“Natsuki?
Not needed.”
Danzo seemed to be deep in thought, murmuring, “Natsuki has long stated that he has no ambition to become Hokage, and his prestige is far from that of the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha.
He poses no threat to my bid for the next Hokage position…”
Danzo’s words suddenly stopped.
He stared at the eye revealed through Natsuki’s mask: “Fei, your Sharingan, has it already reached three tomoe?”
“Yes, Lord Danzo.”
“You haven’t disappointed my expectations.”
A hint of joy appeared on Danzo’s face.
Currently, among the many Root Ninja he had trained, Uchiha Fei, standing before him, was the strongest.
“In a while, you will accompany me on a trip to Hidden Rain Village.
At that time, there will be a need for you to act.
During this period, try to minimize your appearances and get some good rest.”
“Understood, Lord Danzo.”
Natsuki’s performance was flawless.
He knew very well what Danzo was going to do in Hidden Rain Village.
In the original plot, Yahiko died in this incident, leading to Nagato’s ‘blackening’ and his subsequent path of making the world feel pain, claiming the lives of many Ninja, and becoming a major regret in Jiraiya’s heart.
Natsuki, of course, intended to change this storyline.
Furthermore.
Natsuki also understood that the reason Danzo would go so far as to betray Konoha’s intelligence and collude with Hanzou the Salamander was to seek external support, to help him when he found an opportunity to usurp power.
Years ago, Hanzou the Salamander single-handedly defeated Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade on the battlefield, making his name famous across the Five Great Nations.
It was then that Danzo harbored the idea of winning over Hanzou the Salamander.
Afterward, he continuously supplied Hanzou the Salamander with military intelligence from the Land of Fire in secret, which gave the Land of Rain the confidence to declare war on the Land of Fire, thereby creating an opportunity for Danzo to rise to power.
Over these years, the lives of many Konoha Ninja were sacrificed to Danzo’s ambition.
Danzo didn’t care about this.
“Wars brought about by political transitions inevitably lead to slaughter.
I feel regret for the Ninja who died in this battlefield, but I have no choice but to do so,” Danzo sighed.
He looked at Natsuki, his gaze sharp: “Fei, during your mission, I received intelligence that your Uchiha Clan members, under the call of their clan head Uchiha Fugaku, gathered once again, complaining about Konoha’s unfairness towards your clan.
What do you have to say about this?”
Natsuki slowly shook his head, remaining silent.
He stayed quiet, bowing his head slightly, maintaining a respectful posture, and listening to Danzo speak.
“Fei, if it were openly, and I knew about this matter, I would certainly reprimand your clan members for being ungrateful!
Where is the unfairness?”
“But that is only on the surface.
As a high-ranking political figure in Konoha, I have to say those words.
However, privately, I must admit, Konoha is indeed unfair to your clan members!
Extremely unfair!”
“The positions in the Konoha Military Police Force are like shackles placed on your clan members within Konoha.
It sounds impressive, and the pay is not low, but in reality, it prevents your clan members from ever reaching the center of Konoha’s political power!”
“After the passing of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, the succeeding Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, always guarded against your clan members, refusing to grant the Uchiha Clan even a shred of political power.”
“I thought that after Hiruzen Sarutobi snatched the position of Third Hokage from me, he would change your clan members’ situation, but I didn’t expect him to merely continue the political ideology of the Second Hokage.
Like Tobirama, he also guards against your clan members.”
Danzo spoke without reservation.
Especially when he mentioned Hiruzen Sarutobi, he appeared to be filled with rage.
He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word impactful: “Perhaps, in Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes, your clan members are not so much Konoha’s Military Police Force as they are dogs guarding Konoha!
How could this not make your Uchiha Clan members harbor thoughts of rebellion!
Fei, do you think I’m right?”
It really helps the fic grow!