The Hand of God Creates the Strongest Hidden Mist Village

Chapter 92 Lord Danzo, have you betrayed us?!

Chapter 92 Lord Danzo, have you betrayed us?!

"Sometimes luck is also a part of ability."

Gouju Cheng chuckled, inwardly giving his older brother a huge thumbs up for his vivid imagination.

No wonder you're considered a perfect Jinchūriki; with that kind of brain, you don't treat the Three-Tails like a dog!

"But cousin, isn't everyone saying that Konoha is the best ninja village in the world, peaceful and tranquil? But when you say this, it sounds like Konoha's situation is much better than our Kirigakure."

Yagura sneered: "Why was the Uzumaki Kingdom destroyed? Why did the once-powerful Senju clan disappear? Why did Princess Tsunade leave Konoha? Why did Sakumo Hatake die?"

"Power struggles are the same everywhere. It's just that Konoha likes to disguise them with a veneer of warmth and affection!"

"However, this is great news for us. With Fugaku dead and your actions, the conflict between the Konoha leadership and the Uchiha clan has become completely public."

"With Fugaku and Danzo, these two sharp blades of Konoha, one broken and the other inevitably restricted due to various public opinion fluctuations, even the mighty Jiraiya cannot hold them up alone!"

After Yagura's analysis, Makoto Karatachi nodded in deep agreement.

"Then, cousin, we're now—"

"Now?"

Yagura sneered, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Of course, we should seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and launch a fierce attack, an even fiercer attack!"

"Forget about raiding the logistics, come straight to the front lines with me. I've never seen the Mangekyou Sharingan before. It's said that Madara Uchiha, the former Asura of the ninja world, used it to quell the chaos of the Warring States period and, together with Hashirama Senju, ushered in the era of the ninja village."

"This time, you'd better unleash that power too!"

"Ugh, but I only have ten minutes—"

"Ten minutes? You hold off Jiraiya for ten minutes, and I can completely destroy their forward formation!"

「イ亍」

Today's battle in Kirigakure was remarkably successful, but most importantly, Fugaku Uchiha is gone!

All the Kirigakure ninjas know very well how much trouble that guy has caused them. Not to mention anything else, at least a hundred Kirigakure ninjas have died at his hands since the start of the war!

With this guy gone, some of the people who had a deep grudge against the Uchiha and Konoha, and were quite emotional, started singing and dancing, throwing fire tags into the sky as fireworks to celebrate.

The misty figures sang and danced, their faces beaming with joy.

But things are a bit more so for Konoha.

The air was thick with the smell of blood and herbs. Bloodstained bandages and ninja tools were piled up in the corner, and several medical ninjas were working quietly, giving emergency treatment to the wounded.

In addition, there was a kind of oppressive, suffocating panic and confusion spreading in the air.

Fugaku Uchiha is dead.

This news swept across the entire Konoha battlefield like the coldest wind.

Although the higher-ups ordered a news blackout immediately, such shocking news could not be kept secret on the battlefield, especially among ninjas.

The Uchiha clan leader, Fugaku with the fierce eyes, one of the pillars of the Eastern Front, has died just like that!

How is that possible!

Many Konoha ninja simply refused to believe or accept it.

Fugaku's strength is one of the sources of confidence for many on the Eastern Front, and is regarded by many as an important guarantee against the high-end combat power of Kirigakure.

But now, that guarantee has shattered.

And it shattered so completely, so suddenly.

What's even more alarming is that along with the news of Fugaku's death, some even more malicious rumors have quietly spread.

"If it weren't for the Root members severely injuring Lord Fugaku, that guy Makoto Karatachi would never have been able to kill him!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? You believe what Makoto Kuraki says? He's just trying to sow discord!"

"What sowing discord? Tell me, if there weren't undercover agents, how could Lord Fugaku, with his Mangekyou Sharingan, possibly have lost to Makoto Karatachi!"

"That's right. Even if Makoto Karatachi's bloodline can replicate Lord Fugaku's Kaleidoscope, how can a pirated copy possibly beat the original, not to mention that he only has ten minutes to use it."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you crazy?!"

"What am I afraid of! What am I afraid of! Danzo dared to attack his own people, so why would I be afraid of what I say!"

"Exactly! That's how they treated Lord White Fang back then, and now they're messing with Lord Fugaku! Do they even care about Konoha anymore?!"

"Konoha? Hah, that old man only cares about his own power and interests!"

Inside the command post.

Jiraiya stood before the main seat, his hands resting on the table covered with maps and battle reports, his face ashen, and veins throbbing on his forehead.

His gaze, like a tangible blade, was fixed on Shimura Danzo, who sat to the side, expressionless.

Besides the two of them, there were only Aburame Ryoma and a few core Jonin in the command center.

Yes, not a single Uchiha is here.

Danzo.

"I need an explanation."

Jiraiya didn't yell or shout; he just looked at Danzo. But even that attitude sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

They had never seen Jiraiya like this before!

Danzo slowly raised his single eye to meet Jiraiya's gaze.

He didn't flinch at all, and his voice was eerily calm.

"Jiraiya, are you questioning me, or are you questioning Root's loyalty?"

"What I'm questioning is whether we even have a chance of winning this war!"

Jiraiya slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump. "Do you even know what our situation is like, Danzo? Do you even know what everyone's talking about?!"

"Elder Jin Dai has already told me that Granny Cat's cat found traces of your Root members' aura and blood in the area where Fugaku last appeared."

"So tell me, Danzo, why is your Root appearing in the same area as Fugaku! Is everything Makoto Karatachi said true?!"

What?!

As soon as Jiraiya said this, the core Jonin in the tent subconsciously held their breath, their eyes shifting between Jiraiya and Danzo.

Ryoma Aburame stood behind Danzo, silent as a statue, but his eyes behind his glasses flickered slightly.

Could it be that Fugaku really is—

Although Danzo remained silent, his brows began to twitch unnaturally.

He also realized that something was wrong. This matter had become too far beyond his control, and if it wasn't dealt with quickly, something really bad might happen!

"The presence of my men in that area has absolutely nothing to do with Fugaku."

Explain yourself!

Danzo's single eye swept over the others present, finally settling on Jiraiya.

In a daze, he actually saw Hiruzen's figure in the kid in front of him!

Danzo was stunned for a moment, and the image of Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly dissipated, returning to Jiraiya's appearance.

—You have a fine disciple, Hiruzen!

Danzo took a deep breath and slowly said, "The reason my men were there is because of some intelligence."

"What intelligence? Who provided this intelligence?!"

Jiraiya pressed for answers directly, refusing to give an inch.

Danzo remained silent for a moment before finally revealing everything.

"—The person who provided the information was Suigetsu Hozuki. Although he was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he spent many years mingling in the dark side of the ninja world, profiting from selling information. The information I had about Makoto Karatachi was actually obtained through him."

"This time, he provided detailed information about Makoto Karatachi and told me that Makoto Karatachi was seriously injured and his chakra meridians were damaged, which was an excellent opportunity. So I sent people over to prepare to surround and kill Makoto Karatachi."

"As for the result—if Makoto Karatachi didn't die, it means my men failed. As for Fugaku, I really know nothing about him."

Danzo's voice echoed in the silent command center, stunning the Konoha Jonin present, whose faces then showed disbelief.

The Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon?!

One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the vice-head of the Mist Village's Intelligence Department?!

"Lord Danzo!"

A Jonin from the Hyuga clan abruptly stood up, veins bulging around his Byakugan in agitation: "You, you actually...you actually made a secret deal with high-ranking members of Kirigakure—you actually made a deal with them?!"

"What a joke! How could you do this? Those are high-ranking members of Kirigakure! What are you doing?!"

If we were to say who in this world harbors the greatest hatred for Kirigakure, it would undoubtedly be the Hyuga clan at this stage.

Even though Kirigakure has its own good brother Kaguya clan, the two sides are currently enemies, and Kirigakure is the only ninja village that has seized the Byakugan!

Therefore, on the battlefield in Kirigakure, apart from the Uchiha, the Hyuga, although all the people who came were from the branch family, were also fighting with all their might.

Meanwhile, Danzo was secretly making deals with the higher-ups in Kirigakure.

What's going on? Are you having an affair?

That day, the ninja looked at Danzo with such anger that he couldn't speak. The veins around his Byakugan twisted and throbbed from the intense emotional turmoil.

"Elder Danzo, I need an explanation! An explanation that will convince all the Konoha ninja who shed their blood and sacrificed their lives here!"

"Yes, we demand an explanation!"

"Lord Jiraiya! This matter must be reported to the Hokage and the Elder Council immediately! Secretly trading with high-ranking officials of an enemy nation is a serious violation of Konoha's bottom line and a betrayal of all our comrades fighting on the front lines!"

The crowd was enraged, and even Jiraiya felt he was losing control.

But Danzo remained seated.

Faced with the questioning and angry gazes of the crowd, his single eye remained unmoved, like a bottomless ancient well.

"Everything I have done is for Konoha."

"Makoto Karatachi's abilities are too dangerous, and his growth rate far exceeds expectations. In order to obtain accurate information about him and grasp his weaknesses, necessary measures are unavoidable."

"The deal with Suigetsu Hozuki was the most efficient way to obtain intelligence. The information he provided did indeed help us gain a deeper understanding of Makoto Karatachi and his Mist Blade Squad, providing important reference for the tactical planning on the front lines."

"As for the failure of this operation—"

Danzo paused for a moment: "I underestimated Makoto Karatachi's cunning and strength, or perhaps Fuguki provided false or outdated information. But the starting point was always to eliminate Konoha's greatest threat."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Hyuga Shinobi could no longer contain himself and roared, "For Konoha? For Konoha you'd make a deal with Kirigakure? For Konoha you'd use the lives of our frontline ninja and strategic deployments as bargaining chips?!"

"Who knows what exactly you traded with him! Who knows what else you sold him besides information about Makoto Tachibana! How many Hyuga soldiers died on the front lines, how many bases were lost—wasn't that also related to your deal?!"

These words were like the sharpest knife, piercing deep into the hearts of everyone present.

Yes.

If Danzo could make a deal with Fuguki to obtain information about Makoto Karatachi, wouldn't Fuguki also demand other information in exchange?

What is Konoha's troop deployment?

Weak points in the defense?

Even—the secret techniques or bloodlines of certain families!

Considering that so-called Mist Blade Squad was able to so easily infiltrate the heart of the territory, destroying the Cangnan Supply Station and the Wind Howling Valley Transfer Station despite the presence of Hyuga's Byakugan, Aburame's insects, the Inu clan's ninja dogs, and various other ninja cats and crows—

Thinking hard!

"Elder Danzo."

Jiraiya's voice rang out.

He didn't roar, but just stared intently at Danzo.

"I need to know the specific details of your deal with the pufferfish demon."

"The time, place, participants, exchanged intelligence, and costs of every contact—everything."

Danzo narrowed his single eye and met Jiraiya's gaze: "—Specific details involve Root's confidential channels and personnel safety, and cannot be disclosed here. However, I can guarantee that the transaction is limited to obtaining information on Makoto Karatachi and his team, and does not involve any other Konoha secrets."

"As for the price, it's nothing more than gold and silver."

"Just gold and silver?"

Hinata Shinobu sneered, "Elder Danzo, do you think we'd believe that? Who is Fuguki? He's one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the vice-chief of the Kirigakure Intelligence Department!"

"Would someone in a high position sell you the core information about their elite squad leader for a little money?!"

"That's true."

Danzo's voice gradually turned cold: "Believe it or not, it's up to you. I have acted with a clear conscience, all for the greater good of Konoha."

"What a clear conscience! What a dedication to the greater good of Konoha!"

Jiraiya suddenly laughed.

Looking at Danzo in front of him, he suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.

He was somewhat irritable and frustrated. The days of fighting and the mess before him made him feel deeply powerless, and he was even too lazy to continue talking to Shimura Danzo.

For some reason, the images of Sakumo Hatake and Tsunade suddenly surfaced in his mind—

But he had no choice but to say it!

Danzo.

I'm giving you one last chance.

"Tell me the whole truth, or I, in my capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Front, will immediately suspend you from all your duties and place you under investigation until the Hokage's orders arrive."

Jiraiya's gaze was tangible, piercing Danzo's face.

"This is not a threat, this is a bottom line. With the truth unknown, Fugaku's whereabouts unknown, and morale wavering at the front, we cannot afford any internal uncertainty or betrayal. Not even the slightest bit."

Inside the command post, you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone looked at Danzo, waiting for his answer.

Ryoma Aburame stood behind Danzo, his hands slightly clenched, but he remained silent.

Danzo's single eye slowly swept across the crowd, finally settling on Jiraiya's face.

He was silent for a long time.

So long that the torches inside the tents began to crackle softly.

Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice hoarse, carrying a sense of weariness as if the dust had finally settled.

"——This is not the first time that the Watermelon Pufferfish Demon has made a deal with me."

"The secret communication channel I established with him has existed for several years. At that time, he was a fairly powerful Jonin in Kirigakure, but he was frustrated within Kirigakure and often traded some insignificant information on the black market for resources."

"My initial contact with him was merely a long-term investment and intelligence gathering effort. Kirigakure is closed off and exclusive, making it extremely difficult for us from Konoha to infiltrate within Kirigakure. Fuguki is a rare opening."

Danzo's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clearly heard by everyone.

"As time went on, Fuguki's status in Kirigakure gradually rose, eventually becoming one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and taking on an important position in the Intelligence Department. The value of the 'goods' he provided also increased accordingly."

"After the war broke out, he contacted me, offering to provide more and more in-depth intelligence. On the condition that he would offer a more generous reward, and—Konoha's support for him during the future power transition in Kirigakure."

"What?!"

Hyuga Shinobu roared again, "You agreed?! You promised to support a high-ranking member of Kirigakure?!"

"It's just a verbal promise," Danzo said calmly. "What's wrong with making empty promises in exchange for solid information?"

"As for the information he provided—it certainly wasn't just about Makoto Karatachi."

Danzo paused.

"This includes the general troop deployment direction of the eastern front of Kirigakure in the early stage, the approximate routes of some supply lines, and some intelligence within Kirigakure regarding bloodline clans. I have already submitted this to you, Jiraiya."

"This intelligence served as a useful reference for the early stages of the battle. It was based on this information, combined with direct combat tactics, that I was able to gain some advantages in the early stages and successfully suppress several of Kirigakure's offensives."

"But this is only for reference. Ultimately, the outcome of a war depends on the strength and command on the main battlefield."

Jiraiya frowned: "So, what about Makoto Karatachi? How much did you get from him about Makoto Karatachi?"

""

"----a lot of."

Danzo frankly stated, "The information about Makoto Karatachi's origins, the Karatachi clan's background, his youthful pretense of being a spoiled brat, and his true bloodline ability 'God's Hand' all came from Fuguki."

"This is why I was able to quickly grasp the core information of the Mist Blade Squad and formulate a targeted plan."

"Including information about his injury?"

"Yes."

Danzo nodded: "Through Mei Terumi's connection, Fuguki conveyed information that Makoto Karatachi was injured after using a dangerous item called the Grell Stone, damaging his chakra pathways, and was recuperating on the border of the Land of Waves. I believed this was an excellent opportunity, which is why I dispatched an elite squad to ambush and kill him."

"But clearly, this is a trap."

Ryoma Aburame, who was standing to the side, finally spoke up, his voice low and deep: "The pufferfish betrayed us. He provided false information, or—this was all a scheme set up by Makoto Karatachi and Mei Terumi, using the pufferfish as a channel to lure us in."

Danzo's silence was tantamount to acquiescence.

Having spent his entire life hunting eagles, he was instead pecked in the eye by one – a humiliation for someone known as the "Darkest of Endurance"!