“Jiraiya is currently active on the front lines in the Land of Grass.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s finger came down heavily on the map spread across the table.
“Moving north, he can block Iwagakure’s route south from the Land of Earth. Moving south, he can provide immediate support to the front lines facing the Land of Wind.”
He paused briefly before continuing with the deployment.
“Orochimaru is leading the newly assembled shinobi forces. They are currently standing by in the village as a mobile reserve, ready to reinforce whichever front line comes under the greatest pressure.”
Finally, his sharp gaze turned toward Shimura Danzo, who had remained silent with his eyes closed.
His tone left no room for argument.
“As for the threat from Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning… Danzo, that front will be entrusted to you and your ‘Root.'”
Hiruzen had decided to send Danzo to the front lines rather than leave him in the village to remotely command Root.
One reason was that Konoha was surrounded by powerful enemies and desperately short on top-tier combatants.
Every Kage-level force had to be used where it mattered most.
The other reason was his dissatisfaction with Danzo’s earlier words.
Since you believe that every deed carried out in the shadows should fall upon your shoulders, then now I’ll put you on a battlefield in broad daylight.
Those “dirty jobs” you’ve been talking about won’t require your attention for the time being.
As a man of considerable cunning, Shimura Danzo naturally understood the unspoken reprimand from his old friend.
He could not openly defy the Hokage’s official order, so he merely darkened his expression and snorted before making a demand of his own.
“Having me deal with those barbarians from the Land of Lightning is no problem. But the standing forces along the northeastern border are insufficient. Facing Kumogakure’s advance, I need reinforcements.”
Konoha’s permanent border forces stationed in the directions of the various great nations were limited to begin with.
Based on assessments of potential threats, the northwest, facing the Land of Earth, had a force of two thousand five hundred shinobi.
The southwest, facing the Land of Wind, had two thousand.
The northeastern front, directly facing the Land of Lightning, had two thousand five hundred.
And along the eastern coast, which might have to deal with the Land of Water, another one thousand five hundred were stationed.
That made a total of eight thousand five hundred full-time standing troops, whose expenses were entirely funded by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
In addition, Konoha had roughly three thousand regular shinobi who made their living by carrying out missions.
Two thousand of them had been conscripted into the reserve forces and placed under Orochimaru’s unified command.
The remaining one thousand still had to maintain the day-to-day missions within the Land of Fire.
War was war, but the commissions from those noble lords could not simply be ignored.
This was not unique to Konoha.
The shinobi villages of the other great nations operated the same way.
These missions were not only an important source of income, but also a crucial means of maintaining good relations with the upper echelons of the Land of Fire and ensuring continued financial support in the future.
This was one of the strange things about the shinobi world.
Put another way, it was like having a great general in the royal capital who commanded a powerful army and the imperial guard, yet still had to respectfully ask the officials for money.
Now Danzo wanted even more troops, and Hiruzen’s brows drew tightly together.
He knew how formidable Kumogakure was and how fiercely they were advancing.
He was genuinely worried that once this old friend reached the front line, he might be overwhelmed and crushed by Kumogakure’s forces simply because he lacked sufficient manpower.
For both public and personal reasons, Hiruzen could not simply refuse the request.
But Hiruzen had no one left to spare either.
So, after a moment, his lips parted.
“Konoha doesn’t have any extra manpower to allocate to you right now. However…”
Seeing Hiruzen change direction, the three men who had been classmates and comrades for decades already knew he was about to come up with something unpleasant.
He continued.
“Danzo, you can personally visit the major shinobi clans and ask whether any of their clan shinobi are willing to volunteer for the northeastern front for the sake of the village.”
From the very founding of Konoha, a rule had been established—
Konoha belonged to Konoha, while the shinobi clans belonged to the clans.
At the same time, in order to prevent the shinobi clans from gaining too much influence within Konoha, the number of jōnin positions available to clan shinobi had always been restricted.
As a result, many clan shinobi who possessed jōnin-level strength simply never became Konoha shinobi at all, instead remaining within their clans to handle private affairs.
These elite forces hidden within the various clans were the true foundation of Konoha’s strength.
Take the powerful Uchiha clan, for example.
Even the Hokage himself had no authority to directly issue orders to its clan shinobi.
When Shimura Danzo heard this, his expression immediately darkened until it seemed capable of dripping water.
How could he not understand Hiruzen’s scheme?
Clearly, Hiruzen wanted him to play the villain first, testing the limits of each major clan.
Then, after Danzo met with resistance, Hiruzen would step in as Hokage and smooth things over.
By then, those shinobi clans would find it difficult to refuse a second time, if only out of consideration for the Third Hokage.
“Heh. You get to take all the credit for being the good man.”
“What a truly devoted Hokage you are, always putting Konoha first!”
Faced with Danzo’s sarcastic tone, Homura and Koharu exchanged an understanding glance and silently looked down, as though they had suddenly entered a state of deep meditation.
Hiruzen merely turned his head slightly and gave Danzo a casual sidelong glance.
He took an unhurried drag from his pipe.
The acrid smoke lingered in his chest for a moment before becoming a long stream of white vapor that slowly escaped his lips.
Amid the swirling smoke, Hiruzen’s voice remained calm.
“Danzo, I am the Hokage.”
His gloomy one eye snapped open, glaring at the calm face beyond the smoke.
A surge of fury mixed with humiliation, anger, and years of accumulated resentment instantly shattered his habitual composure.
His gaunt body began to tremble uncontrollably.
He had spent his entire life pursuing that position.
He had built Root.
He had carried Konoha’s darkness on his back.
In his own eyes, he had sacrificed no less than Hiruzen.
And yet, in the end, the one sitting there—the one who could casually utter those words—would always be Hiruzen Sarutobi!
How could he not hate him?
How could he not be furious?
It was only because he’d been cowardly when their teacher had ordered them to stay behind and cover the retreat!
Danzo roared inwardly, his hand hanging at his side clenching tightly into a fist.
His knuckles turned pale from the force.
Veins bulged across the back of his hand, as though they might burst at any moment.
The office fell deathly silent.
The only sounds were the faint crackling of tobacco burning inside Hiruzen’s pipe…
And Danzo’s heavy breathing.
He stared fixedly at Hiruzen, almost forcing the question that had lingered in his heart for so long through clenched teeth.
“What about the Uchiha clan? What exactly do you intend to do with them? Leaving them in the heart of the village is planting a seed of disaster that could explode at any moment!”
Hiruzen’s gaze sharpened behind the smoke.
He had no intention of allowing Danzo to interfere with the Uchiha’s affairs during the war.
Nor could he allow it.
“That matter has nothing to do with you anymore.”
Hiruzen’s voice was cold and firm.
“Take care of your own responsibilities. Prepare to depart.”
“Hiruzen, you’ll regret this!”
The moment the words left his mouth, Shimura Danzo spun around, his wide robes whipping up a gust of wind.
“Bang!”
The door to the Hokage’s office was slammed shut with such force that it nearly seemed capable of breaking off its hinges.
The thunderous impact echoed through the empty corridor for a long time.
Seeing the anger appearing on Hiruzen’s face, Koharu could not help but speak softly.
“Hiruzen, don’t take it to heart.”
“One day, Danzo will understand that you were only acting out of concern for him.”