Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 446 Taking Action Against the Ninja Clan

"Uchiha Fire Core! Remember your place! I am still the Hokage of Konoha!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly stood up, his gaze sharpening beneath his Hokage hat, and the imposing presence of a "Hero of the Ninja" once more emanated from him: "I will make my own decisions regarding the frontline battle reports. How to assess merits and demerits is none of your business! Everything will be discussed and dealt with after the detailed battle reports are submitted! Now, all of you, get out!"

In the end, he could only rely on his status as Hokage to forcefully suppress this coup.

Seeing this, Uchiha Kaku and the others knew that they would not be able to make much progress today. They snorted coldly and led their group away.

In the empty Hokage's office, only Hiruzen Sarutobi remained. He slumped back into his chair, put down his pipe, and began to cough violently, his face flushed an unnatural red.

"Danzo? The ninja clan?" he murmured to himself, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

The great victory at the front was certainly something to celebrate, but it seemed to make him, the Hokage, appear even more incompetent. And now that his old comrade Danzo held considerable power and his achievements threatened his position, would Danzo still support him as before?
An unprecedented sense of isolation and crisis enveloped him.

He must find out Danzo's attitude as soon as possible!

With this in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi mustered his strength, unrolled the scroll, and picked up his pen. He had to write a letter to Danzo at the front lines—a letter to test the waters and, at the same time, to try to win him back to his side.

The pen hovered over the scroll for a long time before finally writing a line:

"My dear friend Danzo, it is as if we are meeting in person. I am delighted to hear of the great victory at the front. This is a great achievement of yours and a blessing for Konoha. However, the situation within the village is treacherous, and old friends have been scattered. I only hope that you will not forget the camaraderie we shared back then. The stability of Konoha still requires our joint efforts..."

The letter contained a subtle plea and attempt to win him over. After writing it, Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully sealed it and summoned an absolutely loyal ANBU member.

"Deliver it to Elder Danzo personally as quickly as possible."

Watching the disappearing figures of the Anbu, Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, gazing at the darkening sky outside the window, his heart filled with uncertainty.

How effective will this letter be? Will Danzo still support him as he did when Danzo first became Hokage?

Sitting in the empty Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi unconsciously tapped his fingertips on the desk, making a dull sound.

Night had fallen outside the window, but his heart was heavier than the darkness. Danzo's victory on the front lines was a double-edged sword. While it stabilized the situation in Konoha, it also shook his position as Hokage.

"Danzo...now that he holds considerable military power, given his personality, would he willingly remain subordinate to anyone?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself, his brows furrowed, "He has long coveted the Hokage position, and now that he has achieved such great merit, he probably can no longer hold back."

Then, he turned his attention to another piece of information about Umino Sasuke: "Both legs are broken, he is focused on studying Yang Release Regeneration Techniques, and has no interest in power... He is much easier to control than Danzo."

A shrewd calculation flashed in his eyes. "A disabled hero focused on research is far less of a threat than Danzo, who holds military power."

The essence of politics lies in balance and checks and balances.

Danzo is powerful, and it is time to introduce forces to counter him. The ninja clan is one such force, and Sasuke Umino might also be a good pawn.

With that in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer hesitated and unfurled the scroll once more. This time, his writing became earnest and full of righteousness.

"Squad Leader Sasuke, I am relieved to see you. I heard that you once again turned the tide on the western front, preserving the foundation of Konoha and boosting our military prestige. It is truly thanks to the protection of Tobirama-sensei in heaven... I am heartbroken to hear of your leg injuries. I hope you will devote yourself to studying the forbidden Yang Release techniques and recover soon."

Then, the writing style shifted, subtly hinting and guiding the reader.

"Although Danzo has rendered great service, he has always acted aggressively and ruthlessly. Now, riding the wave of victory, he may become arrogant and uncontrollable... Furthermore, the various ninja clans are deeply intertwined. If they were to seize this opportunity to grow powerful and intervene in the core of the elders' council, it could lead to a repeat of the Sand Village's fate, where clan power supersedes village administration. This is absolutely not the original intention of Tobirama-sensei in establishing Konoha's advanced system! As Tobirama-sensei's successor, you bear the heavy responsibility of maintaining Konoha's stability and unity. You must not stand idly by..."

Finally, he threw out a tantalizing bait.

"Once your legs recover, with your achievements, abilities, and bloodline, the future Hokage position is undoubtedly yours. The current situation requires you to take command of the Iron Wall Army to create a check on Danzo; this is also for the long-term benefit of Konoha..."

A letter that contains the care of an elder, the entrustment of the Hokage, and a promise for the future, blends recruitment, warning, and exploitation into one.

It was a brilliant move that killed three birds with one stone, causing Danzo, Umino Sasuke, and the ninja clan to clash and check each other. Hiruzen Sarutobi's political skills were truly remarkable.

……

Frontline camp.

Upon receiving Hiruzen Sarutobi's letter, Danzo presented it to Sasuke Unno.

Umino Sasuke had just received the letter. He quickly glanced through it, a mocking smile creeping onto his lips, before casually handing it to Danzo.

"You see, our Hokage is really 'thinking about' you."

Danzo took the letter, his one eye scanning the words on it. His face gradually turned ashen, and his hand holding the letter trembled with anger.

"Damn it!" Danzo roared, unable to contain his rage. "Hiruzen Sarutobi, you're not even human! Everything I, Danzo, have done, was for Konoha! Everything I've done, wasn't it all for him? Wasn't it all done with his tacit approval or even his instructions? That's why I've borne countless infamy for him! Now that he feels threatened, he digs it up to slander me. It's...it's utterly shameless!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, a cold glint flashing in his single eye: "And this balancing act! He wanted me, you, and the ninja clan to fight to the death so he could sit back and fish from the sidelines. What a shrewd plan! But he never dreamed that I, Danzo, had already abandoned the darkness and pledged allegiance to you! His scheme is doomed to fail!"

Sasuke Unno calmly looked at the enraged Danzo and said indifferently, "Hiruzen Sarutobi is no longer a threat. The real trouble lies with the deeply entrenched ninja clans."

He tapped the table lightly, his brow furrowed slightly. "The Ino-Shika-Cho clan alone has a close relationship with me. If I were to deal with them personally, I would inevitably be branded as callous and ungrateful. The Uchiha clan is quite strong, but their personalities are too fierce. Pushing them too hard could lead to a major upheaval. The Hyuga clan seems very disciplined, but their corrupt main and branch family system is an area I will inevitably have to touch upon in my future reforms, and the backlash will certainly be fierce. These ninja clans are the root of Konoha's deep-seated problems and the biggest obstacle to my future leadership of Konoha."

"My lord, let me make this knife! I, Danzo, am the most suitable person to do these dirty and tiring jobs. I will definitely clear all obstacles for you!" A ruthless glint flashed in Danzo's eyes.

"No, the ninja clan isn't stupid. If you do everything, they'll eventually realize that I'm the mastermind. This is a heavy burden, and you might not be able to carry it all by yourself."

Umino Sasuke shook his head, then a deep light flashed in his eyes, "Why don't you let Hiruzen Sarutobi share this huge burden?"

Upon hearing this, Danzo's one-eyed man was initially taken aback, but then his eyes blazed with a brilliant light, an indescribable sense of vengeful pleasure welling up within him. "Let Hiruzen Sarutobi take the blame for me?! Brilliant! My lord! Before, he always stood in the light, while I secretly handled all the dirty work and bore the brunt of everything! Now, it's time for him to taste the bitterness of being a scapegoat! Hahaha!"

He could almost picture Hiruzen Sarutobi being unable to defend himself in the future, and the thought filled him with an unprecedented sense of pleasure.

"In that case, let's cooperate and give our Hokage a surprise."

……

Konoha Village, Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi soon received a reply from the front lines.

He first opened Danzo's letter. In the letter, Danzo spoke with arrogance and indignation, vehemently criticizing the greed and incompetence of the ninja clans. He believed that they were preserving their strength and disregarding the interests of the village, making them a cancer on Konoha's development. He also strongly stated that in order to integrate the forces of all parties on the front lines and deal with various future threats, it was necessary to restrict and rectify the ninja clans.

"Danzo, you still haven't given up your evil intentions!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi put down Danzo's letter, a cold glint in his eyes. "Having just seized power from Sasuke Umino, he's already eager to expand his sphere of influence. His ambition to seize the Hokage position is blatantly obvious!"

He then picked up Umino Sasuke's letter.

The tone of this letter was much more "sincere," and even carried a hint of "pedantry."

In his letter, Umino Sasuke first expressed his gratitude for the Hokage's concern, and then emphasized that due to his disability, he had no interest in political affairs and only wanted to develop the Yang Release Regeneration Technique as soon as possible so that he could continue to serve Konoha.

Regarding the Hokage's hint about counterbalancing Danzo, he stated that he would keep the Hokage's teachings in mind and stabilize the Iron Wall Army when necessary, but all actions would be in accordance with the Hokage's orders and he would never provoke internal conflicts.

Throughout the story, he is portrayed as a loyal and capable ninja who lacks ambition and is conscientious in fulfilling his duties.

"Sasuke is sensible and self-aware, and he knows the face of a great nation."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction. "A disabled ninja certainly couldn't become Hokage. His understanding has saved me a lot of trouble."

Upon comparing the two, the scales in his heart immediately tipped.

Danzo must be suppressed with caution, while Sasuke Umino can be used to counterbalance him. As for the ninja clan, they need to be even more vigilant. Letting them fight each other like dogs and wear each other down is the best strategy.

"Want military power? Fine, I'll give it to you!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. "Let you fight the ninja clans to the death! Once you've completely offended the ninja clans, let's see who will still vote for you. As for wanting to stage a coup, with Sasuke Umino and Sakumo Hatake watching over you, plus my three unfilial disciples, Danzo, you'd better not seek your own death!"

With this arrangement, he seemed to see a perfect ending where he could kill three birds with one stone.

Therefore, without further hesitation, he formally issued two orders to the front lines in the name of Hokage:
First, Danzo was appointed as the frontline commander-in-chief, with the authority to reorganize the two thousand ninja clan soldiers to improve combat efficiency and prepare for the possible invasion of the Land of Earth.

Second, he ordered Umino Sasuke to regain full command of the Iron Wall Army, responsible for maintaining stability at the front and assisting Danzo in reorganizing the troops to ensure the smooth execution of the Hokage's orders.

The orders were transmitted rapidly to the front lines via an encrypted channel.

……

Upon receiving the official order bearing the Hokage's seal, Danzo's single eye instantly blazed with wild joy.

"Monkey, you really fell for the trap!" He was so excited he almost roared to the sky, holding the order as if it were a priceless treasure. "Hahaha! With this Hokage order, let's see how arrogant those ninja clans can be now?!"

He acted immediately and decisively.

In the name of the frontline commander, he summoned all the Jonin and publicly read out the Third Hokage's latest instructions: to register and organize the two thousand clan soldiers, break up their original organization, and integrate them into the Konoha regular ninja army, under the unified command and dispatch of the headquarters.

The order caused an uproar!

The representatives of the ninja clan, in particular, could hardly believe their ears.

"What?! Reorganize our tribal army?!"

"This is impossible! There has never been such a precedent!"

"Danzo! You're falsely conveying the Hokage's orders! You're trying to seize power!"

After a brief period of silence, a volcanic eruption of protests and opposition erupted.

The entire command center erupted into chaos. Representatives from various ninja clans were indignant, and even the usually composed Hyuga Muneyoshi's face instantly darkened to the point of being dripping with gloom.

The representatives of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans were also sweating profusely. Although they were loyal to the Hokage, their clan soldiers were the foundation of their clans, and they could not easily hand them over.

Danzo was prepared. Facing the surging tide of opposition, he glared with his one eye, unleashing a fierce killing intent, and shouted sternly, "Insolence! This is an order personally signed by the Third Hokage! It's written in black and white, the seal is clear! Are you trying to disobey orders?! Are you trying to rebel?!"

With a wave of his hand, the elite troops of the Root and the direct subordinate secret agents who had been waiting outside instantly poured in, subtly surrounding the command post, and a chilling aura permeated the air.

Suppressing his shock and anger, Hyuga Muneyoshi stepped forward, his white pupils fixed on Danzo, and argued forcefully:
"Elder Danzo! Even the Hokage's order must conform to village rules and customs! The various clans of Konoha have their own traditions, and clan soldiers are the foundation for the clan's existence! The First and Second Hokage respected this tradition during their reigns! How can you forcibly strip them of their rights with a single order? If this precedent is set, the foundation of Konoha will be shaken. Can you bear the consequences?!"

"Tradition? Foundation?" Danzo scoffed, his voice cold and oppressive. "This is the time of the Ninja War, where victory is paramount! The Land of Earth's gates are wide open; this is the time for us to expand our gains and reap the greatest benefits for Konoha! You, for the sake of your own clan's selfish interests, disregard the greater good of the village and obstruct the integration of the army. This is what truly shakes the foundation of Konoha! I see you are blinded by selfishness and no longer deserve to be called Konoha ninjas!"

"you--!"

Hyuga Muneyoshi was trembling with anger, but was speechless for a moment.

(End of this chapter)