The Uchiha Clan's Sun

On paper, Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed far superior to Danzo Shimura!

But things are not as simple as they seem on the surface!

Danzo Shimura calmly said, "Kin Uchiha, what you said is all correct. Hiruzen's power is indeed very large, but precisely because of this, there are also many people who want a share of the pie on his side!"

"That old bastard Hiruzen's attitude towards the Uchiha clan is almost the same as mine. It's just that I stepped forward to draw the fire, which allowed him to maintain his hypocritical mask!"

"Under these circumstances, how much of the Uchiha clan's profits could he possibly share with you?"

"But it's different for me. As long as your Uchiha clan supports my rise to power, I guarantee that the benefits I receive will be enough to make your Uchiha clan eat their fill!"

"You should understand the difference between adding flowers to brocade and providing charcoal in the snow without me having to explain it!"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Jin glanced at Shimura Danzo in surprise. He hadn't expected that Shimura Danzo, who usually looked so gloomy, would actually have some of the qualities of a village leader now that he was standing in the sunlight!

Uchiha Jin shook his head and said, "Our Uchiha clan has heard you say these nice words countless times before. You should say something practical!"

Uchiha Jin also wanted to see just how low Shimura Danzo's bottom line had gone!

Danzo Shimura was prepared for this and said directly, "As far as I know, the only benefits that old man Hiruzen offered to your Uchiha clan were a few positions in the border garrison. The rest were just a few insignificant positions in the village."

"As you all know, Minato Namikaze was merely a puppet installed by Hiruzen to take power. Once Minato is in power, the village's policies will not change, and apart from some wealth, your Uchiha clan's status and situation will not change at all!"

"Hiruzen will continue to suppress your Uchiha clan, and those of you who are not part of the village's core decision-making will only be able to passively take the beating!"

"But supporting my ascension to power is a different story!"

After a pause, Shimura Danzo's tone became impassioned, and he said, "In order to become the Fourth Hokage, I have now completely broken ties with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado!"

"Once I take over, there will inevitably be a major reshuffle of positions in all departments of the village!"

"I can now make a promise to you: I will deliver on the benefits that Hiruzen Sarutobi promised for your Uchiha clan. In addition, I can give you an elder position in Konoha! This will allow your Uchiha clan to truly enter the core decision-making level of the village!"

Silence, deathly silence!

Upon hearing this, Fugaku Uchiha, Setsuna Uchiha, and Yashiro Uchiha all stared wide-eyed at Danzo Shimura in disbelief.

Even Uchiha Jin could not maintain his composure and showed a look of surprise.

Danzo Shimura was so desperate to rise to power that he even sold his underwear!

Chapter 165 Kill Sarutobi, Seize Funds!

"Is this true?!"

After realizing what had happened, the Second Elder, Uchiha Ya, immediately became restless and stared at Shimura Danzo with his blood-red three-tomoe Sharingan, asking him a question.

The elders of Konoha are the true core decision-making body of Konoha Village!

Since the founding of Konoha, only one member of the Uchiha clan has ever served as an elder of Konoha: Madara Uchiha!

However, Madara Uchiha's position as an elder of Konoha was due to the benefits of Konoha's founding, and Madara Uchiha himself never acknowledged his status as an elder of Konoha!

In Madara Uchiha's view, the position of Konoha elder was just compensation from Hashirama Senju for not becoming Hokage!

Therefore, Madara Uchiha never exercised the power of a Konoha elder.

Since Madara Uchiha defected from the village, the Uchiha clan has gradually faded out of the core decision-making level of Konoha. They have never served as Konoha elders, let alone as senior managers in any department other than the Konoha Guard.

That's why Uchiha Ya was so excited after hearing the promise made by Shimura Danzo!

Danzo Shimura's face showed no sign of falsehood as he calmly and firmly declared, "A king's word is his bond!"

Uchiha Ya's breathing became heavier. Although he wanted to agree to Shimura Danzo's request for cooperation immediately, he wisely remained silent and looked at Uchiha Jin, who was in charge.

Even Fugaku and Setsuna Uchiha looked at Jin Uchiha, waiting for his answer.

After the initial shock, Uchiha Jin quickly calmed down; a mere position as a Konoha elder could not shake his mind!

Uchiha Jin looked at Shimura Danzo and said calmly, "Danzo, you must have said this to more than just our Uchiha clan!"

Danzo Shimura didn't hide anything, nodding and saying, "Indeed, I made the same promise to the Hyuga clan, and now the Hyuga clan stands firmly on my side!"

"As long as your Uchiha clan can also support my rise to power, I will have the support of both the village's first and second most powerful clans. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi will not be able to stop my path!"

After pondering for a moment, Uchiha Jin shook his head and said, "Danzo, I admit that the conditions you offered are very generous, but words are not enough!"

"Your relationship with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado is quite close. Once you take over, they will realize the reality, and it's not impossible to repair your relationship then!"

"And even if your relationship completely breaks down, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado are now allied together. Even if you successfully take over, it won't be so easy to deal with them!"

"There are only so many elder positions in the village. If we can't deal with them, how can our Uchiha and Hyuga clans become elders of Konoha?"

"And if we deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado, the entire village will become your personal fiefdom, Danzo Shimura's!"

"At that point, whatever Shimura Danzo says will be law. Even if you turn your back on us and deny today's promises, there's nothing we can do about it!"

"The old fogies of the Hyuga clan might believe you, but you, Shimura Danzo, have absolutely no credibility with my Uchiha clan!"

Upon hearing Uchiha Jin's words, Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Setsuna, and Uchiha Ya realized that they had indeed made assumptions earlier!

Shimura Danzo's conditions were indeed very generous, but it was only if Shimura Danzo could fulfill his promises!

Was Danzo Kashimura truly a man of his word?

You should know that Root is the darkest of the dark, doing things that can't be seen in the light, just like the secret service of certain forces, and Shimura Danzo is the head of that secret service!

It's better to believe a sow can fly than to believe a spy chief will keep his promise!

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo remained remarkably calm, as if he had been prepared all along. He said directly, "I know it's difficult for you to trust me so easily, so I can offer you some benefits first, and at the same time, use one event to completely bind us together!"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Jin became interested and asked, "Oh, what are the benefits?"

Danzo Shimura held up three fingers and said, "Forbidden techniques from the three Books of Seals!"

"You've probably all heard of the sealing techniques. The records on it are all forbidden techniques collected from various sources since the founding of Konoha!"

"Many of these forbidden techniques can help one become a Kage-level powerhouse, just like Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique!"

"I will allow your Uchiha clan to freely choose three forbidden techniques from the Scroll of Sealing Techniques. This condition should be enough to show my sincerity!"

Uchiha Jin was also speechless upon hearing this. This Shimura Danzo really sold off his father's property without a care in the world!

It's important to know that the various forbidden techniques in the Scroll of Seals are usually rewards given to Konoha ninjas who have made significant contributions to the village, and they might not be given out for several years.

Shimura Danzo just casually gave away three of them. If Sarutobi Hiruzen knew about Shimura Danzo's generosity, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood!

Before Uchiha Jin could respond, Shimura Danzo continued, "Of course, your Uchiha clan is worried that I will not keep my promises after I succeed in taking power, and I am naturally worried that your Uchiha clan will go back on their word after receiving the benefits!"

"Therefore, we need an opportunity to build trust and also to pledge our loyalty to each other!"

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Uchiha Jin's eyes. He keenly realized that the opportunity that Shimura Danzo mentioned might be something earth-shattering!

Uchiha Jin spoke up: "Danzo, since you've come to win over our Uchiha clan, you must have already made preparations, right?"

Danzo Shimura nodded, but did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "You should already know that Hiruzen Sarutobi left the village today to report to the daimyo's prefecture, right?"

Although he didn't know why Shimura Danzo wanted to change the subject, Uchiha Jin nodded and said, "I know. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi is still in charge of village affairs and is considered the acting Hokage. It's natural that such a big thing as his departure from the village needs to be reported to the whole village!"

A fierce glint flashed in Shimura Danzo's eyes as he spoke, "Whether it's me becoming the Fourth Hokage or you Uchiha becoming Konoha Elders, Hiruzen Sarutobi is our biggest obstacle and our common enemy!"

"Since Hiruzen Sarutobi only took two ANBU squads with him when he left the village this time, it's a perfect opportunity to get rid of him!"

"I intend to cooperate with your Uchiha clan to jointly send men to kill Sarutobi and seize his funds!"

Chapter 166 Even the Hokage Can Be Killed!

Fugaku Uchiha, Setsuna Uchiha, and Ya Uchiha were stunned and stood there with their mouths agape after hearing Danzo Shimura's words!

Even a proxy Hokage is still a Hokage!

Danzo Shimura actually dared to plan to ambush Hiruzen Sarutobi on his way to the Daimyo's capital. That's incredibly audacious!

Uchiha Jin wasn't surprised by this, since in his mind Shimura Danzo was always very bold and had a 'previous record' of trying to assassinate the Hokage!

In the original storyline, after the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, died in the Nine-Tails' attack, the village was in a transitional period and there was no suitable candidate to become Hokage.

At that time, Danzo Shimura emerged, believing that the time had come for him to become Hokage.

To Danzo Shimura's utter surprise, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had already stepped down, stepped forward again, wanting to take over the position of Hokage once more.

Danzo Shimura knew he couldn't compete with Hiruzen Sarutobi, so he sent men to intercept and kill Hiruzen Sarutobi when he went to the daimyo's prefecture to report for duty, which is somewhat similar to the current situation!

Danzo Shimura continued, "You don't need to be too surprised. Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi were still the Hokage, so what?"

Those who achieve great things should not be bothered by trifles. If you don't even have this kind of courage, how can you accomplish great things?

"Hmph, so what if he's the Hokage? Anyone who blocks our path can be killed!"

Uchiha Jin was somewhat surprised to hear this; Shimura Danzo was now showing some signs of a ruthless and powerful figure!

Danzo Shimura spoke up again: "Besides, only something as important as killing the Hokage can truly bind us together! If word gets out that we've joined forces to kill the Hokage, none of us will be able to escape unscathed!"

"With this relationship in place, I don't need to worry that your Uchiha clan will take the benefits and not do anything, and your Uchiha clan doesn't need to worry that I will not keep my promises after I take power!"

"This is a win-win situation!"

After a pause, Shimura Danzo added, "Moreover, besides reporting on his duties, Hiruzen Sarutobi will also be applying for funds from the Daimyo's government to provide relief and develop the village. This is no small sum!"

"I can promise you that we'll split the money 30/70 after it's done!"

"Your Uchiha clan can take 30%!"

"Only 30%?" Uchiha Setsuna retorted instinctively, "We're working together, why should my Uchiha clan only get 30%? It should be at least a 50/50 split!"

"Heh," Shimura Danzo glanced at Uchiha Setsuna and said coldly, "You Uchiha shouldn't be too greedy! This amount of money is astronomical. You Uchiha can eat your fill if you take 30%, and I'm taking 70% to develop the village!"

"Not enough!" Uchiha Jin suddenly spoke up, "This is still not enough!"

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo frowned, pondered for a moment, and then gritted his teeth and said, "At most 35%!"

Uchiha Jin shook his head and said, "I'm not talking about money, but that your reason for killing Hiruzen Sarutobi is not good enough!"

"If it were just someone blocking your way, you might have wanted to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi, but you would never do it at such a crucial moment!"

"And there's no need to mention anything like 'pledge of allegiance' anymore. That's clearly just an excuse you use to tie my Uchiha clan to the war machine!"

"So there must be something we don't know about this!"

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo's expression immediately darkened, and his sinister gaze coldly fixed on Uchiha Jin.

Uchiha Jin remained expressionless, calmly meeting Shimura Danzo's gaze.

After a long silence, Shimura Danzo spoke in a cold voice: "I underestimated you. I didn't expect you to think of this!"

Uchiha Jin said calmly, "There must be something fishy going on! For Shimura Danzo to lower himself to try and win over my Uchiha clan, and even take such a big risk to intercept and kill Sarutobi Hiruzen, there must be a reason!"

"Danzo, if you want to cooperate with our Uchiha clan, you'd better be more honest!"

Danzo Shimura slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Last night I received news that Hiruzen Sarutobi's trip to the Daimyo's residence, besides reporting on his duties and requesting funds, will also include recommending Minato Namikaze to become the Fourth Hokage!"

"Although the daimyo cannot participate in the village's Hokage election, firstly, the Hokage position needs to be appointed by the daimyo, which is a matter of principle! Secondly, the daimyo's funding is an important source of revenue for the village, and the daimyo's attitude can also influence some wavering people in the village!"

"While what Hiruzen Sarutobi did may not change the overall situation, it was certainly disgusting!"

"Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi has already broken the rules, so naturally I cannot sit idly by and wait to die!"

Upon hearing Shimura Danzo's explanation, Uchiha Jin suddenly understood.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did act rather unfairly this time, which explains why Danzo Shimura was so angry.

Fugaku Uchiha then asked with a puzzled look, "Danzo, since you knew that the Third Hokage had another purpose in going to the Daimyo's capital, why did you wait until he was on his way back to intercept him?"

Danzo Shimura just said that in addition to intercepting and killing Hiruzen Sarutobi, they also want to seize the funds that Hiruzen Sarutobi obtained from the daimyo.

However, this would mean that the only way to kill him would be to intercept Hiruzen Sarutobi on his way back. By then, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have already met the daimyo and told him about Minato Namikaze. It would seem pointless for Danzo Shimura to kill him again.

Danzo Shimura explained, "There's nothing I can do. I received the news too late. Hiruzen Sarutobi is already on his way to the Daimyo's capital. It will take us time to mobilize our forces. It's definitely too late to intercept him on his way to the Daimyo's capital!"

"It doesn't matter if Hiruzen Sarutobi has met the Daimyo, as long as Hiruzen Sarutobi dies on the road and doesn't bring the news back to the village, there's still a chance to salvage the situation!"

"After Hiruzen Sarutobi is dead, I will personally go to talk to the daimyo!"

After a pause, Shimura Danzo looked at Uchiha Jin and said, "I have said all I need to say. I urge the Uchiha clan head to give me a reply as soon as possible, as time is running out!"

The reception room fell silent again, all eyes fixed on Uchiha Jin, awaiting his answer.

After pondering with his eyes closed for a long time, Uchiha Jin slowly opened them and said, "Cooperation is possible! But it must be based on successfully killing Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

"Our Uchiha clan can send a Kage-level ninja to participate in the operation to intercept Hiruzen Sarutobi. If successful, all will be well, but if the operation fails, our Uchiha clan will not admit it!"

"A Kage-level powerhouse is enough to prove the sincerity of our Uchiha clan, so we must obtain the three techniques from the Scroll of Sealing first!"

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected that there was a hidden Kage-level powerhouse among the Uchiha clan!