"Very few people are aware of our connection," Danzo continued, his voice steady, laced with calculated confidence. "This situation should not have impacted you significantly."
He paused, glancing at Gato with a mixture of respect and something darker. "Moreover, as a prominent merchant in the Land of Waves, you have advantages that I lack."
Danzo sighed, his gaze shifting as if burdened by an unseen weight. "You're aware that Konoha is preparing to seal the village. Hiruzen won't let me leave easily, given my position here. And with the recent events that have rocked the village, continuing operations at the factory in Konoha is no longer viable."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting to something more conspiratorial. "So, I've devised a plan... a shell operation. For now, we'll sever all ties with Konoha and relocate the factory to the Land of Waves, under your direct management. Once the dust settles and the situation calms, we can reintegrate the operation."
Danzo's words carried the weight of someone who believed in the brilliance of his scheme, as if the solution were both simple and clever.
"These machines, these raw materials, all worth over twenty billion ryō—I am entrusting them to you," Danzo said, locking eyes with Gato, his gaze steady and full of trust. "Among those I know, only you are capable of handling this task."
He paused for a moment, then continued with a note of urgency in his voice. "If we don't act now, Hiruzen will sell these goods at a fraction of their worth, just to ease the village's burden. It would be a waste. Rather than allow it to end like this, we have a chance to take a risk—one that could offer a new opportunity for survival."
Danzo's expression grew more somber as he added. "This is a bold move, and will certainly draw attention from the Grass Village, but don't worry. I will provide you with the connections I've made with the three great nations. This will enable you to expand quickly and catch Grass Village off guard."
His gaze hardened as he fixed Gato with a burning look, one that left no room for refusal. "But there's one condition: you must join the Root organization. Don't worry, even if I'm confined within the village, I will find ways to stay in touch with you. And Orochimaru... he will certainly seek me out again. If you face any difficulties, you can turn to him for help."
As Gato left the Root base, still in a daze, his mind replayed the scene of Danzo's back turned towards him—his figure casting a shadow of both defeat and a faint glimmer of hope. Danzo had outlined his plan: a shell operation, relocating equipment and raw materials, and setting up a new factory in the Land of Waves. An opportunity for survival, or so Danzo had said.
Gato had to admit, that Danzo truly lived up to his reputation as the darkness of Konoha, devising such a scheme. But the problem lay in Gato's own position—he was a spy sent by the Grass Village, an agent working under a different banner altogether.
Yet, despite the internal conflict gnawing at him, Gato couldn't refuse Danzo's request. It was too risky, too dangerous to oppose him now. So, he had agreed, reluctantly but without hesitation, replying to Danzo, "I voluntarily join Konoha's Root organization..."
As Gato stepped out of the Root base and into the open air, his gaze lifted to the blue sky above. His once confident steps had faltered, replaced by a sense of melancholy that settled in his chest. "So, what should I do now?"
…
On the other side, Akihiko wasted no time in assembling a highly skilled negotiation team to quickly acquire the goods left by the Root organization in Konoha.
Of course, the team leader had to be none other than Mubuki—the most audacious and shameless advisor in the history of Grass Village.
There was no other choice. The goods in question were valued at over twenty billion ryō, but Akihiko was offering only five billion to buy them back—a staggeringly low offer, even by his standards.
Akihiko feared that if he personally went to Konoha, the village might become enraged by the offer and, without even entertaining the negotiation, might resort to extreme measures, including an assassination attempt. It would be much safer to send Mubuki instead. As a seasoned Grass ninja, Mubuki's escape skills were legendary, and Akihiko trusted that he would handle any situation without a hitch.
With everything in place, the team was now ready to leave. They had to reach Konoha before the village closed its gates completely. Once the closure was in effect, Konoha would become a one-way entry—no one would be able to come or go freely like they could now. Time was of the essence.
Although Akihiko believed that even if they offered to stay in Konoha for a few years, the village would never agree, he didn't consider pushing the issue further. After all, Grass Village wasn't the type to trouble others, and Akihiko never had any intention of causing trouble.
Konoha, at this point, had only two options regarding the goods. They could either wait for the situation to settle down and reopen the factory once the village was up and running again, or they could sell everything quickly to raise the necessary funds to keep the village afloat.
Given the circumstances, it seemed more likely that the Third Hokage would choose the second option. Once the village was sealed, although the cost of maintaining it wouldn't be too high, there would still be financial demands, and Konoha was in desperate need of cash.
The only ones who could feasibly take over such a large quantity of goods were the major nations—Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, Land of Earth—and, of course, the Land of Grass.
With that in mind, Akihiko knew they had to move quickly. The opportunity wouldn't last long.
Akihiko surveyed the gathered negotiation team, a sense of approval settling over him. The team was composed of some of the best talents from the Land of Grass: Hanzō, Advisor Chiyo, Kakuzu, and the leader of this mission, Mubuki.
However, Mubuki wasn't present at the moment. The ninja world had been in a state of turmoil recently, with the press overwhelmed by events, and Mubuki had urgent matters to attend to. He would join the team at the village entrance later.
Each member of the team brought a unique skill to the table, and Akihiko had high hopes for them. Hanzō, in particular, was a key asset. If the Third Hokage refused to cooperate, Hanzō would use his ultimate move–-he would simply lie down in front of the Hokage and will refuse to move—a strategy that would force Konoha to deal with them. It was a bold move, but it was their hidden trump card, one that would tip the scales in their favor.
Just as Akihiko was about to announce their departure, Mubuki rushed in, calling out, "Leader, wait!"
Akihiko looked up, surprised. "I thought you said you had things to take care of and would meet us at the village entrance later?"
He paused for a moment, then waved it off. "Well, it doesn't matter. Since, you're here now, you guys can leave together."
He patted Mubuki, who was out of breath from rushing over, and added with sincerity, "This deal, worth over twenty billion, is in your hands now."
Mubuki quickly shook his head, his hands raised. "No, that's not it. We don't need to go anymore, Leader Akihiko!" He was still catching his breath.
Akihiko paused, confusion settling in. "What do you mean? Did Konoha sell all the goods already? To whom?"
Mubuki handed Akihiko a piece of paper with a resigned expression. "Just read this, Leader Akihiko. You'll understand."
As soon as Akihiko took the intelligence report and glanced at it, his expression immediately froze. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then looked up at Mubuki with wide eyes. "Is this for real?"
At that moment, the three others—Hanzō, Chiyo, and Kakuzu—leaned in, their curiosity piqued.
"What's going on? Are we still going or not?" Hanzō asked, furrowing his brows. "I even brought two special fish as gifts for my dear friend. You know, When I heard he was hospitalized, I was really worried."
Akihiko, still in shock, struggled to find the words. He handed the report to Hanzō. "You'd better see for yourself."
"…What could have happened?" Hanzō scoffed, shaking his head. "You youngsters are too inexperienced, getting all worked up over…"
But before he could finish, he glanced down at the paper. His eyes widened in disbelief under his mask. Chiyo and Kakuzu, both leaning in to take a look, were equally stunned.
A heavy silence fell over the group. Their faces mirrored a mix of confusion and admiration, all of them sighing in unison. "Danzo… truly a remarkable man."
"My friend Danzo, my dear friend…" Hanzō muttered, his voice faltering with emotion. "I… I don't even know what to say. Make sure someone delivers the gifts I brought to him. Tell him I wish him a speedy recovery."
Mubuki, still processing the situation, turned to Akihiko and asked, "So, what do we do now? Should we arrange to have the goods sent back?"
Akihiko blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. He gave Mubuki a puzzled look. "Send them back? What for? Doesn't he want to build a factory? Let's move forward with that!"
The room fell silent as everyone exchanged bewildered glances. 'What the… We are building a new factory?'