307. Danzō's Expectations

As the Land of Earth would serve as Konoha's frontline against Kumogakure in the future, Danzō naturally had to ensure it was firmly under his control.

Moreover, the fat pig of a Daimyō before him clearly lacked any ability to govern a nation.

Rather than leaving such a person in power, it was better for Danzō to take full control himself.

This would also prevent the Daimyō from doing anything foolish and causing trouble.

"Handle things here for now," Danzō said before leaving the capital, entrusting Shisui with the responsibility of managing the Land of Earth's affairs.

This included setting up defenses, quickly restoring the country's productivity, and fostering cooperation between the Land of Earth and Konoha.

Although Kumogakure had signed a peace treaty with Konoha, Danzō still left a full thousand ninjas under Shisui's command to prevent Kumogakure from reneging on the agreement and causing further trouble.

At the same time, these ninjas would help stabilize the situation within the Land of Earth.

Shisui readily accepted these tasks.

After all, he was no longer the inexperienced rookie he once was.

He was now the disciple of the "Darkness of the Shinobi" and Konoha's Minister of Foreign Affairs!

To achieve his ideals sooner, Shisui knew he had to undergo more trials and challenges. This was the perfect opportunity to hone his skills.

However, among the tasks Danzō assigned him, there was one that gave him a headache...

"Teacher, what should we do about the Daimyō of the Land of Earth?"

This was indeed a difficult problem for Shisui.

According to intelligence gathered by Root, the Daimyō was not as "docile" as he appeared on the surface.

Instead, he was a ruthless and ambitious individual.

Once Danzō was gone, such a person would undoubtedly try every means to escape Root's control.

Shisui wasn't doubting his ability to handle such a person, but he wanted to know how far he could go.

To this, Danzō responded nonchalantly, "I recall that this man has a rather poor reputation among the people of the Land of Earth?"

Shisui nodded in confirmation. "To curry favor with the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure, he frequently imposed arbitrary tariffs, leaving the people in dire straits!"

Hearing this, Danzō stood up. "If it comes to it, just replace the Daimyō."

After leaving these words, Danzō walked out of the room and began his journey back to Konoha, leaving Shisui standing there deep in thought.

He understood what Danzō meant, but he was pondering something else.

If the Daimyō of the Land of Earth could be replaced... could the same be done for the Daimyō of the Land of Fire?

——————

After leaving the command post, Danzō didn't immediately head back to the village.

Instead, he sought out Hyūga Hizashi.

"Lord Danzō, do you have any orders?" Hizashi's attitude had grown increasingly respectful as Danzō's power and prestige continued to rise.

Clearly, he hadn't forgotten the agreement he had made with the "Darkness of the Shinobi" during the previous war.

For Hizashi, who had already pledged his loyalty, Danzō didn't beat around the bush.

"Regarding the removal of the Caged Bird Seal, I've made some progress."

These words instantly widened Hizashi's eyes, filling him with excitement.

Breaking free from the Caged Bird Seal and becoming a truly free bird was a dream buried deep in the heart of every Hyūga from the branch family.

Now that Danzō claimed to have a way to achieve this dream, how could he not be thrilled?

Without hesitation, Hizashi knelt on one knee, bowing his head deeply to the ground.

"Please tell me what I must do, Lord Danzō!"

As a seasoned shinobi who had been in the ninja world for many years, Hizashi understood the principle that "there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Therefore, he was prepared to pay any price. He didn't want his son to be born into the same fate, forever caged like a bird.

Surprisingly, Danzō didn't make any demands.

Instead, he gently helped Hizashi to his feet.

"Don't rush. Removing the Caged Bird Seal will require many experiments. During this time, I will keep you in the Land of Earth under the pretext of guarding against a surprise attack from Kumogakure. At the same time, compile a list of reliable individuals for me. I will have them come here to participate in the experiments and gather more data."

Hizashi accepted Danzō's proposal without hesitation.

As for the experiments, as long as they could remove the cursed seal on his forehead, he was willing to do anything.

"By the way, take this."

After Hizashi agreed to the arrangement, Danzō suddenly pulled out a scroll from his pocket.

Hizashi took the scroll, his face showing surprise. What he held in his hands was clearly a training scroll!

Seeing his reaction, Danzō explained, "This is Kumogakure's secret technique for training their ninja's physical abilities. Combined with the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan, it should yield some unexpected results."

The Byakugan had always been the most coveted kekkei genkai in Kumogakure, bar none.

That was why, in the original story, they had risked so much to try and kidnap Hinata, the Hyūga clan's heiress.

The reason was that the Byakugan was not only unparalleled in perception and reconnaissance but also enhanced taijutsu and chakra control, making it a perfect match for Kumogakure's famous physical techniques.

As for how Danzō obtained Kumogakure's training methods?

Naturally, it was through some "friendly negotiations."

He had spent many late nights visiting Kumogakure prisoners, summoning the King of Hell from the Hell Path to "entertain" them.

The only downside was that the Hell Path could only determine truth from lies and couldn't extract memories like the Human Path.

Otherwise, Danzō's job would have been much easier...

So, he had to take his time, asking questions and using the King of Hell to verify the truth, gradually piecing together the training methods for Kumogakure's physical techniques.

Fortunately, Danzō's fearsome reputation on the battlefield still carried weight.

After spending an entire night and executing over twenty Kumogakure ninjas, Danzō finally completed the basic training methods for Kumogakure's physical techniques.

Their accuracy had been verified by the King of Hell, so there shouldn't be any issues.

As for whether Hizashi could train to the level of the Third or Fourth Raikage, that would depend on his talent and comprehension.

Perhaps he could even integrate the Byakugan with Kumogakure's techniques and forge his own path?

Beyond that, Danzō also wanted to collect more data from the Hyūga clan members to see if he could uncover the secrets of evolving the Byakugan into the Tenseigan...

Danzō was filled with anticipation.