Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Chapter 91: International Developments

*Konoha.*

"Danzo, you're going too far. We're in the middle of a war!"

In the Hokage's office, Shimura Danzo's face turned dark as he faced the disapproving gazes of Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. He felt frustrated.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sitting at his desk, silently took a puff of smoke before addressing Danzo in a calm tone:

"Danzo, I understand your ambition to become Hokage, but this is wartime. This will be the last time Root operates independently."

Already irritated by Homura and Koharu's distrust, Danzo's frustration only grew with Hiruzen's warning.

"Hiruzen! Is that really how you see me, Shimura Danzo?!"

Danzo felt an unprecedented sense of injustice. For years, he had been quietly managing Root and handling conflicts from the shadows. Now, he was being blamed as if he was guilty.

Even worse, Sarutobi's silent expression regarding this intelligence leak seemed to imply, "Who else could it be but you? I know you well enough."

"We are comrades, Danzo."

Homura and Koharu's words of "comrades" nearly made Danzo spit blood in frustration. He was innocent this time, yet the methods used were so familiar to his own that he almost doubted himself.

"Root will investigate this matter thoroughly!"

As Danzo spoke with pent-up anger, he suddenly paused, noticing the others all staring at him with suspicion.

How could such sensitive information have been leaked? Who stood to gain the most from it?

Suddenly, a thought struck him. Other than himself, who else would benefit most from this situation?

Both the Uchiha and Senju clans would gain fame, but at the same time, it would implant the idea in the minds of Konoha's ninja that perhaps the Hokage's authority was insufficient.

Revealing this to the public would isolate powerful clans like the Uchiha and Senju.

At that moment, Danzo shot an angry glare at Sarutobi Hiruzen, thinking, *You sly Sarutobi! Crying foul while manipulating things behind the scenes!*

*We’re not done here!*

---

*The Land of Rain*, a country constantly plagued by rainy weather, found itself at a loss against the strength of larger nations, even with the support of Hanzo the Salamander, who was known as a demigod.

In the ongoing war, the Land of Rain's economy had collapsed, with civilians displaced, and bandits, rogue ninjas, and power-hungry individuals multiplying amidst the turmoil.

---

*In Amegakure.*

"Lord Hanzo, we've received the latest intelligence: the Sand ninja are considering a ceasefire with us to join forces against Konoha."

Reading the intelligence, Hanzo, who wore a gas mask, let out a cold laugh.

"Ha! That old hag Chiyo has the nerve. First, she seizes our lands, pillages our resources, and then turns around to form an alliance! These big nations are even more shameless than us smaller ones!"

Having initially been ambitious to establish a sixth Great Ninja Village, Hanzo had lost much of his drive after witnessing the devastation of war. Now, he just wanted the conflict to end.

"My lord!"

Hanzo fell silent for a moment before rasping to his subordinate:

"Tell the Sand that we’re willing to form an alliance to fight Konoha."

"Understood!"

After his subordinate left, Hanzo looked down at the map on his desk, his eyes filled with endless resentment.

"The Sand is greedy, but Konoha is no better, spreading war to small nations like ours. Even the Earth Country, opportunistic as it is, exploits the situation by trading cheap grain for our rare resources."

This experience had shown Hanzo the greedy, hypocritical faces of these so-called great nations. The Earth Country, while publicly advocating for peace, took advantage by trading for their precious resources at low prices.

"The war has dragged on too long. Either we join the Sand to defeat Konoha and push the conflict to the borders of the Fire Country, or ally with Konoha to end the fighting quickly."

Studying the strategic maneuvers marked on the map, Hanzo’s gaze sharpened as he quietly moved his finger over Konoha's territory.

"If we ally with Konoha, perhaps this war could end sooner!" While Sand and Stone were greedy, at least Konoha shared his desire to conclude the conflict.

After all, the longer the war persisted, the more likely it was for Cloud and Mist to get involved, a scenario Konoha wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Perhaps a dialogue with Konoha is worth considering."

As this thought crossed his mind, Hanzo glanced at the alliance scroll sent by the Sand and let out a sarcastic laugh.

"With these big nations, you have to show strength, or the Land of Rain will forever remain a minor player."

---

The steady rain splashed against the window, misting the glass. Outside, a few civilians in a desolate town carefully purchased what little they could afford.

"Captain Yosuke, the wounded are all recovered. The disabled ninja have been sent home, but afterward…"

Outside, the war-ravaged civilians of the Land of Rain suffered in poverty, while the room inside displayed a table full of luxuries.

Having been stationed here for over three months, the fourteen-year-old Uchiha Yosuke had become even more hardened, especially as he took on more authority. Now, he carried an undeniable aura of command.

"What’s happening with the disabled ninjas from the war?"

Hearing his subordinate’s report, Yosuke raised his head in confusion, prompting a wry smile from the ninja delivering the report:

"Captain, your standards are too high. Given the current situation in the ninja world, the most we can do is assign these injured ninja to rear-guard roles, transporting supplies. Integrating them back in the village… it's simply…”

“What do you mean by ‘simply’?”

Uchiha Hachida sighed, replying, “The academy and other village posts like squad leaders are already full. Even if they had openings, how many could they accommodate? And even the higher-ups in the Hokage's office don’t have enough positions…”

Hearing this, Yosuke simply looked out the window, watching the rain-soaked scene.

"So, these disabled ninja are being used to impersonate rogue ninjas in enemy territories to sow chaos?"

Ninjas are too valuable to waste. Disabled ninja sent home? What a waste!

As Yosuke spoke calmly, Uchiha Hachida nodded, understanding the reality.

"I don't control other areas, but for any ninja under my command, we should try our best to look after them. Assign the less-injured ones to patrol duties or similar tasks. Let’s make sure that our comrades don’t have to bleed and cry."

As Yosuke's steady voice filled the room, the door was ajar, and the words reached the ears of other ninjas outside, leaving them momentarily stunned.

It was rare to hear anyone show such concern for disabled ninjas, not even the Third Hokage, known for his compassion.

A warmth filled their hearts as they listened, realizing that perhaps this young, talented Jonin wasn't as ruthless as the rumors suggested.

Uchiha Hachida hesitated, but seeing Yosuke’s calm resolve, he nodded, replying:

"Understood! I'll do my best to handle it."

Despite the wastefulness of this approach, he felt a sense of warmth.

Serving under such a leader was reassuring, even unto death.

While Yosuke’s calm expression revealed none of his inner thoughts, he was fully aware of what he was doing. This was a long-term investment requiring patience, but he had little choice.

If he had options, the ninja academy would be his first choice, followed by supporting orphaned ninjas. But these areas were firmly controlled by the Third Hokage.

He could only settle for supporting disabled ninjas, investing in their futures, and in their descendants.

Luckily, Yosuke was young and had time for these seeds to grow. When the Third Shinobi War came and the Third Hokage retired in disgrace, his true target would be the Fourth Hokage seat, with the Third War as his stage.

(T/N: There is no chapter 92)

*(Chapter End)*