332. The Obstacle

"Lord Enishi, a high-ranking official of the Land of Fire, colluded with a group of merchants and nobles to hold an illegal assembly on an island near the Land of Waves, attempting to stage a rebellion!"

"Fortunately, Konoha promptly uncovered the plot and thwarted the coup attempt."

"Lord Enishi and his accomplices, guilty of heinous crimes and clear acts of treason, have now been executed."

As the sun rose the next day, this news spread like wildfire across the shinobi world.

In addition to the written account, the newspaper also published numerous photos.

These images showed Lord Enishi inciting a group of nobles to stand against Konoha, as well as scenes of chimera beasts and gladiators slaughtering each other, and the noble lords indulging in debauchery and exploiting slaves.

Such content naturally sparked widespread outrage among the populace.

As a result, they wholeheartedly applauded Konoha's decision to execute Lord Enishi and his cohorts.

To be precise, they applauded in secret.

Unlike the excitement of the common people, the noble lords across the Land of Fire reacted with fury upon hearing the news.

Utter fury!

They considered themselves noble aristocrats, the rightful rulers of the Land of Fire!

Yet now, in the eyes of those damned shinobi, they were being slaughtered like pigs and dogs?

This incident filled them with rage.

But after the anger came an overwhelming fear.

Because the man who had been killed was none other than the younger brother of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!

He was the Daimyo's most trusted confidant, without question.

If Konoha dared to kill someone like him, what chance did ordinary minor nobles like them have?

As for the rebellion mentioned in the news?

No one believed it!

Lord Enishi had already controlled half of the Land of Fire's wealth.

He had money, power, and influence. Under such circumstances, why would he rebel?

Rebel against himself?

Even if there were a rebellion, it would be against Konoha...

Thinking this, the nobles across the nation trembled in fear.

The Darkness of the Shinobi had already killed so many nobles in one fell swoop. What would come next?

Would he also slaughter the rest of them, the minor nobles who had previously troubled the Konoha Commerce Guild?

The impact of this incident was not limited to the Land of Fire. Nobles and Daimyos from other nations quickly responded.

They issued statements condemning Konoha's handling of the situation.

They believed this was a blatant violation of the national system established by the First Hokage himself!

In response to their condemnation, Lord Danzō merely smirked, appearing utterly unconcerned.

He sat leisurely in the Hokage's office, savoring a freshly brewed cup of tea.

"Lord Danzō, should we respond to the Daimyos' condemnation?"

Nara Shikaku asked.

This should have been the job of the Foreign Minister, Uchiha Shisui, but since he was still handling affairs in the Land of Rice, the ever-capable Shikaku had to step in.

Danzō took a sip of tea and replied calmly:

"Just respond as we did before. Those people were traitors plotting to seize power. Executing them was justified."

"Am I supposed to consider their noble status and wait for them to put a knife to my throat?"

Danzō's response was blunt but not without reason.

The evidence of Lord Enishi and his allies attempting to oppose Konoha was irrefutable, leaving little room for debate.

However, the handling of the situation was undeniably disrespectful to the nobles.

This was precisely what Shikaku and Minato were concerned about.

After all, the nobility still held significant influence in various nations.

What if they united and launched another war against Konoha?

Perhaps sensing their concerns, Danzō let out a cold laugh.

"Don't worry. Given the current state of the nations, they wouldn't dare to wage war against us."

"If they truly insist on being foolish, I wouldn't mind turning them into the next Cloud Village!"

Danzō's words might have sounded impulsive, but they were actually well-considered.

Given the current situation, Konoha's external environment was relatively stable in the short term.

The Sand Village was severely short on military funds, to the point where the Kazekage had to take on side jobs to make ends meet.

The Mist Village was entering its Bloody Mist era and would likely soon descend into civil war.

The Cloud Village had just been crippled and was busy recuperating.

As for the Stone Village, Ōnoki was a coward. Without someone else taking the lead, he would never make the first move...

Moreover, following Konoha's example, the Daimyos of other nations were likely beginning to fear their own shinobi villages.

Getting them to increase military spending for war wouldn't be easy.

This was precisely the effect Danzō hoped to achieve. While they were mired in mutual suspicion, he would swiftly consolidate power within the Land of Fire!

Hearing Danzō's confident remarks, Shikaku and Minato said nothing more.

There was no turning back now. Since they had followed Danzō this far, they had no choice but to press on, no matter how difficult the path ahead.

If they succeeded, they would be remembered in history.

If they failed, they would have no regrets.

Having come to this realization, Minato's expression turned serious. "What about the capital? How has the Daimyo reacted to this?"

As soon as En Oyashiro's operation began, Danzō had ordered increased surveillance over the entire capital.

In other words, every move in the capital was under Konoha's complete control.

Thus, when Minato asked the question, Shikaku immediately smiled meaningfully.

"The Daimyo was naturally furious upon hearing the news. If I'm not mistaken, his secretly trained Twelve Guardian Ninja will soon take action."

After saying this, Shikaku turned his gaze to Danzō, who was meditating with his eyes closed.

Under Danzō's direction, Konoha had gradually relaxed its control and surveillance over the Daimyo over the past year.

This allowed the Daimyo to secretly reconnect with his trusted aides, such as the Left Minister, who held significant power in the capital!

With Lord Enishi's financial support and the Left Minister's maneuvering, they had managed to recruit quite a few shinobi willing to serve the Daimyo.

Among them were even some powerful jōnin-level shinobi!

These were true visionaries who believed that the Land of Fire could only have one jewel, one sun—the Daimyo!

Konoha, in their eyes, was nothing more than a heretical force seeking to seize power.

Thus, they deeply resented Danzō's control over the Daimyo and vowed to change the existing system, granting the Daimyo absolute authority!

This mindset aligned perfectly with Danzō's own goals.

Both sides sought to unify the nation's power, with the only difference being that they wanted the Daimyo to hold all authority, while Danzō aimed for Konoha to lead the nation.

This was an irreconcilable conflict and an obstacle Danzō had to remove on his path forward!