Chapter 112: The Plan Begins
While the plan between Naruto and Orochimaruwas proceeding steadily, Konoha's arrangements for this joint Chunin Exams were also being meticulously perfected step by step, yet loopholes still remained.
A thousand-mile embankment can be destroyed by an ant colony; as long as one accurately identifies the loopholes, even the most imposing dam will collapse in an instant. Naturally, Naruto had long since found Konoha's greatest loophole.
Danzo Shimura!
In the Root base, Naruto remained fully disguised. At this moment, beyond his skyrocketing ambition, Danzo Shimura also harbored a hint of murderous intent mixed with lingering fear.
The Fourth Kazekage Rasa was dead—dead without a sound, and his identity had even been usurped by someone else.
"Who is the one impersonating Rasa?" Danzo Shimura asked.
"You don't need to ask about that." Naruto shook his head in refusal. "You only need to help from the shadows, create as much chaos as possible, and then cause some temporary issues with the defensive barrier around Konoha Village."
"I will consider it..." Danzo Shimura hesitated, worried that Naruto might go back on his word.
"Time waits for no one." Naruto replied with an indifferent air. "You could also wait until we are done dealing with Hiruzen Sarutobi before jumping out to clean up the mess—if you have the ability to do so..."
Naruto had long since grasped Danzo Shimura's lifeline; the position of Hokage had always been his pursuit, and as time passed, this pursuit had developed into a pathological obsession. As long as Danzo Shimura saw an opportunity, he would cooperate with anyone.
Furthermore, in Danzo Shimura's eyes, the safety of Konoha might truly be less important than the position of Hokage.
"I will only give you two hours!" Danzo Shimurafinally made his decision. "Regardless of success or failure, I will personally lead the Root to provide support. When that time comes, don't blame the blade in my hand!"
"That is enough; we can do a lot in two hours." Naruto nodded. "Thank you for your cooperation, but business is business. Although this is a mutual benefit, it seems we are getting the short end of the stick. I think you need to offer a bit more as a bargaining chip."
"Don't push your luck!" Danzo Shimura gripped the armrests of his chair tightly. "Don't forget that you are the ones begging me for this! Not the other way around!"
"No, no, no..." Naruto laughed and shook his head repeatedly. "Mutual benefit is key, but we are both very clear on one thing: after Hiruzen Sarutobi dies, it will be a fight to the death between you and me. If we don't take this opportunity to demand some benefits, we would be making a huge loss!"
"What do you want?"
"Reaper Death Seal!"
"That is impossible!" Danzo Shimura refused decisively. "It is impossible to hand over such a dangerous Ninjutsu to you. Name another condition."
"Aside from that, I have already gathered almost all of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu. It is the ultimate goal for why I came to cooperate with you this time."
"But I cannot trust you!"
"My goal from start to finish has been the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu. Furthermore, I can guarantee that aside from Hiruzen Sarutobi and some short-sighted Konoha Ninja, we will not cause too much destruction to Konoha."
Naruto explained with a smile. Destroying Konohahad never been Naruto's ultimate goal; this was not only the truth but also a plan Naruto had long since devised.
After all, compared to a dilapidated Konoha, a prosperous Konoha was clearly more beneficial to Naruto.
"I will say it again: I cannot trust you!" Danzo Shimura still refused to budge.
Naruto naturally understood Danzo Shimura's thoughts. Although Danzo Shimura cared more about the position of Hokage, the prospect of inheriting a dilapidated Konoha after becoming Hokage was still something he could not accept.
"I know your concerns; after all, you are very worried about the safety of the Village!" Narutosaid sarcastically. "However, given our good cooperation so far, I think after you become Hokage, we can develop an even closer cooperative relationship."
"Come and get it after it is done..." After thinking for a long while, Danzo Shimura finally relented. "When that time comes, bring your sincerity with you, otherwise, don't blame me for turning hostile!"
"You will see my sincerity." The smile on Naruto's Face did not fade, but deep down, he let out a cold sneer. Danzo Shimura had stepped into his trap step by step; the only thing awaiting him in the future was destruction!
Moreover, a simple death would be too easy on him. Letting him suffer through the tortures of this world before dying was his ultimate destination!
...
"The next match is between Konoha Village's Genin Uchiha Sasuke and Sunagakure's GeninGaara!"
The host of the joint Chunin Exams announced the contestants loudly, and as soon as his voice fell, the various feudal lords in the stands applauded one after another; they were looking forward to this match.
After several days of fierce competition, those who qualified were the best among the Genin. Some even had strength that touched the threshold of a Special Jounin. Although they could not compare to true Jonin, in the eyes of these feudal lords, the surprise Konoha had given them was already significant.
Having a surprise meant greater trust in Konoha, and the large number of mission orders derived from that trust was one of the reasons Konohahosted this joint Chunin Exams.
Looking at this point alone, Konoha had already become the biggest winner of this joint Chunin Exams, because aside from Gaara and his two siblings, Sunagakure had too few standout Ninja, far fewer than the number of Konoha Genin.
"It seems the Kazekage will need to properly train the younger generation in the Village after returning." Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was in the stands, had a flushed complexion, and the pride and joy in his heart could no longer be concealed.
"Ultimately, it is still not as talented as Konoha. Although Konoha has undergone many changes in these past few years, its profound foundation is still enviable..." Orochimaru played his part well, and not a single flaw could be found in his words.
"Sunagakure's new generation is also quite good." People scratch each other's backs; Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally wanted to save some Face for "Rasa." "Their future achievements will definitely not be weaker than Naruto and the others."
"Hehe, the match has begun; let's watch first. After all, the winner has not been decided yet, and it is too early to say anything." Orochimaru's indifferent voice reached Hiruzen Sarutobi's ears. The latter followed suit, stopped his boasting, and after quieting down, cast his gaze upon Uchiha Sasuke.
Under the guidance of Naruto and Kakashi Hatake, Uchiha Sasuke's strength had improved quite rapidly. However, with Naruto acting as the "mastermind" behind the scenes, during the Forest of Death exam, Uchiha Sasuke was still sold out by Naruto and had the Cursed Seal of Heaven planted on him by Orochimaru.
Kakashi Hatake naturally knew about this. Aside from using his half-baked Sealing Jutsu to Seal the Cursed Seal of Heaven, he seemingly had no better solution.
Although Kakashi Hatake reported this to Hiruzen Sarutobi afterward, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to wait until after the joint Chunin Exams to personally remove the Cursed Seal of Heaven for Uchiha Sasuke because he had to deal with the various feudal lords.
Moreover, the matter of hunting down Orochimarustill had no leads to this day.
However, many things are not so straightforward. Although Kakashi Hatake had long warned that problems might arise during this joint Chunin Exams, the drawbacks that Hiruzen Sarutobi had ignored for various reasons were now undoubtedly exposed.
Below in the arena, the soon-to-be-defeated Gaarasuddenly activated the Feigning Sleep Jutsu ahead of schedule, and the Tailed Beast Chakra from Shukaku erupted suddenly!
"Teacher, I have been sitting next to you for so long, and yet you didn't recognize me." Orochimaru's cold voice made Hiruzen Sarutobi startle suddenly. "The 'Ninja Hero' of the past is truly disappointing!"
"Orochimaru?!"
"You guessed right; then I shall reward you, Teacher, with a perfect finale!"
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