It was nearly midnight, but the Hokage's office in Konoha was still brightly lit. A cold wind howled outside the window, as if a sinister beast was lurking and roaring in the darkness. The atmosphere inside the office was just as gloomy, eerie, and heavy as the one outside.
"Things in Iwagakure have calmed down a lot since the last battle. Even the border troops have been withdrawn in the last few days, and there's been no movement."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a deep voice, his tone somewhat lighter, but his eyes still held a deep worry.
Danzo was very excited. "The Hidden Cloud Village has completely withdrawn its troops. Shouldn't we take action? We've let the remnants of the Hyuga and Uchiha clans roam free for too long."
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi remained hesitant. After a moment of contemplation, he frowned and said, "All the caravans from the Land of Snow have disappeared. The Root and Anbu units we sent out to wipe them out have all failed. About half of them disappeared without a trace after being sent out. This shows that the strength of the Snow Village should not be underestimated. We cannot act rashly."
"When should we make a move? The border is peaceful now, it's the perfect time. Besides, how many people can a small country support in a ninja village?" Danzo's eyes flashed with displeasure. Then, as if he had thought of something, he asked, "What about the Daimyo? He sent a proclamation to the Land of Snow, ordering them to drive out those rebels. What was the Land of Snow's reaction?"
There was no response.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, "The Land of Snow has completely ignored the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and our Konoha Village. They are not afraid of the Land of Snow's goods going unsold at all, and on the contrary, they have actively scaled back their commercial activities in the Land of Fire."
However, surprisingly, the daimyo and the nobles of Kyoto didn't get angry under these circumstances. Instead, many nobles and wealthy merchants started making a fuss, demanding a restoration of friendly relations with the Land of Snow.
Seeing his old friend's incredulous expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "According to the Anbu's intelligence, this is because the Land of Snow's various specialty products are no longer available in the Land of Fire, so they can only purchase a little bit from neighboring countries. Now even some specialty clothing and props can be sold at high prices, especially the Land of Snow's divine oil, which has become a target for bounty hunters on the black market. Any merchant who has a batch of divine oil can even apply for a noble title."
Danzo's expression completely crumbled. "These foolish nobles, disregarding the bigger picture for petty gains, are just as despicable as that bastard Hyuga Kaze!"
Turning his head, Danzo slammed his fist on the table again. "Since these goods are so valuable, shouldn't we attack now? Once we destroy the Snow Village, those goods will be ours to control!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. "No, we don't have enough information yet. The ninjas we sent out to gather intelligence haven't reported back on the specific details of Yukigami Village. We can't act while we're still in the dark. We can prepare the manpower and supplies for the expedition, but we can't act rashly."
Panting heavily, Danzo stared wide-eyed at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "How long are we supposed to wait? Hiruzen, you're too weak. Sometimes you have to be decisive. The longer we delay, the more time those rebels have to prepare!"
Danzo's tone was full of dissatisfaction, but Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't care. He chuckled and looked confident.
"It's precisely because the goods from the Land of Snow are so valuable that we can let the bounty hunters on the black market test the waters first! I've already spread the word that the source of the special goods from the Land of Snow is the Snow Ninja Village, so let those shady guys wear each other down."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes flashed with a chilling light. "Moreover, besides the black market, there's also the Hidden Cloud Village. I sold a batch of intelligence at a high price on the black market, spreading the news that the remnants of the Hyuga and Uchiha clans had fled to the Land of Snow and established the Snow Village. At the same time, I also arranged for spies in the Hidden Cloud Village to find a way to pass this information back. With the intelligence from both sides combined, the Hidden Cloud Village's higher-ups will soon receive the news. The Hidden Cloud Village has long coveted the Byakugan. Once they hear that the Land of Snow has Sharingan and Byakugan, those dark-skinned barbarians will definitely not be able to resist."
"The Land of Snow is isolated overseas, making intelligence gathering and attacks difficult for us. However, the Hidden Cloud Village possesses considerable naval power, which will surely be able to gather more intelligence for us."
"They should be allowed to go."
Danzo Shimura sneered, “Let them kill each other. Barbarians and evil white-eyed and red-eyed people, what a perfect match. It would be better if they were all dead.”
Danzo then realized what was happening, and his expression instantly turned strange.
"You actually have spies in Kumogakure? Root is supposed to be in charge of external intelligence gathering!"
Danzo's tone carried a hint of resentment, seemingly containing the heartache of being betrayed.
"Danzo".
Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated, but then the sound of an ANBU reporting from outside the door rang out.
"Lord Hokage, Jonin Kakashi has sent back an important message from the Land of Wind, which requires your personal approval."
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately felt like he had seen a savior. He got up, opened the door, and took the letter that Kakashi had sent back.
Back in his room, Danzo's emotions had calmed down somewhat. Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly scanned the letters, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Kakashi sent a message saying that the Kazekage of Sunagakure was kidnapped at the village gate. The enemy is the Akatsuki organization that Jiraiya mentioned before. Currently, out of loyalty to his ally, he has no choice but to join forces with Jiraiya to track down the enemy. This message is to request reinforcements from the village."
"What? Kidnapped right at your doorstep?"
Danzo seemed a little incredulous. He snatched the letter from Hiruzen Sarutobi, read it once, and then snorted dismissively.
"Incompetent fools! Those guys from Sunagakure are really unreliable. I think it's better to rely on the dogs kept by the Inuzuka family than on them to keep Iwagakure in check!"
Unlike Danzo's disdain and annoyance, Hiruzen Sarutobi thought this was good news. He said to Danzo, "This is actually good news. It'll allow Jiraiya and Kakashi to expend more time and energy in the Land of Wind. They've been acting a bit strange lately, showing signs of deviating from the Will of Fire."
It's best not to let them know about our expedition to the Land of Snow, since Tsunade is very likely in the Snow Village.
Danzo seemed to have figured this out as well. He frowned and said, "That's fine. Kakashi needs support, right? Then let's send Might Guy's squad over as well. He's close to Kakashi, and there are some things that shouldn't be known to him."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "I'll make arrangements for Might Guy, and at the same time, I'll send out the Anbu to continue gathering intelligence."
His tone turned icy and ruthless. "Kakashi and even Jiraiya are irrelevant, but Naruto, the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, cannot be allowed to have any problems. If necessary, the Root and Anbu must ensure Naruto's safe return. While we're at it, let's prepare to attack the Land of Snow!"
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