Even if Onoki fully occupies those smaller nations, the outcome remains the same."
"Moreover, Lord Danzō, your ally Ebizō is a cautious man—he wouldn't gamble with the village's fate."
"Right now, the only support he can rely on is us. And the supplies we are providing will be extremely beneficial to them."
"I understand all of that, but it's still not enough." Danzō nodded.
He was sometimes overly confident, especially concerning matters concerning himself, but that didn't mean he lacked clarity in other areas.
As the saying goes, "An outsider sees things more clearly."
He had a firm grasp of Sunagakure's problems. Shuuzawa didn't react outwardly, but he couldn't help smirking internally.
Why was Danzō choosing this moment to act so perceptive?
He had leveraged information from Yuraku and Sasori to make this exchange happen! But Shuuzawa had already anticipated this. By now, certain events were likely already unfolding.
"It's true that this alone isn't enough, but Sunagakure is facing an even more serious problem." Shuuzawa lowered his head and spoke in a hushed tone.
"After completing the negotiations, we specifically inquired about some matters and discovered that the Ryūmyaku of Sunagakure seems to be malfunctioning."
"The Ryūmyaku?" Danzō was momentarily stunned, but then a realization dawned on him.
Sunagakure had always harbored ambitions toward the Ryūmyaku, but they had never acted on them due to various internal and external factors.
Now that something had gone wrong with it, their internal situation would undoubtedly become even more desperate.
After all, they were truly impoverished! "It seems we need to investigate the Ryūmyaku situation thoroughly."
Danzō's eyes flickered. He saw this as an opportunity, not a problem. Neither he nor Hiruzen Sarutobi would want Sunagakure to gain access to the Ryūmyaku's power.
"I understand. You were fortunate this time, but you also handled things well."
Having thought it through, Danzō nodded and continued, "However, excessively exploiting them isn't in our best interest either."
"If we push too hard, Ebizō might grow resentful. But we'll let this matter be. Consider it a warning to them—forcing them to recognize reality."
"That said, we can offer them a bit more compensation. They're short on funds, aren't they?"
"Anything that needs to be done will always require money." Shuuzawa blinked. Danzō pondered for a moment before waving his hand decisively.
"Then give them a bit more. This is within my authority. As for what happens next, we'll deal with it when I become Hokage!"
Danzō exuded confidence. However, he wasn't foolish—pressuring them too much could lead to unintended consequences.
Shuuzawa nodded in satisfaction. His "gratitude for nature's gifts" had benefited him greatly, and he could use it to his advantage. The Ryūmyaku was indeed valuable!
"Still, I need to make some adjustments moving forward." Leaving the Root base, Shuuzawa muttered to himself.
A massive tree had appeared in Rōran, and though no one had directly linked it to them, many had seen it.
Additionally, he needed a reasonable excuse for using Wood Release. These two factors combined could easily raise suspicion.
Thus, he needed a scapegoat to take all the blame while allowing him to use Wood Release freely and justifiably.
As luck would have it, someone from his "enemies list" fit the bill perfectly—someone with the right build, abilities, and reputation.
"You really are a great person..." Thinking this, Shuuzawa lifted his head and gazed at the sky.
The bright sunlight was somewhat dazzling, but his mood was particularly good. For the first time, he was eagerly anticipating that person coming to trouble him.
"What's going on? Why do my ears feel warm?" Somewhere in the Land of Fire, Obito stood atop a massive tree, staring into the distance.
He felt an odd sensation but was too preoccupied to dwell on it. He had other matters to attend to. "Obito, are you sure about this?"
Beside him, the pitcher plant-like creature sighed. "Even if Uchiha Shisui has awakened the Mangekyō, your plan is too risky."
"We don't know his true intentions. Approaching him like this might lead to unforeseen consequences."
"Relax, I have a plan." Obito glanced at him indifferently. His next move was to meet Uchiha Shisui.
His anger was at its peak after being severely undermined by Shuuzawa and Konoha—and the Akatsuki even prepared to act against him.
If he didn't retaliate, he wouldn't be able to let it go.
Over the past few weeks, he had ordered White Zetsu to conduct extensive investigations, uncovering many interesting details.
Because of that, his attention turned to Shisui.
Although Shisui aligned with Konoha and hoped for a peaceful reintegration of the Uchiha into the village, Konoha's actions might not satisfy him.
"We both know about Danzō's schemes, so let's not waste words on meaningless details." Obito looked toward the sky, speaking meaningfully.
"For an Uchiha, the purer their ideals, the more devastating their fall when those ideals are shattered."
Black Zetsu felt helpless toward Obito's way of thinking. He couldn't deny that Obito was correct—Uchiha was extreme.
They were either unbearably kind or terrifyingly deranged. Obito fell into the latter category, yet he didn't seem to acknowledge it.
Moreover, his plans were always ridiculous. Black Zetsu had always sneered at them.
If it weren't for sheer luck leading to Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki's deaths, the Nine-Tails incident would have ended disastrously for Obito. But he never learned his lesson.
Now, he was targeting Uchiha Shisui.
Meanwhile, at a dango shop in Konoha, Yuugao curiously asked Shuuzawa, "Where have you been these past few days? I haven't seen you around at all."
Despite Shuuzawa's recklessness and occasional questionable actions, Yuugao couldn't help but wonder about his recent absence.
But she would never deny that Shuuzawa was an excellent teammate—trustworthy and dependable.
On their days off, Shuuzawa would often come to find her. Whether it was going out or having her help with his training, they would always act together.
She knew that such training was also his way of helping her improve. Shuuzawa's swordsmanship was quite impressive.
Whenever she shared her ideas on kenjutsu, he immediately grasped them—sometimes even refining them better than she could! Combined with his incredible speed and strength,
Yuugao had little chance of winning against him, and his chakra was abundant.
She had always believed that a genius should be like Kakashi-senpai, but Shuuzawa seemed even more extraordinary!
However, in recent days, Shuuzawa has suddenly disappeared. Not only did he stop seeking her out, but when she went looking for him, he was nowhere to be found.
This piqued her curiosity. "Maybe he's on some mission?" Shisui blinked beside her. He knew better than to ask too many questions.
"It's not a mission. I just have this strange feeling," Shuuzawa shook his head, refusing to acknowledge any mission-related matters.
He took advantage of the opportunity and laid the groundwork for an excuse.
"I keep feeling my chakra surging, like an odd rush of excitement boiling inside me. So, I first went to the hospital to get checked, but when I found no results, I decided to isolate myself in a quiet place for training."
No one in Konoha had naturally awakened Wood Release through bloodline inheritance.
Every user of the technique had acquired it through transplantation, so no one truly understood what the awakening process felt like.
Shuuzawa's half-truths served both as a cover story and to provide a rough explanation.
"Are you feeling unwell in any way?" Yuugao immediately reached out, placing her hand on Shuuzawa's.
Though an Anbu, she had been training with the medical corps, developing some medical ninjutsu skills.
"Relax, I'm fine." The moment her hand touched his, Shuuzawa grasped it in return.
He smiled before she could pull away and said, "I'm not feeling unwell at all. On the contrary, I feel amazing—that's why I described it as something strange."
Yuugao stared at her hand, now firmly held by his, momentarily at a loss for words.
Shisui, witnessing the exchange, chuckled but refrained from making any comments. Instead, after a brief moment of thought, he spoke seriously.
"Shuuzawa, make sure to take care of yourself. If necessary, take some time off."
"Your workload is already heavy, especially with the matter of that traitor—Uchiha Obito."
"We're still relying on you." Shisui spoke earnestly, but for some reason, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as if someone were watching him intently.
As a shinobi, he had learned to trust his instincts. Sometimes, that sense of danger could mean the difference between life and death.
Yet, when he glanced around, he found nothing unusual—no signs of anyone observing him.
"Yeah, I understand." Shuuzawa nodded, noticing the shift in Shisui's expression.
He instinctively scanned their surroundings but, like Shisui, found nothing.
Smiling, he said, "Honestly, I think you're the one who needs rest, senpai. Being so paranoid isn't good for you."
"Oh? Are you saying you're just trying to get rid of me?" Shisui laughed, but his words made Yuugao feel slightly flustered.
"Shisui-senpai," she protested, trying to free her hand, but at that moment, Shisui stood up.
"Alright, I won't interrupt you two any longer. I just finished eating and should head back to spend time with my little brother.
Enjoy yourselves." He gave them a playful wink before walking off, and Shuuzawa responded with a casual nod.
Yuugao, however, was at a loss for words. These two… were they teaming up to tease her like this?
"This is your fault. Shisui-senpai left because of you." Watching Shisui leave, Yuugao turned back to glare at Shuuzawa, but a familiar, excited voice called out from behind her before she could say anything more.
"Hey, hey, hey! Yuugao, there you are! Oh? And you two…" Turning around, she saw Anko walking in with Kurenai, her gaze instantly locking onto Yuugao's hand, still held by Shuuzawa.
"That feeling just now… what was it?"
Meanwhile, walking along the path toward the Uchiha district, Shisui couldn't shake his thoughts.
That sensation of being watched—so sharp, so real—was too unsettling to ignore. He needed to figure it out.
"Hm?" Just then, an eerie chakra fluctuation suddenly twisted through the air, narrowing Shisui's eyes.
Without hesitation, he drew a kunai, his Sharingan instantly activating. He didn't know who was approaching, but it was best to be prepared.
"Impressive awareness. Not bad." A deep voice echoed, followed by the appearance of a shadowy figure dressed in black.
The figure wore a strange, spiral-patterned mask, leaving only one eye visible—a crimson Sharingan glowing through the opening.
"It's you… Uchiha Obito!" The moment Shisui saw him, his expression darkened, and he instinctively called out Obito's name.
Hearing it, Obito clenched his fist slightly, feeling as if his identity had been completely exposed.
However, he quickly composed himself, his gaze indifferent as he said, "I've told you before—I am not Uchiha Obito."
"But if you insist on calling me that, so be it. I'm here to discuss something with you. You still want to deny it? Your Sharingan is undeniable proof!"
Shisui wasn't buying it. His eyes immediately transformed into the Mangekyou Sharingan.
As a key member in the mission to capture Obito, Shisui had already learned about his eyes.
He couldn't afford to take any chances. "So, you do have those eyes."
Obito's gaze flickered slightly at the sight of Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan, and he subtly shifted his line of sight.
"As things stand, I am not your enemy. On the contrary, I came to tell you something important."
"Something important?" Shisui remained on guard, but Obito simply smirked. "That's right. I came to reveal the truth—the truth about Konoha and the Uchiha."
If you want to support me, join my patr**on. Have 20 advanced Chapters for you guys.
patr**n.com/saitamablast > NTS NOVEL TIER