280. Danzo's Thunderous Methods

As Danzo slowly emerged from the shadows, the scene fell into an eerie silence. The expressions on everyone's faces varied greatly.

First, there was Minato.

The young Hokage, who had been in office for less than a year, let out a sigh of relief.

Danzo's appearance meant that the ongoing dispute would inevitably be quelled quickly.

As for how it would be resolved, that would depend on Senior Danzo's mood.

Minato didn't believe that Koharu Utatane, with her current influence in Konoha, could overpower Danzo, who controlled several key departments and was revered as a hero of the village.

Next was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the former Hokage.

His initial reaction was the same as Minato's—relief. But soon, his gaze toward Koharu was filled with deep concern.

He knew Danzo all too well. Beyond being strong-willed and radical, Danzo's most notable trait was his protectiveness, especially toward his direct disciples.

Koharu had just ruthlessly criticized Shisui, almost outright labeling him and the Uchiha clan as traitors.

Such actions would undoubtedly provoke Danzo's extreme anger.

In the past, Hiruzen, as Hokage, could have somewhat restrained Danzo.

But now, Danzo was one of the most powerful figures in Konoha, if not the most powerful.

As for the Hokage? Expecting Minato to suppress the man who had saved Kushina's life? That was simply absurd.

Watching the imposing Danzo, Hiruzen even muttered to himself: *Could this guy have been faking his coma to set a trap?*

This was something the "Darkness of the Shinobi" was entirely capable of doing—and not just once or twice...

Aside from Hiruzen and Minato, the happiest person present was Uchiha Shisui.

As the central figure in the dispute, the hostility he had shown during his confrontation with Koharu had completely vanished.

The moment he saw Danzo, the gloom around him dissipated, replaced by genuine joy and a smile. "Teacher, you're awake?"

Danzo patted his shoulder and said, "You did well. You didn't disgrace me."

Danzo's words were sincere.

He had taken Shisui as his disciple not only to earn his gratitude but also to influence his character.

What was Shisui like before? Naive, kind, always thinking of the village.

Such a personality would have been fine in a peaceful era, in a peaceful world.

But this was the ninja world, and his surname was Uchiha.

The village he belonged to was Konoha.

Just the name "Uchiha" destined him to a life far from ordinary.

In the original timeline, Shisui, the prodigy, had been torn between the village and his clan, two opposing forces that ultimately destroyed him.

He paid the price for his naivety and kindness—not only were his eyes gouged out, but he also chose to end his own life, unable to face the future he dreaded. Such an ending was undeniably tragic.

That was why Danzo felt genuine joy seeing his disciple, who had become decisive and resolute after his coma.

If Shisui had done nothing and allowed the village to accept the humiliating terms of peace with Kumogakure, Danzo would have been so furious that he might have jumped out of his sickbed.

Fortunately, Shisui had chosen to stand his ground, using himself as bait to lure the Kumo envoys into attempting an assassination, thereby seizing the moral high ground.

Once this news spread throughout the village, the villagers would undoubtedly be outraged.

At that point, even if the higher-ups didn't want to go to war, they would have no choice.

In short, Danzo was quite satisfied with how Shisui had handled the situation.

Praised by his teacher, Shisui finally allowed a faint smile to appear on his face.

In contrast, Koharu's expression turned grim.

Facing the dark-faced Danzo, she felt a pang of unease.

At some point, she, Homura Mitokado, and even Hiruzen had begun to feel an overwhelming pressure when dealing with Danzo.

It was as if they were facing their teacher, Tobirama Senju, once more.

"Danzo, I didn't expect you to wake up so soon. I was only trying to maintain the village's stability, so I..." Koharu's self-justification was abruptly cut off by Danzo.

"So, to maintain the village's stability, you can freely slap the label of traitor on the Uchiha clan? Do you have any idea what kind of impact your words tonight would have on the Uchiha clan if they were to spread?" Danzo's face was as dark as thunder.

In the original timeline, the Uchiha clan had been pushed to the village's opposing side step by step due to such baseless accusations.

Now that Danzo was here, he would never allow such a thing to happen again.

Faced with Danzo's questioning, Koharu was still unwilling to back down. "Danzo, you saw it too, didn't you? The Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes couldn't have been faked! Other than the Uchiha clan, who else in this world possesses the Sharingan?"

She stared intently at Danzo, trying to glean something from his expression.

After all, Danzo had once been the foremost anti-Uchiha figure, inheriting their teacher's ideology.

Why was he now defending the Uchiha at every turn?

Danzo nodded faintly. "The Nine-Tails' rampage was indeed controlled by the Sharingan."

At this, not only Koharu but also Hiruzen, Minato, and the other Konoha higher-ups showed surprise.

Even the others present began to look at Shisui with subtle changes in their expressions. If Lord Danzo also believed this, then perhaps the Uchiha really did have some issues...

However, Shisui himself remained calm. He knew that, barring any surprises, his teacher was about to say "but."

Sure enough, after a pause, Danzo continued, "But! Having the Sharingan doesn't necessarily mean one is an Uchiha. For example, I also possess the Sharingan, as does Kakashi. Additionally, Uchiha Madara, a rogue ninja from the Uchiha clan, also has the Sharingan. To use this as a reason to pin the enemy's identity on the Uchiha clan is far too hasty."

Danzo's words left Koharu speechless. "In any case, I have my own methods for determining the identity of the attacker. As for the Uchiha, without concrete evidence, if anyone dares to label them without cause, don't blame me for charging them with undermining village unity!"

Danzo's voice wasn't loud, but it struck like a warning bell in everyone's hearts. With his declaration and warning, the so-called "Uchiha threat theory" would soon lose traction within Konoha.

Even Koharu, a high-ranking Konoha official, had to shut her mouth, not daring to push the issue further.

But Danzo's counterattack was far from over.

"Since we're on the topic of traitors, could Elder Koharu please explain why your trusted aide, the deputy director of Konoha Hospital, Mitarashi Mayoi, is a spy planted by Kumogakure within Konoha?"

With that, En Oyashiro, wearing the "Dragon" mask, threw Mitarashi Mayoi in front of Koharu.

The once-prominent medical ninja, who held a high position in the medical department, now lay curled up on the ground like a shrimp.

Many of her bones had been crushed by Shisui during the fight. If not for the need to extract information, Shisui could have easily reduced her to a bloody pulp. But now, she served as the perfect evidence for Danzo to implicate Koharu.

Sure enough, when Mitarashi was thrown in front of Koharu, the elder was stunned.

"You... you're a spy planted by Kumo?" Koharu's face turned pale as she looked at the woman on the ground, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Mitarashi had been one of her most trusted aides.

She had practically watched her grow up, taught her medical ninjutsu, and personally promoted her.

Their bond was almost akin to that between Hiruzen and his students, Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

Thus, Koharu couldn't accept this reality—that someone so close to her, almost like a daughter, had been a spy for Kumo all along.

Seeing the elder's near-breakdown, Mitarashi wore a look of satisfaction.

Even as blood spilled from her mouth, she forced herself to speak through the pain.


"Lady Koharu, do you know? For over a decade, I've been suppressing my hatred for Konoha. Today... today is the happiest day of my life. Because... because I almost managed to kill that damned Darkness of the Shinobi. Just a little more... just a little more, and I could have avenged my parents. It's a pity... such a pity."

With her final words, she bit down, activating a hidden poison. In just a second, the long-time Kumo spy was dead.

Seeing this, Koharu instinctively moved to save her, but such a loyal spy was nearly impossible to capture alive.

Even if they succeeded, the numerous seals in her mind would likely prevent any useful information from being extracted. With the spy's death, Koharu's face turned ashen.

Danzo showed no pity.

He had long since lost patience with Koharu and Homura.

Though they claimed to act in Konoha's best interests, their inherent weakness and astonishingly foolish thinking had crossed Danzo's bottom line.

If he didn't take this opportunity to deal with them, who knew what kind of trouble they would cause in the future?

Especially during this critical period, Danzo couldn't afford to be stabbed in the back by his own people.

With that in mind, he issued his orders without hesitation: "Due to Elder Koharu's involvement in the Kumo spy case, she is hereby temporarily removed from all her positions. Until the truth is fully investigated, she is not to leave her residence!"

Danzo's harsh command shocked everyone present.

This was essentially a dismissal and house arrest! As for how long the investigation would take, that was entirely up to Lord Danzo.

Even Hiruzen couldn't help but step forward to intercede. "Danzo, Koharu is a high-ranking member of the village. Isn't this punishment a bit too severe?"

Typically, even if there were conflicts among the higher-ups, they would at most reprimand each other.

For example, when Hiruzen was Hokage, the most he had done was reduce the size of the Root organization. He had never formally stripped Danzo of his control over Root.

Thus, Danzo's actions now were tantamount to tearing off all pretenses.

Unfortunately, Danzo cared little for such pretenses. He coldly glanced at Hiruzen and said, "Even if it's a Konoha elder, anyone involved in betraying the village's interests must be treated equally. If Elder Koharu is indeed innocent, I will naturally lift all restrictions on her." Before Hiruzen could say more, Root ninja began to appear around Danzo. At the same time, Koharu's own Anbu subordinates stepped forward. Seeing this, Danzo sneered, and a terrifying killing intent erupted from him. Instantly, the Anbu ninja felt as if their blood had frozen in their veins!

"Anyone who resists Root's enforcement will be treated as a rogue ninja. Move out." Danzo's tone was icy.

Under his command, the Root ninja advanced, ready to eliminate the "rogue ninja" in one fell swoop.

However, under Danzo's oppressive aura, they offered no resistance, simply watching as Koharu was taken away by Root.

Even Koharu herself didn't resist much, perhaps still reeling from Mitarashi's betrayal.

Homura, who arrived late, couldn't help but shrink his neck at the sight.

Even Minato, the Hokage, said nothing.

He could clearly sense the resolve emanating from Danzo—a resolve that would not yield under any circumstances. This determination aligned perfectly with the young Hokage's own beliefs.

Thus, even if Danzo's methods were somewhat extreme, Minato didn't voice any objections.

In such turbulent times, only Danzo's iron-fisted approach could unite the village's forces and prove to the entire ninja world that Konoha was no pushover.

Even after suffering heavy losses, they remained the strongest in the ninja world.

In the end, under Danzo's decisive actions, Konoha's higher-ups finally unified their will. After all, those who didn't align with this unity had already been removed. Now, there was only one thing left to do: prepare for war!!