For all his sinister cunning and solitary pride, Shimura Danzo's mind was always boxed in by his own brand of politics. Even now, after donning the red Hokage hat and claiming the seat of power, he just couldn't shake off the old factional mindset. He should have had the broad vision and backbone of a true Hokage, but deep down, he still played the role of a scheming concubine—even after being promoted to the main wife.
In his eyes, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had graduated from "advisors" to full-fledged "elders." Sure, they bowed and scraped on the surface, but their seniority matched his own—they'd never fully accept him. If he could steer Konoha through this crisis, maybe they'd fall in line. But if he failed? Hah. Hiruzen Sarutobi was still alive, and there was every chance the old man would be wheeled out of the hospital to take over again.
Fugaku Uchiha was "Team Jinghang"—Danzo had broken the Second Hokage's unwritten rules to promote him to the council, a rare show of favor. He was a loyal subordinate, but Fugaku was nobody's fool; a man with fangs hidden behind his polite smile. Danzo knew he'd have to keep him in check, remind him who was boss now and then.
Shikaku Nara was pure "old guard," handpicked by Sarutobi, born to a powerful clan, with enough wealth to make ambition pointless. That made him impossible to buy off, and the only option was to keep him under pressure.
So when Danzo pressed him hard, Shikaku barely flinched. He saw it for what it was: a new leader desperate for a win after his first big move flopped. Shikaku simply did his job, laying out the situation with cold, objective clarity.
"Hokage-sama, Jinghang's strategic vision and tactical ability are unmatched in the ninja world. Now that we're at a disadvantage, trying to play clever with him will only give him the opening to turn our plans against us. If that happens, our already limited forces will be whittled down even further—the consequences would be disastrous."
Danzo's brow twitched, his face darkening. "So what, we just wait here and get bled dry on our own doorstep? What's the point of having a chief strategist if that's your answer?"
Shikaku's expression soured, but he kept his composure. "From the start, I had doubts about Orochimaru's 'Living Dead Plan.' I advised the Third Hokage not to use it, and if we had to, to make sure every step was rock solid. After you took office, I put a full feasibility report on your desk. But you pushed ahead anyway, desperate to avenge the bombing at your inauguration. If that's my failure as chief strategist, I have nothing more to say. I request to be relieved of my duties, effective immediately."
That jab went straight for Danzo's lungs.
"You! You—!"
Shikaku's iron will left Danzo's finger trembling with rage.
Koharu Utatane quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Shikaku, watch your tone! Lord Hokage is anxious about the war—his words were just a little sharp. No need to throw a tantrum."
A true political veteran, Koharu's words offered both sides a graceful exit.
Shikaku picked up the cue, standing to bow. "Lord Hokage, the situation has me on edge too. I apologize for my attitude and any disrespect. Please forgive me."
Danzo huffed, cheeks puffed out, but let it go.
Koharu massaged her temples. "We have to stay united. If we fall apart inside, how can we hope to drive out the enemy?"
Danzo shot her a sour look. "Then what's your brilliant idea?"
Koharu replied, "We have about twelve thousand combat-ready ninja left, plus the Three-Tails jinchūriki. We can still defend Konoha. But to break the siege, we need outside help."
"Outside help? From where? The Mist got crushed at Yuexi Peninsula—they can barely stand, let alone fight. The Stone's Kurotsuchi is a coward—Rasa's blockading his border, and he won't even fart in protest. Who else is left—"
Danzo's rant was interrupted as an attendant ninja burst in.
"What is it? Can't you see we're in a meeting?" Danzo snapped.
The attendant pointed sheepishly toward the hall. "Elder Homura has returned."
"Oh?"
Danzo stood, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. "Quick, show him in!"
Homura Mitokado entered, travel-worn and dust-covered. He scanned the room, eyes finally resting on Danzo. Bowing deeply, he said, "Homura Mitokado, reporting to the Fourth Hokage."
Good—he knows how to read the room. Danzo couldn't help but beam. Having a Konoha heavyweight acknowledge his authority felt damn good.
"No need for all that. We're all comrades here. Let's talk. What's the news from the Stone?"
Homura sighed. "Not good."
Danzo's face fell. "Why not?"
Homura continued, "Kurotsuchi, the Fifth Tsuchikage, has none of her father Onoki's boldness, but all of his cunning. Ever since Rasa stationed troops at the Sand-Stone border, no matter how I tried to convince her, she wouldn't send a single soldier. Rasa's blockade is airtight—I had to circle through Takigakure just to get back."
Danzo slumped in his chair. "So outside help is a lost cause."
Homura smiled faintly. "Not quite."
Danzo's hope flickered. "Explain."
Homura didn't drag it out. "On my way through Takigakure, I met with the Third Takikage, Lord Amamiya."
"Go on. Someone—where's the tea? Bring some tea!"
"No need," Homura said, waving off the offer with a smile. "Lord Amamiya is very interested in sending reinforcements to Konoha."
"How many men?"
"Eight thousand six hundred ninja, plus the Seven-Tails jinchūriki."
Danzo's face lit up, then quickly clouded as he thought it through. After a moment, he asked, "What's the price?"
Homura nodded. "It's steep."
"How much?"
"Two and a half billion ryō in military funding, plus the territories of Frost, Rice Fields, and Grass."
Danzo fell silent, weighing the cost. Frost, Rice Fields, and Grass were all small countries under Konoha's influence. Takigakure was asking for a lot.
But at this point, Konoha could barely protect itself—who cared about minor vassals?
Forget it. Better the vassals suffer than Konoha itself.
"Agree to his terms! When can the reinforcements arrive?" Danzo gritted his teeth.
Homura didn't answer right away. Instead, he bowed again. "Hokage-sama, I must apologize."
Danzo said, "What's to apologize for? You were working for the village."
"I knew time was short, so without waiting for your instructions, I already accepted Takigakure's conditions."
Danzo's face flickered, but he quickly recovered. He wasn't happy about Homura's overreach, but right now, any help was good help. He could deal with the overstepping later.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Elder Homura, bringing in reinforcements is a merit, not a fault. When will the Waterfall ninja arrive?"
"In the next couple days."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📚 BOOK COMPLETED ON PATREON!📚
This story has reached its conclusion on my Patreon!
🔥 Full story available now
💎 Exclusive bonus content & early access to new books
👉 Join my Patreon community today!
[✨patreon.com/DarkGolds]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━