455. The Anti-Danzō Alliance?

After dealing with the remnants of the Land of the Sky, Konoha returned to a state of calm.

Under Danzō's leadership, the new capital of the Land of Fire developed at an almost frenetic pace.


According to the population department's statistics, Konoha's permanent population had now surpassed two million.

Moreover, due to its ever-increasing attractiveness, this number was still rising rapidly.

Not only that, but the various new technologies developed by the research institute were continuously being put into practice.

Larger and faster trains were being manufactured, smoother cars were entering the market, the power system was becoming more robust, and the number of local police stations was steadily increasing.

Additionally, new films and other entertainment industries greatly enriched people's leisure lives...

In short, Konoha was now a vibrant, thriving place full of life and competition!

Of course, this prosperity and peace were only present within the Land of Fire.

Most other nations were still embroiled in war.

For example, the Land of Earth was still in the midst of civil war, the Land of Water was in a decisive battle, and even smaller nations like the Land of Rain, Land of Rivers, and Land of Grass, which had completed their reforms, were busy cleaning up the remnants of their nobility.

This situation led to a saying circulating throughout the shinobi world: "It's not the shinobi world that's at peace—it's just the Land of Fire."

Faced with such a situation, certain individuals with ulterior motives naturally couldn't sit still.

For example, Obito Uchiha, hiding underground in the Land of Grass.

Since the last incident in Kirigakure, he hadn't caused any trouble for a long time.

The main reason was his injuries.

Although Zetsu had expended a large number of White Zetsu to heal him, Danzō's strike had left him bedridden until now.

However, now that the skies had cleared and the rain had stopped, Obito immediately felt like he was back in action.

"The shinobi world shouldn't be like this!" Obito Uchiha stared at the current state of the shinobi world, where Konoha stood alone at the top, his heart filled with dissatisfaction.

"We can't let Konoha continue to develop like this. Otherwise, the entire shinobi world will face catastrophe!"

Listening to Obito's impassioned speech, Zetsu couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.

He was well aware that they couldn't allow Konoha to continue growing, but what could they do about it now?

In response, Obito narrowed his eyes and shared his idea.

"I think we should expand the Anti-Danzō Alliance to include all those who have been oppressed by Konoha—like Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure. We should form a grand Anti-Danzō Alliance! Only by uniting all the forces of the shinobi world can we hope to defeat Danzō!"

This time, Obito wasn't planning to fight alone.

Instead, he intended to exploit the hatred, fear, and resentment other nations felt toward Konoha, binding them together to confront Danzō!

Seeing that Obito wasn't planning to challenge Danzō one-on-one, Zetsu felt somewhat relieved.

However, upon hearing the latter part of the plan, his brow furrowed again.

"Right now, the Land of Earth and the Land of Water are still in the midst of intense civil wars. Isn't it a bit unrealistic to try to form an alliance with them now?"

Hearing this, Obito quickly got up from his sickbed.

He put on a long coat, donned his self-made six-path white mask, and gently picked up the Uchiha war fan left by Madara Uchiha.

In a confident voice, he said, "Since they're in the middle of civil wars, I'll help them end those wars. And then... I'll take back everything that belongs to me!"

---

At the frontline command camp in the Land of Earth.

Tsuchikage Ōnoki sat with a weary expression, clutching his aching lower back.

The long hours of desk work and intense combat had left this sixty-something-year-old man deeply exhausted.

However, what tired him more than his body was his spirit.

What truly worried him was the future of the Land of Earth.

Under the rapid development of the Land of Fire, the gap between the two nations had grown increasingly wide.

If this damned civil war couldn't be ended soon, the Land of Earth would stand no chance.

Just as he was consumed by worry, a figure suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"Who's there?!" Ōnoki immediately became alert, his chakra surging as he assumed a combat stance.

He stared at the masked man who had appeared before him, his eyes filled with wariness.

Before the man's arrival, Ōnoki hadn't sensed even a hint of his presence.

Moreover, the Tsuchikage's guard and the entire camp's security system had failed to detect him.

This was enough to prove that the newcomer's strength was not to be underestimated.

"Relax, Lord Tsuchikage. I mean no harm," Obito Uchiha said calmly.

"Who are you?" Ōnoki didn't lower his guard despite the man's words, continuing to press for his identity.

"As for my identity... I believe the Tsuchikage is somewhat familiar with it. To be honest, the Nine-Tails incident in Konoha was my doing," Obito chose to reveal his hand directly.

As for why he didn't continue using Madara Uchiha's name?

Mainly because Ōnoki was one of the few shinobi alive who had personally fought Madara.

Using Madara's name would easily expose him, so it was better not to.

"The Nine-Tails incident!" Ōnoki's eyes widened.

That was the most severe upheaval Konoha had faced in the past decade.

It was said that the mastermind behind it was a masked Uchiha...

"So it was you?" Ōnoki narrowed his eyes, his wariness deepening.

If this man could indeed cause such chaos, he was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous individual.

"Then what brings you here today?" Ōnoki asked.

He didn't believe an S-rank missing-nin like this would come to chat with him for no reason.

Seeing this, Obito no longer concealed his purpose and said directly, "I've come to propose a deal with the Tsuchikage."

He gently placed his hands on the wooden table in front of Ōnoki and offered an enticing bargaining chip.

"I can help you eliminate the daimyo of the Land of Earth."

Hearing this, Ōnoki's pupils contracted slightly.

Based on the abilities the masked man had just displayed, he indeed had the capability to do so.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Ōnoki calmly asked, "And the price?"

There was no such thing as a free lunch, and Ōnoki, known as the "Fence-Sitter," understood this better than anyone.

"I need you to join the Anti-Danzō Alliance I'm forming. We'll unite the forces of other nations to overthrow the dark rule of Danzō," Obito said in an icy tone, adding, "Whether it's Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, or Sunagakure, none of you can match Konoha anymore. As Konoha continues to grow, it's only a matter of time before Danzō dominates the entire shinobi world. Only by uniting can we resist Danzō's aggression!"