300. Return to the Village!

As the leader of the Root, Danzo, the master of intelligence, was well aware of the recent changes in the village.

However, when he returned and saw his own face carved on the Hokage Rock alongside the past Hokages, he couldn't help but feel a surge of unique emotions.

In the original story, Danzo's greatest regret was not stepping forward during the Second Hokage's test, which led to the Hokage position falling into the hands of Sarutobi Hiruzen. This was a lifelong pain for him!

Thus, Danzo's greatest wish was to one day ascend to the Hokage's seat.


Therefore, during Pain's assault on Konoha, he remained hidden in the shadows.

It wasn't until Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, fell into a coma that he used the power of the Root to smoothly become the 5.5th Hokage—the acting Hokage!

Originally, he planned to attend the Five Kage Summit as the Hokage and use Kotoamatsukami to control Mifune, the samurai leader, to secure the position of commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Unfortunately, at the critical moment, he was seen through by Ao from Kirigakure.

Later, he faced Sasuke's vengeance, was forced into a desperate situation, and had no choice but to activate the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, perishing along with the bridge...

But in this timeline, Danzo did not resort to schemes and political manipulation as his original self did. Instead, he fought bravely on the battlefield, leading from the front and protecting the younger generation.

Unknowingly, he achieved the dream that his former self could never attain. It can only be said that... timing and fate are unpredictable.

However, what surprised and delighted Danzo even more was something else—skill points!

After the statue was erected, the number of skill points on Danzo's system panel skyrocketed. Perhaps it was because whenever the villagers saw the statue, they would remember Lord Danzo's great achievements and feel a sense of gratitude.

In any case, Minato's proposal truly brought Danzo significant benefits, leaving him quite satisfied.

Similarly satisfied were those standing by Danzo's side, such as Ryoma and Shisui. As Danzo's close confidants, seeing their leader and teacher finally being immortalized alongside the past Hokages on the highest point of Konoha filled them with pride!

Looking at the statue of Danzo on the Hokage Rock, with its bandaged face and a cross-shaped scar on the chin, Shisui smiled faintly: "They really captured his likeness, and their efficiency is impressive."

Shisui wasn't exaggerating.

After all, only five days had passed since the end of the war.

In just five days, Lord Danzo's statue was completed with such precision—it could truly be called a masterpiece!

What, you say Earth Release ninjutsu could have done it in an instant?

Leaving aside whether Konoha's Earth Release users could control chakra so precisely, even if they could, Minato would never have allowed it.

The statues of the past Hokages were all hand-carved.


Only through manual carving could the workers show their respect and admiration for Lord Danzo!

After five days and nights of intense work, they finally completed the statue just before Danzo's return to the village.

It was a surprise prepared for Danzo, Konoha's great hero!

Although the surprise was somewhat spoiled, it was still a heartfelt gesture.

Thus, amidst the cheers of all the villagers, Danzo led his team, escorting over a thousand Kumo captives, and marched grandly through the gates of Konoha!

The enthusiastic cheers of the villagers and the dejected Kumo captives formed a stark contrast at that moment. Each cheer felt like an arrow piercing the captives' hearts.

Yet, despite this, none of the Kumo ninja dared to show any sign of rebellion.

Not just in Konoha, but throughout the long journey from the border to the village, none of the thousand Kumo ninja attempted to escape or resist.

In fact, due to limited personnel and resources, Danzo had only placed simple restraints on the captives. For ninja, as long as their chakra wasn't sealed, there were countless ways to break free.

Yet, from start to finish, not a single one of them tried. And all of this was because of the man leading the procession—Shimura Danzo!!

Even now, most of the Kumo captives still recall the fear of being dominated by Danzo. The bloody scenes often replay in their minds!

After all, those were over a thousand lives! They roared, charged forward with incredible courage, and then, as if they had violated some unknown taboo, were instantly beheaded or cut in half!

More importantly, neither the participants nor the onlookers could see how Danzo launched his attacks.

No one knew where the strikes came from or how to avoid them! It was this abyss-like despair that instilled such deep fear in them.

Some captives still wake up in the middle of the night, crying like children.


In such a state, expecting them to escape under Danzo's watchful eye? That was simply impossible, unless they had a death wish...

Thanks to this, Danzo was able to escort such a large number of Kumo ninja back to the village with so few personnel.

If it weren't for necessity, Danzo, who believed in making the most of resources, would never have considered killing them.


After all, in this era, ninja were highly valuable.

These captives could be used for negotiations with Kumo, as laborers, or for experiments—they held immense value.

They had to be utilized properly!


However, the sheer number of captives temporarily overwhelmed Konoha's prison capacity.

Danzo had no choice but to expedite the processing of a large number of high-security prisoners, sending them to the Root to replenish Hiruko's research materials.

After handling the captives, Danzo headed straight to the Hokage's office. Before he could even enter, Minato rushed out and gave him a hearty embrace.

"Congratulations on your triumphant return, Senior Danzo!"

"This time, it was all thanks to you, Senior Danzo!"

Minato poured all his enthusiasm into greeting Danzo, his senior and great benefactor.

Faced with such warmth, Danzo smiled gently, his eyes revealing a hint of kindness and satisfaction.

"Alright, Minato, you're the Hokage now. Be a bit more composed."