“If the delay drags on, Hiruzen Sarutobi, no longer feigning his true nature, will undoubtedly be eager to use the formidable power at his disposal to force these clans to submit to him.”
“By then, Hiruzen Sarutobi, having unified the entire Konoha Ninja Village, will see his ambition expand like a wild horse unbridled, and I fear he will cast covetous eyes upon our Land of Fire!”
“Excellent!” The Land of Fire Daimyo nodded repeatedly, also praising, “What you said is very true. In Konoha Ninja Village, there are still many important clans; they must not be brought under the Sarutobi Clan’s sway. We must quickly provide Danzo with support and justification, enabling him to gather more Konoha clans to counterbalance the Sarutobi Clan…”
Having spoken thus far, the Land of Fire Daimyo looked calmly at Kazuma beside him and said in a deep voice, “Kazuma, this matter is entrusted to you! Do not disappoint me again!”
Gazing at Kazuma, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
Although the other party was a Ninja, his loyalty to him was beyond doubt; he was a trusted confidant in his heart.
It was just a pity that his handling of matters was truly clumsy.
The Sarutobi Clan had actually harbored such ambition, secretly recruiting so many people, frantically expanding their power, and even hiding their forces near the Land of Fire’s capital without his knowledge.
And Kazuma, he was completely unaware.
If not for the intelligence from Danzo Shimura, who had always had minor friction with him, he would not have known that Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Sarutobi Clan behind him harbored such ambitions.
If Danzo’s intelligence had not arrived this time, perhaps the next time he learned of these things, it would already be Hiruzen Sarutobi leading the Sarutobi Clan’s army to the capital, forcing him to abdicate.
Facing the Daimyo’s calm tone, the loyal head of the Guardian Ninja, Kazuma, also put down the intelligence in his hand, then knelt, his heart filled with shame.
He kowtowed repeatedly, blaming himself, “Lord Daimyo, your subordinate deserves death ten thousand times. I failed to detect the Sarutobi Clan’s immense ambition, and so many Ninjas hidden throughout the Land of Fire.”
“Their intention to conceal themselves is already clear; they have already developed rebellious thoughts this time. If not for the intelligence provided by Danzo, even if I died ten thousand times, I could not atone for this sin!” Under Kazuma’s lowered head, his eyes were filled with regret, and he couldn’t help but feel hatred towards Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Sarutobi Clan, believing that everything was their fault. If it weren’t for them, how could he have disappointed the Daimyo?
However, amidst this self-reproach, regret, and hatred, there was also an imperceptible hint of schadenfreude, causing Kazuma to secretly think, “This is also an opportunity! To bring Konoha Village back under the Daimyo’s management, to completely make it a department ruled by Lord Daimyo, will also require careful planning!”
“Lord Daimyo, the Sarutobi Clan’s strength is already close to half of Konoha Ninja Village’s overt power. We must not allow them to develop further; we must fully resolve this threat.”
“If there are a few more Ninja World Wars, with the Sarutobi Clan’s past plotting, they will become stronger and stronger until they completely devour all of Konoha, turning the entire Konoha Village into their Sarutobi Clan’s Village, and by then…”
As Kazuma spoke, he looked up, and his final words undoubtedly touched the Daimyo’s heart.
Indeed.
Who would have thought that Hiruzen Sarutobi, with his usual good-natured facade, concealed such demonic actions beneath his hypocritical exterior?
He had been Hokage for decades and was still not satisfied!
He even wanted to devour all the clans in Konoha, turning them into resources for the Sarutobi Clan’s growth.
After he devoured the entire Konoha Village, what would become of his ambition?
Would his ambition stop?
Without needing to think much, the Daimyo’s heart already understood. A treacherous villain like Hiruzen Sarutobi, beneath his hypocritical facade, would never be satisfied with his hidden greedy ambition; instead, it would surely become even more terrifying.
By that time, what he desired would probably not even be satisfied with the title of Hokage. Perhaps he would covet his position as Daimyo.
No.
He absolutely could not let this happen.
He must immediately form a Sarutobi containment net.
With the Sarutobi Clan’s current displayed strength of 5,000 Chunin, it already exceeded that of ordinary Ninja Villages. Even a great nation like Sand Ninja did not possess such a large number of Chunin.
A large number of Ninja clans must be gathered to act together.
Thinking of this, the Daimyo couldn’t help but recall the many clans of Konoha.
The Uchiha Clan, the Shimura Clan, the Aburame Clan…
These clans were either historically at odds with the Sarutobi Clan or were neutral clans. According to the information provided by Danzo, at least, they would not assist Sarutobi.
They could all be won over by him.
Thinking of this, he wrote down various promises of benefits to these clans in official documents, using them to win over these clans while also making them oppose the Sarutobi Clan. These documents would be sent separately to these clans, representing his importance.
Next, there was Danzo’s impeachment document for the Hokage.
At once, looking at Danzo’s request in the document, he did not hesitate to stamp his seal on it.
Konoha must change its Hokage.
And eliminate the great cancerous growth that is the Sarutobi Clan.
“Danzo, I hope you can restore stability to Konoha! You must eradicate this great traitor, Sarutobi!” A glimmer of hope and a hint of severity appeared in the Daimyo’s eyes.
“Kazuma, next, you will take this document to Danzo and assist him in contacting the other Ninja clans of Konoha!”
The Daimyo handed the document to Kazuma.
“You must expose the Sarutobi Clan’s true colors!”
“Yes, Lord Daimyo!” Kazuma said, his face flushed, and he excitedly took the Daimyo’s document.
With this, he could finally legitimately contact these Ninja clans of Konoha and allow them to reasonably pledge allegiance to the Daimyo.
Afterward, the Daimyo wrote several more documents and handed them to the Minister of Political Affairs: “Next, you will need to visit the Daimyo of the other great nations. It is imperative to maintain stability in the Ninja World to prevent any external forces from hindering the political changes in Konoha and giving the Sarutobi Clan a chance to breathe!”
Clearly, the ominous clouds of a Ninja World War were gathering, and how could the Daimyo be ignorant of this?
On the contrary, while the Ninja Villages of various countries were still in the dark, the Daimyo in the imperial court had already discerned the prelude to war.
Having endured the baptism of several Ninja World Wars, how could the rulers of various countries be so foolish as to face the threat of Ninjas, these extraordinary beings of immense power?
Only those with exceptional wisdom could, like animal trainers, firmly control violent organizations like Ninja Villages, leading them to decline through self-consumption.
Therefore, past Ninja Wars, for Ninjas and ordinary civilians, were unspeakable nightmares, incredibly cruel; however, for the Daimyo and ministers, the powerful elite, they were a rare means of maintaining the balance of the Ninja World.
They maintained the Ninja World’s structure by allowing the Ninja Villages of various countries to repeatedly exhaust themselves in a whirlpool of hatred and self-interest, reducing their interaction, thereby confining Ninjas to a small circle of missions, like caged beasts unable to escape.
This was a situation the Daimyo were unwilling to change; otherwise, Ninja Villages that peacefully interacted would surely break free from their former restraints, wouldn’t they?
Therefore, in this regard, all the Daimyo of the Ninja World were actually on the same side.
Not to mention the intricate web of intermarriages between various countries, like a vast net, almost all Daimyo have myriad kinship ties.
Therefore, although the entire Ninja World appears to be in the midst of war, in reality, it has nothing to do with the top elite.
Even if a country falls, they can remain aloof, still enjoying perpetual wealth and power, staying at the top, and indulging in luxury.
And at this moment, facing the Sarutobi Clan’s surging ambition and their attempt to cross class boundaries, the Daimyo of other countries will not only not take advantage of the situation and send troops, but will instead generously contribute money and manpower, working together to help the Land of Fire Daimyo deal with this ambitious and arrogant Hiruzen Sarutobi, so that the Ninjas of the Ninja World will know that Ninjas should diligently perform their duties and responsibilities, and never covet what they do not deserve.
Otherwise, they will become public enemies of the Ninja World, facing a unified siege from the powerful elite of all nations.
“Thus, it all depends on the other clans of Konoha Village!” The Daimyo said faintly, watching Kazuma depart.